The Creation Audio Labs Redeemer Buffer is a buffer that works differently from most: instead of sitting in a box on your pedalboard, the standard version is a small circuit installed inside the guitar itself, right where the signal begins. Creation Audio Labs positions it as a pickup buffer, and the reasoning is simple: the closer the buffer sits to the pickups, the less cable there is between the pickup and the buffer to degrade the tone before the signal is conditioned1.
Once buffered, the guitar's signal can travel a long way without losing top end or picking up cable noise. The Redeemer's output impedance is under 75 ohms, which the maker says can drive hundreds of feet of cable2.
What it does to the signal
A buffer's job is to take the high impedance signal straight off the pickups and convert it to a low impedance signal that cable runs, pedalboards and long runs to the amplifier cannot easily degrade. The Redeemer does this with specifications aimed at leaving the original tone alone:
| Specification | Value (maker's figures) |
|---|---|
| Frequency response | Flat from 10Hz to 50kHz2 |
| Input impedance | More than 20 megaohms2 |
| Output impedance | Less than 75 ohms2 |
| Distortion | Approx. 0.0005% THD+N2 |
| Noise floor | Less than -125dBu2 |
Creation Audio Labs describes the result as transparent: "Transparent, flat frequency from 10Hz to 50kHz won't color your tone."2 The maker also credits the buffer's flat phase response with improving signal definition and image, and says it suppresses cable noise2.
The input impedance figure matters for pickup choice. At more than 20 megaohms, the Redeemer presents a much lighter load than a typical buffer input, which Creation Audio Labs says makes it suitable for all pickups2. For comparison, the Ai1 buffer used in American Loopers junction boxes has a 1 megaohm input impedance3.
Power and battery life
The Redeemer runs on 3.6V to 24V DC, a wide range the maker says provides extra headroom2. Current draw is under 3mA, which is what gives it a battery life of more than 300 hours on an alkaline battery2. For the internal version, that battery lives inside the guitar, so the wide voltage range also means the circuit keeps working as the battery drains.
The Inline version accepts external power through a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm tip negative barrel connector, in place of the bypass switch, alongside its 9V battery compartment4.
Installation
The internal Redeemer is sold as an installation kit. Creation Audio Labs calls it easy: "Easy Installation kit, just two wires to connect the circuit."2 The circuit itself is small, about 1" x 3/4" x 5/16", so it fits inside most instrument control cavities2. Buyers choose between a metal or a nylon jack when ordering2.
The placement is the whole point of this design. As the maker puts it, the nearer the buffer sits to the pickups the better, because any cable between the guitar and the buffer can degrade tone1. A buffer at the pedalboard end of a long guitar cable can only preserve what reaches it; one inside the guitar conditions the signal before that cable exists.
Versions: internal, Inline and Belt Pack
The Redeemer circuit comes in three packages, and Creation Audio Labs' own history notes the REDEEMER was also packaged into Belt Pack and Inline versions5.
| Version | Form | Power | Distinctive features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redeemer (internal) | Circuit installed inside the guitar2 | 3.6V to 24V DC, battery inside the instrument2 | Metal or nylon jack choice2 |
| Redeemer Belt Pack | Buffer in a belt pack box1 | 9V battery compartment4 | Short 18" low capacitance cable to the instrument; adjustable impedance and boost1 |
| Redeemer Inline | Inline box with an input jack in place of the input cable4 | 9V battery compartment; 5.5 x 2.1mm tip negative barrel connector4 | Adjustable impedance and boost1 |
The Belt Pack is, in the maker's words, "simply a Redeemer guitar buffer in a convenient box to make buffering any guitar or bass easy," aimed at players who do not want to open up the instrument1. It connects to the guitar with a short 18" low capacitance cable for maximum tone preservation1.
The Inline serves a different point in the chain: "The inline allows you to re-buffer the guitar signal after your pedal board to complete the journey to the amplifier."4 It is like the Belt Pack but with an input jack instead of the fixed cable, and its 3.6V to 24V DC range is described as providing extra headroom to accommodate overdrive or boost pedals in the chain4. Creation Audio Labs suggests using it together with an internal Redeemer install or a Belt Pack, with the internal buffer handling the guitar end and the Inline refreshing the signal after the pedalboard4.
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Creation Audio Labs
Creation Audio Labs
Robert DeVito
Questions
How long does a battery last in the Redeemer buffer?
Creation Audio Labs rates the Redeemer at more than 300 hours on an alkaline battery, thanks to a current draw of less than 3mA. The internal version runs off a battery inside the guitar, and the Inline and Belt Pack versions each have a 9V battery compartment.
How is the Creation Audio Labs Redeemer installed?
The internal Redeemer comes as an installation kit that Creation Audio Labs describes as easy, with just two wires to connect the circuit. It is designed to sit inside the instrument as close to the pickups as possible, so any cable between the guitar and the buffer is kept as short as it can be.
What is the input impedance of the Redeemer buffer?
The Redeemer has an input impedance of more than 20 megaohms, which Creation Audio Labs says suits all pickup types. Its output impedance is under 75 ohms, low enough to drive hundreds of feet of cable.
What is the difference between the Redeemer Inline and the standard Redeemer?
The standard Redeemer is a circuit installed inside the guitar. The Inline is the same buffer in a box with an input jack instead of a fixed input cable, plus a 5.5 x 2.1mm tip negative power connector, and it is meant to re-buffer the signal after your pedalboard on the way to the amplifier.
Does the Redeemer buffer color the tone?
Creation Audio Labs describes the Redeemer as transparent, with a flat frequency response from 10Hz to 50kHz, so it does not color the tone. It also claims a flat phase response, distortion of about 0.0005% THD+N, and a noise floor below -125dBu.
Does the Redeemer come with a metal or nylon jack?
The internal Redeemer is offered with a choice of metal or nylon jack, selected when ordering. The maker's product page lists both as options for the installation kit.
Sources (5)
- Redeemer Buffer Belt Pack, Creation Audio Labs
- Redeemer Buffer, Creation Audio Labs
- 4 Way Junction Box With Triple Buffers, American Loopers (www.americanloopers.com)
- Redeemer Buffer Inline, Creation Audio Labs
- Creation Audio Labs, Creation Audio Labs
