AXESS ELECTRONICS Compatt/O™ Buffer [Output] Axess Electronics

Designed and hand-built (by Mario) in Canada.

Are you looking for a compact output buffer or line-driver that perfectly compliments the tone and feel of our Compatt/A™ Buffer!? Or — do you find some input buffers restore or pass too much top end, sounding overly bright? If you answered yes to either question, look no further.

Compatto [kom·patto] is the Italian, masculine noun, translation for ‘compact’.

Without a doubt — the most important buffer in any guitar rig is the (first) one that the guitar is plugged into. And of course, we highly recommend either our Compatt/A™ Buffer or our OTS1™ Patch-Box.

Adding a second buffer, this one at the end of a pedal chain, is the next best investment for consistently great tone. The Compatt/O™ Buffer is meant to be used as an output buffer or line-driver, after the last pedal on a pedalboard, where it can effortlessly drive a long cable run to a backline amplifier.

Every guitar rig has at least two constants — a guitar and an amplifier. With the guitar plugged into the Compatt/A™ [Input] Buffer and the last pedal on the pedalboard feeding the Compatt/O™ Buffer, the two constants are always provided with a resolute load and source, respectively.

The two buffers, input and output, create an effects loop that segregates the guitar and the amp from all of the variables connected between them. As a result, the only variation in feel and tone will be from the actual effect of the pedals on the pedalboard, and not from a guitar and/or amplifier related loading or impedance mismatch issue.

Even with true-bypass pedals or loop switchers, the key to consistent TONE demands that the guitar and the amplifier are BOTH buffered, as described.

The circuit is a high-quality op-amp based design similar to our legendary BS2™ and BS23™ Buffer / Splitter, tweaked to Axess’ 2023 specifications, and some buffers we’ve designed for other companies during our 24+ years in the MI (Musical Instrument) industry. Op-amp buffers (technically referred to as voltage followers) are extremely simple circuits that do have some short comings. That’s why from Day 1 back in ’98, all of our op-amp buffers have actually been voltage amplifier circuits tuned for unity gain and tweaked for tone!!

Jacks, Power, Enclosure and More:

• Input Impedance – 1MΩ **
• Output Impedance – 100Ω **
• ¼” TS (tip / sleeve) input and output jacks with KMMK SquarePlugSP Series friendly placement and spacing.
• Side mount power LED enables visibility even in hard to see install locations, such as underneath pedalboards.
• Housed in a compact; 3.72 x 1.55 x 1.29in. (94.5 x 39.4 x 32.8mm) and rugged #1590A style die-cast aluminum enclosure for years of reliable use and performance.
• Powered by 9-18VDC via a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel plug with a negative centre pin (like Boss pedals) and the current draw is less than 100mA (adapter is not included).

** Please note – there are many other design aspects and choices besides the input and output impedance of a buffer that are just as important… We have been at this for a very long time and always put design and manufacturing before; Youtube marketing, parts cost, etc.