software

Last night was rehearsal, and I did something a bit different.

I was playing my Miracle Man/Irish Tour equipped TOC guitar, going thru a HomeBrew Electronics Big D overdrive (diode #4 selected), then going into a Diezel VH-4. I was using Channel 2 (mild overdrive) the whole night.

What I did differently was this: I put my HBE Dos Mos dual volume pedal in front of the Big D. I was trying to experiment with a very mild boost so that when I went to the Irish Tour for clean work, there would be no volume loss.

Well, after a bit of experimenting, I ended up setting Preamp 1 up as a BUFFER, and turned the volume up to 1 o'clock, and ... W H O A !!!!. You would not BELIEVE the improvement it made to my tone!!!

Okay, first things first --

On high gain setting:
Having the buffer in front of the Big D seemed to bring out everything I love in the Miracle Man, and then some ... the tone I got was a bit more rounded, but had greater depth. There was no real overall volume boost from the Miracle Man.

What did I gain? The Miracle Man was RAGING; rhythm work had a great chunk, and the natural compresssion of the pickup was enhanced. I would say that it made the Big D sound a bit more valve-like, too. Pinch harmonics were effortless. I had no trouble pulling off some of Lynch's pinch harmonic laden lead work from Back For The Attack. Single note harmony lines were robust and beefy, withought sounding bloated or tubby.

On clean settings:
When I turned the Big D off and went to the Irish Tour, the buffer gave me zero volume drop; in fact, it may have been a bit louder, subjectively speaking. Both the melodic lines and chord work sounded so clear and bell like, but with that classic IT attack that had me smiling the whole time. When I picked very hard, the amp began to go into the mildest plexi-like break up that was a JOY to listen to.

FYI, I am not a fan of Diezel amps; they sound much too modern for me. But using the Dos Mos in the buffer position, along with the Big D, brought my tone right back to 1982; imagine if Holy Diver had more gain, or if vintage Helloween didn't have so much reverb, and you will get the idea.

Anyway, if any of you have the opportunity to try out a similar setup (buffer gt; ODgt; amp), I highly recommend it!! And yes, I realize that $500 in pedals may not be within reach for many of you, but if you already have an OD pedal as well as a buffer, you should try it out!!!

I bet you hated having to go home too. I was like that on Monday. The tone I had was just wonderful and I didn't want to stop playing but after 5 hours it was about time. A buffer makes a huge difference. It's helping keep your signal at a level it needs to be. I run a homemade buffer in my effects loop right after the last pedal in the chain. Makes a big difference. My tone sounded more like Mark Kendall in quot;House of Broken Lovequot; and quot;Lady Red Lightquot;. That tone is just ooozing greatness.

That's awesome. I hope this inspires many more good tunes in the future. I'll definitely have to try that out if I get a chance.


Originally Posted by ErikHI bet you hated having to go home too.

Nah, I was exhausted, actually, and couldn't wait to get home, lol But now that I've tried this once, it's going to become a part of my live rig!

That's interesting! I didn't know that a buffer could improve tone so much. Congrats on finding a cool new tone!


Originally Posted by Metalman_666That's interesting! I didn't know that a buffer could improve tone so much. Congrats on finding a cool new tone!

It can and it does!
The reason why, I found out, is because the buffer has a very very high input impedence; this lessens the work that the pickup does, and restores all the highs and lows that would normally be lost.

Check out my neoclassical clip in the Tips amp; Clips section; I made a quick recording of that exact setup.





What pedals serve as buffers ( make a list of good ones) cos i don't really understand buffers much all i know is impendence differences but son't understand how it effects tone?



The 1st channel in the HBE Dos Mos can be used as either a volume boost or a buffer depending on how you set that mini switch you see.

IIRC, buffers are also called line drivers.

Can you do before and after clips for us, Ben?


Originally Posted by RainmakerCan you do before and after clips for us, Ben?

Yes, maybe this weekend.


Originally Posted by James RockWhat pedals serve as buffers ( make a list of good ones) cos i don't really understand buffers much all i know is impendence differences but son't understand how it effects tone?

1. Drop a few names. In the 1-hundy range.

-Matt


Originally Posted by JammerMatt 1. Drop a few names. In the 1-hundy range.

-Matt

I only know one: HBE Dos Mos. $195 MSRP. You can email Joel, and he can probably make you just the buffer portion as a pedal, too.