Wrong perspective. They gave the proletarian DIY-er a pre-drilled chasis w/ IEC connector and some spare parts for only $99. Solder monkeys of the world unite.
Too bad the layout isn't so optimal for my forseeable use - I don't think 8 of any pre I'm thinking of building would fit. (Hamptone JFET perhaps?) TS will have to go, but it's on the back, so routing for more substantial jacks wouldn't mar the appearance much, even with my hamfisted packaging skills.
One idea I had thrown around but am less sure about implementing: for homegrown pres, there would be a certain convenience in reusing some basic features like phantom, pad, and polarity only on the channels where they are needed. Put the utility stuff in one box, and patch the mic through if you need it. If you aren't going to use more than eight condensors at a time, why have more than eight channels of phantom? An excessively modular approach, perhaps, but conceptually appealling.
Bear