Haley0918 entered his Discrete logic preamplifier into the Open 7400 Logic Competition.
Through some experimentation he figured out that a XOR gate shows some analog properties. By modulating the input between 0.8v and 1.2v the output was swinging between 1v-4v, making the logic IC a preamplifier with a gain of 7.5. You can check out his circuit in action below.
Via the forum.