Manual

Universal Bypass | 21
UNIVERSAL BYPASS
™
Most effect pedals offer either true or buffered bypass. Soundblox 2 ped-
als offer Universal Bypass, which allows you to select between the two.
We recommend choosing between the OFD’s active analog (a.k.a. buffered
bypass) and relay-based true bypass (a.k.a. true bypass) based on your
pedalboard’s signal chain (Ideally, the first pedal in a signal chain would
be a buffered input followed by true bypass in the rest of the signal chain).
By default, the OFD is set to relay-based true bypass. To switch the pedal
to buffered bypass, press and hold the right footswitch while powering up
the pedal. Continue to hold the footswitch until the corresponding LED
blinks three times. The pedal is now in buffered bypass. To switch back to
true bypass, replicate this process with the left footswitch.
Both bypass methods have clear advantages. Buffered bypass provides
consistent input impedance, so if the input instrument is susceptibl to
variations in input impedance (like a guitar pickup), there won’t be a
noticeable change in tone. True bypass has the benefit of providing a
dedicated hardwire bypass signal path. However, hardwire connections
require mechanically complex 3PDT (3-pole, double throw) switches,
which are not design to accommodate audio level signals. The OFD
microModeler offers a solution to this problem with its special relay-
based true bypass, which is a far superior design for audio level signals.