BED into Flashback = tone suck, but not with buffer between them. (2024)

When I'm running my Belle Epoch Deluxe (recently just got this) into my Flashback 2, the tone is fine if the Flashback is bypassed. Once I turn on the Flashback, I lose a bunch of high end.
When I stick a Boss CH-1 or TU-2 between them (I figured I'd see what a buffer does), turning on the Flashback doesn't suck the high end anymore.

I'm assuming this is somehow expected behavior for the preamp in the BED, but I'm wondering what is actually happening here? Also a bit of a pain to need a buffer pedal there. Just par for the course with the BED?

ruger9 said:

Is the Flashback set for buffered bypass or true bypass? I ask because I've had 2 TC buffers go bad on me in the last year or so. One just quit working completely (wouldn't pass signal), one passed a signal that sounded like a cocked wah. The pedals worked in TB mode (one is still on my board, but it's unlikely I'll be buying TC stuff anymore, after having these issues).

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I have my Flashback 2 in true bypass mode currently. When the Flashback is off, tone passes through clear. When I turn the Flashback on, even with delay level all the way down, it kills off some of the highs. Could the Flashback be the culprit here? I guess it makes sense that it could be. Because BED into my Sovereign does not kill any highs. Only the Flashback does this, UNLESS I stick a good old Boss buffer between them.

Jim Marciano said:

I had a similar problem, between a chasetone secret preamp into a tc alter ego v2, I assumed it was a charge pump going into a digital pedal, my compressor has a buffer so I moved it from the front of the chain and put it between the 2 and it's fine

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Seems like that's what's happening. The TC Flashback is my only other digital pedal at this point, other than the Belle Epoch Deluxe, so I can't swap something else in that spot to figure it out, but what you describe sounds exactly like what's happening here. Makes me thankful to have a few Boss pedals kicking around to easily check the boss-buffer-as-a-bandaid fix.

skiltrip said:

I have my Flashback 2 in true bypass mode currently. When the Flashback is off, tone passes through clear. When I turn the Flashback on, even with delay level all the way down, it kills off some of the highs. Could the Flashback be the culprit here? I guess it makes sense that it could be. Because BED into my Sovereign does not kill any highs. Only the Flashback does this, UNLESS I stick a good old Boss buffer between them.

Click to expand...

I had the exact same problem with a Belle Epoch Deluxe going into a Flashback 1. I think it's the Flashback to be honest. Not sure about what running a buffer between them would do. I'd almost be inclined to run an EQ pedal after the Flashback but that's a lot of futzing around for me (don't own an EQ pedal).