IK Multimedia Z-Tone BB Preamp/DI Pedal
IK Multimedia Z-Tone Buffer Boost Preamp/DI Pedal, Advanced Tone Shaping, Active/Passive Selector, Z-TONE Control
- By DPD to your specified address. | Free Receive SMS with one-hour delivery window Weekend, timed and European delivery options are available at checkout
- Collect instore Collect from our Bolton store, BL6 6PE | Free
- UPS and DPD Pickup Pickup from local convenience store | £4.79
- SCANPROTECT Protect against installation damage for 28 days. More info
Z-TONE Buffer Boost from IK Multimedia

Preamp/DI pedal with advanced tone shapingThe Z-TONE™ Buffer Boost from IK Multimedia takes your live rig to a new level, letting you shape the sound of your instrument with the input circuits from our award-winning AXE I/O interface. Guitar & bass pedalboards are all about exploring new tones & textures, creating a wide range of sound for your instrument. Change the tone & feel of your guitar or bass, buffer your tone to survive even the biggest pedalboard, kick in the boost and supercharge all your existing gear with a powerful new front-end.
Supercharge your Sound

Comprehensive optionsLong cable runs, low-impedance stomps and complex routing can degrade your guitar’s signal, causing muffled, bassy or lifeless tone. Use Z-TONE Buffer Boost to supercharge your sound. The included Boost circuit offers adjustable gain to increase volume & drive, hitting your amp or pedals harder. And Z-TONE Buffer Boost offers a true bypass circuit when not in use.
The Ideal Front-End

Level up your live rig In addition to the “Link” amp & pedal output, Z-TONE Buffer Boost offers a balanced XLR output to connect to mixers & PAs. Skip the amp and perform direct, or mix clean and processed signals to create even more tonal options. A switchable ground lift eliminates noise and hum caused by ground loops, and an unbalanced ¼” output offers additional flexibility. Now you’re ready to connect in any situation.
Powerful Tone Shaping Options

Pick your pickup:PASSIVE: Designed to accommodate everything from low-output vintage pickups to hotter modern humbuckers with ultra-low noise and extended frequency response.
ACTIVE: Bypasses unnecessary gain stages when using active pick-ups, to keep your signal path as direct and clean as possible.
Giving Yourself the Best Choice

Choose your channel:PURE: A completely transparent and ultra-accurate preamp circuit that won’t color your sound in any way.
JFET: A Class A JFET input buffer for subtle harmonic
enhancement, midrange focus and warmth.
Tone and Feel like you’ve Never Heard

Z-TONE Circuits
Guitar pickups can dramatically change their character depending on impedance - many amps offer a load of 1 MOhms, while pedals can run much lower. That’s why the tone and responsiveness of your guitar can change when plugging into different gear.
Z-TONE Buffer Boost gives you the same variable impedance control as our groundbreaking
AXE I/O audio interface, from 1 MOhm to 2.2 kOhms. At the maximum impedance, you’ll find your sound tighter, sharper and more precise. Increase the load and the sound becomes thicker and more bold.
Special Features

• Active/Passive pickup selector
• PURE channel for transparent sound
• JFET channel adds warmth & harmonics
• Z-TONE variable impedance control
• Buffers signal for longer pedalboards & cable runs
• Boost circuit adds volume & drive
• Alternate outs for mixers & PAs
• Ground lift switch eliminates buzz & hum
AmpliTube 4 takes your Recording to a New Level

Amzing free software The Z-TONE Buffer Boost comes with a full download version of AmpliTube 4, the hyper-realistic guitar and bass tone studio for Mac/PC, you can easily expand your sonic collection with IK’s range of additional amp and effect models – there are over 280 pieces to choose from, including officially licensed re-creations of gear from Fender®, Orange®, Mesa-Boogie® and other iconic gear manufacturers, as well as guitar legends like Slash, Jimi Hendrix and Dimebag Darrell, all available a la carte.
Premium Sound & Build

Kick it up a notchUse Z-TONE Buffer Boost to supercharge your sound. The included Boost circuit offers adjustable gain to increase volume & drive, hitting your amp or pedals harder.
The Tech Spec
Audio specs | I/O Gain | Unitary, from 1/4” input JACK to both 1/4” and XLR outputs when GAIN is at 0dB and Z-TONE at the SHARP position | Gain Range | From -8dB to +8dB | Input impedance | ACTIVE mode: Approx 20kΩ PASSIVE mode: Variable from 1MΩ down to 2.2kΩ |
Output impedance | Unbalanced out: 56Ω Balanced out: 600Ω |
Max input level before clipping | +13dBm when powered by 48V phantom +9dBm when powered by 9V battery |
PAD | -20 dB | Dynamic Range | Better than 114dB(A) for both outputs |
---|---|
Frequency response | 5Hz to 30kHz -1dB |
Power | Phantom power | +48V phantom on Balanced output |
Battery power | 9VDC, positive outside - not included |
External DC power | 9V - not included |
Consumption from phantom power | 6.5mA |