True Bypass is a term seen in many of the pedals of today’s guitar, however, we don’t always understand it. To clarify the matter, in this article I will explain what true bypass means, the importance, and its advantages and disadvantages.
How do the pedals work?
Before getting into the topic of bypass, it is necessary to understand the basic operation of pedals. When a pedal is activated, the effect is applied to the guitar signal; and when it is disabled, theoretically the signal passes through unaffected. But in practice, many pedals modify the guitar signal when they are not activated. Generally, producing a loss of high frequencies.
What is true bypass in pedals?
So, we have a problem… the pedals modify some frequencies when they are deactivated and the signal is altered.
What is the solution?
True bypass pedals. The term true bypass refers to the fact that when the pedal is deactivated, the signal passes by without being modified. Hence its name, which in Spanish is translated as “true pass”, because the signal passes by truly without alterations.
The problem with having many guitar pedals with true bypass
Most (but not all) of the pedals available today are true bypass. They are manufactured this way precisely so that guitarists can have several interconnected pedals, and that when they are not used, they do not get in the way. This is ideal in the context of a pedalboard with 3 or 4 pedals. The problem appears when you have more than 3 or 4 pedals, since even though the signal is not modified, the signal begins to lose strength between so many connections. As a general rule , the greater the number of interconnected pedals, you can assume that more signal will be lost. For this there is a solution, which is called buffered pedals.
Solution: A Buffer pedal at the beginning
Buffer pedals are another type of pedal that helps strengthen the guitar signal along the pedal chain path.
That is, they do not change the color or tone of the guitar, but their objective is to make the signal reach the end stronger. For this reason, a buffer pedal is often used at the beginning of the pedal chain , so that the signal is strongly driven to the amplifier (Ref). The reason it is not placed at the end is because at this point the signal is already almost dead and there is no way to strengthen it. Placing it at the beginning allows the signal to travel well throughout the entire path. As if it were a push. That is, the buffer and bypass pedals can be combined. The buffer pedal goes at the beginning, and the bypasses go after it. One option is to place a buffered tuner pedal at the beginning of the pedals such as the Boss TU-3W (Thomann/Reverb) or the TC Electronic Polytune 3 (Thomann/Reverb). On the one hand, they act as a tuner and on the other hand, they improve the signal. Another option is to buy a specific pedal with a buffer that is its only function, such as the Fender Level Set Buffer (Thomann/Reverb) or the Empress Buffer (Thomann/Reverb). Reverb).But remember that it only makes sense to buy one of these buffered pedals if you have a pedalboard with more than 3 or 4 pedals with true bypass. With less than 4 pedals, the signal does not lose much strength.
Final thoughts
True bypass pedals are ideal so that the signal is not altered on a pedalboard. It’s an essential feature, which is why most guitar pedals include it. When you have a pedalboard with more than 3 or 4 pedals, it is recommended that you use a buffer pedal at the beginning to boost the signal. This way, you can ensure an unchanged but strengthened signal throughout the entire chain.