Tim Krueger, the owner of RambleFX passed awayJuly 2, 2022. Tim was the heart and soul of RambleFX and will be deeply missed. Without him the business can no longer operate.
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Ramble FX Relay Based True Bypass Explained
The ultimate switching solution!
This is the brains of the operation. It constantly waits for the foot switch to be pressed and then triggers the relay to flip between 'on' and true bypassed. It completes each command in 0.000000125 seconds.
The fragile guitar signal does not go through this footswitch. It acts only as a sensor that triggers a relay change. Not only does this protect the signal, it is also a much, much more reliable footswitch because there are only 2 contacts without a latching mechanism that wears out.
This is the relay which is a sealed switch. It is an ideal switch for small signals like a guitar. Gold plated contacts switch in 5ms while your signal stays on the PCB for the most direct and quiet connection. It has a rated mechanical life of 100,000,000 switches.
3PDT True Bypass Exposed
Noisy and failure prone!
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The impact of the contacts during switching is too high to be made of gold so a less than ideal metal is used.
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The guitar signal runs through this clunky switch at all times - a far less direct connection to the circuit.
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The switching noise is higher than a relay.
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High failure rate with this switch because:
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The attachment of the metal plunger to the plastic housing is simply crimped on and will often loosen.
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The life of the contacts is limited due to oxidation, dirt, and mechanical wear.
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The 9 solder tabs rely on resin to stay in place which can be damaged during soldering or by the repeated impact of the latching mechanism.
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The plastic and rubber latching component wears and becomes loose.
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