software

When people say, quot;this OD box is true bypassquot;, or quot;this wah is true bypassquot; what are they talking about?

How is it different that a non-true bypass pedal?

Tv.

If I'm wrong, correct me......A true bypass pedal is one that when off will not affect your signal nor change your tone, it is pretty much just like it is not there and your running into your amp straight. A non true bypass pedal affects your tone and in most cases kills it. Most digitech pedals that I've owned did this as well as all the morley pedals I have.


Originally Posted by The VaultWhen people say, quot;this OD box is true bypassquot;, or quot;this wah is true bypassquot; what are they talking about?

How is it different that a non-true bypass pedal?

Tv.

A true bypass pedal totally turns off allowing the signal to totally bypass the effect when its off so that it doesnt suck the tone or effect the tone in anyway when its off......

Im not sure if i got it right but that is my understanding of a true bypass pedal.

It means that the pedal uses a triple-pole, double-throw footswitch, which takes the circuitry totally out of the signal path when bypassed, effectively connecting the pedal's input directly to the output. This is contrary to pedals like Boss, which use a buffer, so the signal is always running through some form of circuitry. Purists believe that true-bypass pedals give you a cleaner sound, and that running your guitar through several non-bypass pedals degrades the signal. Try it for yourself and see what you think. Most higher end pedals these days are true-bypass (including the two excellent pedals [hey, it's their forum, they deserve a well-earned plug!]).


Originally Posted by MikeRocker

Purists believe that true-bypass pedals give you a cleaner sound, and that running your guitar through several non-bypass pedals degrades the signal.

It's not quot;puristsquot; and not just a belief, although some pedals are worse than others, non-true-bypass devices degrade your signal. Purists would maintain that anything in the signal chain degrades the signal- and I'd be inclined to agree to an extent.

You already got some great answers.
Basically the switch is wired so that your signal either goes directly from input to output and not through any other part of the circuit(True Bypass)

Or...

The signal goes from your input,through the circuit,and then to the output..

I don't have problems with tone sucking with any of the Boss or Tube Screamer pedals and the FET circuits work pretty decent...

I also have a buffer circuit that I can use first in the chain if I'm using more than say 5 pedals in series before my amp...

I just built myself another buffer and it is completely transparent...This buffer isn't my own idea though...I finished this last night and I need to tidy up and reroute some wiring,but it is absolutely transparent...The SFX-01 works good for this also..John what is that buffer used for?


Originally Posted by pac112John what is that buffer used for?

It provides a stronger quot;transparentquot; overall hotter signal first in your chain of effects.It cuts down on tone loss,loss of highs,etc.from alot of pedals and long cable runs...I think it changes the overall impedence the guitar signal sees?

It's not a boost and you don't hear a boost upon engaging the buffer..it's very much perfect quot;unity gainquot; when engaged.

Howard Davis was one of the chief design engineers for Electro-Harmonix. He's got some great articles on his website. Here's one that pertains to your question:

from : localhost/howard.davis2.home.att.net/Bypass.htm
- Keith

Someone here posted this helpful link a few weeks ago: from : localhost/members01.chello.se/pastorn/fx/mods/bypass.htmReading that page prompted me to order a true bypass box for my MXR EVH Phase 90.

thanks for clearing this question up for me... now I know what the guy at the local shop meant when he talked about true by pass. John, that buffer looks pretty cool, amigo.Tv.


Originally Posted by The Vaultthanks for clearing this question up for me... now I know what the guy at the local shop meant when he talked about true by pass. John, that buffer looks pretty cool, amigo.Tv.

Thanks....I need to get quot;analquot; and tidy up the wiring.I basically put it together to see how it would work..Trying to alleviate the nasty switch pop with a 1 meg resistor in the right place,but otherwise the pedal works great for it's intended purpose.. Very transparent..

I don't know if it's something I'm doing different or what but of the few circuits I built I've never had to put a 1 meg pulldown resistor in to eliminate the switch pop, at least not yet.

John, do you have the schematic for that buffer? Is it based off any of AMZ buffer?


Originally Posted by ErikHI don't know if it's something I'm doing different or what but of the few circuits I built I've never had to put a 1 meg pulldown resistor in to eliminate the switch pop, at least not yet.

John, do you have the schematic for that buffer? Is it based off any of AMZ buffer?

It's off my buddy JD Sleeps Guitar Gadget site and I agree,I don't use pulldown resistors in my wah mods,though Teese does use the 1 meg...I'm thinking it has more to do with the switch and not the actual circuit though..

This buffer uses a 2.2 meg pulldown from output to ground and quite frankly it doesn't seem to do anything?

Go to Guitar Gadgets and look at the schematic for the IC Buffer and that's the pedal I put together...It is very transparent and I wanted to try it out,but the switch pop has to go!


Originally Posted by STRATDELUXER97It's off my buddy JD Sleeps Guitar Gadget site and I agree,I don't use pulldown resistors in my wah mods,though Teese does use the 1 meg...I'm thinking it has more to do with the switch and not the actual circuit though..

This buffer uses a 2.2 meg pulldown from output to ground and quite frankly it doesn't seem to do anything?

Go to Guitar Gadgets and look at the schematic for the IC Buffer and that's the pedal I put together...It is very transparent and I wanted to try it out,but the switch pop has to go!

GGG, yeah, I'm very familiar with that site. Lots of projects I want to build from there, the BSIAB II being one of them. I'll check that out. I could probably use a good buffer. JD has some great stuff on there. I was on the right track though, Jack contributed that one.

The switches I've been using are the blue ones from Aron Nelson (diystompboxes.com) and I also got a Fulltone one from Smallbear Electronics.

I hope this doesn't come off as being quot;analquot;, but since this is a technical discussion, I wanted to touch on one little detail:Originally Posted by MikeRockerIt means that the pedal uses a triple-pole, double-throw footswitch, which takes the circuitry totally out of the signal path when bypassed, effectively connecting the pedal's input directly to the output.Originally Posted by KGMESSIERHoward Davis was one of the chief design engineers for Electro-Harmonix. He's got some great articles on his website. Here's one that pertains to your question:

from : localhost/howard.davis2.home.att.net/Bypass.htm
- Keith

It isn't the 3PDT switch that makes it quot;true bypassquot;. Its the circuit configuration. quot;True bypassquot; can be achieved with a SPST footswitch and the proper circuitry.Originally Posted by Spark from : localhost/members01.chello.se/pastorn/fx/mods/bypass.htm

This link gets it right. One could use a relay, (like I am in my upcoming pedal design). The thing that makes something true bypass is that when engaged, the input jack is connected directly to the output jack, and all other circuitry is disconnected. Doesn't matter how that connection/disconnection is achieved, (assuming its a mechanical device).

Sorry. Like I said . . . a leetle point.

Artie


Originally Posted by ErikHGGG, yeah, I'm very familiar with that site. Lots of projects I want to build from there, the BSIAB II being one of them. I'll check that out. I could probably use a good buffer. JD has some great stuff on there. I was on the right track though, Jack contributed that one.

The switches I've been using are the blue ones from Aron Nelson (diystompboxes.com) and I also got a Fulltone one from Smallbear Electronics.

I currently have all of the components to build the BSIAB 2 and it was highly recommended by JD..It's my next pedal build and I thought the sound samples were pretty good also.

I do buy from Steve at SmallBear,Mouser,Hoffman,etc...JD has built me quite a few good quality cicuit boards,especially the Vox Wah boards..

This MXR D has a very pleasing tone.I'm really very thrilled with the way it came out after some of tweaks I did....

Although I agree that true-bypass does help towards tone retention I don't think it achieves it entirely. Most of the pedals I'm using now have true by-pass and when I A/B my signal through the pedal chain then straight to amp I can definately hear a difference, not even a very slight one either. I do intend to buy a buffer soon, the Voodoo Axe thing looks good.

Everyime I've heard one being demo-ed they do seem to improve the signal but I've often wondered how. Do they artificially add anything to the signal? It's been explained to me that they lift it to line level but I don't understand how an amp's input can be configured to cope with a reletively weak signal such as a guitar and not be troubled by an input signal at line level.


Originally Posted by benjaturnerAlthough I agree that true-bypass does help towards tone retention I don't think it achieves it entirely. Most of the pedals I'm using now have true by-pass and when I A/B my signal through the pedal chain then straight to amp I can definately hear a difference, not even a very slight one either. I do intend to buy a buffer soon, the Voodoo Axe thing looks good.Exactly, while TB can be a good thing, if you use more than a couple of pedals you definitely don't want them ALL to be TB. Your signal deteriorates as it passes through pedals and cables, and having a buffer or two in the mix can help it regain some strength. So while TB is nice, it's not be-all-end-all by any means.