After sharing several teasers over the past week hinting at the identity of a mysterious new stompbox, JHS Pedals has unveiled the 424 Gain Stage, a preamp pedal designed to recreate the lo-fi tones of a vintage multitrack cassette recorder: the Tascam Portastudio 424.
Billed as a "historically accurate" recreation of the Portastudio, the pedal replicates the tape machine's circuits using the original UPC4570 and NJM4565 op-amps that contribute to its sought-after sonic character. The 424 Gain Stage's controls also mirror the Tascam's mixer section with a pared-back layout consisting of knobs for Volume, Bass, Treble, Gain 1 and Gain 2, along with a single footswitch.
