The Yerasov FETube Vital Higain VH-5 is an analog stompbox guitar preamp built around the maker's FETube technology, a JFET-based circuit design that RockBoard's PedalPedia says gives "the sound and feel of a real tube amp."1 It is a high-gain preamp that also carries a built-in cab sim, distortion and equalizer, so it can act as a compact amp-style front end for a pedalboard or plug more or less straight into a power amp or audio interface.1
What FETube does
Yerasov describes FETube as "revolutionary FETube technology based on JFET," a design that uses junction field-effect transistors to stand in for the tubes of the amplifiers the pedal takes after. The maker's claim for the VH-5's playing feel is specific: "It efficiently recreates tube dynamics and reacts on your picking just right, carefully delivering all details of your playing."1
The FETube line as a whole has a clear point of reference. As RockBoard's PedalPedia puts it, "All our FETube preamps were inspired by real hall of fame amplifiers."1 The VH-5 is the Vital Higain model in that family, and the maker also offers the FETube Uber Higain UH-5 and the FETube Deutsch Higain DH-5 as siblings in the same preamp series.1
What it covers
Because the VH-5 combines several functions in one box, it sits at the intersection of a few pedal categories. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists its effect types as:1
- Cab sim: a speaker simulation, the kind of function found on dedicated speaker simulation pedals
- Preamp: the core function, in the territory of preamp pedals
- Distortion: high-gain drive, the family of distortion pedals
- Equalizer: tone shaping, as on dedicated EQ pedals
For a player, that combination means the VH-5 can be more than a drive pedal in front of an amp: with the cab sim on board it can serve as the preamp stage itself, feeding a power amp, a flat response cab, or a recording chain1.
Power and practicalities
The VH-5 runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the standard polarity for pedal power supplies. The figure to plan around is the current draw: RockBoard's PedalPedia lists it at 400mA.1
The VH-5 is a rack preamp rather than a compact analog pedal, and it should be run from a dedicated power supply output rather than shared on a daisy chain with other units.
Yerasov publishes an English manual for the VH-5 as a PDF on its own site, at yerasov.com under its manuals section, in the file vh-5.pdf.1
Where it sits in Yerasov's range
The VH-5 is part of Yerasov's FETube preamp series, all of which RockBoard's PedalPedia says were inspired by real hall of fame amplifiers.1 Within the wider Yerasov catalog, the maker has also offered high-gain distortion pedals such as the Gamma DS-1 Distortion, a pedal from the company's older Gamma series. The VH-5 differs in approach: rather than a drive pedal alone, it is a preamp with cab sim and EQ built in, aimed at replacing an amp's front end rather than pushing an existing one.
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Questions
What is FETube technology in the Yerasov VH-5?
FETube is Yerasov's name for its JFET-based preamp circuit design. According to the maker, it is intended to give the sound and feel of a real tube amp, recreating tube dynamics and reacting to your picking so that the details of your playing come through. The VH-5 is one of Yerasov's FETube preamps, a line the maker says was inspired by real hall of fame amplifiers.
Is the Yerasov FETube Vital Higain VH-5 analog?
Yes. The maker lists the VH-5 as an analog circuit. It is a stompbox guitar preamp that also covers cab sim, distortion and equalizer functions, all in one box.
What power supply does the Yerasov VH-5 need?
The VH-5 runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the same polarity used by most standard pedal power supplies. Because it draws 400mA, it needs a supply output that can deliver that much current, which rules out many low-output daisy-chain outputs.
How much current does the Yerasov VH-5 draw?
The maker lists the current draw at 400mA at 9V DC. That is well above what a typical analog pedal draws, so check that your power supply output can handle it before adding the VH-5 to a board.
Does the Yerasov VH-5 have a cab simulator?
Yes. Yerasov lists the VH-5's effect types as cab sim, preamp, distortion and equalizer, so a speaker simulation is built in alongside the preamp and high-gain distortion stages.
Where can I find the Yerasov VH-5 manual?
Yerasov publishes an English manual for the VH-5 as a PDF on its own site, at yerasov.com under its manuals section, in the file vh-5.pdf.
Sources (1)
- FETube Vital Higain VH-5 by Yerasov, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
