Buffered Bypass

[koula901]

My wah pedal (chi wah wah) is buffered bypass -- does that mean that the signal passing through gets enhanced somehow?

[mars_hall]

My wah pedal (chi wah wah) is buffered bypass -- does that mean that the signal passing through gets enhanced somehow?

Probably means it has a unity gain amplifier so there is no signal loss and isolation from the input to the output path. This ensures fanning out to multiple outs doesn't impact the signal quality at the input. Unity gain mean no gain increase, but no loss either.

[212Mavguy]

That's a great question! I have a boutique wah from Area 51, it has a true bypass.

[DetroitBlues]

True bypass and buffered are a little different. True bypass removes all the circuit board components from the signal path, a buffered one compensates for the signal path, somewhat inhancing it to make up for the loss of tone through the circuit board components. (At least that's how I understand it)

[koula901]

That's what I suspected. Glad I asked. This may be the reason that I get a squeal when using the wah with the high gain pedal maxed out to full high gain - I think that wah pedal adds just a little extra treble which may be be causing it.

[Trouble]

That's what I suspected. Glad I asked. This may be the reason that I get a squeal when using the wah with the high gain pedal maxed out to full high gain - I think that wah pedal adds just a little extra treble which may be be causing it.

problems with wah pedals and gain pedals are pretty common, some work better than others (or quieter I guess) justplay with it until you figure it out. Not sure why wahs are so troublesome maybe some one with a better understanding of electronics could explain it better.

[tulk1]

This should help.

 

The Problem with True By-Pass, by Neunabar Technology

 

The Case Against True By-Pass by Pete Cornish

[koula901]

Very good articles! I think, now, that the buffered bypass of the wah is probably a good thing, because my rig does sound good overall. I'm running very little cable, as I only have 5 pedals, and the cables are high quality. The squeal can be dealt with by dialing down the treble on the distortion a little bit, as well as dialing down the gain a little bit. I was thinking, you know, in the '70s I didn't have this problem with my wah, but I was only running a wah pedal and nothing else, and using the amp for distortion. As Trouble says above, "problems with wah pedals and gain pedals are pretty common", and this seems to come up over at TGP.

[GuitArtMan]

I didn't read the Cornish or Neunabar articles (I think I've read them in the past) but I will say certain pedals don't like having a buffer in front of them. Certain fuzzes and overdrives sound better if there isn't a buffer in front of them. Years ago a did some testing with a Klon Centaur, and original TS-808, a TS9 RI modified to 808 specs and an 808 clone (I can't remember which one). Anyway all of the pedals were buffered bypass and the Klon definitely sounded better if it was first in the chain. The others weren't as affected by this as the Klon. I've heard others say the same for fuzzes - don't have a buffer before them.

[tbonesullivan]

so... which pedals have a buffered bypass? I remember reading that the morley wah pedals do, and probably their volume pedals as well.

[koula901]

My Plutoneium chi wah wah has a buffered bypass

[DetroitBlues]

Very good articles! I think, now, that the buffered bypass of the wah is probably a good thing, because my rig does sound good overall. I'm running very little cable, as I only have 5 pedals, and the cables are high quality. The squeal can be dealt with by dialing down the treble on the distortion a little bit, as well as dialing down the gain a little bit. I was thinking, you know, in the '70s I didn't have this problem with my wah, but I was only running a wah pedal and nothing else, and using the amp for distortion. As Trouble says above, "problems with wah pedals and gain pedals are pretty common", and this seems to come up over at TGP.

 

When HOC's members start talking about playing in the 70's or earlier, sure makes me feel like I'm just a young bean sprout....

[tulk1]

When HOC's members start talking about playing in the 70's or earlier, sure makes me feel like I'm just a young bean sprout....

Uh ............... well, aren't you? Comparatively speaking? ........................

[Guest HRB853370]

When HOC's members start talking about playing in the 70's or earlier, sure makes me feel like I'm just a young bean sprout....

 

You mean you just started playing last year?

 

[Guest HRB853370]

My Plutoneium chi wah wah has a buffered bypass

 

Wait a minute, your poor little Chihuahua was exposed to plutonium, and now needs a buffered by-pass? Lordy!

[Mr535]

Tulk's arcticles are right- just one buffered bypass at the beginning of the chain will be sufficient to make up for the lack of sufficient drive coming from the pickups. After that, you should have all true-bypass pedals so as to reduce the amount of components in your chain e.g. you don't need every pedal to be buffered bypass. At that point, you're just adding unnecassary components to your signal chain, which is where true-bypass comes in. Once you have the first pedal in your chain buffered (I'm assuming your wah is first in your chain) then it's buffered; at that piont it doesn't need more buffering.

 

If you could think of it this way- once you have buffered it, then thats it! The signal will be driven through all the other pedals just fine, because it has been buffered. If you activate the wah, or any of the other pedals, thus deactivating their bypass, it doesn't matter; the activated pedal will be driving the signal at that point, essentially doing what the buffer would be doing anyway, but plus the effect!

 

Hope that helps, more or less.

[DetroitBlues]

You mean you just started playing last year?

 

 

I started playing the late 80's when I was 12.....

[koula901]

@ Mr535 - that really helps! Thank you!

I was at GC last night and was told that all Boss Pedals are buffered bypass. If that is the case, then it should be a goal to replace them all, eventually (hopefully, with those tiny footprint pedals).

[tulk1]

@ Mr535 - that really helps! Thank you!

I was at GC last night and was told that all Boss Pedals are buffered bypass. If that is the case, then it should be a goal to replace them all, eventually (hopefully, with those tiny footprint pedals).

I have had a No BOSS pedal policy on my pedal board for years. Along with my recently adopted No EH pedals policy. Except (there's always an exception!) for a Boss COSM pedal I just added. Dang it!

[koula901]

Boss COSM sounds are pretty good. I once had a GE something or other - had the sounds of many pedals in it and they were pretty good samples.

What are EH pedals? (Eddie Van Halen?).

[DetroitBlues]

@ Mr535 - that really helps! Thank you!

I was at GC last night and was told that all Boss Pedals are buffered bypass. If that is the case, then it should be a goal to replace them all, eventually (hopefully, with those tiny footprint pedals).

 

Plan to go through a lot of batteries. I thought that when my new Boss Powerstack ST-2 is off, it doesn't drain the battery. When its off, the "buffered bypass" is active and continues to drain the battery unless you completely remove the cables..... Just something to keep in mind...

[mooonpi]

I have had a No BOSS pedal policy on my pedal board for years. Along with my recently adopted No EH pedals policy. Except (there's always an exception!) for a Boss COSM pedal I just added. Dang it!

 

No Big Muff for you then? Seriously...what don't you like about them. Just curious. I tend to run as few pedals as necessary...tuner, 3-knob tube driver, either compressor or treble boost.

[koula901]

Plan to go through a lot of batteries. I thought that when my new Boss Powerstack ST-2 is off, it doesn't drain the battery. When its off, the "buffered bypass" is active and continues to drain the battery unless you completely remove the cables..... Just something to keep in mind...

 

Detroit,

No batteries needed. Everything's on a mini board, and powered by T-rex. BTW the Peterson's gone and replaced with a Korg Pitchblack, so now I have room for a 6th pedal! i'll need to take a new pic.

 

[DetroitBlues]

Detroit,

No batteries needed. Everything's on a mini board, and powered by T-rex. BTW the Peterson's gone and replaced with a Korg Pitchblack, so now I have room for a 6th pedal! i'll need to take a new pic.

 

 

I got a power supply for my pedal. Still figuring out my pedal situation before I start collecting them again. I was thinking about a Boss Tu-3 because it has a built in power supply. Can't give up my Tu-15 though. I think its a great tuner and it works with or without a guitar cable plus all the octives and open tunings it can do...

[tulk1]

No Big Muff for you then? Seriously...what don't you like about them. Just curious. I tend to run as few pedals as necessary...tuner, 3-knob tube driver, either compressor or treble boost.

EH and I have a bad .... uh ... relationship. So, they're banned from my board. Just sold my last EH pedal to an Hoc'er. I liked that pedal for it's effect, but it had to go.

As for BOSS ... too pedestrian, too massed produced. I know that sounds elitist and pedal-snobberish. But there are SO many small manufacturers that make better pedals, and here in the US.

It's hard for me to not support the small businesses when I can. Not to say I won't buy one if it fits my need, tho'. Which ... uh, I just did. So, broke my own rule.