JHS Pedals 424 Gain Stage

Vintage Portastudio Saturation in a Pedal

Bring the unmistakable character of a classic cassette recorder straight to your pedalboard. The JHS 424 Gain Stage recreates the preamp and gain circuitry of the legendary Tascam Portastudio 424, delivering everything from elastic cleans to warm compression and gritty, lo-fi saturation. This isn’t a typical overdrive—it’s a character-rich gain stage and preamp designed for players, producers, and tone explorers chasing vibe over perfection.

WHAT IT DOES

• Vintage-inspired preamp saturation
• Touch-sensitive compression and breakup
• Lo-fi warmth, grit, and fuzzed-out textures
• Works as a pedalboard gain stage or DI preamp
• Perfect for indie, alternative, experimental, bedroom pop, and anyone seeking unique, record-ready tone

CONTROLS

• Gain 1 (Trim): Sets the initial preamp drive
• Gain 2 (Channel): Adds additional saturation and breakup
• Bass: Low-frequency shaping
• Treble: High-frequency shaping
• Volume: Master output level

The dual-gain structure lets you dial in subtle warmth, punchy overdrive, or smashed cassette-style distortion, making it an indispensable tool for tone explorers.