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Right Foot Boss
Gold Member
USA
881 Posts |
 Posted - 11/28/2008 : 15:24:47
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| I realize that there is a buffer inside every pedal. But what is a buffer pedal? Is it basically a boost? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 17:16:01
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i think so..i'm not 100% but i think it's like the old boss FET booster like the Edge of U2 uses,to drive your signal through long lines of effects or bring weaker sounding guitars up to the same output as your other ones.... |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 17:57:17
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This is one of those topics that is open to many interpretations.
The "ideal" buffer is something with very high input impedance, almost zero output impedance, and absolutely no change to the signal (no volume boost, no tone shaping, no colour added). But this definition, the FA-1 doesn't qualify as an ideal buffer, but it is often used as one (with great success).
In the real world, "buffer" tends to be used for anything that has high input impedance and low output impedance. But it's "in the pen of the marketer" and "the eye of the beholder"...
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Edited by - Laurie on 11/28/2008 17:58:19 |
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Tele_Man
Bronze Member
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 22:39:15
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A few months ago, Guitar Player did a great issue all about pedal boards. There was a nice sidebar with it where Pete Cornish talked about true bypass vs. buffered pedals. I couldn't find the article, but I did find this at Pete Cornish's website that talks about essentially the same things:
http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html
This kinda demystifies a lot of the talk about true bypass. In the sidebar, Cornish recommends putting a high quality buffer at the front of the signal chain to feed a low impedance signal to all the pedals. Putting my Boss pedals in isolated loops removes all the multiple buffers from the chain that can degrade the signal. [I really was surprised to hear the difference just three pedals made to the tone.]
Next on my list of goodies to get is the Radial Big Shot PB1 Power Booster Buffer. This is a full time high quality buffer (Class-A, whatever that means) with up to 15dB of boost. It's also got an adjustment called "drag" that adjusts the load on your pickups (the way an amp would if plugged direct) for optimum sound.
http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-pb1.htm
EDIT: By the way, the reason for the link to Radial is because they do a nice job of explaining what a buffer is (as opposed to a booster) and why it can be beneficial. |
Edited by - Tele_Man on 11/28/2008 23:43:29 |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 23:11:51
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They also make the Drag control as a standalone device (tiny, sub-guyatone size) if impedance play is what you're after..
I'm not affiliated with them, but think they make great products and are all-Canadian! |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 23:26:00
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| just to let you know all boss pedals have buffers in them |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2008 : 23:50:15
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| I like to put TB pedals in a loop & make sure you have a quality buffer at the beginning of each chain. Just because Cornish doesn't condone them, doesn't make a TB pedal bad.. you just have to know how/where to use them properly. Its the great debate.. |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 05:32:04
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So is the whole issue of signal loss.. in most circumstances, it's so minor that it would never be noticed by anyone except us whiny guitarists. If an effect I liked was or wasn't TBP, I'd use it regardless. People spend so much time and money looking for that perfect lossless (and noiseless, both impossible) tone through wood, pickups, cables, amps, fx, power conditioners, gooped boutique circuits, NOS tubes, and all the like.. to what end? For an intangible and unmeasurable pleasure which few understand..
anyway..
Buffers are great. They make my shoes shiny.  |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 05:45:31
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Its only a matter of being educated enough to minimize the detrimental variables through the signal chain from the guitar strings, pickups, cables, effectors, solid-state amps, tubes, close tolerance components, switching configurations, splitters, buffers, impedances, cabinets, speakers, the combination thereof, & finally our ears.
While I agree each stage or component in a chain will probably be minimally invasive to tonal quality, the inherent frequency losses exhibited by each stage effectively cascades into the next, compounding degradation. As we choose different configurations, its best to keep with high grade gear, but not to forget the importance of how it all works together in search of that tone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_amplifier |
Edited by - DeFrag on 11/29/2008 06:10:08 |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 05:46:15
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The primary function of a buffer (other than shining shoes...) is to take the load off sensitive circuits.
The most obvious one is guitar pickups - connecting a pickup to a low impedance input does interesting things because it is an electro-magnetic device, not a pure electronic device. Lowering the input impedance of the first pedal can draw so much current from the pickup that the magnetic response of the pickup moves into non-linear regions, sometimes drastically changing the tone of the pickup.
From wikipedia "...a low impedance load will reduce the high-frequency response of the pickup because of the filtering effect of the inductance".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_pickup |
Edited by - Laurie on 11/29/2008 05:46:34 |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 07:16:52
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So, is BOSS considered High-Grade gear? ..or is it just boutique snobbery that gives me the impression that people consider it working-grade gear?
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 07:34:03
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quote:
Originally posted by verivorax
So, is BOSS considered High-Grade gear? ..or is it just boutique snobbery that gives me the impression that people consider it working-grade gear?
There was once a prank played on a group of audiophiles. They were asked to come and do a blind A-B test of some fantastic new speaker cable.
The prank was this - the "A" cable was regular high grade cable. The "B" cable was steel coat-hangers straightened and joined.
The fantastic new cable received the nod of approval from the learned listeners...
All of which is to say, it's in the ear (and mind) of the beholder. Would snobs consider coat-hanger wire to be "fantastic" if they knew it was only coat-hanger wire? Would people who believed in boutique buffers believe in Boss buffering? Who the hell knows.
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Edited by - Laurie on 11/29/2008 07:34:24 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 07:56:48
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Hey Laurie
Man!!!....... Stop giving away all our secrets! 
Up until your last post, no-one knew I was secretly using short lengths, of bent to shape coat-hanger wire, to link up all my pedals & gear. 
Now I will have to find something else mysterious & secret.
My "tone" has forever been compromised......
(No Soup for you!!!)
For the Technically minded purists, you only need the active inner for the audio, the earthing is via the daisy-chain.
Regards Dr.  |
Edited by - Dr. Bob on 11/29/2008 08:04:24 |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 08:11:43
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Wouldn't the higher frequencies pass better through the skin-effect if they were "stranded" coat hangers?
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Edited by - DeFrag on 11/29/2008 08:12:42 |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 08:24:32
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| Stop it... you'll go blind!! |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2008 : 08:27:29
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Hehe, its all physics.
Dyslexic atheists believe - there is no Dog. |
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Topic |
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What is a buffer pedal?
