Hotone B Station

The Hotone B Station is a preamp pedal and DI box for bass, announced by Hotone Audio at the end of 2016 alongside the acoustic-focused Hotone A Station¹. Its core job is to let a bass plug straight into a mixer or PA system: it carries a preamp and DI, with an XLR out, a 1/4-inch output and a 1/4-inch parallel output for running through bass amps, audio interfaces, mixers and other gear¹². Around that it adds a drive channel, an on-board optical compressor, a three-band EQ and a blend control, which makes it more of a complete front end for a bass rig than a simple DI¹².

What it does for a bass player

The B Station is built as an all-in-one low-end tool. Pedal of the Day described it as "a powerful Preamp + D.I., featuring multiple connections, an FX loop, on-board compre[ssion]" and a box of options "specifically designed for your [low end]"². Gearnews' Jef called it, on paper, "a well-specified and nicely laid out preamp/DI box that appears to cater for most situations you may en[counter]"³.

The drive channel is a real part of the design rather than an afterthought. Guitar.com reported a "DRIVE channel with a wide tonal range from slight overdrive to mass distortion"¹, and Pedal of the Day found in practice that "the Drive channel offers a big range of sounds, from a mild crunch to a big fat distortion"². That range spans what players usually split across overdrive and distortion pedals, with a blend knob to mix the driven signal with the direct signal so the low end stays intact¹.

The compressor is a deliberately simple affair: a "carefully designed, set-to-forget optical compressor onboard"¹, controlled by a single knob so you set it and leave it². For players who want deeper control over dynamics, a dedicated compressor pedal in front of it remains an option, but the B Station's one-knob approach is aimed at set-and-forget use.

The controls

The front panel carries seven knobs plus two footswitches³:

The EQ section also has a pre/post switch on the back, which Pedal of the Day flagged "for even more sonic tailoring"². Placing the EQ before or after the drive changes how the drive channel responds to boosted or cut frequencies, so that switch matters more than its small size suggests.

The Blend knob is the other control worth understanding. Pedal of the Day noted that "the Blend function lets you get as much or your dry signal as you need into the mix"², which is the classic parallel-drive approach: heavy distortion on one side of the blend, clean low end on the other.

Two footswitches handle bypass. Gearnews reported that "there is a footswitch to engage the pedal and another footswitch for engaging the drive circuit"³, so the drive can be kicked in and out independently while the preamp, EQ and compression keep running.

Power and connections

The B Station runs from a 9V battery or an external 9V power supply³, the same arrangement MusicRadar reported for both Station pedals at announcement⁴. Because it accepts a battery, it can sit off-board as a standalone DI at a gig or in a studio without a pedalboard supply.

The connection count is generous for a compact pedal. Gearnews listed "the input and outputs on XLR, 1/4-inch jack out and a 1/4-inch parallel out, you also get a headphone output a[nd more]"³. The DI output "easily connects the pedal straight into a mixer, or audio interface for recording purposes, usi[ng] both XLR and 1/4-inch connections"²³. A ground lift function "provides silent operation by eliminating any ground-related noise"², a practical safeguard whenever the XLR out meets a venue's PA and a ground loop appears.

History and versions

Hotone announced the B Station earlier in 2017, alongside the A Station for acoustic guitar, with both pedals becoming available around May of that year³¹. MusicRadar covered the pair under the headline of Hotone going "from A Station to B Station with acoustic and bass guitar preamp DI pedals"⁴.

The gap between announcement and availability was unusually long. Gearnews noted in May 2017 that the B Station "was announced earlier this year, but is only now just becoming available," nearly half a year later³. At announcement, Guitar.com gave a suggested street price of €149.99¹, while MusicRadar quoted £129.99 / €149.99⁴; by the May 2017 availability the RRP was stated as £129.99 / USD 169³.

What reviewers made of it

Published coverage was positive about the concept. Gearnews' Jef judged it well specified, compact and cheap for what it offers³. Pedal of the Day's verdict was straightforward:

Pedal of the Day, 2017⁵

For a bass player weighing a bass pedal that covers preamp, DI, drive, compression and EQ in one box, that is the case the B Station was built to make²³¹.

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