ActionArnie
I've been looking into getting a volume pedal and sticking it in my chain as follows:
korg pb -> tonebone hot british -> menatone top boost in a can -> danelectro cto-1 -> **VOLUME** -> line6 echo park -> amp
I definitely want the volume before the delay to get some cool effects.
The problem: Up until the echo park everything is true bypass. If I want to pick a passive volume pedal I need a pedal with low input impedance if one of the drive pedals is on and high input impedance if they're all off (all my guitars having passive pups). To solve this, the mi audio boost 'n buff (for example) looks like a high quality buffer that I could put before a low input impedance volume somewhere in the chain.
From what I've read, right after the tuner (or even before?) would be the best place for the buffer. One issue I have though specifically with the tonebone is that if its on, using the boost facility on the buffer pedal is only likely to increase sustain rather than have much signal boost since the tonebone compresses the signal a lot. This is probably true to a lesser extent of the other drive pedals too. So the question is, am I likely to lessen the advantages of the buffer by sticking it virtually in the middle of the chain to get a better linear boost?
Secondly I've read about signal boosters causing problems with A/D converters in digital pedals. Is this likely to be an issue with the echo park?
Comments / advice / suggestions please? ?
AlanRatcliffe
I think of buffers and boosters as two different things. A buffer is usually a unity gain device - it doesn't boost the volume, it just changes the impedance, so works well as a problem solver to give you low Z at the beginning of a chain. A booster can be used at unity gain, but is made to boost the signal for solos, etc. - and in your case it would probably work better later in the chain, after your drives to avoid their compression.
Boosters can cause problems in A/D - but only if you boost too much. Digital has an absolute cut-off in volume and clip horribly and obviously, so if you start hearing these issues, you will have to back off the boost a bit. Specifically for the echo park, the times I've used one, it seemed to have a decent amount of headroom (and a lot of the things I do reveal limited D/A headroom very quickly), so I'm pretty sure it won't be an issue.
ActionArnie
Thanks Alan,
It seems the Buff 'n Boost is an anomaly then in that it does both. My main concern was the A/D clipping though but that sounds like it'll be fine. Thanks again.
ActionArnie
Just another quick one Alan, would it be detrimental to use a 250K input impedance volume in the above chain? I've read about using the low input impedance pedals sucking tone without buffers before it, but what is the effect of having a buffered signal going into a high input impedance volume pedal, surely it'll work fine?
AlanRatcliffe
The taper will be a bit screwy, so the volume change won't be smooth. You would have to use the 250K at the beginning of the chain.
