Quick Specifications
Pedal Type: Studio-Grade Console Preamp & EQ
Controls: Master, Pre-Vol, Step, Hi/Lo Switch, Treble/Treble Shift, Middle/Middle Shift, Bass/Bass Shift, Hi-Pass/HPF Toggle
Inputs/Outputs: 1 x XLR-1/4" Combo Input, 1 x 1/4" TS Output, 1 x XLR Output
Special Features: -20dB Pad Switch, INST/XLR Selector, 48V Phantom Power Pass-Through
Power Requirements: 9VDC Negative Center Only (Do Not Exceed)
Current Draw: 193 mA
Dimensions: 5.7” × 3.75” × 1.85" (145 mm x 95 mm x 47 mm)
The JHS Colour Box V2 is a fully analog multi-instrument preamplifier designed to replicate the legendary harmonic depth, presence, and saturation of vintage Neve mixing consoles. Built around dual gain stages with Lundahl transformers, the red Gain section features three highly interactive controls. The five-position rotary Step switch increments the primary preamp gain in precise stages (+18dB, +23dB, +28dB, +33dB, and +39dB), while the Pre-Vol knob scales the drive between these stages to unlock everything from pristine clean sweetness to heavily clipped fuzz textures. The Master volume manages the global output. To further optimize staging, a dedicated Hi/Lo toggle manages baseline clean headroom—Lo mode provides ultra-clean performance across acoustic guitars and line sources, while Hi mode induces musical overdrive and console distortion much more readily.
The blue EQ section provides comprehensive tone-shaping capabilities via a 3-band layout coupled with independent dual-concentric Shift frequency controls (+/- 15dB of boost/cut). The Treble Shift sweeps from 2kHz to 30kHz, the Middle Shift covers critical presence from 150Hz to 2.4kHz, and the Bass Shift targets low-end anchor points from 20Hz to 440Hz. Low-end cleanup is managed via an active High-Pass Filter section, engaged by a dedicated toggle switch. The HPF knob controls a 2nd-order slope sweeping from 60Hz to 800Hz to eliminate low-frequency room rumble or stage mud.
The Colour Box V2 expands upon classic stompbox layouts to double as a legitimate studio DI and microphone preamp. The right flank carries an INST/XLR slide selector alongside a -20dB pad switch to tame high-output signals. The chassis houses a combination XLR-1/4" input jack and separate 1/4" and XLR outputs, with safety routing under the hood engineered to pass 48V phantom power directly to your studio condenser microphones. The active analog circuit features clickless, silent switching to eliminate stage pop. The processing runs on standard 9VDC negative center power and requires a consistent 193 mA current draw. Do not plug in any power supply exceeding 9VDC, as doing so will cause catastrophic internal component failure and void the factory warranty.
Quick Specifications
Pedal Type: Studio-Grade Console Preamp & EQ
Controls: Master, Pre-Vol, Step, Hi/Lo Switch, Treble/Treble Shift, Middle/Middle Shift, Bass/Bass Shift, Hi-Pass/HPF Toggle
Inputs/Outputs: 1 x XLR-1/4" Combo Input, 1 x 1/4" TS Output, 1 x XLR Output
Special Features: -20dB Pad Switch, INST/XLR Selector, 48V Phantom Power Pass-Through
Power Requirements: 9VDC Negative Center Only (Do Not Exceed)
Current Draw: 193 mA
Dimensions: 5.7” × 3.75” × 1.85" (145 mm x 95 mm x 47 mm)
The JHS Colour Box V2 is a fully analog multi-instrument preamplifier designed to replicate the legendary harmonic depth, presence, and saturation of vintage Neve mixing consoles. Built around dual gain stages with Lundahl transformers, the red Gain section features three highly interactive controls. The five-position rotary Step switch increments the primary preamp gain in precise stages (+18dB, +23dB, +28dB, +33dB, and +39dB), while the Pre-Vol knob scales the drive between these stages to unlock everything from pristine clean sweetness to heavily clipped fuzz textures. The Master volume manages the global output. To further optimize staging, a dedicated Hi/Lo toggle manages baseline clean headroom—Lo mode provides ultra-clean performance across acoustic guitars and line sources, while Hi mode induces musical overdrive and console distortion much more readily.
The blue EQ section provides comprehensive tone-shaping capabilities via a 3-band layout coupled with independent dual-concentric Shift frequency controls (+/- 15dB of boost/cut). The Treble Shift sweeps from 2kHz to 30kHz, the Middle Shift covers critical presence from 150Hz to 2.4kHz, and the Bass Shift targets low-end anchor points from 20Hz to 440Hz. Low-end cleanup is managed via an active High-Pass Filter section, engaged by a dedicated toggle switch. The HPF knob controls a 2nd-order slope sweeping from 60Hz to 800Hz to eliminate low-frequency room rumble or stage mud.
The Colour Box V2 expands upon classic stompbox layouts to double as a legitimate studio DI and microphone preamp. The right flank carries an INST/XLR slide selector alongside a -20dB pad switch to tame high-output signals. The chassis houses a combination XLR-1/4" input jack and separate 1/4" and XLR outputs, with safety routing under the hood engineered to pass 48V phantom power directly to your studio condenser microphones. The active analog circuit features clickless, silent switching to eliminate stage pop. The processing runs on standard 9VDC negative center power and requires a consistent 193 mA current draw. Do not plug in any power supply exceeding 9VDC, as doing so will cause catastrophic internal component failure and void the factory warranty.
