The Universal Audio 1108 is a classic, solid-state mic preamplifier module introduced by Universal Audio in the early 1960s — one of the first to replace vacuum-tube designs with transistor (FET) technology.
Its design is simple but legendary: a single-stage, transformer-coupled FET preamp with a discrete Class-A output stage. That circuitry became the foundation for the equally famous 1176 Peak Limiter sans compressor which is why many consider the 1108’s sound particularly pure, clean, yet detailed.
Sonically, the 1108 is praised for its clarity, balance and “open” top-end, with tight lows and an articulate midrange — making it especially suited for vocals and acoustic instruments.
Because of its rarity and vintage status, original units tend to be highly sought after by collectors and engineers chasing early analog recording character.
The 1108 was part of the original console lineup of Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood.
Artists who recorded at Sunset Sound while those consoles were active: Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and The Eagles.
Although Universal Audio recreated the 1108 in rack format it was short lived and availability is very scarce.
In 2010, GroupDIY user MNATS reproduced the 1108 mainboard for avid Music Technology DIYers.
After a gap of 8 years since his site has gone offline, I’ve recreated his circuit with some modifications to bring resurrect the availability of the 1108. I offer the gerbers here for you to download free of charge and print at your preferred board manufacturer.
The file includes the gerbers themselves, the BOM and the schematics.
This is not verified. I probably won’t get chance to build this myself for a good few months, so if anyone builds it and it works, please verify it here. This board is CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) no commercial use please. This is offered without any guarantees or support.
You can still get transformers and the original PSU from Hairball here:
Mnats Variable Power Supply + Phantom Power
1108 Transformers
Gerber file is here: Gerbers
