GEARED reviews the MI AUDIO BOOST N BUFF MKII.

Here’s a common guitar problem: weak signal strength. Long runs of shitty cables, labyrinthine effects set-ups and ageing pickups all contribute, but the outcome is the same – you lose volume and clarity, and generally sound underwhelming.

There are three obvious solutions, you can (a) buy better cables, which is expensive, (b) use less effects, which can be impractical, or (c) get your pickups rewound, which actually isn’t such a bad idea in general, but won’t solve the other two problems. A fourth, less obvious solution for effects users would be to get a decent bypass box, though they are beyond the scope of most guitarists’ modest effects set-ups. I have a better idea anyway – the MI Audio Boost N Buff. The pedal doesn’t look like much on paper, but it’s easily the most useful piece of equipment I’ve ever owned. Why? Because it makes the noise coming from the amplifier sound more like the guitar it’s plugged into.

As the name suggests, there are two parts to the pedal. When disengaged, an ultra-high input impedance buffer strengthens the signal as it passes through the unit. When engaged, the class A boost circuit takes over. The latter offers up to +35dB of volume, which is split between the Volume (clean boost) and Gain (treble boost) controls. The new MKII BnB is unique on this point, as the original had both variables mapped to a single knob. Hurray for progress, because this iteration allows for far more tonal variation.

The BnB can run on your standard 9V DC, but has a ceiling of 25V, with more power equating to better sound. You can run two 9V batteries internally for 18V clarity, or plug in the relevant DC power source.

The BnB is instant gratification. Everything simply sounds better from the moment it’s plugged in. My pickups are clearer to the point where I have to re-negotiate which sounds are coming from which settings, and the attack when playing is super crisp and responsive.

Through a solid state amp the BnB rounded the sound nicely when boosting with Volume and Gain at 12 o’clock. Pushing the Volume higher resulted in shitty transistor distortion, which was be expected. Increasing the Gain however, actually yielded a serviceable overdrive tone – presumably because the top boost increases the harmonic content of the signal. It’s safe to say the BnB wasn’t designed to overdrive solid state amps though, so your mileage may vary in this respect.

Pushing valve amplifiers is what the BnB does best. Through a small 30W 1x12 combo the Volume added clarity and presence up to around 12 o’clock, then increasingly more overdrive as the amp started getting worked harder and harder by the sheer input volume. The Gain produced those gorgeous harmonics again, but this time on an amp that could handle the volume boost. Cranking both controls up around 3 o’clock spurred the little speaker to majestic, stadium rock heights; though the delusions of British half-stack grandeur dissipated quickly when I wound the volume back.

Through an actual half-stack things got even more interesting. Brisbane-made BJ Ratajczyk amplifiers generally kick arse, but the BnB ‘stadium setting’ made my guitar sound like it was jumping out of the 4x12 cabinet with a knife between its teeth. This was on the Clean channel too, with the amp’s Gain and Volume at 9 and 12 o’clock respectively – a mellow, jazzy kind of tone ordinarily. The BnB made it visceral and fuzzy, without any overt coloration except the amp’s particular (incredibly cool) vibe.

Finally, I ran a bass through the BnB into a full-stack. In buffer mode there wasn’t a noticeable difference, though admittedly I’m not a bassist. Levelling the Volume at 12 o’clock gave the tone some kick, and the Gain added nice articulation to notes as the top boost added treble without cutting bass. Guitar pedals can badly compress bass signals, but I couldn’t hear this happening.

Let’s be clear: the Boost N Buff won’t make you sound amazing regardless of your set-up. What it will do is make your guitar sound like it is plugged directly into your amplifier – and then some. The boost can mimic high-quality, high-output active pickups or the most transparent overdrive ever. As I mentioned earlier, these aren’t impressive features on paper, but once you’ve plugged in a BnB you realise how fundamental getting a nice, measured (and loud) sound is to guitar playing. As a utility device alone it’s worth the price, but the ability to tailor a believable amp overdrive as well makes it a steal. Honestly, this is the sweetest, most useful bit of kit I own.

VERDICT

10/10

RRP$139. I got mine from Billy Hyde, Fortitude Valley www.billyhydemusic.com.au. Check out www.miaudio.com for more information. 

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