Hotone Audio B Station Bass Preamp D.I.

Since most of the pedals that come through the shop here are geared towards guitar, today’s pedal was a breath of fresh air, and hopefully an asset to all you bass players out there who think your instrument doesn’t get represented enough (which you’re absolutely right about). The B Station from Hotone Audio is a powerful Preamp + D.I., featuring multiple connections, an FX loop, on-board compressor and more. Since bass isn’t our primary axe, either, cut us a little slack on the demo 🙂

The B Station has a bunch of rad options specifically designed for your low end, and the plethora of options makes it easy to adapt to any rig. The pristine D.I. output easily connects the pedal straight into a mixer, or audio interface for recording purposes, using both XLR and 1/4″ connections for any situation. A ground lift function provides silent operation by eliminating any ground-related noise, and there’s an FX Loop for adding in any other effects you’d like to take for a ride. There’s even a headphones jack, enabling you to keep on rumbling that low end without pissing off the neighbors.

As for the controls, there’s a lot here, but they all work together seamlessly. A 3-band EQ section starts things off, with Bass, Middle and Treble knobs, perfect for dialing in whatever frequencies you’re after. This EQ section also has a pre/post switch on the back, for even more sonic tailoring. Volume controls the overall output, while the Blend function lets you get as much or your dry signal as you need into the mix. A carefully designed on-board compressor is controlled by just one knob, allowing you to set it and forget it, and the Drive channel offers a big range of sounds, from a mild crunch to a big fat distortion.

With all of these features and sounds available, the B Station Preamp is certain to get you all that you need from a D.I. both on stage and in the studio. Not too big, either, it will fit onto just about any pedalboard with ease, making sure you have enough room for all the rest of your pedals and gadgets. Thanks to Hotone Audio for surprising us with this bold, bass-hungry piece of gear – it’s definitely one that we didn’t even know we needed, but is sure to help out with producing more bass reviews and demos in the future. If you haven’t check out the Hotone Audio website, make sure you get over there and do it, they’ve got a great lineup of pedals for instruments of all kinds.