Inspired by classic artists like the Beatles, Spoon, Wilco, and Steely Dan, who popularized the “direct-in” sound, JHS set the ambitious goal of transforming a guitar rig into the tonal equivalent of a Neve studio console. That direct-in studio tone—clean, immediate, and harmonically rich—is the foundation of the Colour Box.
At its best, the Colour Box V2 is about control and character. It can remain open and completely clean, add subtle harmonic weight, or push into dense overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. With support for both instruments and microphones, it’s equally at home shaping electric guitar, bass, acoustic instruments, vocals, synths, and more.
Version 2 Refinements
The V2 builds on the original design with expanded headroom, deeper tone shaping, and improved signal handling. An added output transformer brings more depth and authority, while updated gain and EQ options make it easier to dial in anything from transparent tone shaping to aggressive saturation.
- Output transformer for added punch and dimension
- Hi/Lo gain switch for clean headroom or earlier breakup
- Safely passes 48V phantom power for condenser microphones
- Silent, pop-free switching
- Standard 9V DC negative power
Gain Structure
The gain section is built around three controls—Master, Pre-Vol, and Step—allowing you to fine-tune volume, saturation, and feel. The Step control moves through five gain levels, from subtle boost to heavy drive and fuzz. Lo mode favors clean tones and headroom, while Hi mode brings on breakup faster with a more aggressive response.
EQ & Filtering
A three-band EQ is paired with dedicated Shift controls, letting you define which frequencies the Bass, Mid, and Treble knobs act on. This console-style approach offers far more precision than a fixed pedal EQ. A variable high-pass filter helps tighten the low end and clean up problematic frequencies, especially useful for vocals and acoustic instruments.
I/O & Use
- Combo XLR / ¼" input for microphones or instruments
- -20dB pad for hot XLR sources