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Jad Freer Capo vs JHS Colour Box v2

#21
My experiance with the Colurbox improved tenfold once I called JHS and received the actual frequency ranges for each shift knob, and boost/cut knob.

for bass, the HPF is not extremely usable because it’s shelved at 120 Hz. The lowest freq on the Bass shift knob is 20hz.

Anyways, it’s not just a “twiddle the knobs to find a good sound” pedal. It’s a fairly transparent precision preamp that takes some familiarity with multiple gain stages and semi parametric eq.

Gain stages, there are 3 that give the pedal a lot of latitude with how it colors the signal. Again, this is a multi purpose pedal.

IMG_5539.jpeg
 
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#22
Putting the JHS Colourbox V2 specs here in hopes that someone might get here from Google.

TOP ROW
Master = Volume
Pre- Vol = Preamp Gain
Step = Changes the Gain of the Preamp Stage
1= +18db
2= +23db
3= +28db
4= +33db
5= +39db

HIGH PASS FILTER
120Hz - 800Hz
-6db per octave

EQ SECTION
Treb/Mid/Bass
+/- 17db Boost/Cut

Shift Knobs
Treble
2KHz - 30KHz / Center freq 10KHz

Mids
150HZ - 2.4Khz / Center freq 1KHz

Bass
20Hz - 440Hz / Center freq 120Hz

HI/LOW gain
Hi = distortion
Low = clean

PAD
-20db (affects XLR input only)

I/O
When using the "Insturment" In, the XLR out is disengadged when the pedal is off

When using "MIC/XLR" In, The XLR is always "ON"

Of course the Balanced out is less noisy than the Unbalanced output. The nice thing is the signal is passed to both outputs when using the "insturment in" so, when using as a DI, you can run to FOH or mixer and your amp at the same time.
 
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#24
Many people here speaking up for the Colour Box, so I think it's time that someone provided a different perspective.
I've had the Colour Box for a while and in a nutshell, I think it is boring.
From my personal point of view, there is a lot going on that did not work one bit for me:
1. The HPF is more or less useless. It does only 6dB/oct and the lowest it goes is too high for proper use with a bass, this was clearly intended for guitar.
2. There are way too many gain knobs. You get your Pre-Vol, your Step and the HI/LO switch. When you push the signal too hard, it sounds like a piece of analog gear that is meant to be used clean but is operated dirty. It yields a very artificial sounding distortion that is not the least bit fun for my ears.
3. When you operate it within reasonable parameters, It does work, but now it's a three band parametric EQ with fixed Qs that has a DI out and costs 500 bucks.
4. Using it clean, I completely failed to spot the Magic Of Using A Vintage Neve Console. It behaved like a well built, transparent EQ.


For that kind of money, you could also score a Broughton Studio One or get an Empress Para EQ Deluxe and a DI.

I've never played a Capo, but If I was to decide between those two, I'd rather go for the unknown.
 
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#25
el murdoque said:
Many people here speaking up for the Colour Box, so I think it's time that someone provided a different perspective.
I've had the Colour Box for a while and in a nutshell, I think it is boring.
From my personal point of view, there is a lot going on that did not work one bit for me:
1. The HPF is more or less useless. It does only 6dB/oct and the lowest it goes is too high for proper use with a bass, this was clearly intended for guitar.
2. There are way too many gain knobs. You get your Pre-Vol, your Step and the HI/LO switch. When you push the signal too hard, it sounds like a piece of analog gear that is meant to be used clean but is operated dirty. It yields a very artificial sounding distortion that is not the least bit fun for my ears.
3. When you operate it within reasonable parameters, It does work, but now it's a three band parametric EQ with fixed Qs that has a DI out and costs 500 bucks.
4. Using it clean, I completely failed to spot the Magic Of Using A Vintage Neve Console. It behaved like a well built, transparent EQ.


For that kind of money, you could also score a Broughton Studio One or get an Empress Para EQ Deluxe and a DI.

I've never played a Capo, but If I was to decide between those two, I'd rather go for the unknown.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I'm about to order a Capo, actually, so the decision has been made. Jeremy Darrows response over got me looking more closely at the routing options, and they're quite useful for me - with the effects loop(s). Also that you can run a clean DI-signal out, in addition to a dirty one is great. I already have an Empress like you mention, that I use mid-chain, and I also have a Cali76 Bass Compressor and a DCX Bass, so the vintage colouring options are well taken care of, I feel.

I like the fact that the Capo is Class A, as well. Thanks for chiming in :)
 
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#26
They are very different in my experience. I’m sure I could get something usable out of the CB but in the short time I had it I just found too many features weren’t usable on bass and that fought against the cost. I didn’t like the hpf, the gain structure etc

The Capo however was probably the best bass tone I’ve had from a unit with the least amount of fiddling.

el murdoque said:
Many people here speaking up for the Colour Box, so I think it's time that someone provided a different perspective.
I've had the Colour Box for a while and in a nutshell, I think it is boring.
From my personal point of view, there is a lot going on that did not work one bit for me:
1. The HPF is more or less useless. It does only 6dB/oct and the lowest it goes is too high for proper use with a bass, this was clearly intended for guitar.
2. There are way too many gain knobs. You get your Pre-Vol, your Step and the HI/LO switch. When you push the signal too hard, it sounds like a piece of analog gear that is meant to be used clean but is operated dirty. It yields a very artificial sounding distortion that is not the least bit fun for my ears.
3. When you operate it within reasonable parameters, It does work, but now it's a three band parametric EQ with fixed Qs that has a DI out and costs 500 bucks.
4. Using it clean, I completely failed to spot the Magic Of Using A Vintage Neve Console. It behaved like a well built, transparent EQ.


For that kind of money, you could also score a Broughton Studio One or get an Empress Para EQ Deluxe and a DI.

I've never played a Capo, but If I was to decide between those two, I'd rather go for the unknown.
Click to expand...

I agree with everything you’ve said, I love the idea of the CB, all those transformers, channel strip functionality etc. But it just doesn’t sound like being in the studio.

The Capo however was the best sounding pedal with the least amount of tweaking required. There are no bad sounds in that pedal.

That said I didn’t keep either
 
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#27
I would agree about the cost be bells and whistles on the CB. I use it as a mic pre as well. And it’s a damn good one.

I’m also a huge fan of the transparent EQ and would put it up against just about anything EQ wise. I’ve never fiddled with a CAPO, so no dog in that fight for me.

Even if I was to switch my preamp pedal, I would still keep the CB because it does more than just one job for me.

I also just looked up the CAPO and if I had found that before the CB I would have bought that one as well.
 
Last edited:
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#32
Bass Ape said:
Putting the JHS Colourbox V2 specs here in hopes that someone might get here from Google.

TOP ROW
Master = Volume
Pre- Vol = Preamp Gain
Step = Changes the Gain of the Preamp Stage
1= +18db
2= +23db
3= +28db
4= +33db
5= +39db

HIGH PASS FILTER
120Hz - 800Hz
-6db per octave

EQ SECTION
Treb/Mid/Bass
+/- 17db Boost/Cut

Shift Knobs
Treble
2KHz - 30KHz / Center freq 10KHz

Mids
150HZ - 2.4Khz / Center freq 1KHz

Bass
20Hz - 440Hz / Center freq 120Hz

HI/LOW gain
Hi = distortion
Low = clean

PAD
-20db (affects XLR input only)

I/O
When using the "Insturment" In, the XLR out is disengadged when the pedal is off

When using "MIC/XLR" In, The XLR is always "ON"

Of course the Balanced out is less noisy than the Unbalanced output. The nice thing is the signal is passed to both outputs when using the "insturment in" so, when using as a DI, you can run to FOH or mixer and your amp at the same time.
Click to expand...
I measured mine - the bass eq was way more powerful than +-17db
I’ll love mine, even off I like what the transformers do to my tone - but I still get lost with how the stepped gain and the pre-gain interact
 
#33
Luke the Fluke said:
I measured mine - the bass eq was way more powerful than +-17db
I’ll love mine, even off I like what the transformers do to my tone - but I still get lost with how the stepped gain and the pre-gain interact
Click to expand...
How much more? Those were the specs I received from JHS?

you can get some pretty decent drive by cranking up the step and then dialing in your pre. Just don’t go past 2 o clock because the pre starts to bloom which sounds crappy.

I’ve pulled the Colourbox off my pedal and replaced it with a DG infinity, which does more of what I need.
 
#34
Bass Ape said:
How much more? Those were the specs I received from JHS?

you can get some pretty decent drive by cranking up the step and then dialing in your pre. Just don’t go past 2 o clock because the pre starts to bloom which sounds crappy.

I’ve pulled the Colourbox off my pedal and replaced it with a DG infinity, which does more of what I need.
Click to expand...
like +-36 - I found I posted the readings on line … NPD: JHS Colour Box v2 (feat: )
 
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#35
Oh and I really don’t like the drive in most cases- it’s ok when it just goes into mild clipping on peaks - that’s quite nice, but anything more than that I don’t enjoy. There a second stage if squarewave clipping you can get if you have the HPF switch on.
I like the transformer sound and find the eq useful - but the gain staging seems designed for fuzz guitar first - thing is I’m not sure what the alternative to it would be, broughton studio 1 unobtainium I guess- but no gaurentee that I would enjoy the sound of that more!
 
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