True Bypass. What's that really mean?

True bypass is when you wire the pedal to be out of the chain when it is off. If a pedal isn't true bypass, the signal still runs through the circuit, but the effect is turned off. True bypass, bypasses the circuit when it is off. Even when the effect is off, it can color your sound a bit if the signal runs through it.

I'm sure someone can explain it better than me.
 
It's an electrical or mechanical relay that makes the signal pass through as a direct length of wire, completely eliminating the pedal from the path.

Buffered pedals can go to zero amount of effect but are still applying some kind of amplification or signal levelling to the chain.

That's why on long runs many players use a buffered effect first in the chain and then true bypass after. It's also why some pedals sound different when their order is changed. Depends on how pure or buffered the signal is.

Edit: sorry, posted at the same time
 
I was looking at maybe getting that MXR chorus, but it doesn't have bypass. Should that influence my decision?
 
Jbird said:
I was looking at maybe getting that MXR chorus, but it doesn't have bypass. Should that influence my decision?
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Boss pedals aren't true bypass either. I have never bought or not bought a pedal based on if it true bypass or not.
 
Jbird said:
I was looking at maybe getting that MXR chorus, but it doesn't have bypass. Should that influence my decision?
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The days of worrying about bypass in major brands is nearly gone. Unless you're buying something cheap like a Joyo or Dano pedal, I wouldn't worry about it. Course, you'll obviously sound worse with the chorus pedal on. :embarrassed:
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
The days of worrying about bypass in major brands is nearly gone. Unless you're buying something cheap like a Joyo or Dano pedal, I wouldn't worry about it. Course, you'll obviously sound worse with the chorus pedal on. :embarrassed:
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I can't sound much worse as it is. Just ask the Pragestockers :embarrassed:
 
There are three common bypass types (probably more less common ones).

Mechanical "Hard" Bypass - Very common in '70's effects. The Input jack is connected to the effect circuit at all times and only the Output jack is switched. The reason they keep the FX circuit hard-wired to the Input jack was to avoid pops when switching for minimal cost. This can cause signal loading issues and parasitic loss of signal.

This is why old wahs (Vox, Thomas Organ, old Dunlops), original EH, original (and many RI) MXR, etc. are often changed to true bypass.

True Bypass - Uses a DPDT switch (or relay), both the Input and Output Jacks are switched, completely disconnecting the FX circuit from the signal chain. It keeps the effect from loading down the signal chain when bypassed, and there are ways to eliminate or reduce the popping (either by routing the circuit input to ground or with resistors and/or caps)

Buffer Bypass - This was the industry solution to switching issues and many other stage issues. Boss, Ibanez/Maxon and others started it, and DOD and so many commercial effects now use it. They have input and output buffers (preamps) that correct incoming and outgoing impedance issues, help with signal loading from long cable runs, etc. The buffers are always in the signal chain, they sometimes have an effect on tone or dynamics, and they sometimes cause issues with older effects that want guitar-level inpedance (Fuzz Faces).

There is little to no advantage of Mechanical Hard Bypass but it doesn't always cause issues either (I have had to convert old wahs but my old script MXR Compressor has always been fine). The other two both have their strengths and weaknesses that are pretty complementary.
 
After watching the movie Fuzz, I found that true bypass is like other industry terms used to create buzz to sell pedals. Just like if you use all true bypass pedals in a fairly long signal well now you need their buffer pedals in order to boost your signal so as to avoid tone loss. Finding out that the pedal builders themselves will go on guitar forums and create this buzz, IMO, is unethical, but it has worked for them. Pedal builders in the movie laughing about it and making fun of customers. Someone made fun of my pedal board saying "you think you have enough buffers" because I like and use a lot of Boss pedals. Yet, when I plug my guitar straight into my amps and then through my pedal board I don't have drop off, nor does the sound change when my board is plugged in and the pedals are off. I didn't engineer it that way for that purpose. I simply listen to a lot of pedal samples on Youtube before I buy zeroing in on a certain pedal. If I like the pedal and it's not a one trick pony I'll get it.

The one thing I think is funny at the moment is "the pedal doesn't color the sound of my guitar". BULLSHIT! Pedals are the crayons in the box of the guitar player. If it didn't color your sound (change it) then why the fuck are you plugged into it? It's hilarious!
 
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On the freaking money brother.

Wyatt said:
There are three common bypass types (probably more less common ones).

Mechanical "Hard" Bypass - Very common in '70's effects. The Input jack is connected to the effect circuit at all times and only the Output jack is switched. The reason they keep the FX circuit hard-wired to the Input jack was to avoid pops when switching for minimal cost. This can cause signal loading issues and parasitic loss of signal.

This is why old wahs (Vox, Thomas Organ, old Dunlops), original EH, original (and many RI) MXR, etc. are often changed to true bypass.

True Bypass - Uses a DPDT switch (or relay), both the Input and Output Jacks are switched, completely disconnecting the FX circuit from the signal chain. It keeps the effect from loading down the signal chain when bypassed, and there are ways to eliminate or reduce the popping (either by routing the circuit input to ground or with resistors and/or caps)

Buffer Bypass - This was the industry solution to switching issues and many other stage issues. Boss, Ibanez/Maxon and others started it, and DOD and so many commercial effects now use it. They have input and output buffers (preamps) that correct incoming and outgoing impedance issues, help with signal loading from long cable runs, etc. The buffers are always in the signal chain, they sometimes have an effect on tone or dynamics, and they sometimes cause issues with older effects that want guitar-level inpedance (Fuzz Faces).

There is little to no advantage of Mechanical Hard Bypass but it doesn't always cause issues either (I have had to convert old wahs but my old script MXR Compressor has always been fine). The other two both have their strengths and weaknesses that are pretty complementary.
Click to expand...
 
mikesr1963 said:
After watching the movie Fuzz, I found that true bypass is like other industry terms used to create buzz to sell pedals.
Click to expand...

My theory is that the boutique builders realized they could advertise their pedals as true-bypass and save themselves from the cost of building in good buffer circuits. And the real genius is Analog Man, who sells an $89 buffer pedal to all the cork sniffers who have been convinced that they should never use Boss pedals because of the buffers.
 
jp_nyc said:
My theory is that the boutique builders realized they could advertise their pedals as true-bypass and save themselves from the cost of building in good buffer circuits. And the real genius is Analog Man, who sells an $89 buffer pedal to all the cork sniffers who have been convinced that they should never use Boss pedals because of the buffers.
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Exactly.
 
:facepalm:

There was a time that buffers were not good. That time has passed because the boutique industry forced the major manufacturers to improve their products. It took 20 years for that change to occur. It's a completely different market now.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
:facepalm:

There was a time that buffers were not good. That time has passed because the boutique industry forced the major manufacturers to improve their products. It took 20 years for that change to occur. It's a completely different market now.
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That it is!!!

mikesr1963 said:
After watching the movie Fuzz, I found that true bypass is like other industry terms used to create buzz to sell pedals. Just like if you use all true bypass pedals in a fairly long signal well now you need their buffer pedals in order to boost your signal so as to avoid tone loss. Finding out that the pedal builders themselves will go on guitar forums and create this buzz, IMO, is unethical, but it has worked for them. Pedal builders in the movie laughing about it and making fun of customers. Someone made fun of my pedal board saying "you think you have enough buffers" because I like and use a lot of Boss pedals. Yet, when I plug my guitar straight into my amps and then through my pedal board I don't have drop off, nor does the sound change when my board is plugged in and the pedals are off. I didn't engineer it that way for that purpose. I simply listen to a lot of pedal samples on Youtube before I buy zeroing in on a certain pedal. If I like the pedal and it's not a one trick pony I'll get it.

The one thing I think is funny at the moment is "the pedal doesn't color the sound of my guitar". BULLSHIT! Pedals are the crayons in the box of the guitar player. If it didn't color your sound (change it) then why the fuck are you plugged into it? It's hilarious!
Click to expand...

It's marketing man!!! Get a few buzzwords in there to ring and that will be the talk of the town for year to come.

jp_nyc said:
My theory is that the boutique builders realized they could advertise their pedals as true-bypass and save themselves from the cost of building in good buffer circuits. And the real genius is Analog Man, who sells an $89 buffer pedal to all the cork sniffers who have been convinced that they should never use Boss pedals because of the buffers.
Click to expand...

While some of that is true, I don't use most Boss pedals because I really don't like them. You have a few that are winners but many IMO are losers. But you know the story on opinions.

As for why I buy certain boutique pedals, bottom line is that they sound good and do what I want. Not all of the pedals out the do what I want them too.

Regarding the few Ibanez pedals that I use, I yanked the buffers out made them True Bypass. Personally I can hear the change while many can't. Whether I am cork sniffing or not, it is the same as using quality guitar cords which that discussion has been blown to pieces many times.
 
I accidentally discovered a way to test if your pedals are true bypass or not.


When rewiring my pedalboard this weekend, I got all the audio cables run, and then ran some power... plugged in and tested. Sounded good but then some of my pedals didn't work......


.... I forgot to run power to some of them. :embarrassed:


They were true bypass so when they were switched off, the signal still passed right through them. Now I know if I damage a power cable before a gig, which pedals I can leave hooked up but move the power to a different one without upsetting the signal path. :wink:
 
baimun said:
I accidentally discovered a way to test if your pedals are true bypass or not.


When rewiring my pedalboard this weekend, I got all the audio cables run, and then ran some power... plugged in and tested. Sounded good but then some of my pedals didn't work......


.... I forgot to run power to some of them. :embarrassed:


They were true bypass so when they were switched off, the signal still passed right through them. Now I know if I damage a power cable before a gig, which pedals I can leave hooked up but move the power to a different one without upsetting the signal path. :wink:
Click to expand...

You don't know whether your pedal is true bypass or not when you buy it? ???
 
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