The Xotic Super Clean, also listed by Xotic as the Super Clean Buffer (SCB), is a high end buffer with a convenient gain control in a mini pedal format1. It combines three jobs in one small box: buffering to drive long cable runs and large pedalboards, up to 12 dB of clean boost from its gain knob, and EQ shaping from four DIP switches on the side of the housing12. Xotic announced it at NAMM in January 2019 alongside its companion pedal, the Super Sweet Booster, with both priced at $120 each34.
What the Super Clean Buffer does
A buffer's job is to preserve your tone through long cables and a crowded pedalboard, and Xotic positions the Super Clean as a high end take on that job with a gain control added1. Inside is a high performance Class A preamplifier built around the JRC4558 chip, the op-amp associated with classic overdrive circuits, which Xotic says ensures a classic sound57. In buffer mode the pedal uses only a discrete circuit, which Xotic describes as giving "the most open and wide spectrum tone"5.
Delicious Audio's NAMM coverage framed it as a high-quality Class A circuit that "provides the open and articulate buffering that most buffered bypass pedals simply lack"8. Pete Thorn, in his video review of both Xotic mini pedals, found the buffer did its core job well:
"the buffer in both of these sounds just great I mean you're gonna be able to drive really long cable lines"
Beyond buffering, the gain knob delivers up to 12 dB of clean boost287. Thorn treated the pair as more than ordinary utility pedals, calling them booster and buffer pedals that "are not just typical run-of-the-mill boosters and buffers" because the DIP switches let you shape your tone2. Xotic's launch announcement claimed the SCB "maintains great tone with no loss of excitement and with a very little footprint"3.
The pedal is built with premium components chosen for durability and tone, including a super heavy duty footswitch, audio grade capacitors and a custom designed potentiometer3.
The controls: gain knob and EQ DIP switches
The Super Clean keeps its front panel minimal: the only external controls are a small gain knob and a footswitch8. All the tone shaping lives on the side of the pedal.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain knob | Adds up to +12 dB of clean boost12 |
| Footswitch | Engages the pedal8 |
| High DIP switch | High frequency EQ setting1 |
| High Mid DIP switch | High mid boost setting19 |
| Low Mid DIP switch | Low mid boost setting19 |
| Low DIP switch | Bass boost setting19 |
| Internal DIP switch | Toggles between true bypass and buffered bypass1 |
Gearnews described the four side-mounted switches as High Cut, Hi-Mid Boost, Low Mid Boost and Bass Boost9, while Xotic's current page lists them as High, High Mid, Low Mid and Low1. Either way, the idea is the same: you pick which frequency area the boost pushes, so the pedal works as a tone shaper as well as a level boost. Guitar.com's launch report called the gain knob a way to "gently nudge your tone, should you need to"4.
Thorn put the EQ switches to work in his review. Using the high cut plus high mid boost settings into a boosted Marshall, he found it "tamed the top-end enough" to stay bitey and clear, giving a gnarly tone that cut through the mix2. He also reported that boosting a split humbucker with the pedal produced what he called an amazing single coil sound he was super happy with2.
Power and bypass
Xotic's specifications give a power consumption of 9VDC at 5mA, with an optional AC adapter accepting 9VDC to 18VDC with negative tips, regulated recommended, and a 9VDC (006P) battery1. Sweetwater's Don Carr confirmed in his demo that the pedals "run on either 9 or 18 volts or they run on a battery"7.
The battery question is disputed in the coverage. Gearnews reported at the AMM 2019 announcement that "Due to their mini pedal format, both pedals will require an external 9-volt DC power supply"9. Xotic's own product pages, both current, list a 9VDC (006P) battery in the specs table15, so the maker's word carries the most weight here.
The bypass is switchable: an internal DIP switch toggles between true bypass and buffered bypass on both the Super Clean and the Super Sweet1. That choice matters for how you place it on a board, since a buffered pedal left in the chain can interact differently with other true bypass pedals than one that fully disconnects.
Where it came from
Xotic announced the Super Clean Buffer alongside the Super Sweet Booster as two new miniature pedals89. Both carried a $120 price3, available from February436, and the two mini pedals were first released in 2019436.
What reviewers said
Published reactions to the Super Clean were positive in the coverage available. One announcement described its buffering as open and articulate where most buffered bypass pedals fall short8. A demo review found the buffer able to drive really long cable lines, and the pedal effective as a boost that shapes tone into clean and dirty amps2. Another demo highlighted the class-A preamp built on the JRC4558 IC as a core feature, noting the pedals run on either 9 or 18 volts or a battery7.
Videos
Sweetwater
Peter “Danish Pete” Honoré
Mike Hermans
Questions
Does the Xotic Super Clean Buffer take a battery?
Yes, according to Xotic's own product pages, which list a 9VDC (006P) battery, and Sweetwater's demo video also confirms battery operation alongside 9 or 18 volt external power. However, Gearnews reported at the 2019 NAMM announcement that the mini format required an external 9-volt supply with no battery option. The maker's specification is the one to trust here: a battery is supported.
Is the Xotic Super Clean true bypass?
It can be. Xotic fits an internal DIP switch that toggles the pedal between true bypass and buffered bypass, so you choose which mode suits your setup. In buffered mode the pedal runs through its discrete circuit, which Xotic says gives the most open and wide spectrum tone.
What chip is in the Xotic Super Clean?
A JRC4558 op-amp, the same chip associated with many classic overdrive circuits. Xotic describes the Super Clean as a high performance Class A preamplifier built around the JRC4558, and reviewers including Pete Thorn and Sweetwater's Don Carr repeated that detail in their demos.
How much boost does the Xotic Super Clean have?
Up to 12 dB of clean boost from the gain knob. Pete Thorn and Don Carr both quoted the 12 dB figure in their video demos, and Delicious Audio described it as a discrete circuit offering up to 12 dB of clean boost.
What is the difference between the Xotic Super Clean and Super Sweet?
The Super Clean is a buffer with a gain control and EQ DIP switches, while the Super Sweet is a booster. Both were announced together at NAMM 2019 in the same mini enclosure, share the same power specifications, and each cost $120 at launch. The Super Clean's role is buffering with up to 12 dB of boost; the Super Sweet is the dedicated boost pedal of the pair.
Sources (9)
- Super Clean Buffer // Super Sweet Booster, Xotic California (xotic.us)
- The "ALWAYS ON" pedals, YouTube (Pete Thorn channel), 2019-08-01
- Xotic Launches New Super Clean Buffer & Sweet Booster, Premier Guitar, 2019-01-25
- NAMM 2019 Video: Xotic adds Super Clean and Super Sweet to pedal line, Guitar.com, 2019-01-25
- Super Clean Buffer, Xotic Online Shop - Artists and End-users, 2025-10-01
- Xanthus Buffer/Boost / Xotic Super Clean & Super Sweet, Aion FX, 2024-11-29
- Xotic Super Clean and Super Sweet Boost Pedals Demo, Sweetwater, 2019-05-16
- Xotic Effects Super Clean And Super Sweet, Delicious Audio, 2019-02-18
- NAMM 2019: Xotic Effects Super Clean Buffer and Super Sweet Booster, gearnews.com, 2019-01-23
