# Buffer help?



## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

Here is the situation.

I need a buffer on my board, because:
1. Without a buffer my signal is missing a lot of it’s high end by the time it gets to my amp
2. My Black eye pedal squeals without a buffer in front of it, and
3. Turns out the Mojito build sounds even more epic with a buffer in front of it.

I only have three pedals that currently have buffered bypass. Kliche, General Tso, and an Ehx Canyon. And all three of them in bypass make the end result sound completely different. Good news is they all fix the black eye issue.

Boost only results:
1. Kliche sounds the best, everything is super crisp and present and mojito sounds tits. Con I don’t really use the kliche for the kliche and it’s taking up a lot of space.
2. General Tso sounds almost as clear as the kliche buffer but it’s for sure less present and has no improvement on the Mojito but I do sometimes use it when it’s on my board for its compression.
3. The canyon fixes the black eye squeal but has no noticeable affect on the clarity of my end tone and I don’t use the canyon at all since building my own delays.

So I thought about just grabbing the kliche buffer only board but I wonder if it will do the same magic as the actual kliche in bypass? Or should I just weird out and build is shit load of buffers and find the one I like the best.

Thoughts, experiences, feedback requested. Ideally 1590a would be nice, size wise. And I’m not opposed to Perf boarding it either.

Thanks in advance fellow basement builders and gurus.


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## bhcarpenter (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> Or should I just weird out and build is shit load of buffers and find the one I like the best.


This is the way


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## bhcarpenter (Oct 8, 2022)

If you aren’t dead set on a dedicated buffer box, here are some more PPCB projects with buffered bypass:
- Informant
- Awful Waffle
- ADHD
- FDIC Boost


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

bhcarpenter said:


> If you aren’t dead set on a dedicated buffer box, here are some more PPCB projects with buffered bypass:
> - Informant
> - Awful Waffle
> - ADHD
> - FDIC Boost


I didn’t realize the informant was buffered.  I sold both of the builds I made of that.


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## bhcarpenter (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> I didn’t realize the informant was buffered.  I sold both of the builds I made of that.


There’s wiring options for buffered bypass or true bypass. Details in the build docs


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## bhcarpenter (Oct 8, 2022)

Oh! One other thought. Most tuners these days have a buffered bypass option. You could try sticking a tuner at the front of your chain.


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## szukalski (Oct 8, 2022)

I like the Awful Waffle. It can get a bit lo-fi when pushed but it’s got a nice sound. Reminds me of a Honey Bee.


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## szukalski (Oct 8, 2022)

bhcarpenter said:


> Oh! One other thought. Most tuners these days have a buffered bypass option. You could try sticking a tuner at the front of your chain.


This is my chain. Poly tune at the start of the chain.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

bhcarpenter said:


> Oh! One other thought. Most tuners these days have a buffered bypass option. You could try sticking a tuner at the front of your chain.


My poly tune has true bypass which is a bummer because that could have been the solution.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

szukalski said:


> I like the Awful Waffle. It can get a bit lo-fi when pushed but it’s got a nice sound. Reminds me of a Honey Bee.


Honey bee you say. Now I have to build it!


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## Robert (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> So I thought about just grabbing the kliche buffer only board but I wonder if it will do the same magic as the actual kliche in bypass?



The Kliche Buffer is exactly what you get with a Kliche in bypass.


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## benny_profane (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> My poly tune has true bypass which is a bummer because that could have been the solution.


Doesn't the polytune have a DIP switch to set the bypass mode?


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## szukalski (Oct 8, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> Doesn't the polytune have a DIP switch to set the bypass mode?


Mine does. Buffered in bypass.


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## fig (Oct 8, 2022)

Always buffered FS?


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> Doesn't the polytune have a DIP switch to set the bypass mode?


Poly tune mini 2 doesn’t have the options as far as I can see. Version 3 does though.


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## Brett (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> Here is the situation.
> 
> I need a buffer on my board, because:
> 1. Without a buffer my signal is missing a lot of it’s high end by the time it gets to my amp
> ...


I know you also built the comprehensive drive from PedalPCB, it’s buffer bypass as well.

You might also consider building or purchasing a Keeley Katana for an always on (barely above unity) boost for added high frequency clarity.

I’ve tried the IC buffer (famously called the Klon buffer although it’s not particularly unique to the Centaur) and it’s fairly neutral  and works well. The Cornish style transistor buffer (also works well), however, is slightly more colored than the IC buffer.

The best results I’ve had so far have been with the Mesa High-Wire dual buffer. It doesn’t fit the 1590a bill, but it’s great at what it does.


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## Dan M (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> Or should I just weird out and build *breadboard* a shit load of buffers



I did a bunch of buffer reading (freestompboxes, muzique, and others) and this was my plan.

They’re small, could probably fit a few of them on a single breadboard and swap stuff around.  I just haven’t started it yet.

OR, I could wait for you to do it and decide which one is The Best.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan M said:


> I did a bunch of buffer reading (freestompboxes, muzique, and others) and this was my plan.
> 
> They’re small, could probably fit a few of them on a single breadboard and swap stuff around.  I just haven’t started it yet.
> 
> OR, I could wait for you to do it and decide which one is The Best.


I have several PCB buffers on the way from Mr. Pedal pcb. I can let you know. Plus I might breadboard a few more if these don’t do the trick.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

Brett said:


> I know you also built the comprehensive drive from PedalPCB, it’s buffer bypass as well.
> .


I also didn’t remember that one. I love that pedal but it is one of my shelf pedals. I just plug it in periodically to get that yummy YaTs sound. I’m looking for something I can keep on my board.


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## MichaelW (Oct 8, 2022)

Do you normally use a boost in your pedal chain? I agree with @Brett on the Cleaver (Katana) as an always on @unity boost. Very transparent in the clean setting. I gave mine to my brother, but have the board to build another one. One of my favorite boosts. (Do I say that about all the boosts I build? I think I do.........hahah)


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> Do you normally use a boost in your pedal chain? I agree with @Brett on the Cleaver (Katana) as an always on @unity boost. Very transparent in the clean setting. I gave mine to my brother, but have the board to build another one. One of my favorite boosts. (Do I say that about all the boosts I build? I think I do.........hahah)


I have made a couple boosts. Current..ly my board is boostless outside of the parenthesis boost. I sorta wish this little guy I made recently had a buffer inside with its boost it it may have solved the issue.


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## mdc (Oct 8, 2022)

Not strictly a unity-gain buffer, but the tillman preamp is great... swap in pretty much any JFET and adjust R3 to bias at around 5-6v. 







It's remarkably similar to the echoplex preamp and works nicely as an always-on option with about 3dB of boost.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

mdc said:


> Not strictly a unity-gain buffer, but the tillman preamp is great... swap in pretty much any JFET and adjust R3 to bias at around 5-6v.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’ll breadboard this tonight and check it out.


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## mdc (Oct 8, 2022)

That schematic is a little awkward... just in case it's not clear C2 goes from 9V to ground, it's not tied to the output.


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## MichaelW (Oct 8, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> I have made a couple boosts. Current..ly my board is boostless outside of the parenthesis boost. I sorta wish this little guy I made recently had a buffer inside with its boost it it may have solved the issue.
> View attachment 33576


You can add a simple JFet buffer in this and make it a buffer. I've got a bunch of the JFet buffer boards. DM if you want one, I can pop it in the mail to you.


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## Dan0h (Oct 8, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> You can add a simple JFet buffer in this and make it a buffer. I've got a bunch of the JFet buffer boards. DM if you want one, I can pop it in the mail to you.


One is one the way in my order 👍🏼


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## cdwillis (Oct 8, 2022)

If you have a little strip of vero handy you can make a simple unity gain buffer from a mosfet or a op amp really easily. A while back I was making a buffer from a TL072, but I ended up just making it a boost kind of like a Mr Black Boost Tiger.


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## cdwillis (Oct 8, 2022)

Here's a quick vero board layout I threw together if anyone wants to build something like this without putting together their own layout. D1 is a 1n5817 schottky diode for polarity protection and D2 is a 9v zener diode.


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## Dan0h (Oct 22, 2022)

Brett said:


> I know you also built the comprehensive drive from PedalPCB, it’s buffer bypass as well.
> 
> You might also consider building or purchasing a Keeley Katana for an always on (barely above unity) boost for added high frequency clarity.
> 
> ...


Whoa. So I plugged my comprehensive drive in for the first time in a very long time. It works perfect to kill the squeals and some how it makes my pro-10 sound a million times better. Man this drives me crazy all the different combinations.


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## Feral Feline (Oct 23, 2022)

Dan M said:


> I did a bunch of buffer reading (freestompboxes, muzique, and others) and this was my plan.
> 
> They’re small, could probably fit a few of them on a single breadboard and swap stuff around.  I just haven’t started it yet.
> 
> OR, I could wait for you to do it and decide which one is The Best.


Then you'll know what's The Best for Dan0h, but you still won't know what's The Best for you!


If I were to do the Cleaver/Katana as an always on buffer-boost, I'd build it as always on with a pot-swapper;
One knob on the outside and the stomper merely switches between the outside knob and an internal trimmer set to unity gain. Then again, I'd probably use 9mm pots and stick both the unity-gain control and the boosted signal on the outside, 'cause sometimes you need to adjust what's unity.
So, with the mods and changing up to two pots, it might be a tight squeeze in 1590A, but then a 1590B2 with TOP JACKS would take up just as much/little space as the 1590A.

Order, we must have ORDER!




Then I'd have to figure on whether to put the buffer-boost at the beginning of the chain or the end. Probably at the end, and have a buffered pedal somewhere near the beginning to push the signal through to the end, and then the buffer-boost at the very end to oomph the signal, and the boost able to just up the volume as needed without driving other dirt pedals into more saturation.


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## Dan M (Oct 23, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> Then you'll know what's The Best for Dan0h, but you still won't know what's The Best for you!.



Solved:  Keeping a distortion ON all the time is the best buffer. 🤘


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## xefned (Oct 24, 2022)

Dan0h said:


> My poly tune has true bypass which is a bummer because that could have been the solution.



The PolyTune 3 (with buffer) is currently on sale at $30 off.
I don't advocate _buying_ something when you can _build_ something, but if you're already committed to having a PolyTune at the front of your chain, it might be worth considering.


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## Dan0h (Oct 24, 2022)

xefned said:


> The PolyTune 3 (with buffer) is currently on sale at $30 off.
> I don't advocate _buying_ something when you can _build_ something, but if you're already committed to having a PolyTune at the front of your chain, it might be worth considering.
> 
> View attachment 34433


That’s a good deal. I don’t always keep my tuner on the board. Since I have v2 I wouldn’t by v3. But I will say polytunes are great tuners.


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## MichaelW (Oct 25, 2022)

xefned said:


> The PolyTune 3 (with buffer) is currently on sale at $30 off.
> I don't advocate _buying_ something when you can _build_ something, but if you're already committed to having a PolyTune at the front of your chain, it might be worth considering.
> 
> View attachment 34433


That's exactly what I have as the first pedal in my chain. The built in "Bona Fide" buffer is actually quite transparent. I can't hear any difference with it on or off. Also why these squeal issue never make onto my radar until someone complains about it hahahah.....


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## Dan0h (Oct 28, 2022)

bhcarpenter said:


> If you aren’t dead set on a dedicated buffer box, here are some more PPCB projects with buffered bypass:
> - Informant
> - Awful Waffle
> - ADHD
> - FDIC Boost





szukalski said:


> I like the Awful Waffle. It can get a bit lo-fi when pushed but it’s got a nice sound. Reminds me of a Honey Bee.


I can confirm the Awful Waffle works to stop the black eye squeal @vigilante398 and sounds amazing as a clean boost. The last few mm of the gain pot to max really sends this thing to another planet almost muff land. The distortion from noon to almost max is very direct and nothing like I have built before. Sounds very old school boss. But the clean section from 11 o’clock and lower is really tasty. Cheers for the recommend. Was able to remove the Klon and General Tso. Not sure if this guy will become permanent but it sure is an easy build and sounds really cool. Hotcakes yum.


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