Fieldfare Audio Blog - how does our "true bypass" work in our boutique effects pedals?
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What does the “relay-based intelligent true bypass” – RITB – actually do?
The relay-based intelligent true bypass, or RITB for short, basically behaves like a normal bypass.
A quick press of the footswitch turns the effects pedal on or off as usual. You can tell whether the pedal is on or off by the illuminated bird.
In addition to the normal bypass function, the RITB also has a "momentary" function on board.
With this additional function , when the foot switch is pressed for a longer time, the pedal is activated/deactivated only for the duration of the press.
Additionally, it is possible to select whether the effect pedal starts in bypass after connecting the power supply or is switched on directly.
How does the “intelligent true bypass” work?
As the name suggests, the RITB operates on a relay basis. The bypass switch is equipped with an intelligent module that allows monitoring the switching process.
The relay hard switches the signal line. This is therefore a true "true bypass."
Annoying clicking and switching noises from the relay are efficiently avoided by additional circuits around the bypass switch.
What is the “intelligent true bypass” used for?
The ability to program whether the pedal starts in bypass or immediately functional is a very interesting feature when used with loop switches.
Without our RITB the pedal would start in bypass, so you would have to turn it on again every time to use it with the looper.
The "Momentary" function is ideal for short passages that need to be played with or without the respective Boutique Overdrive/Screamer effect. This eliminates the need to turn the pedal on and off repeatedly when you need to speed things up during a song.
Conclusion
The relay-based Intelligent True Bypass, or RITB for short, is a useful feature for a wide variety of applications. The switchable start state is particularly useful when used with loop switches on your pedalboard. It also works well in normal playing mode via the "momentary" function.
The RITB is currently included exclusively in our two overdrive and Tube Screamer guitar effects pedals Antares and Revolt.
