Benson Portable Distortion 424 MKII Cassette Preamp Drive

The Benson Portable Distortion 424 MKII is an enhanced recreation of the input channel from a classic 424 MkII cassette 4-track recorder, built to capture the raw, gritty and unpredictable distortion character that made those old recording units so inspiring. It delivers a wide range of lo-fi preamp tones, from subtle EQ shaping and clean boost sounds through to treble-boosted bite, dark saturated textures and chaotic cassette-style grind.

Benson has expanded the original-style circuit with a bypassable buffer, giving the pedal two very different response modes. With the buffer engaged, the pedal works better with high-impedance guitar signals and offers a more versatile, pedalboard-friendly feel. With the buffer bypassed, it gives a more faithful recreation of plugging an electric guitar directly into the original 4-track input channel.

The broad EQ control makes the 424 MKII useful as more than just a distortion pedal. It can be used as a tone shaper, boost, dirty preamp or experimental recording tool, especially for players chasing vintage cassette console colour and gritty analogue-style saturation.

• Inspired by the input channel of a classic 424 MkII cassette 4-track recorder
• Raw, gritty and lo-fi preamp distortion character
• Broad EQ control for shaping bright, dark or mid-forward tones
• Bypassable buffer changes the gain, feel and overall response
• Buffer mode improves compatibility with high-impedance guitar signals
• Buffer bypass mode recreates the direct-to-recorder input feel
• Works as a clean boost, treble boost, dirty preamp or chaotic grind pedal
• Ideal for guitar, recording textures and experimental signal chains