The Creation Audio Labs Redeemer Buffer Inline is an inline buffer from Creation Audio Labs. Where the original Redeemer installs inside the instrument, the Inline is a small floor box: the maker describes it as a way to "re-buffer the guitar signal after your pedal board to complete the journey to the amplifier"1. It carries the Redeemer circuit's core specs, including a very high input impedance, a very low output impedance, and a wide power range for headroom.
What it is and what it does
A buffer is a circuit that converts a guitar's high impedance output to a low impedance one, so long cable runs and pedal chains do not dull the signal. The Redeemer circuit at the heart of the Inline is the same one Creation Audio Labs sells as an internal install and as the Redeemer Buffer Belt Pack. The company's history page notes the Redeemer was packaged into both BELT PACK and INLINE versions4.
The Inline's job is placement flexibility. Because it has an input jack instead of a fixed cable, it can sit at the end of a pedalboard and drive the long run to the amplifier. Creation Audio Labs also suggests using it together with a Redeemer install or belt pack buffer, which the maker calls "bullet-proof tone"1.
Controls and features
The Redeemer Buffer Inline offers adjustable impedance and boost1. Adjusting the impedance changes how the buffer interacts with your pickups, and the boost adds level to the signal it sends down the line.
The Redeemer circuit's published specifications, from the maker's Redeemer Buffer page2:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input impedance | More than 20Mohms |
| Output impedance | Less than 75 ohms |
| Frequency response | Flat from 10Hz to 50kHz |
| Phase response | Flat, per the maker |
| Noise floor | Less than -125dBu |
| Distortion | Approximately 0.0005% THD+N |
The maker says the low output impedance "can drive hundreds of feet of cable" and that the flat frequency response "won't color your tone"3.
Power
The Inline runs on 3.6V to 24V DC, which the maker says provides "extra headroom to accommodate overdrive or boost pedals in your effect chain"1. Power comes in through a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm tip negative barrel connector, located in place of a bypass switch, and there is a 9V battery compartment1.
The Redeemer circuit draws less than 3mA, giving what the maker calls "long battery life, 300+ hours with an alkaline battery"3.
The wide 3.6V to 24V DC input range means the Inline can share a higher voltage supply with overdrive or boost pedals, but the maker's battery life figure is stated for a 9V alkaline battery13.
How it differs from the Redeemer Belt Pack and Redeemer Install
Creation Audio Labs sells the Redeemer circuit in three forms: the Redeemer Buffer installed inside the instrument, the Belt Pack, and the Inline4.
| Version | Connection | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Redeemer Buffer (install) | Two wires, installed in the instrument | Approximately 1" x 3/4" x 5/16"3 |
| Redeemer Buffer Belt Pack | Short 18" low capacitance cable to the instrument | Approximately 3.5" x 2" x 1"5 |
| Redeemer Buffer Inline | Input jack in place of the input cable | Approximately 3.5" x 2" x 1"1 |
The install version is a "guitar pick-up buffer installed in the instrument" with an easy installation kit of just two wires to connect, and it comes with a choice of metal or nylon jack3. The Belt Pack uses its short low capacitance cable "for maximum tone preservation"5. The Inline swaps that cable for a jack, so it fits at the output of a pedalboard rather than at the guitar.
Noise and transparency
Creation Audio Labs rates the Redeemer circuit's noise floor at less than -125dBu and its distortion at approximately 0.0005% THD+N, and says it suppresses cable noise3. The maker also claims a flat frequency response from 10Hz to 50kHz and a flat phase response that "improves signal definition and image"3.
Videos
Creation Audio Labs
Robert DeVito
JLF
Questions
What size is the Redeemer Buffer Inline?
The Redeemer Buffer Inline measures approximately 3.5 x 2 x 1 inches, in a sturdy black anodized aluminum frame that the maker says stays hidden on video shoots. It is a small box that sits inline in your signal chain rather than being installed inside the guitar.
What does the adjustable impedance and boost do?
The Redeemer Inline offers adjustable impedance and boost. Adjusting the impedance lets you match how the buffer interacts with your pickups, while the boost adds level. Creation Audio Labs positions it as a way to re-buffer the guitar signal after your pedalboard before it reaches the amplifier.
How is the Redeemer Inline different from the Redeemer Belt Pack?
The Inline is like the Belt Pack but with an input jack in place of the input cable. The Belt Pack connects to the instrument through a short 18 inch low capacitance cable, while the Inline takes a standard jack so it can sit at the end of a pedalboard. Both share the same approximate 3.5 x 2 x 1 inch size and 9V battery compartment.
How much noise does the Redeemer buffer add?
Creation Audio Labs rates the Redeemer circuit's noise floor at less than -125dBu, with distortion of approximately 0.0005% THD+N. The maker also says it suppresses cable noise and has a flat frequency response from 10Hz to 50kHz, so it should not color your tone.
Sources (5)
- Redeemer Buffer Inline, Creation Audio Labs
- Guitar Audio News, Tips & Tricks from Creation Audio Labs, Creation Audio Labs
- Redeemer Buffer, Creation Audio Labs
- Creation Audio Labs, Creation Audio Labs
- Redeemer Buffer Belt Pack, Creation Audio Labs
