Q about Buffers...
- Thread starter baritone
- Start date
H
HiFiRebel
Guest
Re: Q about Buffers...
My understanding is that is keeps the signal even. I put one after my wah and the volume drop is now gone.
My understanding is that is keeps the signal even. I put one after my wah and the volume drop is now gone.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Q about Buffers...
The intention is to take a high impedance signal and convert it to a low impedance signal. This minimizes the loss due to cable capacitance after the buffer. As far as the content, it should be doing a 1:1 pass through, no coloring.
The intention is to take a high impedance signal and convert it to a low impedance signal. This minimizes the loss due to cable capacitance after the buffer. As far as the content, it should be doing a 1:1 pass through, no coloring.
Re: Q about Buffers...
Agree with PFDarkside and on the non-coloration part, not all of them are uncolored. I have an OCD thing about buffers ... they need to be "unobtrusive" and I've gotten rid of pedals that I otherwise liked because the buffer put me off.
At any rate, you don't necessarily need to purchase a dedicated buffer. I intentionally use true bypass pedals (in large part due to my OCD buffer psychosis) with the exception of a "Klone" which is buffered bypass. It sits 3rd in the chain after a Tuner pedal and a Fuzz and does the job very well. An always on pedal may also accomplish the same thing, depending on where it sits in the chain.
Agree with PFDarkside and on the non-coloration part, not all of them are uncolored. I have an OCD thing about buffers ... they need to be "unobtrusive" and I've gotten rid of pedals that I otherwise liked because the buffer put me off.
At any rate, you don't necessarily need to purchase a dedicated buffer. I intentionally use true bypass pedals (in large part due to my OCD buffer psychosis) with the exception of a "Klone" which is buffered bypass. It sits 3rd in the chain after a Tuner pedal and a Fuzz and does the job very well. An always on pedal may also accomplish the same thing, depending on where it sits in the chain.
H
HiFiRebel
Guest
Re: Q about Buffers...
Thank you PFDside. That makes sense then. I just know it eliminates the volume drop from the wah, so I use it.
Thank you PFDside. That makes sense then. I just know it eliminates the volume drop from the wah, so I use it.
baritone
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
And that's another question I've always had: what does the BBE Sonic Maximizer do? Can't all of this be accomplished by messing with the amp's tone knobs or adding am EQ pedal to your chain?
a buffer is useful with long cables
a lot of true bypass pedals
i use a buffer and it's perfect
but not perfect so i use a bbe sonic stomp too
and now it's perfect
so, the buffer is really really useful
or you prefer a dark tone
And that's another question I've always had: what does the BBE Sonic Maximizer do? Can't all of this be accomplished by messing with the amp's tone knobs or adding am EQ pedal to your chain?
Diego
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
[FONT=Conv_Gotham-Book]RI: I put a pair of the Slash pickups in my Les Paul recently. There’s a lot of treble there.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Conv_Gotham-Book]Ace: A lot of our treble is reined in by just how much cable we use. He has a long stage lead going into the wah, which is not very well buffered, and then that goes into a really long lead that goes back to me.
It has to be long because when we do stadiums I’ll be quite a long way from his wah pedal.
I’ve put buffers in there before, and it adds more treble, and Slash looks at me like “what did you do?”. It’s not, “Wow, now I have more high end”, it’s, “This isn’t what we dialled in.”
We also roll back the treble and presence on the amps. They’re both back past noon.
Slash has very acute hearing. One of the reasons he’s so good is that he knows exactly what he wants to hear, and he chases that sound until he gets it"
---
Taken from http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/backstage-pass/in-search-of-the-secrets-of-slashs-sound
Thought it might help you out a bit.[/FONT]
[FONT=Conv_Gotham-Book]RI: I put a pair of the Slash pickups in my Les Paul recently. There’s a lot of treble there.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Conv_Gotham-Book]Ace: A lot of our treble is reined in by just how much cable we use. He has a long stage lead going into the wah, which is not very well buffered, and then that goes into a really long lead that goes back to me.
It has to be long because when we do stadiums I’ll be quite a long way from his wah pedal.
I’ve put buffers in there before, and it adds more treble, and Slash looks at me like “what did you do?”. It’s not, “Wow, now I have more high end”, it’s, “This isn’t what we dialled in.”
We also roll back the treble and presence on the amps. They’re both back past noon.
Slash has very acute hearing. One of the reasons he’s so good is that he knows exactly what he wants to hear, and he chases that sound until he gets it"
---
Taken from http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/backstage-pass/in-search-of-the-secrets-of-slashs-sound
Thought it might help you out a bit.
[/FONT]
aleclee
Major General GAS
Re: Q about Buffers...
Afraid not. It affects the signal in a way that no EQ does. Whether that's a good thing is a matter of taste.
johnthomas
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
The BBE Sonic maximizer uses phase rotation (I believe around 15% out of phase) to artificially create clarity of a sort. In my recollection the rack mount version of this device also boosts/limits like a rack mounted compressor/limiter...I would never use one live, and find little use for one in audio production, as I have other software that does these tasks better. No, you cannot just twist a few amp knobs or add an Eq pedal. Yes, use a 6 or 10 band eq if you want to control your sound better.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
baritone
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
Info from Pete Thorn & John Suhr:
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/24687-tone-tips-a-crash-course-on-buffers
Info from Pete Thorn & John Suhr:
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/24687-tone-tips-a-crash-course-on-buffers
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Q about Buffers...
yep
Depends on the boss pedal. They have a few types of buffers depending on the effect circuit. They are noticeably different.
Liko
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
An "impedance buffer" is usually implemented with an op-amp, a transistor circuit very similar to an amp's pre-gain stage, except it's usually fixed to produce the same output level as the input (a "unity amp"). The basic effect is that the inputs of the buffer present similar impedance to the upstream circuit as the amplifier itself would, but then the outputs of the buffer are closer in load to the guitar. So, the buffer "looks" like the other side of the circuit normally would to each of the endpoints of the signal chain, but the cable length and thus the capacitance of the total run between the two actual endpoints is cut in half, preventing the infamous "tone suck" of long cable or pedal runs.
An "impedance buffer" is usually implemented with an op-amp, a transistor circuit very similar to an amp's pre-gain stage, except it's usually fixed to produce the same output level as the input (a "unity amp"). The basic effect is that the inputs of the buffer present similar impedance to the upstream circuit as the amplifier itself would, but then the outputs of the buffer are closer in load to the guitar. So, the buffer "looks" like the other side of the circuit normally would to each of the endpoints of the signal chain, but the cable length and thus the capacitance of the total run between the two actual endpoints is cut in half, preventing the infamous "tone suck" of long cable or pedal runs.
mantis
New member
Re: Q about Buffers...
I have had 2 BBE Sonic Maximizer pedals over the years. What it does to your tone is it kinda acts like a EQ pedal but also ads some sharpness to your sound. Kinda takes the tube sound and ads some solid state like tone to it. Sorta compression like sorta edgy sharper like thing it does. Sometimes you can really dig that kind of edition into your tone and sometimes its very annoying. My mood really dictates if I use it or not. I removed it years ago then missed it then purchased a new one and now I'm back to thinking of removing it. It's not something anyone needs but more maybe wants from time to time. It's true bypass so it can sit on your board off most of the time but i'm a tone nut and if it's not getting used much I remove it for a shorter signal path.
Re: Q about Buffers...
Santana is also known for intentionally using nearly 60 feet of cable to dull the highs in his tone. I think SRV als did the same. I use a JHS Little black buffer on my home/back line pedal board and it keeps the signal as strong as plugging in directly with a 10 foot cable. I've got a One COntrol OC10 and am going to get that setup, that has a BJF buffer built into it and I'll be tweaking it.
Santana is also known for intentionally using nearly 60 feet of cable to dull the highs in his tone. I think SRV als did the same. I use a JHS Little black buffer on my home/back line pedal board and it keeps the signal as strong as plugging in directly with a 10 foot cable. I've got a One COntrol OC10 and am going to get that setup, that has a BJF buffer built into it and I'll be tweaking it.
