Sobbat SW-1

The Sobbat SW-1 is a buffer switcher from the Japanese maker Sobbat, a pedal that combines a buffer amplifier with loop switching in one box. Sobbat positions it for noise control on series wiring and for controlling multiple effectors so a player can switch tones dramatically in one step, in scenes such as recording and live performance¹.

What it does

The SW-1 gives a player two loops and a through, and all signals pass through its built-in buffer amplifier¹. That means the pedal can sit on a board as a switching hub: instead of tapping multiple pedals to change a sound, the player switches between loop combinations at once. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the intent as taking advantage of various scenes, such as recording and live, with noise control on series wiring and one-step switching between tones¹.

The buffer side matters for players with long cable runs or many pedals in series, where signal strength and high-frequency content can suffer. A buffer pedal keeps the signal intact through those chains; the SW-1 pairs that with its switching, so the buffered signal feeds whichever loop is engaged. Other dedicated buffers on the site, such as the TC Electronic Bonafide Buffer, the JHS Pedals Little Black Buffer or the Empress Effects Buffer, cover the buffering job alone, while loop-oriented units such as the One Control Xenagama Tail Loop MKIII cover switching. See the full range on the Buffer Pedals page.

Power and specifications

At 10mA, the SW-1 is a light load on a pedalboard power supply and can share a standard 9V output with other low-draw pedals¹.

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