The 424 Gain Stage gives all the elastic, lo-fi tone you get from plugging a guitar rig straight into a TASCAM® Portastudio® 424. Now in pedal form, you can easily integrate the rubbery clean tones, high head room, and smashed out fuzz that’s being repopularized by today’s emerging guitarists.

And yes, it does the Mk.Gee “thing!” It also ventures well beyond, covering all types of bedroom pop and direct-in tones from emerging artists like D4vd, Steve Lacey, Malcolm Todd, and Omar Apollo, as well as mainstays like Mac Demarco, Spoon, and Radiohead.

The original Portastudios® were made famous in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and gave us the ability to bring our songs to life from the comfort of our cluttered bedrooms. These multi-track recorders meant for home studios found their way onto hit records like Springsteen’s Nebraska, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang, and Spoon’s Gimme Fiction. Many of the vocal parts and fuzzy guitar tracks on Gimme Fiction – a huge inspiration for the creation of the Colour Box – were actually recorded on a Portastudio®. Since hearing those recordings, the 424 Gain Stage has been brewing in the background, and now we’re proud to bring it to you.

Recreation Highlights

In this historically accurate recreation, we perfectly replicated the original 424 MKI® circuit using the original UPC4570 and NJM4565 op-amps and all the original controls, which is crucial for recreating the unique character that makes the old units sound so good. The Portastudio’s® gain controls–trim, channel volume, & master volume–all work in tandem for dialing up your desired tone and can be further refined with the Low and High EQ settings. In addition, our unit offers a ¼” output alongside a balanced XLR output (DI out) for ultimate flexibility in any situation, live or studio.

The 424 Gain Stage as a DI

Going DI will give you the exact same unparalleled gooey texture and lo-fi fuzz you get when plugging directly into a 424® without the hassle of dragging around your beloved Portastudio®. Leave it on your recording desk for easy access. If you want to get fancy, you can toss an Active A/B/Y switcher at the end of your rig and send the A output to your amp and the B output to the JHS 424 Gain Stage input, then XLR output of the pedal directly into your mixer or interface. This way, you can flip between your amp and the 424 Gain Stage easily or play through both at the same time. Give it a try!

The 424 Gain Stage with an Amp

Plugging a Portastudio® into your amp is quite a feat. In this pedal format, you can easily integrate the tone of the 424 with the saturation of your favorite amp. This adds a whole new quality to the tone and gives the ability to stack it with your other pedals. Use it as a gain stage to boost your signal, a unique and colorful new overdrive sound, or push the gain knobs into full-on overloaded and broken fuzz.

Control Descriptions

• VOLUME (Corresponds to Portastudio® Master): Controls the output volume. Left is less, right is more. On the Portastudio 424, this is the MASTER fader.
• GAIN 1 (TRIM): Sets how much preamplification will be added to the input signal. On the Portastudio 424, this is the TRIM control.
• GAIN 2 (CHANNEL): Sets the volume level of the second gain stage. On the Portastudio 424, this is the CHANNEL fader.
• BASS: Cuts or boosts bass frequencies. Left is less, right is more.
• TREBLE: Cuts or boosts the treble frequencies. Left is less, right is more.

Inputs and Outputs

• INPUT: Top ¼” right jack.
• OUTPUT: Top ¼” left jack.
• XLR OUTPUT: XLR jack on the left side of the pedal. This is a balanced output which can be used as a direct-out straight into a mixer or interface. The 1/4” output and XLR output can be used simultaneously.
• GROUND LIFT: Dip switch on the left side of the pedal. If you experience a hum/buzz while using the XLR output, use this switch to lift the ground.

Power and Specs

• Requires 9VDC center negative power and consumes 50mA.
• The 424 Gain Stage is silent, soft touch switching with a buffered bypass.
• Measures 2.6” x 4.8” x 1.6”.
• Do not use more than 9VDC. Damage may occur and your warranty will be voided.

THE JHS PEDALS 424 GAIN STAGE IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH OR ENDORSED BY TASCAM®

TASCAM AND PORTASTUDIO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.