IK Multimedia Z-TONE Buffer Boost Preamp/Rack Amplifier

Z-TONE Buffer Boost — front-end tone shaping for guitar and bass

The IK Multimedia Z-TONE Buffer Boost is an analog preamp and active DI pedal built for guitarists and bassists who want to control how their instrument interacts with the rest of the rig. Borrowed directly from IK Multimedia's award-winning AXE I/O audio interface, Z-TONE impedance technology lets the player dial in the input load that pickups "see," changing the perceived tightness, warmth, and harmonic content of any instrument. The Z-TONE Buffer Boost is the right choice for stage and studio players who need a single front-end pedal that buffers the signal, shapes the tone, boosts solos, and feeds both amp and mixer at once.

Variable impedance and switchable preamp topologies — what sets it apart

Most stomp buffers are either transparent or colored. The Z-TONE Buffer Boost does both, on demand, and adds a pickup-aware input stage that adapts to whatever is plugged in. With its patent-pending variable-impedance control spanning 1 MOhm to 2.2 kOhms, plus a switchable Active/Passive input and a choice between ultra-clean PURE and Class-A JFET preamp circuits, this pedal offers tonal flexibility that fixed-impedance buffers cannot match.

Input stage and impedance control — match the pedal to your instrument

The input stage is where a guitar signal is first shaped, and the Z-TONE Buffer Boost gives players four meaningful ways to influence it. Whether running hot active humbuckers or low-output vintage single coils, the Active/Passive switch, the Z-TONE impedance sweep, and the PURE/JFET preamp toggle let the user dial in a response that suits the instrument and the song.

• Pickup Selector: Active / Passive switch — bypasses gain stages for active pickups to keep the signal path clean and direct.
• Sweeping impedance from 1 MOhm – 2.2 kOhms gives players a way to tighten low end and sharpen transients at one extreme, or thicken the sound toward the other end of the dial.
• Preamp Channels: PURE (transparent) and JFET (Class-A, warm) — JFET adds subtle midrange focus and harmonic richness on demand.

Boost and output buffer — solo-ready and cable-loss-free

Once the input tone is shaped, the Z-TONE Buffer Boost adds a switchable boost for cutting through a mix and a transparent output buffer that preserves the high end over long cable runs and complex pedal chains. Combined with balanced and unbalanced outputs, the pedal covers both performance and recording workflows at the same time.

• Switchable Boost: +10 dB — engages extra volume and drive for solos or harder amp saturation.
• Output Buffer: Ultra-transparent on-stage buffer with true bypass when off — preserves top-end clarity over long cable runs and large pedalboards.
• Engineers and players who run into ground-loop hum when feeding a mixer or audio interface can flip the ground lift on the XLR output and silence the buzz in a single switch push.

Output routing and connectivity — stage-to-studio flexibility

A preamp pedal is only useful if it can feed every rig configuration, and the Z-TONE Buffer Boost covers the main ones out of the box.

• Main Output: 1/4" unbalanced jack to amp or pedals
• Link Output: 1/4" passive throughput of the input signal — supports parallel pedal chains or simultaneous DI/amp recording.
• Balanced Output: XLR with switchable ground lift to mixer or audio interface
• Power is rarely a problem on stage or in studio — the pedal runs on a 9V battery, a 9V DC pedal supply, or 48V phantom power pulled through the XLR connection at only 6.5 mA of draw.

Who is the Z-TONE Buffer Boost for?

The Z-TONE Buffer Boost is the right choice for guitarists and bassists who want one front-end pedal that solves three common frustrations: pickups that sound different from amp to amp, dull or bass-heavy tone after long cable runs, and the need for an extra push during solos. Players with multiple instruments — from jazzbox single coils to active bass pickups — benefit from the variable impedance and Active/Passive switch. Live performers appreciate the silent transformer-isolated DI signal via XLR plus 1/4" link for parallel routing into amp and mixer, while home and project-studio users can record a DI track and a miked amp at the same time and re-amp later through AmpliTube 5 SE.

IK Multimedia — from AXE I/O to the pedalboard

Designed and made in Italy by IK Multimedia, the Z-TONE Buffer Boost brings the tone-shaping circuits of the company's AXE I/O and AXE I/O SOLO audio interfaces down to a stompbox format. The Z-TONE family shares heritage with IK's deep modelling expertise in AmpliTube, and the pedal ships with the AmpliTube 5 SE software suite, giving players studio processing that matches the front-end hardware.