True Bypass Help

mdiddium · #1 03-26-2008, 02:03 PM

Hi all,
I'm looking for a true bypass pedal that will allow me at least two loops: one to put effects in series and one in parallel mode. In other words, I would like at least a two channel true bypass pedal with at least one of those channels having a blend control and the other with a direct in-line function. Reason being is that some of my effects I want to be able to blend (fuzz, etc...) and some I need to have completely wet (moogerfooger, etc...). And sometimes I want to have both flavors going on at once!

I've done some research and it seems that Barge Concepts comes highly recommended, however I don't see a pedal with a straight TB and a blender channel (do they do custom jobs?). Loop-Master also seems to make really quality stuff but again have not seen a pedal with these features. The guitar player in my band recently bought a nice TB box from Pedals Ahoy (and very affordable) however this is a passive box, which brings me to my next question: do I want a passive or active box for this operation? Can someone explain the differences in desired buffering for active vs. passive basses? Thanks for any help.

scotch · #2 03-26-2008, 02:19 PM

I've never seen a pedal that does both, but it should be pretty straight-forward. I bet Barge Concepts could customize a VFB to meet your needs. Just eliminate the feedback section & replace it with a standard true bypass loop in addition to the blendable loop (as long as there's room for the extra 1/4" jacks). It shouldn't really be a huge cost difference - but that's up to the builder!

The other way to go to accomplish your goal would be to use a true bypass loop strip (like a loop master) and put a blender in one of the loops along with your moogerfooger. I have a feeling Barge may be able to customize something for you a little cheaper than two separate units, however.

As far as passive vs. buffered options, I believe the "blending" feature requires buffering. A passive true bypass loop (without buffer) works just fine until you get into long cable runs or pedals with crappy bypass that suck tone.

I thought my big 5-loop Loop Master solution was going to eliminate my need to use a buffer. It turns out that with long cable runs, I still needed one to preserve high-end frequencies. I went with a Barge GLZ. FYI, Barge is great about answering questions before the sale - I sent about 5 emails that were all answered very quickly, even before spending a dime!

Hookus · #3 03-26-2008, 04:54 PM

I think Loop Master made one.

Jazz Ad · #4 03-26-2008, 05:02 PM

No chance. Loop Master only make passive pedals.
You don't want parallel signals and clean blends in a passive box.
Noboby makes something like this. You will have to resort to custom.

scotch · #5 03-26-2008, 05:28 PM

Apparently http://www.pedalsahoy.com/ offers custom true-bypass strips w/ a $10 per channel Blend option.

They're pretty inexpensive too! Intriguing...

Jazz Ad · #6 03-26-2008, 06:32 PM

Baaaad idea. No such thing as proper passive clean blending.

musicelectronix · #7 03-26-2008, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Baaaad idea. No such thing as proper passive clean blending.

+1

scotch · #8 03-26-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Baaaad idea. No such thing as proper passive clean blending.

Yeah, I figured that - I can't tell if the pedalsahoy blend is passive or not - there's not much detail on their site.

niftydog · #9 03-26-2008, 07:41 PM

Going by this statement;

Quote:

Originally Posted by www.pedalsahoy.com

The power only affects the LED indicators. The pedal will still function properly without power, but the LED indicator will not work.

I'd say they're all passive. Would make sense given the low prices.

Jazz Ad · #10 03-27-2008, 05:21 AM

The simplest and cheapest way I could think of to achieve the former poster's goal would be to use a pair of Boss LS-2.
It wouldn't achieve true bypass though.

mdiddium · #11 03-27-2008, 07:07 AM

Hi everybody,
Thanks for the brainstorming session. I think this confirms my suspicion that there is not really a pedal out there doing what I need. Like I said in the original post, Pedals Ahoy seemed like a good option after my guitar player got one (and the price was very appealing), but something about it made me rethink getting a passive box. Additionally, I don't think that getting two Boss LS-2's will solve my problem either. It's really the combination of a blend AND direct while still having true bypass that will do the trick since I have some pedals that suck tone and some pedals that need to be blended with the dry signal.

Sooo...
Unless anybody else finds that magic box, it looks like my best option is to try to get a Barge Concepts VFB-2 modified without the feedback loop (replacing that with a simple true bypass loop). I'm hoping that won't be too tough of a mod. It certainly wouldn't seem that way because it would involve the same box, almost the same jack configuration, just removing the feedback loop. I guess they would have to add another jack on each side for the in/out. However, I could be wrong...

Either way I sent an e-mail to them yesterday with the inquiry. I'll let you guys know when they respond in case anyone else feels the need to get a similar box.