Anyone here have a problem with Boss buffers?

[cjb]

What's the consensus here with regards to Boss buffers in their pedals? I have a CE2 and TU2 and notice a slight difference in tone in bypass mode when I use them, I guess it takes some "punch" away but was wondering what other peoples experience are with them. Also what are your experiences with using them in the loop of an amp as opposed to in front of an amp.

Chris

 

[cjb]

Make that "Anyone". Sorry.....

 

[pepperco]

bad very bad,

I can not and will not use ANY boss pedal out side
of a looping pedal......they suck tone.

If I plug one in, its like all of my hard work of
being particular about pickups, strings, cables
amps, tubes, etc, just went out the window.

I see some pedalboard pictures with all
of those pedals inline and I think to myself,
wow, that clean tone must be bad. Its like you
are starting out behind the 8 ball with year old
strings and the tone control rolled down, good
luck sounding awesome.

 

[Moe45673]

it's a shame, because boss makes some cool sounding pedals, but noone who is serious about their tone will ever use them due to their tone-sucking.

which is why I always say "LINE SELECTOR!". and not the boss one, either. that's like curing severe herpes by cutting off ones genitals

 

[MAZ]

I disagree that they are all bad.

The TU-2 does suck tone big time. The DM2 not so much at all.

IMHO, it's pretty much a joke to say "no one who is serious about their tone will ever use them due to their tone-sucking." That statement is VERY over the top...

 

[Raoul Duke]

Originally posted by MAZ


IMHO, it's pretty much a joke to say "no one who is serious about their tone will ever use them due to their tone-sucking." That statement is VERY over the top...

Yeah since I have seen them used by touring pros about a million times over the last 30 years I'd have to agree with MAZ on this one.

 

[Moe45673]

maybe I was too specific. However, touring pros will rarely use more than 1. And they are generally in a line selector. I still stand by my original statement.

 

[aleclee]

I use 'em without worrying about potential tone suckage.

Frankly, I don't care if the buffers color the tone. As long as I can get good tone with them turned on and turned off, I find it academic to debate whether a disengaged pedal sounds identical to no pedal. After all, if it sounds good, it sounds good. I have come across pedals that colored my tone in a bad way. They're no longer on my pedalboard.

If you don't like the tone of the disengaged pedal but love its effect, get a bypass box for it. To some extent, pedals are a no-win situation because without buffering the interconnects and cable length in a true bypass rig suck tone, too.

 

[MAZ]

Originally posted by Moe45673
maybe I was too specific. However, touring pros will rarely use more than 1. And they are generally in a line selector.

I think that even that statement is way off. Boss pedals are EVERYWHERE. More than one, and not all in a loop.

They certainly aren't the pinnacle of tone in many cases, but I think too many people go over the top on anything not boutique.

Every day on hundreds of stages and studios there are Boss pedals, horizon cables, GHS strings, and stock Fender amps used to produce AMAZING tones. I even saw a stock Fender guitar once- with the original pickups!! LOL.

 

[MAZ]

Originally posted by aleclee
I use 'em without worrying about potential tone suckage.

... As long as I can get good tone with them turned on and turned off, I find it academic to debate whether a disengaged pedal sounds identical to no pedal. After all, if it sounds good, it sounds good.

exactly!

 

[Raoul Duke]

Originally posted by Moe45673
However, touring pros will rarely use more than 1.

I have seen touring pros who used nothing BUT Boss pedals in a line. Several of them recently. If they are bypassed when not in use I can't really tell. The comment that no one serious about their tone will use them is boutique fantasy.

 

[Moe45673]

alright, dude, if you say so. I personally, haven't done much research into this shizzle, but after looking at a number of guitar rigs, I have yet to see lots of boss pedals.

And most pro rigs I look at have switching/looping systems of some kind, many of them using two amps, one for clean/dry and one for effects. I'm sure you know this, but I've never seen a setup like you've described.

And bands like Jet don't count

 

[Big Bob]

The Boss unit I have (when bypassed) totally destroys the amp tone. Just to get the same EQ curve I have to crank the treble up from 9o'clock to 11 or higher. Same with the mids but less so. And forget about retaining the feel of the amp.....can't be done. So I stick it in a looper....problem solved.

Bob

 

[slacker]

Maybe it's not wise to get involved with this thread as a first post...but I have done some research.

1 Different people have different hearing. I had to refuse to play in a venue due to a high pitched whine that nobody else could hear. Turned out it was the deaf loop. Same thing with a mate's central heating, the boiler whines and only I can hear it. Conversely when I play bass I can barely hear it and others are telling me to turn down (standing wave/proximity problems aside).

2 Not all Boss pedals suck tone. Bearing in my that it's subjective, the DS1 does, the DD3 does not, the CE2 does not. The TR2 does not, same with the LM2. THe DD3 and CE2 together suck tone, the DD3 and the TR2 do but the LM2 doesnt make the DS1 worse. Generally speaking 4 Boss pedals will chop off top end. But refer to 1 and it might not affect you.

So IMHO it's down to what you hear and don't hear and some of the buffers are better than others. I have heard a theory that some Boss pedals use noise suppression that chops off treble.

So once again IMHO use what you want, the FOH guy will probably ruin your 'tone' anyway.

 

[Damian]

Originally posted by MAZ
I even saw a stock Fender guitar once- with the original pickups!!

Not around here

 

[Jim Jones]

I'm mostly a guitar straight-into-amp kinda guy and I really dislike what stompbox buffers do to my straight through-tone. It neuters it basically.

I'm in the process of building a simple loop box so I can use my old Boss delay without Tourette's.

Jim

 

[Seegs]

Actually the TU2's buffer did noticeably alter the tone of the dirt boxes that followed it...it also affected the straight in clean sound but to a lesser degree...it was unacceptable to me used in line so I always had it outta the chain one way or another...

Chow,
Seegs

 

[Chiba]

Originally posted by slacker
the FOH guy will probably ruin your 'tone' anyway.

Ain't THAT the truth!

I don't worry about a little top-end loss with a BOSS - that's why they put tone knobs on the front of amps IMHO.

--chiba

 

[drolling]

Most gigging professional musicians I know can't afford the boutique stuff and don't want it anyway. These guys need to know that if a pedal craps out on some small town gig, they'll be able to replace it at any mom & pop muic store. Boss pedals are available everywhere.

There are some noticable exceptions, but most of the truly great players are not gearsluts. They can make anything sound good.

I, on the other hand, need all the help I can get & have enough disposable income to blow on hand built effects & enough time on my hands to wait the 6 months it takes to get them.

But, ya know what? I still use Boss pedals. Some of my precious true-bypass gear actually doesn't work right unless there's a buffered pedal in the signal chain. And as buffers go, the Boss pedals aren't bad. I've heard a lot worse.

 

[cjb]

So all a couple of non true bypass pedals do(say, a CE2 snd a new EVH Phase 90)to the tone is roll of a little high end? I guess that's not a problem since I keep the presence and treble on my DSL 50 at almost 0.

Chris