Buffered pedal, how long a cable?

shuikit

If the last pedal on my pedalboard is buffered, a Neunaber in my case, how long a cable will I be able to have to the amp before I might experience any problems?  

Cirrus

Long enough that you don't need to worry about it in practice.

I did a test with a Korg DT10 tuner years ago when I bought a reel of cable to make up some long cables. Before I cut the cable I wired up jacks to either end making about 40 meters, then tried it with and without a buffer. I also compared it to my planet waves 3 meter cable.

Without a buffer, it sounded like I'd rolled the guitar's tone control all the way down. Then I did 3 meter cable -> Korg DT-10 -> 40 meter cable, and it sounded like the 3 meter cable straight into the amp - maybe *slightly* less sparkle, but nothing that couldn't be fixed by a hair more treble at the amp.

english_bob

ICBM

About half a mile.

shuikit

Thanks!

Octafish

Isn't it more important to have a buffer in/as one of your first pedals rather than the last? If I understand correctly a buffer can only preserve what's there, not make up what's already been lost through your guitar to board cable and your pedals/interconnects?

ICBM

Octafish said:

Isn't it more important to have a buffer in/as one of your first pedals rather than the last? If I understand correctly a buffer can only preserve what's there, not make up what's already been lost through your guitar to board cable and your pedals/interconnects?

It doesn't really matter, unless you have any old-fashioned 'half bypass' pedals, which do suck tone. If all your pedals are true bypass then the biggest cause of tone suck is the cable to the amp, so you can put the buffer at the end and it will work as well as at the beginning, without potentially upsetting pedals like fuzzes which can be sensitive to having a buffer in front of them.