HLabs Audio CS169 is a 1U channel strip combining the PRE169 preamp and the EQ169 equaliser circuits, both derived from the Studer 169 console. The two sections have independent inputs and outputs, so they can run separately or in series.
67 dB of gain for ribbon microphones
A passive ribbon puts out a signal well over ten decibels quieter than a typical condenser, and on most preamps that ends with the gain pinned and the whole noise floor coming up with it. The CS169 offers more than 67 dB with an EIN of -125 dBu, so a ribbon on a guitar cabinet or a brass section reaches working level without lifting the background. A Neutrik NTM-4 input transformer and a Carnhill VT24499 output transformer supply the character, which turns into audible saturation as you push the input and pull the output back.
Filter and EQ land before the converter, not after it
A discrete 12 dB/octave high-pass filter tunable from 20 to 315 Hz removes room rumble and proximity build-up before the signal reaches the converter — before that low end eats headroom. The EQ section adds ±15 dB shelves at 20 Hz and 20 kHz plus a continuously variable Presence band from 150 to 7000 Hz, so the tone is set while tracking rather than rebuilt with plugins later.
KEY FEATURES
- PRE169 preamp and EQ169 equaliser in one 1U chassis
- Independent inputs and outputs for both sections — free routing
- Up to 67 dB of gain, -125 dBu EIN at maximum gain
- Neutrik NTM-4 input transformer, Carnhill VT24499 output transformer
- Discrete 12 dB/oct high-pass filter, 20–315 Hz
- Front-panel DI input
- +48 V phantom power, polarity switch, -33 dB pad
- EQ: ±15 dB shelves plus a Presence filter from 150 to 7000 Hz
- Relay-operated bypass
- Short XLR cable supplied for channel-strip use
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Maximum gain: 67 dB, pad -33 dB, output level 0 to -30 dB
- EIN: -125 dBu at maximum gain (mic input)
- Mic input impedance: 1.2 kΩ; DI input impedance: above 1.0 MΩ
- Output impedance: below 20 Ω, transformer balanced
- Preamp section frequency response (1 kΩ): ±1 dB from 6.2 Hz to 25 kHz
- EQ: high shelf ±15 dB @ 20 kHz, Presence ±11 dB 150–7000 Hz (Q ≈ 1.0), low shelf ±15 dB @ 20 Hz
- EQ section: transformerless input and output, 48 kΩ input impedance, 50 Ω output impedance
- EQ section frequency response (1 kΩ): ±0.5 dB from 5.4 Hz to 25 kHz, S/N above 105 dB (0.2% THD)
- EQ section max input and output level: +22 dBu
- Mains: 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz
- Dimensions: 483 × 260 × 44 mm (1U), weight 3.9 kg
