This product was designed for designers of FX pedals.  It's based on the 20SB transformer that was used in my 2020S Steel-Core Instrument transformer (1:1), but adds step up ratios of 1:2 (for a 6dB boost) and 1:4.  This can create not just a signal boost, but also some colorful tones from the various impedance ratios at play.  Check out the .pdf for example wiring.  Visit LBA Magnetics to order now.    

 I can't move forward with the Super Storm at this time.   I ran into some serious manufacturing brick-walls with the upcoming Super Storm product.  Primarily, trying to work with other companies to produce various custom parts has proven to be nearly impossible.  I went all-in on my investment with this product. I chose to outsource domestically in order to reduce my cost-per-unit, essentially so I could sell the Super Storm at a very competitive price.  Furthermore, with the Super Storm I noticed I needed a ridiculous level of precision with the fabrication of metal parts.  It was something I first tried in-house and realized my equipment isn't accurate enough for the level of precision needed.  Outsourcing became necessary for this product.  I'm currently awaiting 100 faceplates from a deburring and counter-sinking stage, which is post laser cutting.  From that point I will need to deliver the faceplates to the powder coating shop down the road.  After that I can print the graphics onto the faceplates.  The rate at which the faceplates are being produced is mind-bogglingly slow, but the bigger hold up is actually the base-plates.  I need them made.  My attempts to produce them in-house and my attempts to outsource have thus-far have been failures to say the least.  This is at least partially my own fault for lack of knowledge and/or the necessary tools.  Until I can come up with a cost effective and reliable source for the base-plates, the Super Storm is on hold.

The end of product life for most of my existing product line was  necessary to free up my time enough to produce a new catalogue of products that I can produce in-house and to a high standard of quality.  Coming next week is the first new product, which is a special sort of audio transformer.  The target market is pedal designers and it will be have a minimum order requirement.  It's designed to be the same as what was used in the 2020S Steel-Core Instrument Transformer - when certain pc pins are selected.  However, it can be configured to be a step up transformer with impedance ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4, depending on which pins are accessed.  That can create the effect of a signal boost when feeding the secondary of the transformer into an amplification stage with a high input impedance.  The transformer can be used to invert the signal polarity via switch, or it can be used to isolate the signal from ground.  A detailed pdf will be provided, which includes sample circuits and a wiring guide.  The LBA-20SX is designed to be the input transformer for FX pedals.  

There is another product I'm working on, which is probably the coolest thing I've made in a long time.  Dark Storm is a stand-alone (1/2 rack ​size) JFET mic preamp with 4 audio transformers and it has both XLR and 1/4" I/O.  It's a 2 for 1 deal in the sense that it can be both a mic preamp or an instrument preamp.  But the best part is the pile of custom wound LBA Magnetics.  This is based on the Super Storm, but adds 2 extra transformers (4 in total) for a truly big sound.  Sonically, it's superior as well since it runs at a higher voltage (36V) for more headroom and gain (81dB!).  The front panel controls are "Gain", "Old", "Polarity", "48V" (phantom power), "Volume", "Low Cut", 1/4" input, and "Power".  The rear panel sports XLR in/out jacks, a 1/4" instrument level output (via dual output transformers), and a pair of ground switches - one for the XLR and a separate for the 1/4" output (for isolation/ground loop elimination).  The Dark Storm will ship without rack ears unless ordered as a stereo pair, in which they will be mounted together and presented as a standard 19" rack unit.  Consider it a desk-top or remote preamp.  It will include a 48V DC power adapter.  I plan to work on an EQ unit in the same 1/2 rack configuration next.  It'll be possible to order a channel strip - one Dark Storm Preamp and one Dark Storm EQ paired into a 19" 1U rack.  For now I'm still prototyping the Dark Storm.  No price has been set.  My best estimate at this point in time is $899 USD.