Why you shouldn't get so obsessive about True Bypass

[Rodgre]

While I fully understand the virtues and benefits of True Bypass effect circuitry, and I build it into pretty much any DIY pedal I make, I have had bad experiences with true bypass pedals making a huge "CLICK" through the amp which was solved by putting a buffer pedal last in the chain.

I had this experience again over the last week in the studio where a couple of DIY overdrives, as well as a few commercial (Menatone TBIAC and a Vox Valvetone) pedals were all giving a loud click through the amp unless I put a clean buffer pedal last in the chain, in this case a Zoom Power Drive with the gain all the way down.

I've also found that my own tone is fuller when I run a booster first in the chain, before my various pedals, and sometimes even another booster right before the amp.

This is just my 2cents about the whole obsession with true bypass pedals. They can be a PITA sometimes.

Roger

[The Tone God]

It is a cheap and easy "feature" to add rubbing the musicians back giving them comfort that it is going to be "ok". The previous generations of electronic and/or buffer bypass circuit had issues that caused a bad reputation which was resolved with true bypass. It is almost a standard now because of that despite many prefectly good bypass systems have since emerged.

The only major advatange I see with true bypass is that the effect can run bypassed unpowered.

Andrew

[Paul Marossy]

The only major advatange I see with true bypass is that the effect can run bypassed unpowered.

That's the one thing I like about true bypass - a dead battery does not equal disaster.

[Connoisseur of Distortion]

yes, with true bypass, you avoid the great search for the dead pedal! 

[d95err]

Since effect pedals have a long history of dreadful tone sucking non-true bypasses, the only way to be sure a pedal won't spoil your tone when bypassed is to have it true bypass. That doesn't mean that the whole signal chain needs to be true bypass, but true bypass pedals gives you control over where to put buffers, and ensures you can use good quality buffers instead of tone sucking ones.

[Mark Hammer]

http://www.elixant.com/~stompbox/smfforum/index.php?topic=41689.msg300904#msg300904

[bwanasonic]

The reason I am obsesive about TBP, is I want control of where the buffering happens, if at all. If I am using a *vintage* style effect that doesn't "play well with others" (i.e. Fuz Face, Rangemaster, etc), I want to be able to bypass any buffering before them. I do tend to use a buffer (AMZ Mosfet) last in line before my volume pedal>amp.

Kerry M