The Lakeside is a single-channel, Class A preamp with a fully discrete circuit, built around custom-wound Soyuz input and output transformers. The 1U chassis carries its own internal power supply, so it drops straight into a rack without an external brick. Instead of a VU meter, the engineer gets three knobs and a set of switches - stepped 5dB gain, an output trim, and a distinctive inductor-based high-pass filter. It's Soyuz's first piece of outboard gear, built specifically to extend the character of their microphones into the rest of the signal chain.
Stepped gain instead of guessing by ear
The Gain control is a rotary switch stepped in 5dB increments across a 10-60dB range - every click is a repeatable value, so a saturation setting dialed in on one session can be recalled on the next without writing numbers on a notepad. The output trim compensates for added gain and keeps proper level structure downstream, and the 0 (unity) mark on the output knob gives a clear reference point that most preamps in this price range don't offer. Transformer coupling on both input and output adds density and harmonic color regardless of whether the source is a condenser, ribbon, or dynamic microphone.
An inductor-based HPF that shapes tone, not just rumble
The high-pass filter runs through an inductor rather than a standard RC network, so the stepped switch targets specific frequency points from 40Hz to 330Hz with a gentle, musical resonant bump instead of a flat cut. That gives an engineer a way to pull unwanted low end off a kick or bass track without stripping out weight, while also treating the filter's resonance as a tone-shaping tool rather than a purely corrective one. The front-panel 1/4-inch DI input lets bass, electric guitar, synths, or re-amped stems run through the same signal path without reaching for a separate DI box.
KEY FEATURES
- Single-channel Class A preamp with fully discrete circuitry
- Custom-wound Soyuz input and output transformers
- Stepped gain, 10-60dB in 5dB increments
- Smooth output trim with a unity reference mark
- Inductor-based high-pass filter, 40-330Hz, with resonance
- Front-panel 1/4-inch DI input
- 48V phantom power and polarity reverse switches
- 1U rack chassis with internal power supply
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: single-channel Class A microphone preamp
- Topology: fully discrete, through-hole circuitry
- Transformers: custom-wound Soyuz, input and output
- Gain range: 10-60dB, 5dB steps
- Output control: smooth trim with unity point
- HPF: inductor-based, stepped, 40-330Hz
- DI input: 1/4-inch jack, front panel
- Phantom power: 48V, switchable
- Polarity reverse: yes
- Connectors: XLR mic input, XLR line output
- Power supply: internal, IEC inlet
- Chassis: 1U rack
- Metering: none (no VU meter)
