Talk to me about buffers

romanianreaper

romanianreaper

Well-known member
I don't want to go outrageous , but while I'm trying to cut down on noise, I'm also trying to improve tone. Here is my future setup:
-12 guitar pedals. Three or four will be effects loop and the rest up front
- Two long (25 feet each? Effects loop cables)
- 25 foot guitar cord

I was reading about that JHS buffer pedal and it is lower priced and seems like a good deal. Do you guys notice a difference? Thanks!
 
I use the Lehle Sunday Driver as "cable driver".
It actually does not work like a common buffer, but it changes the hi impedance of the guitarsignal into a low impedance. That way you have no coloration of the tone, which normal buffers usually tend to do.
 
romanianreaper said:
Almost all of my pedals are Keeley pedals on my board. I have a Peterson tuner and maybe one other brand.
Click to expand...
From what I can see, Peterson tuners have switchable buffered and true bypass modes. Put it first on your pedalboard in buffered mode and you're good to go. No need for additional buffers. All buffers alter tone in my experience, so you should use the least amount you can get away with.
 
Snave said:
From what I can see, Peterson tuners have switchable buffered and true bypass modes. Put it first on your pedalboard in buffered mode and you're good to go. No need for additional buffers. All buffers alter tone in my experience, so you should use the least amount you can get away with.
Click to expand...
Oh man, I didn't know that. Thanks!!
 
I really like this buffer it works well in all positions :yes:
kitchen 3.jpg
 
I use a Musicom Lab System Interface. It’s two buffers in one unit. I run one in the front of the amp and one in the loop. This is when I’m not using my pedalboars
Switcher.
 
The Peterson tuner has a great buffer built into it already. You should be good if that's first in your signal path and not Y'd out to some ISO out somewhere. If you feel there is still some high end loss when compared without a cable, you can try the Suhr buffer, TC Electronic Bonafide buffer, RJM tone saver buffer (slightly warmer than the other two), or other buffers. If you find the tone with the effects pedals in the loop to be too dark, you can also add a buffer to the loop return. If you can't tell or are fine with your current sound, don't bother touching it and just rock out :)
 
In addition to the one's mentioned above - Boss TU3 Waza, MXR CAE 401 pedal or the 406 inline module, True Tone Pure Sound buffer, Empress I/O or I/O+, JHS Little Black Buffer. There's a tone of them out there.

My main board is using the Peterson, smaller board is using the Boss TU3 Waza. Plus I have the MXR CAE 401 as well. All good.
 
romanianreaper said:
I don't want to go outrageous , but while I'm trying to cut down on noise, I'm also trying to improve tone. Here is my future setup:
-12 guitar pedals. Three or four will be effects loop and the rest up front
- Two long (25 feet each? Effects loop cables)
- 25 foot guitar cord

I was reading about that JHS buffer pedal and it is lower priced and seems like a good deal. Do you guys notice a difference? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Can you list the pedals going in the front and pedals going into the loop?

Typically you'd want a buffer at the beginning of the chains (right after guitar) and a buffer at the end of the chain before the amps input.

For the loop, it'll really depend if your amp's loop is buffered or not already.

If you want to cover all those spots, then one of your best bets is the Friedman Buffer Bay.. otherwise you'd need 4 to 6 individual buffers.

Cheers
 
BesaMoogie said:
I use the Lehle Sunday Driver as "cable driver".
It actually does not work like a common buffer, but it changes the hi impedance of the guitarsignal into a low impedance. That way you have no coloration of the tone, which normal buffers usually tend to do.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what a buffer does.

I've been using the MXR CAE MC406 on my boards with some success. They hide underneath and work great.
 
“Always have a Boss pedal on your board” is something I read long ago, others have mentioned some pro players say the same. I discovered the benefit of this accidentally; I have an 86 SD1 on my board but don’t use it too much. One day I took it off the board to use on my Randall combo, and the next time I fired up my 72 Marshall something was off. I thought maybe a tube was on the way out; started tube rolling but then I remembered my SD1 was off the board. Put it back on, and my tone was back.
 
I just plug straight in and play loud and clean…then I unplug and plug into the pedalboard and plug the pedalboard into the amp. I’ve never needed a dedicated buffer. And at least one of the dedicated buffers I tried artificially added high end shimmer. It sounded pretty bad.

But the real test is plugging into a dimed Superlead. It will expose any clock noise, ground loops, bleed from other sources, etc super easy. It’s very sensitive. No buffer is best but a Boss buffer is no problem. No like the MXR buffer.
 
Bash_Man said:
Can you list the pedals going in the front and pedals going into the loop?

Typically you'd want a buffer at the beginning of the chains (right after guitar) and a buffer at the end of the chain before the amps input.

For the loop, it'll really depend if your amp's loop is buffered or not already.

If you want to cover all those spots, then one of your best bets is the Friedman Buffer Bay.. otherwise you'd need 4 to 6 individual buffers.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Up front I have:
Peterson Tuner Pedal
Keeley Compressor Pro
Keeley D&M Drive
Revv Noise Gate

Loop:
(Plugged into Revv Noise Gate)
Keeley Seafoam Chorus
Keeley Halo Delay
Keeley Reverb
Keeley Katana Boost
 
SpiderWars said:
I just plug straight in and play loud and clean…then I unplug and plug into the pedalboard and plug the pedalboard into the amp. I’ve never needed a dedicated buffer. And at least one of the dedicated buffers I tried artificially added high end shimmer. It sounded pretty bad.

But the real test is plugging into a dimed Superlead. It will expose any clock noise, ground loops, bleed from other sources, etc super easy. It’s very sensitive. No buffer is best but a Boss buffer is no problem. No like the MXR buffer.
Click to expand...
What I noticed with my 72 Trem was, with the boost pedals I liked best with it the tone got too 'bloated' and lost some tightness with the SD1 off the board. Completely changes the tone for the worse, without the SD1 on the board. Crazy but true. I literally panicked since it's my fav amp lol. Thankfully it was easily fixed.
 
romanianreaper said:
Up front I have:
Peterson Tuner Pedal
Keeley Compressor Pro
Keeley D&M Drive
Revv Noise Gate

Loop:
(Plugged into Revv Noise Gate)
Keeley Seafoam Chorus
Keeley Halo Delay
Keeley Reverb
Keeley Katana Boost
Click to expand...

For your setup and if everything is going to be right infront of you on the pedal board.. AND If budget isn't an issue, then go for the Friedman Buffer Bay.

I would also do the test of plug direct into the amp, then plug the front set of pedals and see if you notice a difference. If the pedals are True bypass, then you'll definitely want a buffer in there as the overall length of the cable is doing to affect your signal.

Now, I am no professional with this stuff, but an "always ON pedal" isn't really considered a buffer. it does not have the same input/output impedance. Boss pedals have decent buffers, but nothing as high quality as say a TC Bonafide Buffer.

I know some people dont perhaps like the guy, but I personally found Mason Marangella (Rig Doctor @ Vertex effects on youtube) gives good advise and he builds rigs. he talks quiet a bit about buffers.

the guy from JHS pedals also talked about them as well.

Good luck and hope that helps.
 
Bash_Man said:
For your setup and if everything is going to be right infront of you on the pedal board.. AND If budget isn't an issue, then go for the Friedman Buffer Bay.

I would also do the test of plug direct into the amp, then plug the front set of pedals and see if you notice a difference. If the pedals are True bypass, then you'll definitely want a buffer in there as the overall length of the cable is doing to affect your signal.

Now, I am no professional with this stuff, but an "always ON pedal" isn't really considered a buffer. it does not have the same input/output impedance. Boss pedals have decent buffers, but nothing as high quality as say a TC Bonafide Buffer.

I know some people dont perhaps like the guy, but I personally found Mason Marangella (Rig Doctor @ Vertex effects on youtube) gives good advise and he builds rigs. he talks quiet a bit about buffers.

the guy from JHS pedals also talked about them as well.

Good luck and hope that helps.
Click to expand...
My SD1 is on my board; but off. That’s how it buffers my signal with my 72 Marshall. Maybe you mean ‘always on the board’.
I rarely turn it on these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top