Good, cheap, small buffers?

[BassIsBad]

Anyone have a recommendation for a "micro" buffer that I can stick at the end of my chain? Small and cheap? I know there a lot out there, but have any of you had a go with any of them?

[tashiattack]

I've been using this for years, its absolutely amazing: http://this1smyne.com/shop/mb-mini-buffer/

[BassIsBad]

I've been using this for years, its absolutely amazing: http://this1smyne.com/shop/mb-mini-buffer/

Just the standard one? No fancy options?

[goroth]

If you can DIY get the General Guitar Gadgets IC buffer. It is good. Pretty much any modern buffer is good. Visual Sound make a small and cheap buffer that is readily available. Another option is to just put a Boss tuner at the end of your chain. Or if you use a boost you could get a combined buffer/booster - Empress, MI Audio make good cheap buffer/booster combos (but more expensive than just a straight buffer.

[BassIsBad]

If you can DIY get the General Guitar Gadgets IC buffer. It is good. Pretty much any modern buffer is good. Visual Sound make a small and cheap buffer that is readily available. Another option is to just put a Boss tuner at the end of your chain. Or if you use a boost you could get a combined buffer/booster - Empress, MI Audio make good cheap buffer/booster combos (but more expensive than just a straight buffer.

Yeah, the Empress Buffer+ seems really awesome. But isn't it kind of meant to go at the begining of the chain and be used sort of as a separate effects loop? Am I even right in thinking that a buffer at the end of my chain will help out?

The first pedal in my chain is an "always on" true bypass pedal (Diamond Bass Comp.), but I have something like 15 or 16 pedals after that, each connected by at least 6" of cable (some have to be longer to deal with the layout of my board). And then there's at least 15' of cable connecting my board to my amp, and 25' connecting my bass to my board.

I guess I'm asking if adding a buffer at the end of my chain will give me some headway on retaining my high-end, even though I already have an "always on" true bypass pedal at the front of my chain.

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, you can probably benefit from a buffer at the end of your chain.

I don't know what you'd consider cheap, but this Fredric isn't too expensive:



I don't have any experience with the stand alone buffer, but it's the same as in the Zombie Klone and I've got one of those. It's totally fine.

[goroth]

I find a buffer at the end more important than a buffer at the beginning, but it's rig dependent. If you are losing too much treble I to your pedals roll with an input buffer, if you are struggling to retain what you've got coming out of your pedals try an output buffer. All buffers sound sliiiiightly different but who cares. They're all pretty rad. And there is no such thing as a buffer that is specific for input or output, so get anything and try it out.

If you want to do a test, plug your bass into your pedals with a 6 inch patch cable and see how it sounds. Then plug it in with your normal cable, but plug your pedalboard into your amp with a patch cable (you may need to rearrange some furniture/your rig to do this) and see how that sounds. Then do both into your pedals and out with patch cables. This might give you an idea where the worst signal loss is occurring and what effect a buffer may have.

[Disarm D'arcy]

I've been using this for years, its absolutely amazing: http://this1smyne.com/shop/mb-mini-buffer/

A quick search will bring some massive threads in other forums where he is very popular amongst praise and worship guitar players as he is very open (to say the least) about his faith. I remember reading about extended to the ridicule leadtime. With that said, I never used his services or products myself, just remember scrolling through a 20+ page shitstorm thread on TGP and a similar yet smaller one on HCFX. All I mean to say is make sure this guy is to be trusted if you consider dealing with him. Again, I don't have first hand experience with this guy.

I find a buffer at the end more important than a buffer at the beginning, but it's rig dependent. If you are losing too much treble I to your pedals roll with an input buffer, if you are struggling to retain what you've got coming out of your pedals try an output buffer. All buffers sound sliiiiightly different but who cares. They're all pretty rad. And there is no such thing as a buffer that is specific for input or output, so get anything and try it out.

I have a couple buffers in my chain. First is an always on comp right after the polytune mini in which I plug the guitar. Another is the Strymon Timeline trails buffer and the last is the Rang III. The Rang III is the buffer I'd miss the least. Most important is IMO the first and the Timeline sure helps out a bit. But as you say, this is rig dependent so OP, move things around to make the informed decision

[Doctor X]

The first pedal in my chain is an "always on" true bypass pedal (Diamond Bass Comp.), but I have something like 15 or 16 pedals after that, each connected by at least 6" of cable (some have to be longer to deal with the layout of my board). And then there's at least 15' of cable connecting my board to my amp, and 25' connecting my bass to my board.

I guess I'm asking if adding a buffer at the end of my chain will give me some headway on retaining my high-end, even though I already have an "always on" true bypass pedal at the front of my chain.

so another dedicated buffer at the end would only be affecting that single 15' cable

what other pedals are you usually running, apart from the diamond comp? if you feel that you are losing top end somewhere then maybe readjust the diamond eq or something.

[BassIsBad]

The first pedal in my chain is an "always on" true bypass pedal (Diamond Bass Comp.), but I have something like 15 or 16 pedals after that, each connected by at least 6" of cable (some have to be longer to deal with the layout of my board). And then there's at least 15' of cable connecting my board to my amp, and 25' connecting my bass to my board.

I guess I'm asking if adding a buffer at the end of my chain will give me some headway on retaining my high-end, even though I already have an "always on" true bypass pedal at the front of my chain.

so another dedicated buffer at the end would only be affecting that single 15' cable

what other pedals are you usually running, apart from the diamond comp? if you feel that you are losing top end somewhere then maybe readjust the diamond eq or something.

Wouldn't a buffer at the end of the chain buffer the signal that has been running through the entire board, and then spit the buffered signal out through my last cable?

[Doctor X]

i dont really understand this impedance thing ... is it pushing or pulling?
i would have thought that you can't put it at the end of a cable chain and have it 'put back' what has already been lost.
if you have another pedal at the end of the chain that you can run as a neutral buffer, like a flat eq or other things you can set at zero, then maybe have a try and see what difference it makes.
i dont know how much signal loss there is from a buffered/on pedal over distance, and whether it needs boosting along the chain.
how often are you running just the diamond? because every time you have other pedals on they are 'buffering' the signal, aren't they?

[BassIsBad]

i dont really understand this impedance thing ... is it pushing or pulling?
i would have thought that you can't put it at the end of a cable chain and have it 'put back' what has already been lost.
if you have another pedal at the end of the chain that you can run as a neutral buffer, like a flat eq or other things you can set at zero, then maybe have a try and see what difference it makes.
i dont know how much signal loss there is from a buffered/on pedal over distance, and whether it needs boosting along the chain.
how often are you running just the diamond? because every time you have other pedals on they are 'buffering' the signal, aren't they?

The Diamond is on all the time. And yeah, in theory, if I had other true bypass pedals on later in the chain they should act as buffers as well, but the majority of the time (in a band setting at least) I am running with a clean tone.

[BassIsBad]

i dont really understand this impedance thing ... is it pushing or pulling?
i would have thought that you can't put it at the end of a cable chain and have it 'put back' what has already been lost.
if you have another pedal at the end of the chain that you can run as a neutral buffer, like a flat eq or other things you can set at zero, then maybe have a try and see what difference it makes.
i dont know how much signal loss there is from a buffered/on pedal over distance, and whether it needs boosting along the chain.
how often are you running just the diamond? because every time you have other pedals on they are 'buffering' the signal, aren't they?

The Diamond is on all the time. And yeah, in theory, if I had other true bypass pedals on later in the chain they should act as buffers as well, but the majority of the time (in a band setting at least) I am running with a clean tone.