EarthQuaker Devices Buffer/Splitter

The EarthQuaker Devices Buffer/Splitter is a utility pedal that does one job: it buffers your guitar's signal and splits it in two, so one input can feed two destinations at once. EarthQuaker Devices positions it as a tool against tone loss from long cable runs or signal chains running lots of true bypass pedals¹. It comes in a small rectangle that, in the maker's words, takes up "precious little in the way of pedalboard real estate," finished in trippy black and white op-art graphics².

What it does and how to use it

A buffer is a simple circuit that presents a high input impedance to your pickups and a low output impedance to whatever comes next, which helps a guitar signal survive long cable runs and long pedalboards. EarthQuaker Devices says this buffer is designed to both maintain high end and give the low end a subtle, yet powerful, little kick for added dimension¹. Writing on the maker's blog, Dan Epstein says both units in the buffer pair "give your sound a subtle push in the low end"³, and gearnews.com's Jef reported the same of the range³.

Because it splits as well as buffers, the pedal covers several jobs EarthQuaker Devices lists on its product page¹:

• Running two amps at once
• Turning a mono signal into a stereo signal
• Sending one output to your effects while the other acts as a dry-through
• Removing a tuner from the signal path

For the two-amp setup, the maker's advice is specific: "Just station the Buffer/Splitter at the end of your signal chain, run a separate cable from each output to each of your amps"². Sitting it last means every pedal in the chain feeds the split, and each amp gets a buffered signal of its own.

Controls and design

There are none, and that is the point. Dan Epstein's article on the maker's site describes the utility pedals this way: "there are no knobs to turn, no footswitches to step on, no internal trimmers to tweak"². You patch it in and it works. Physically, Epstein describes the units as little rectangles that take up precious little pedalboard real estate, dressed in trippy black and white op-art graphics². The maker lists the dimensions as 3.6875 x 1.8125 x 1.8125 in. (94 x 46 x 46 mm)¹.

Buffer/Splitter vs Buffer/Preamp

The Buffer/Splitter uses the same buffer circuit as the Buffer/Preamp, with what the maker calls the same great high 1 Mohm input impedance and low 100 ohm output impedance¹. Both are knob-free, both were new in the 2024 utility range², and both carry the same low-end character. The difference is what comes after the buffer: the Buffer/Preamp is a single buffered output with a preamp, while the Buffer/Splitter feeds two buffered outputs from one input. If you only need to fight tone loss, the Buffer/Preamp does that; if you need to drive two destinations, the Splitter is the one built for it.

Power and practical notes

The Buffer/Splitter takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel connector¹. EarthQuaker Devices does not list a current draw figure for it on the product page, so plan your power supply budget from the maker's current specifications rather than an assumption. All EarthQuaker Devices units come with a limited lifetime warranty; as the maker puts it, "If it breaks, we will fix it"¹.

How it compares

Splitter buffers are a small category, and the Buffer/Splitter sits in it with several alternatives covered elsewhere on the site: the JHS Pedals Buffered Splitter, the GUP Tech Splitter Buffer Box - 2 Out Buffered and the Sonicake Buffer ABY. For players who only need a buffer with no split, the single-output options range from the TC Electronic Bonafide Buffer to the Empress Effects Buffer. See the Buffer Pedals page for the wider field.

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