In this thread you will argue (er...discuss) true bypass in effects pedals

what is true bypass?

http://www.theguitarfiles.com/guitarfile501.html
It is a switching method where, in the bypass mode, the signal goes directly from the input jack through the switch to the output jack with no connection to the circuitry in the box. In effect, it is a straight wire through the box and does not degrade the signal because there is only the micro-ohm resistance of the jacks, wires and switches inline with the signal.
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Is it necessary?
no. but not all buffered bypasses are created equal. if there weren't many buffered bypasses out there that didn't color the signal, there would be no need for true bypass.

Will it get you chicks?
not unless those chicks obsess about guitar tone, signal degradation, and eliminating ground loops.
 
you're no fun.

How about "true bypass doesn't work in pedals with Duracel batteries" or "you can only get true bypass to work during the week of a full moon".
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
Is it necessary?
no. but not all buffered bypasses are created equal. if there weren't many buffered bypasses out there that didn't color the signal, there would be no need for true bypass.
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Mind you.... I am NO expert when it comes to this shit. But this is what I believe about true bypass, and all the hype about it. Noob pedal buyers and not so noob users don't know jack about what really goes on inside the equipment. So they buy into the hype of having every pedal made ''true bypass'' whether they need it or not. All in an effort to have a cleaner ''uncolored'' signal from the guitar when the pedals is off.
 
parrotheada1a said:
Mind you.... I am NO expert when it comes to this shit. But this is what I believe about true bypass, and all the hype about it. Noob pedal buyers and not so noob users don't know jack about what really goes on inside the equipment. So they buy into the hype of having every pedal made ''true bypass'' whether they need it or not. All in an effort to have a cleaner ''uncolored'' signal from the guitar when the pedals is off.
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it can be an issue. i don't want my delay pedal attenuating the signal when i'm not using it. and since i don't use it the majority of the time, having a good bypass is just as important as how the pedal sounds when its on. but everything does not have to be TB, it just has to have a good buffered bypass.
 
I've actually gone to a true bypass looper to get the bulk of my pedals out of the signal path and it sounds pretty good. I was reading somewhere (another forum actually) where they felts it was good to have a buffered pedal at the end of the signal chain.
 
markwein said:
I've actually gone to a true bypass looper to get the bulk of my pedals out of the signal path and it sounds pretty good. I was reading somewhere (another forum actually) where they felts it was good to have a buffered pedal at the end of the signal chain.
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its good to have a buffer somewhere. both my tuner and my delay are buffered.
 
I'm pretty sure the overall quality of the pedal is more important than 'true bypass' is. All I know is many of the classic guitar tones from the 60s & 70's that are so revered today were not performed on 'true bypass' pedals, though the overall quality of the pedals from that era is superior to the mainstream pedals we can buy today from the same makers.

My tuner is 'true bypass' and both my VS pedals are buffered....
 
Denverdave said:
I'm pretty sure the overall quality of the pedal is more important than 'true bypass' is. All I know is many of the classic guitar tones from the 60s & 70's that are so revered today were not performed on 'true bypass' pedals, though the overall quality of the pedals from that era is superior to the mainstream pedals we can buy today from the same makers.

My tuner is 'true bypass' and both my VS pedals are buffered....
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I agree with you to a point. The differences in pedal quality... that's it. Quality is lots better today overall because of accepted manufacturing standards. Back in the day, there wasn't a lot of mass produced stuff being made and quality depended on the guy building the unit plus the parts it contained. At the very least, circuit boards were often rudimentary, single sided affairs because it was cheap to make 'em that way. Even when circuit board makers learned to make plated holes and double sided circuits, many effects companies used the cheaper single sided boards. P to P wiring was the order of the day for a long time untill integrated circuits came into being. That tech didn't really come around untill the early 70's and was ridiculously expensive for awhile. Standards came into being as time went on, and manufacturing techniques got better.

All that being said, old P to P circuit designs are continually being rehashed using modern techniques. Old spec parts aren't made any more, and designers need to use what's the closest available. That often requires a complete redesign electrically.
 
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