True-Bypass Truths
- Thread starter johnny_be_goode
- Start date
when there are too many pedals and all true bypass... there will still be tone suck due to long length of cable...
http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html
http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html
theblueark
New member
It's a long history of discussion. I'll try to summarise.
First, what is buffered?
input->buffer->output.
A buffer is a circuit that takes the input, and creates (ideally) an exact replica of it at the output.
Why buffer?
Because your pickups have a high impedence. High impedence is easily affected by long cables, which introduce capacitence, forming a filter which takes out some of your highs.
Buffers take your high impedence, and puts out an extremely low impedence output. This means that it is going to travel long distances with no change in tone.
In theory, buffers can be made to produce an exact replica. In practice, not all manufactorers are able to do this, or are bothered to do this well enough.
Another aspect of importance, is that some pedals, especially the vintage ones, are tweaked to take in high impedence inputs. Meaning straight from the guitar. The most famous example would be a fuzz face. Putting a low impedence signal into one of these typically results in a less than satisfactory (or rather, unintended) tone. Which is why you hear lots of people saying, fuzz first.
On to true bypass.
True bypass uses mechanical switching to physically connect two wires together. The signal is totally passed through wires, and seperated from all other circuitry. You might see it as taking 2 ends of your patch cables, and connecting them together to form a longer cable.
This means:
1. Signal is not affected in any way.
2. Cable length is increased (remember this means capacitence is increased)
Thus, if you are still sending a high impedence signal, the capacitence is now even larger than using one cable (since your 'cable' is now longer), resulting in more highs being cut off.
What this all means:
Most people get around the buffer problem (that it tends to alter the tone somewhat) by using lots of true bypass pedals.
Then they get around the capacitence problem by putting one buffer right at the start of the chain. Resulting in:
Guitar (high impedence) ->buffer (low impedence)->true bypass effects (lots of capacitance)->amp
Is this solution for everyone?
No solution is for everyone.
It all depends on EVERYTHING in your chain.
For example, if you actually find your amp too bright, you might actually want MORE capacitance in your cables, to tame some of the highs.
You may also, for example find that your signal actually sounds BETTER to you after putting it through a certain "badly buffered" pedal. Why not then.
If you put in a 'lousy' patch cable, and find you actually like the sound. Hey, why not.
I know many people look and look and ask and ask for the Holy Grail. What is THE BEST cable. What is THE BEST buffer. What is THE BEST overdrive. Unfortunetly, the answer, as I have been saying over and over again, there isn't one. It's how you mix everything together. Every single thing from your guitar to your amp.
Like cooking, you don't ask a cook which type of oil is the best, olive? peanut? lard? They all have their applications.
The mixing of all the colours is as much an art as making the music itself.
First, what is buffered?
input->buffer->output.
A buffer is a circuit that takes the input, and creates (ideally) an exact replica of it at the output.
Why buffer?
Because your pickups have a high impedence. High impedence is easily affected by long cables, which introduce capacitence, forming a filter which takes out some of your highs.
Buffers take your high impedence, and puts out an extremely low impedence output. This means that it is going to travel long distances with no change in tone.
In theory, buffers can be made to produce an exact replica. In practice, not all manufactorers are able to do this, or are bothered to do this well enough.
Another aspect of importance, is that some pedals, especially the vintage ones, are tweaked to take in high impedence inputs. Meaning straight from the guitar. The most famous example would be a fuzz face. Putting a low impedence signal into one of these typically results in a less than satisfactory (or rather, unintended) tone. Which is why you hear lots of people saying, fuzz first.
On to true bypass.
True bypass uses mechanical switching to physically connect two wires together. The signal is totally passed through wires, and seperated from all other circuitry. You might see it as taking 2 ends of your patch cables, and connecting them together to form a longer cable.
This means:
1. Signal is not affected in any way.
2. Cable length is increased (remember this means capacitence is increased)
Thus, if you are still sending a high impedence signal, the capacitence is now even larger than using one cable (since your 'cable' is now longer), resulting in more highs being cut off.
What this all means:
Most people get around the buffer problem (that it tends to alter the tone somewhat) by using lots of true bypass pedals.
Then they get around the capacitence problem by putting one buffer right at the start of the chain. Resulting in:
Guitar (high impedence) ->buffer (low impedence)->true bypass effects (lots of capacitance)->amp
Is this solution for everyone?
No solution is for everyone.
It all depends on EVERYTHING in your chain.
For example, if you actually find your amp too bright, you might actually want MORE capacitance in your cables, to tame some of the highs.
You may also, for example find that your signal actually sounds BETTER to you after putting it through a certain "badly buffered" pedal. Why not then.
If you put in a 'lousy' patch cable, and find you actually like the sound. Hey, why not.
I know many people look and look and ask and ask for the Holy Grail. What is THE BEST cable. What is THE BEST buffer. What is THE BEST overdrive. Unfortunetly, the answer, as I have been saying over and over again, there isn't one. It's how you mix everything together. Every single thing from your guitar to your amp.
Like cooking, you don't ask a cook which type of oil is the best, olive? peanut? lard? They all have their applications.
The mixing of all the colours is as much an art as making the music itself.
johnny_be_goode
New member
Great info. thanks, should archive this :lol:
thailoverboy
New member
i believe the reason why pple comes here is to find out more bout guitars and stuff. put urself in their shoe when someone throws such a comment at them.namle said:
thailoverboy
New member
i believe the reason why pple comes here is to find out more bout guitars and stuff. put urself in their shoe when someone throws such a comment at them.namle said:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/bypass/bypass.htm
thailoverboy
New member
ok then. i shall dedicate the next song by sheryl crow titled 'if it makes u happy' to you. stay cool and funky forever.
http://www.muzique.com/lab/truebypass.htm
http://www.muzique.com/lab/truebypass.htm
thor666
New member
I think life would be very sad if there is only one best. 
If everything had to be perfect, that wouldn't be life, would it?
It's nice to make mistakes once in a while. That's what differentiates us from automation. (And sometimes, even automation, designed by humans, make mistakes too.)
If everything had to be perfect, that wouldn't be life, would it?
It's nice to make mistakes once in a while. That's what differentiates us from automation. (And sometimes, even automation, designed by humans, make mistakes too.)
