I realize that most Boss pedal inputs are around 1M-ohm while the outputs are at 1K-ohm. So, I get to wondering:
If a pedal input is meant for a high-impedance source like a passive pickup in a guitar & the pedal outputs a low-impedance signal, what exactly happens when successive pedals down the chain have to deal with the low-impedance signal on its own high-impedance input? Does this degrade the signal & lower the SNR as more pedals are cascaded down the chain?
On a related note, I have a high quality passive DI box (Radial Engineering ProD2). I know DIs bridge impedances (passive DIs), provide safety management through isolation, & to convert non-balanced to balanced signals in order to run them long distances with low noise.
What I'd like to know is:
Since a DI by itself operates like a pedal in the sense that it converts the high-impedance input to a low-impedance output, would I actually be losing fidelity somehow if I run a bank of pedals & then into my DI into my mixer? I think I have to turn up my preamp gain a bit to compensate a very slight decrease in output when I run my pedals through the DI, but am not sure.
Hey Defrag, I don't know about the technical stuff but I often run a board of about 6 pedals into a DI box and then into a PA/mixer and don't seem to have an volume problems. Maybe I've just never noticed and keep cracking the volume!!!
Pedal Impedances & DIs
Posted - 08/20/2007 : 22:24:53
