Using a buffer to fix Behringer Vintage Distortion

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:29 pm

As I've seen, quite a few of the members here have used or owned one of these and noticed that the bypass is a definite tone sucker. I've been put off by it myself, many of you just didn't like it at all or used it to record. So, I sought out to fix that, by seeing if a buffer can fix it.

Hypothesis: the buffer in the Corned Beef might be able to fix the tone sucking problem in the Vintage Distortion's bypass.
For the best results, I plugged my headphones into my Kustom The Contender amp.

I used:

*OLP Music Man copy
*Vox 30 foot coiled cable
*Radioshack 15 foot coiled cable
*Live Wire 1 foot cable
*Behringer Vintage Distortion (non-true bypass, no buffer)
*ProCo Turbo Rat (true bypass)
*Danelectro Corned Beef reverb (buffer)
*JVC studio style headphones

Now, to the experimentation:
1) Signal path: guitar > 30 foot cable > Turbo Rat > 15 foot cable > amp
Result: basic true bypass, highs a little cut.
2) Signal path: guitar > 30 foot cable > Corned Beef > 1 foot cable > Turbo Rat > amp
Result: More highs, but it's just a subtle change
3) Signal path: guitar > 30 foot cable > Vintage Distortion > 15 foot cable > amp
Result: almost no highs, extremely dull sound.
4) Signal path: guitar > 30 foot cable > Corned Beef > 1 foot cable > Vintage Distortion > 15 foot cable > amp
Result: Drastic change, sounds very clear, as if the Vintage Distortion was taken out of the signal path.

Conclusion:
SUCCESS! The highs were back and it sounded usable, and was far easier than going about modifying the insides to make it true bypass. I doubt the Danelectro buffer is the best, but it worked brilliantly, and better results might come out of a higher quality buffer.

What bothers me now is that Behringer didn't bother to just stick a little buffer in their Vintage Distortion

Which brings me to wonder, are the other Behringer pedals buffered?

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:30 pm

While the switch on the Vintage Time Machine is similar to the VD-1 (I own both and regularly use them for overdubs on home recordings) it has nowhere near the attenuation of highs/shit bypass the bypassed VD-1 has to my ears for some reason. With the VD-1 it's like night/day in/out of the signal path, such a shame as it's a fantastic sounding Muff.

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:48 pm

That really is weird, Behringer really flopped on the bypass on the VD-1. Sounds like mud. Wonder it it's possible to build this buffer into the VD-1. There's definitely enough space.

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:29 am

If you were going to take the time to build a buffer and implement it in there, wouldn't it just be easier to true bypass it?

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:43 am

While that may be true, just the one true bypass pedal (the rat) did kill a little bit of the highs. It would be best to just stick a buffer in the pedal get that in one package. Eh, I'll just get a buffered tuner and stick that on the front of the signal chain.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:41 am

daftsupernova wrote: I'll just get a buffered tuner and stick that on the front of the signal chain.

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:15 pm

Well, I got one of these today and I see what you mean with the bypass. It's horrible. It's the typical "Input always connected" bypass.
I opened it up and had a look to see how hard it would be to true bypass. Looked really easy and I was right. Didn't have to cut any wires. I just pulled wires from the harnesses and just stuck them on little wires I soldered to the new switch. I personally wouldn't worry about adding a buffered pedal based on how easy this thing is to true bypass.
Some pics:
Here are all the wires needed. I removed them from the wire harness rather than cut them off.

Soldered little wires to each lug and stuck the wires on. They were hard to get on so they are really stuck on there and shouldn't fall off.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:20 pm

Nice. Think I'd better TB mine one of these days.

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 8:37 pm

Wow. Looks like you did a cleaner job than Cobascis when he true bypassed his pedal.

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 9:19 pm

daftsupernova wrote:Wow. Looks like you did a cleaner job than Cobascis when he true bypassed his pedal.

Thanks. It even looks a little better now that I cable tied all the wires. They were still kind of just all over the place in that picture.

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 9:30 pm

Could you possibly draw something up to show which wires go where, to assist me so I can true bypass it myself as well?

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:05 pm

daftsupernova wrote:While that may be true, just the one true bypass pedal (the rat) did kill a little bit of the highs. It would be best to just stick a buffer in the pedal get that in one package. Eh, I'll just get a buffered tuner and stick that on the front of the signal chain.

But you didn't like my true bypass suggestion!!!!!

Just kidding. I didn't write anything down. I just used continuity on my DMM to find out which wires were which and hooked them up to the new switch.
When I get a chance I'll open it back up and write it all down.

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:42 am

Hey Bill, you ever get around to doing that?

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:48 pm

Sorry. Not yet. It's been super busy.

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:24 pm

BUMP BECAUSE I'M TRYIN' TO DO THIS

luciguci · Post by **luciguci** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:02 pm

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS NECRO THREADING NOOB