Mesa/Boogie Stowaway Input Buffer Owner's Manual

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
• Read these instructions.
• Follow these instructions.
• Heed all notes and warnings.
• Do not use this device near water.
• Clean this device only with a dry cloth.
• Keep these instructions for future reference.
• Damage to this device by improperly connected and/
or grounded equipment is not covered under warranty.
• This device contains no user-serviceable parts and in-
cludes components which are susceptible to damage
by electrostatic discharge (ESD).
• Be sure to use only a properly rated "wall-wart" power
adapter or universal pedalboard power supply, with
extra attention paid to the correct polarity, voltage and
current. Applying the wrong polarity, improper voltage
or insufficient current to this device may cause poor
and/or inconsistent tone, performance, and even dam-
age! Refer to the CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS and
Owner's Manual
SPECIFICATIONS sections for more information.
• Do not defeat an amplifier's safety ground - which is
provided by the 3-prong AC power-cord plug! Doing
so may not only be ILLEGAL, but it may also pose a
SHOCK or ELECTROCUTION HAZARD.
Congratulations on your choice of MESA/Boogie ® and wel- CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS
®
come to the MESA Family! The same passion for excellence,
commitment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction
It's always a good idea to make any audio connections
is present in each and every product we make in our one-and-
with every piece of equipment in a guitar rig turned off,
only shop in Petaluma, California, U.S.A. Rest assured that the
or at least the amplifier volume(s) turned down, to avoid
very same people that hand-build the finest amplifiers in the
loud bursts of sound from damaging speakers or other
world, also built your STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER and you
components.
have access to the same resources for help that all our custom-
ers do. Call on us anytime and enjoy!
For optimal results in the preservation of a guitar's tone,
the STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER should ideally be the
STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER
first device the guitar is plugged into.
NOTE: A few vintage fuzz pedals will function and sound
The STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER provides a quick and
easy fix to the deep-rooted signal loss and inconsistent tone differently when connected directly to the guitar because
they are meant to be fed with a high-impedance signal
issues faced by guitarists due to; capacitive loading, imped-
source, as opposed to a low-impedance signal source,
ance loading and mismatching, and changes to a pickup's
which is why they need to be used first in the signal path.
resonant frequency/peak, as a result of varying effect pedals
and interconnecting cables. It accomplishes this by provid- It's recommended that such pedals either be modified with
true-bypass switching, if not already so equipped, or used
ing the weakest link in every guitar rig, the guitar itself, with a
in conjunction with a true-bypass loop-box to ensure the
resolute load which segregates it from the many variables on
pedal is completely bypassed when not in use.
a pedalboard and the long cable run to a back-line amplifier.
It does so by converting the guitar's high-impedance signal to
LED:
low-impedance, which also minimizes its susceptibility to noise,
STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER is powered-up and ready
interference, and even some of the switch "popping" associated
to go!
with true-bypass pedals. As a result, the variations in sound
and tone will be predominantly from the actual effect of the ped-
IN:
This 1/4" phono jack is the input and accepts the
als, and not from a guitar related high-impedance signal issue.
signal from a guitar.
The buffer is a 100% discrete Class-A circuit with an input
OUT:
This 1/4" phono jack is the output and provides a
impedance and other finely tuned characteristics which mimic
buffered low-impedance signal. Connect this jack to the
that of a high quality tube amplifier, and it includes an RFI fil-
input of a pedal or an amplifier.
ter to minimize the possibility of radio-frequency interference
and noise. It presents a dynamically ideal load to a guitar that
NOTE: When using shielded 1/4" TS (tip & sleeve) instru-
remains steadfast, resulting in a tone that is consistent, while
ment cables, always aim for the best quality and shortest
still allowing the guitar to breathe, live, and react - like plugging
length possible.
directly into the front of a tube amplifier.
9-18VDC:
This standard female DC receptacle is the ex-
ternal power supply jack and accepts a 2.1mm x 5.5mm
male barrel connector from a standard 9-18Volt DC "wall-
wart" power adapter or universal pedalboard power sup-
ply, with a NEGATIVE CENTER polarity plug. Refer to the
SPECIFICATIONS section for additional information.
NOTE: An external DC "wall-wart" power adapter is not
included.
WARNING: To avoid immediate damage to this device and
voiding the warranty, do NOT connect an AC-Voltage, or
ANY other DC-Voltage power supply to this jack, other than
that specified above and in the SPECIFICATIONS section!
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS
Can I use the STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER for my
bass?
Yes you can!
When illuminated, this blue LED indicates the I'm using a switched-mode power adapter/supply
(SMPS) and hear a high pitch "whine", why is that?
Some of these SMPS adapters are noisier than others, es-
pecially those that aren't from a reputable or brand-name MI
manufacturer. Another reason could be that you're trying to
run to many devices from a single adapter. Though many of
them have a high current output and tout being able to power
many devices, doing so can result in the development and/
or increase of noise, for some reason. If this is happening,
we recommend either trying another adapter, or better yet
- using a universal pedalboard power supply with enough
isolated outputs to power every device on your pedalboard
individually; better power = less noise = more tone!
What's the maximum length of cable I can use
between my guitar and the STOWAWAY™ INPUT
BUFFER's input?
Always aim for the best quality and shortest length pos-
sible shielded 1/4" TS instrument cable between the guitar
and buffer, but also keep in mind that zero capacitance is
not ideal, or practical. It's safe to say that there's no way
a pickup has been designed without expecting there to be
some length of cable, and therefore capacitance, hang-
ing off the output of a guitar. A certain amount of cable
capacitance is good, and necessary! We're not trying to
eliminate it, but we are trying to control and prevent it from
changing unexpectedly. So if you can afford it, experiment
with a variety of brands and lengths, to fine-tune the tone,
until you find what suits your tone best! There's no one-
size-fits-all cable length, but generally speaking shorter
cables will yield a brighter tone, and longer cables will yield
a darker tone. Once again the key is consistency, so when
you've made your choice, always use the same cable.
I would like to use a vintage fuzz pedal, but have been
told that they don't work well with buffered signals, is
this true?
These pedals will function and sound differently when
connected directly to the guitar because they are meant
to be fed with a high-impedance signal source, as op-
posed to a low-impedance signal source, which is why
they need to be used first in the signal path. It's rec-
ommended that such pedals either be modified with
true-bypass switching, if not already so equipped, or
used in conjunction with a true-bypass loop-box to en-
sure the pedal is completely bypassed when not in use.
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS continued ▶