Buffer & Volume pedal recommendations?

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Bash_Man

Bash_Man

Well-known member
hi everyone,
Looking to rebuild my pedal board and I'd like to add a dedicated buffer either before or after the pedal.. or even in both spots if it'll help.

Any recommendations for cost effective buffer pedal?

Looking at the TRUETONE Pure Tone Buffer, but wanted to see what other options are there.

https://truetone.com/pure-tone-buffer/


Thanks
 
Whatever you get, compare it to plugging straight in with a known good cable (not too long). Some buffers seem to add high end.

Some might say that I'm hearing it 'right' with the buffer but no...some of them ADD high end.
 
SpiderWars":1tuj0rc6 said:
Whatever you get, compare it to plugging straight in with a known good cable (not too long). Some buffers seem to add high end.

Some might say that I'm hearing it 'right' with the buffer but no...some of them ADD high end.
Click to expand...
Thank you.

Not sure if you or someone can answer this question. I was reading that the MXR MicroAmp clean booster has a buffer in or can act as a buffer. I do have one of those pedals. If I were to set it the dial to 0 or even minimal, would it pretty much as the same way?


Thanks
 
I use JHS buffered splitter. Cheap and works great. I have 1 output feeding a tuner and the key input to my noise gate, the other output to my pedals. Works like a charm.
 
I like the truetone buffer in their volume pedal, never used their stand alone one. When I was looking for a stand alone buffer, I wanted one with an input impedance control like the Empress Buffer+ https://empresseffects.com/products/buffer-1

I gave up on getting a dedicated buffer and now just either use the truetone volume pedal, a klone, or a Peterson SS HD.
 
Is your tuner true bypass? I'm still rockin the ole Boss tuner and it is buffered. But it adds a tiny bit of noise so if I have an FX loop I put it last in that chain because the send signal from the amp should already be buffered and I'm just adding a buffer for the return. Only problem is the amp must be ON (not standby) in order to tune.

Also, when using my big pedalboard I almost always have a pedal ON so I don't worry about it. Even my clean tone is almost always going to have the compressor and usually the Klon too.

And I'm a delay whore so that's usually on too. :lol: :LOL:
 
SpiderWars":d5g6k82h said:
Whatever you get, compare it to plugging straight in with a known good cable (not too long). Some buffers seem to add high end.

Some might say that I'm hearing it 'right' with the buffer but no...some of them ADD high end.
Click to expand...

What they're supposed to do is stop high end being lost from the cable impedance, not add anything. Fair enough if you prefer the rolled off top end though.
 
SpiderWars":1trvravg said:
Is your tuner true bypass? I'm still rockin the ole Boss tuner and it is buffered. But it adds a tiny bit of noise so if I have an FX loop I put it last in that chain because the send signal from the amp should already be buffered and I'm just adding a buffer for the return. Only problem is the amp must be ON (not standby) in order to tune.

Also, when using my big pedalboard I almost always have a pedal ON so I don't worry about it. Even my clean tone is almost always going to have the compressor and usually the Klon too.

And I'm a delay whore so that's usually on too. :lol: :LOL:
Click to expand...
Pedal board will consist of:
- Korg Pitch Black Tuner (True Bypass)
- Dunlop Dime Wah (Modded for True Bypass)
- A multieffects unit (True Bypass)
- Delay pedal (True Bypass)

In the Loop and in the chain (after the wah and before the Effects in the loop), I am using a Decimator G-string II.

That's pretty much.

As i Mentioned, I have an MXR Microamp that I Can use as a buffer if it'll help. I dont need a boost. The Splawn Nitro is plenty tight and has tons of gain.

Thanks
 
The wah you want first or second in your chain going into the amp and you probably want the delay in the loop so it looks like you'll have two signal chains. The tuner can really go anywhere. The multi effects unit could be either but if it's mostly modulation (chorus/flange/phaser/vibe) then I'd put it before the input (not in loop). I'd also prob put the Microamp very last in the loop chain. Always nice to have that little extra push in volume for solos or clean parts that need to pop.

In any case, my opinion is that you likely don't need a buffer. I went round and round with that and found that if my cables are good and not too long then I don't need it. And I had 10-12 pedals on my board (this was for going into clean amps so I had 3-4 ODs/boosts).

Also, don't under estimate cables. Some of the most expensive cables I've bought have been the worst. Any decent cable should be fine but don't just trust it...test them (both with a meter and your ears at volume). You might be surprised.
 
WarHed":37oebj8f said:
SpiderWars":37oebj8f said:
Whatever you get, compare it to plugging straight in with a known good cable (not too long). Some buffers seem to add high end.

Some might say that I'm hearing it 'right' with the buffer but no...some of them ADD high end.
Click to expand...

What they're supposed to do is stop high end being lost from the cable impedance, not add anything. Fair enough if you prefer the rolled off top end though.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean but some of them do actually add high end. A short, good cable should sound the same whether through a buffer or not. And we've all verified this a million times by using buffered pedals and not really hearing any difference in high end with known good, short cables. But then I plug into certain dedicated buffers and boom...there's that added high end. TBH, I think they do it intentionally to fool people into thinking "look how much I needed this buffer!". We're all building a tone so however we get there is all good.
 
My recommendation is to find a small builder who will make you jack ormans “amplike input” buffer. I love it so much I installed inside the guitar to make it active.
 
boyedav":1czqvo4f said:
Are you sure you need a buffer, or what is the problem you're trying to solve? A buffer at the front of your chain will make the biggest difference when all of your pedals are bypassed. Since they're true bypass, that's the only time when your amp would see the output from your buffer. Each pedal in your chain likely acts as a buffer, although the quality of those designs can vary. Generally you want the input impedance to be on the high side, and output impedance to be low. It depends on the input impedance of the amp too. If your pedals have decent designs and your amp has a high impedance input, you may not need a buffer.

Looking at your signal chain, I'd probably run your guitar directly into the first leg of the Decimator G-string II first. Even when the pedal isn't always on, you're still getting its buffer.

Honestly though, I wouldn't tend to use a standalone buffer unless there was a specific problem I needed to solve. Like before a really long cable run. Or after a pedal with a poorly designed output. Or if I need to split the signal to a device that might load down the rest of the chain.

FWIW :-)
Click to expand...
Thank you for the response. The case is I am using a 15FT cable from my guitar to the 1st pedal and then its either (I don't exactly recall) a 20ft or 25ft cable from the pedal board to the amp's input. the same length cables are being used for the Modulation pedals on the pedal board to the effects loop (send and return).

The delay pedal (cheap Donner analog delay from amazon) will be ON all the time but its a really faint delay. So will the ISP Decimator pedal.

Thanks
 
Duke of Metal":34rljqvt said:
boyedav":34rljqvt said:
Are you sure you need a buffer, or what is the problem you're trying to solve? A buffer at the front of your chain will make the biggest difference when all of your pedals are bypassed. Since they're true bypass, that's the only time when your amp would see the output from your buffer. Each pedal in your chain likely acts as a buffer, although the quality of those designs can vary. Generally you want the input impedance to be on the high side, and output impedance to be low. It depends on the input impedance of the amp too. If your pedals have decent designs and your amp has a high impedance input, you may not need a buffer.

Looking at your signal chain, I'd probably run your guitar directly into the first leg of the Decimator G-string II first. Even when the pedal isn't always on, you're still getting its buffer.

Honestly though, I wouldn't tend to use a standalone buffer unless there was a specific problem I needed to solve. Like before a really long cable run. Or after a pedal with a poorly designed output. Or if I need to split the signal to a device that might load down the rest of the chain.

FWIW :-)
Click to expand...
Thank you for the response. The case is I am using a 15FT cable from my guitar to the 1st pedal and then its either (I don't exactly recall) a 20ft or 25ft cable from the pedal board to the amp's input. the same length cables are being used for the Modulation pedals on the pedal board to the effects loop (send and return).

The delay pedal (cheap Donner analog delay from amazon) will be ON all the time but its a really faint delay. So will the ISP Decimator pedal.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I would recommend doing a little testing before you get a buffer. Try first with your setup with all of your effects. Then compare to just straight into the amp with nothing in the loop. Do you hear a difference that is significant to you. If not, then you probably don't need a buffer unless when you kick on a pedal your tone changes. Since you are running 2 always on, that is unlikely.

If you do hear a tone change you don't like with your effects, than its time to separate the front pedals and the loop pedals, try just with the pedals out front and compare that to the just going straight in. Then do the same thing with the loop. You should be able to narrow down what section (could be both) is causing your undesirable tone change.
 
Thank you everyone for your assistance and recommendation for Buffer.

Any recommendation for a decent budget volume pedal? nothing too bulky or expensive. Thanks
 
oh btw.. if I were to get a Volume Pedal, I'd most likely put it in the Loop of my Splawn before the Delay pedal.

Thanks
 
WarHed":12idsy7w said:
SpiderWars":12idsy7w said:
I know what you mean but some of them do actually add high end.
Click to expand...

Do you know which ones? I'm curious
Click to expand...

None. No buffer can ADD high end. They RESTORE any highs lost from capacitance by negating said capacitance which in turn moves the resonant peak up in frequency and sometimes amplitude.

It is not additive even if the result is a brighter sound.
 
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