The J Rockett Audio Designs SOS Buffer is a small buffer pedal aimed at players whose signal needs rescuing on the way to the amp: guitarists with large pedalboards or long cable runs, where treble and clarity can fade. The name stands for "Save Our Signal," and the pedal is part of the company's Tour Series range. It was released in October 2016 at a $79 street price in the US123.
What it does
A buffer's job is to keep a guitar's signal intact as it passes through a pedalboard and down a long cable, and the SOS Buffer is built around that one task. J Rockett describes it as designed to balance impedance issues on a pedalboard, allowing the player to add some treble if needed. The company frames it as a "fix it" pedal that should not color your tone in any unwanted way1.
"Think 'Save Our Signal' for gigging guitarists."
Controls and layout
The pedal keeps things deliberately simple: one knob, one job.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Single knob | Adjusts the amount of subtle high frequencies added back into your signal1 |
The unit is described as dinky sized, small enough to fit easily on a pedalboard. The input and output jacks are top-mounted, with an LED to show it is working, which helps on crowded boards where side-mounted jacks would waste space1.
Power
The SOS Buffer runs on 9V DC with standard minus tip and plus sleeve polarity, and powers directly from a standard 9V power supply through a 9V power input123.
The published specifications give 9V DC operation with standard minus tip and plus sleeve polarity. Check your power supply's polarity before connecting any pedal that does not state its requirements on the enclosure.
Price and availability
At its October 2016 announcement the SOS Buffer was available now, listed at $79 in the US, which MusicRadar and Premier Guitar both give as the street price. In the UK it carried an RRP of £75123.
Where it sits among buffers
The SOS Buffer is one of many compact buffers aimed at preserving tone across a board. Others in the same territory include the Empress Effects Buffer, the TC Electronic Bonafide Buffer, the JHS Pedals Little Black Buffer, the Xotic Super Clean and the Analog Man Buffer. What sets the SOS Buffer apart in its coverage is the single treble-trim knob, which lets a player add back a little top end rather than simply passing the signal through. For more on how buffers work and how they compare, see the Buffer Pedals page1.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Questions
What does the knob on the J Rockett SOS Buffer do?
The SOS Buffer has a single knob on the front that adjusts the amount of subtle high frequencies added back into your signal. The pedal is designed to balance impedance issues on a pedalboard, and the knob lets you dial in treble to suit, particularly when driving longer cable lengths where top end can be lost.
Does the J Rockett SOS Buffer take a battery?
The SOS Buffer is powered from a 9V power input using a standard 9V DC supply with standard minus tip and plus sleeve polarity. The published coverage describes it as powering directly from a standard 9V power supply, and no battery option is mentioned in that coverage.
What is the J Rockett SOS Buffer's list price in the US?
The SOS Buffer carried a $79 street price in the US when it was released in October 2016, according to both MusicRadar and Premier Guitar. In the UK it was listed at an RRP of £75.
Which J Rockett series is the SOS Buffer part of?
The SOS Buffer is part of J Rockett Audio Designs' Tour Series range of guitar effects pedals.
Where are the jacks on the SOS Buffer?
The SOS Buffer has top-mounted input and output jacks, plus an LED to show that it is working. Top-mounted jacks help the small unit fit neatly on a crowded pedalboard.
Sources (3)
- J Rockett's SOS Buffer pedal aims to rescue your tone, gearnews.com, 2016-10-09
- J Rockett Audio Designs wants to rescue your tone with its SOS Buffer pedal, MusicRadar, 2016-10-07
- J. Rockett Audio Designs Releases the SOS Buffer, Premier Guitar, 2016-10-07
