Byepass mode and battery life?

[Martin E]

So far I've managed to get through my entire playing career without using a floor pedal type tuner.

I am invariably cramped on stage and hate things under my feet but I now have need of such a device and am looking at a Korg Pitchblack or similar. To avoid any more clutter I would like to run this exclusively by battery.

My question is when switched off and in bye pass mode do these things draw any current at all?

Korg says battery life is 5 hours continuous use. If the thing is using current even when in byepass mode I could be replacing the battery every other gig. I gather the input jack also acts as an on/off switch which may suggest power is being used even when bypassed? Hence my question.

[JamesFlashG]

this is something i am unsure about also.... i think battery is used when bypassed but still plugged in. I have a Boss pedal i was running on battery and left it plugged in over night (in bypass mode) with a fresh battery in and it was flat in the morning.

[Ancient Mariner]

The Pitchblack does not draw current when switched off, even when left plugged in. I have one and leave a battery in it all the time, plugged in on a pedalboard. If occasionally I need to use it separately I just unplug it & use the battery that remains inside. This is different from almost every other pedal I have ever used, and as James observed, lesser pedals are powered up as long as they are plugged in.

The Pitchblack is also an excellent tuner.

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1378902377' post='2206241']
The Pitchblack does not draw current when switched off, even when left plugged in. I have one and leave a battery in it all the time, plugged in on a pedalboard. If occasionally I need to use it separately I just unplug it & use the battery that remains inside. This is different from almost every other pedal I have ever used, and as James observed, lesser pedals are powered up as long as they are plugged in.

The Pitchblack is also an excellent tuner.
[/quote]



Well said sir!

[cheddatom]

The boss (and similar) pedal draws current when turned off as it's buffer is always on. I guess the Pitchblack is true bypass? Not necessarily a good thing, unless you want to run it off a battery, in which case it has obvious advantages

[Ghost_Bass]

Yes, pitchblack is true bypass. Tracks very well also!

[6v6]

Yep, confirmed, I've got a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Korg Pitchblack and the battery lasts for months of regular rehearsals and gigs, even when using cheap batteries.[/font][/color]

[Martin E]

Thanks a lot chaps - just the info I wanted to hear.

I'm a bit of an old buffer myself but never quite understood what it means with pedals, however it sounds true bypass is the way to go for battery life.

[Paul S]

Nothing remotely like the question you posed, but have you considered one of the small headstock tuners? The Plant Waves Microtuner is a great little bit of kit [url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Planet_Waves_CT-12_NS_Micro_Tuner/PW-PW-CT-12?CAWELAID=1830891618&catargetid=1823339655&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJaa277xw7kCFfHKtAod4mwAkw"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Planet_Waves_CT-12_NS_Micro_Tuner/PW-PW-CT-12?CAWELAID=1830891618&catargetid=1823339655&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJaa277xw7kCFfHKtAod4mwAkw[/url]

[Martin E]

Paul - that is a neat little bit of kit. I'll have a look at one of those as well. The earlier one always seemed a bit clunky to me.

[dincz]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1378921225' post='2206578']
Nothing remotely like the question you posed, but have you considered one of the small headstock tuners? The Plant Waves Microtuner is a great little bit of kit [url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Planet_Waves_CT-12_NS_Micro_Tuner/PW-PW-CT-12?CAWELAID=1830891618&catargetid=1823339655&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJaa277xw7kCFfHKtAod4mwAkw"]http://www.soundsliv...CFfHKtAod4mwAkw[/url]
[/quote]

Weight 1kg - got to be a typo otherwise you'd need ballast at the other end!

[Martin E]

That'll be the miniature lead acid battery...

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1378902377' post='2206241']
The Pitchblack does not draw current when switched off, even when left plugged in. I have one and leave a battery in it all the time, plugged in on a pedalboard. If occasionally I need to use it separately I just unplug it & use the battery that remains inside. This is different from almost every other pedal I have ever used, and as James observed, lesser pedals are powered up as long as they are plugged in.

The Pitchblack is also an excellent tuner.
[/quote]

I've had one for two years, and I have religiously unplugged it after every use ... I had no idea it was drawing no battery power!

Basschat 1 : 0 Happy Jack

[thisnameistaken]

One thing to try before you gig it: Plug into the tuner and then out of the tuner into your amp, using the cables you're planning to use live. Now take the guitar cable out of the tuner input and plug it straight into your amp. If you can't really notice any difference then you're good to go. Otherwise consider using shorter cables.

[hamfist]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1379020263' post='2207944']
One thing to try before you gig it: Plug into the tuner and then out of the tuner into your amp, using the cables you're planning to use live. Now take the guitar cable out of the tuner input and plug it straight into your amp. If you can't really notice any difference then you're good to go. Otherwise consider using shorter cables.
[/quote]

Yes, do this.

I will echo the battery and other comments on the pitchblack. An excellent tuner. However, be careful with passive basses and long cable runs with no buffers. Also consider something like a redeemer circuit if you have issues with tone loss on passive basses with long cable runs. They really work !

[xgsjx]

If your amp has a "tuner out", then why not something like one of these to pop on top of your amp?

http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Tanglewood-Handheld-Tuner-Silver/JHU