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Cassette Preamp - Color Audio

Oct 16, 2025

The Color Audio Cassette Preamp nails that gritty vintage Japanese cassette recorder sound in a compact preamp pedal. This is the channel strip from a vintage Tascam-style cassette deck, faithfully reproduced right down to the original NJM2068 and M5218 op-amps.

I enjoy the Cassette Preamp because it delivers such a wide range of character - from compressed cleans that add warmth and presence to your DI signal, all the way to blown-out fuzz when you push the gain. The high-pass and low-pass filters really open up the sound sculpting possibilities, letting you dial in everything from crispy hi-fi tones to warm lo-fi textures.

The build quality is serious - Neutrik jacks, Alpha pots, and a rugged aluminum enclosure that’s built for touring. The relay switching with auto-bypass on power loss is a thoughtful touch. At 9-18V operation, you get plenty of headroom, and the 23mA current draw won’t tax your power supply.

While it’s designed as a mic/line preamp, it works beautifully with guitar or bass plugged straight in. The unapologetically raw character makes it perfect for adding that vintage cassette vibe to recordings or live performances. Whether you’re chasing lo-fi bedroom pop tones or need a versatile preamp for studio work, the Cassette Preamp delivers authentic vintage character with modern reliability.

Signal Chain

  • Fidelity Guitars Stellarosa with Mojo Lipstick Pickups (both pickups in series)
  • Various pedals (see demo widget above) or nothing
  • Cassette Preamp
  • …yep, that’s it

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