TU3 to help with tone loss

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BintyTwanger77BintyTwanger77 Frets: 2208
I've noticed some tone loss on my chain when my compressor isn't engaged. All my pedals are true bypass and have heard that you can get a loss of tone if there are no buffered pedals in your chain.

I was considering trying to get a rarer-than-hen's teeth Dr Scientist Cleanness again, but would something as simple as replacing my TC tuner (TB) with a Boss TU3 help restore the tone. There is a marked difference between plugging straight into the amp and playing through the board with no pedals engaged.

Thanks in advance for your helpful words and suggestions.
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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Yes, the TU-3 is an excellent buffer and will work for that.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • The reason my board Still sounds good is largely down to the Boss Tuner right at the beginning 
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    It'll also be a lot more reliable than the Polytune.
    Mine broke after a year or so and I hardly ever used it.
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  • I went through the usual thing of starting straight into the amp and gradually adding pedals and changing the odd patch cable...

    The whole process did make me think, and I can see why people have moved to FX8s and the like, it's just a simple plug-in-and-play. Maybe the hassle of and awkward UI for tweaking and the whole issue of creating patches on your PC is a pay-off for not having to put up with a tangle of wires, long pedal chains/buffer and TB issues, power supplies, strange board noises/humming and the like.
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  • BintyTwanger77BintyTwanger77 Frets: 2208
    edited October 2017
    The reason my board Still sounds good is largely down to the Boss Tuner right at the beginning 
    I have to have the Fairfield as an always-on to maintain good tone, which I suppose isn't a bad thing, but I think a TU3 may be the way to go.
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  • The reason my board Still sounds good is largely down to the Boss Tuner right at the beginning 
    ...and furthermore, considering the size of your board, this is a huge selling point.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    TU3 is a good option. Must have pedal for me.
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  • TU3 is a good option. Must have pedal for me.
    The Waza TU3 seems like a waste of time. Does it have a better buffer, or are all the extras just window-dressing?
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  • I need to upgrade from a TU-2 to a 3 at some point. 
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  • I'm back on the TU2 after a few years break and having broken 2 Polytune Minis. Boss stuff really I an built to last and the buffer works a treat. 
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  • The TU-3W does seem pointless yes.....


    ....looks nice though :D
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited October 2017
    BintyTwanger77 said:

    The Waza TU3 seems like a waste of time. Does it have a better buffer, or are all the extras just window-dressing?
    The 'extra' is a true bypass mode, so you definitely don't want that - unless just to compare and prove that it does sound better buffered .

    I need to upgrade from a TU-2 to a 3 at some point. 
    I'm not convinced it's an upgrade - it's different. The extra-brightness mode on the 3 is worth having if you play outside in daylight, and it's supposedly more accurate, but I actually prefer the display of the 2 generally and find it 'smoother' to use.

    I'm back on the TU2 after a few years break and having broken 2 Polytune Minis.
    You didn't break them - they broke themselves while in your ownership ;).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • WAIT WAIT! I JUST REALISED NOBODY HAS SAID “TAKE THE STRYMONS OFF”. 


    As you were. 
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  • WAIT WAIT! I JUST REALISED NOBODY HAS SAID “TAKE THE STRYMONS OFF”. 


    As you were. 
    Pfffff....from my cold, dead...board.
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  • ...though they sounded far from cold or dead at rehearsal tonight. Fuck me, they sound good in stereo.
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  • JDEJDE Frets: 1092
    BintyTwanger77 said: I have to have the Fairfield as an always-on to maintain good tone, which I suppose isn't a bad thing, but I think a TU3 may be the way to go.
    If you have a pedal which is always on, you know the buffer in it is on too, right?
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  • BintyTwanger77BintyTwanger77 Frets: 2208
    edited October 2017
    JDE said:
    BintyTwanger77 said: I have to have the Fairfield as an always-on to maintain good tone, which I suppose isn't a bad thing, but I think a TU3 may be the way to go.
    If you have a pedal which is always on, you know the buffer in it is on too, right?
    I didn't think the Fairfield had a buffer in it.

    NB. I'm technologically illiterate, total Luddite.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    edited October 2017
    How about just getting a dedicated buffer?

    @GavRichlist not much to choose between a TU2 and 3, far from convinced it's worth an upgrade if the TU2 functions properly.
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  • JDEJDE Frets: 1092
    JDE said:
    BintyTwanger77 said: I have to have the Fairfield as an always-on to maintain good tone, which I suppose isn't a bad thing, but I think a TU3 may be the way to go.
    If you have a pedal which is always on, you know the buffer in it is on too, right?
    I didn't think the Fairfield had a buffer in it.

    NB. I'm technologically illiterate, total Luddite.
    All pedals have a buffer when you turn them on. Boss pedals/other non-true bypass have the buffer active all the time. 
    My point is - a Boss buffer won't do what the Fairfield is doing. But if you have the Fairfield on all the time, you also have a buffer on all the time. I'm assuming the Fairfield is either the comp or the Barbershop (unless you play some real noisy music), in which case the question is: do you want compression or drive on all the time? If not, then a TU3 or dedicated buffer would sheen up your signal. It won't add whatever else the Fairfield is doing to your signal that you like, though.
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  • JDE said:
    JDE said:
    BintyTwanger77 said: I have to have the Fairfield as an always-on to maintain good tone, which I suppose isn't a bad thing, but I think a TU3 may be the way to go.
    If you have a pedal which is always on, you know the buffer in it is on too, right?
    I didn't think the Fairfield had a buffer in it.

    NB. I'm technologically illiterate, total Luddite.
    All pedals have a buffer when you turn them on. Boss pedals/other non-true bypass have the buffer active all the time. 
    My point is - a Boss buffer won't do what the Fairfield is doing. But if you have the Fairfield on all the time, you also have a buffer on all the time. I'm assuming the Fairfield is either the comp or the Barbershop (unless you play some real noisy music), in which case the question is: do you want compression or drive on all the time? If not, then a TU3 or dedicated buffer would sheen up your signal. It won't add whatever else the Fairfield is doing to your signal that you like, though.
    Excellent, thanks for clearing that up, very helpful.
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