Mesa/Boogie Stowaway Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
• Read these instructions.
• Follow these instructions.
• Heed all notes and warnings.
• Do not use this device near water.
• Clean this device only with a dry cloth.
• Keep these instructions for future reference.
• Damage to this device by improperly connected and/
or grounded equipment is not covered under warranty.
• This device contains no user-serviceable parts and includes components which are susceptible to damage
by electrostatic discharge (ESD).
• Be sure to use only a properly rated “wall-wart” power
adapter or universal pedalboard power supply, with
extra attention paid to the correct polarity, voltage and
current. Applying the wrong polarity, improper voltage
or insufficient current to this device may cause poor
and/or inconsistent tone, performance, and even damage! Refer to the CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS and
SPECIFICATIONS sections for more information.
• Do not defeat an amplifier’s safety ground - which is
provided by the 3-prong AC power-cord plug! Doing
so may not only be ILLEGAL, but it may also pose a
SHOCK or ELECTROCUTION HAZARD.
Congratulations on your choice of MESA/Boogie® and welcome to the MESA® Family! The same passion for excellence,
commitment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction
is present in each and every product we make in our one-andonly shop in Petaluma, California, U.S.A. Rest assured that the
very same people that hand-build the finest amplifiers in the
world, also built your STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER and you
have access to the same resources for help that all our customers do. Call on us anytime and enjoy!
STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER
The STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER provides a quick and
easy fix to the deep-rooted signal loss and inconsistent tone
issues faced by guitarists due to; capacitive loading, impedance loading and mismatching, and changes to a pickup’s
resonant frequency/peak, as a result of varying effect pedals
and interconnecting cables. It accomplishes this by providing the weakest link in every guitar rig, the guitar itself, with a
resolute load which segregates it from the many variables on
a pedalboard and the long cable run to a back-line amplifier.
It does so by converting the guitar’s high-impedance signal to
low-impedance, which also minimizes its susceptibility to noise,
interference, and even some of the switch “popping” associated
with true-bypass pedals. As a result, the variations in sound
and tone will be predominantly from the actual effect of the pedals, and not from a guitar related high-impedance signal issue.
The buffer is a 100% discrete Class-A circuit with an input
impedance and other finely tuned characteristics which mimic
that of a high quality tube amplifier, and it includes an RFI filter to minimize the possibility of radio-frequency interference
and noise. It presents a dynamically ideal load to a guitar that
remains steadfast, resulting in a tone that is consistent, while
still allowing the guitar to breathe, live, and react - like plugging
directly into the front of a tube amplifier.
CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS
It’s always a good idea to make any audio connections
with every piece of equipment in a guitar rig turned off,
or at least the amplifier volume(s) turned down, to avoid
loud bursts of sound from damaging speakers or other
components.
For optimal results in the preservation of a guitar’s tone,
the STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER should ideally be the
first device the guitar is plugged into.
NOTE: A few vintage fuzz pedals will function and sound
differently when connected directly to the guitar because
they are meant to be fed with a high-impedance signal
source, as opposed to a low-impedance signal source,
which is why they need to be used first in the signal path.
It’s recommended that such pedals either be modified with
true-bypass switching, if not already so equipped, or used
in conjunction with a true-bypass loop-box to ensure the
pedal is completely bypassed when not in use.
LED:
When illuminated, this blue LED indicates the
STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER is powered-up and ready
to go!
IN:
This 1/4” phono jack is the input and accepts the
signal from a guitar.
OUT:
This 1/4” phono jack is the output and provides a
buffered low-impedance signal. Connect this jack to the
input of a pedal or an amplifier.
NOTE: When using shielded 1/4” TS (tip & sleeve) instrument cables, always aim for the best quality and shortest
length possible.
9-18VDC:
This standard female DC receptacle is the external power supply jack and accepts a 2.1mm x 5.5mm
male barrel connector from a standard 9-18Volt DC “wallwart” power adapter or universal pedalboard power supply, with a NEGATIVE CENTER polarity plug. Refer to the
SPECIFICATIONS section for additional information.
NOTE: An external DC “wall-wart” power adapter is not
included.
WARNING: To avoid immediate damage to this device and
voiding the warranty, do NOT connect an AC-Voltage, or
ANY other DC-Voltage power supply to this jack, other than
that specified above and in the SPECIFICATIONS section!
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS
Can I use the STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER for my
bass?
Yes you can!
I’m using a switched-mode power adapter/supply
(SMPS) and hear a high pitch “whine”, why is that?
Some of these SMPS adapters are noisier than others, especially those that aren’t from a reputable or brand-name MI
manufacturer. Another reason could be that you’re trying to
run to many devices from a single adapter. Though many of
them have a high current output and tout being able to power
many devices, doing so can result in the development and/
or increase of noise, for some reason. If this is happening,
we recommend either trying another adapter, or better yet
- using a universal pedalboard power supply with enough
isolated outputs to power every device on your pedalboard
individually; better power = less noise = more tone!
What’s the maximum length of cable I can use
between my guitar and the STOWAWAY™ INPUT
BUFFER’s input?
Always aim for the best quality and shortest length possible shielded 1/4” TS instrument cable between the guitar
and buffer, but also keep in mind that zero capacitance is
not ideal, or practical. It’s safe to say that there’s no way
a pickup has been designed without expecting there to be
some length of cable, and therefore capacitance, hanging off the output of a guitar. A certain amount of cable
capacitance is good, and necessary! We’re not trying to
eliminate it, but we are trying to control and prevent it from
changing unexpectedly. So if you can afford it, experiment
with a variety of brands and lengths, to fine-tune the tone,
until you find what suits your tone best! There’s no onesize-fits-all cable length, but generally speaking shorter
cables will yield a brighter tone, and longer cables will yield
a darker tone. Once again the key is consistency, so when
you’ve made your choice, always use the same cable.
I would like to use a vintage fuzz pedal, but have been
told that they don’t work well with buffered signals, is
this true?
These pedals will function and sound differently when
connected directly to the guitar because they are meant
to be fed with a high-impedance signal source, as opposed to a low-impedance signal source, which is why
they need to be used first in the signal path. It’s recommended that such pedals either be modified with
true-bypass switching, if not already so equipped, or
used in conjunction with a true-bypass loop-box to ensure the pedal is completely bypassed when not in use.
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS continued ▶
Can I use another STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER at
the end of my pedalboard to drive a long cable run to
my back-line amplifi er?
Theoretically you could, but we have another device which
is better suited as an output line-driver, the CLEARLINK™
BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER. It’s capable of driving up to a 330ft/100m balanced or shorter unbalanced
cable run, via standard XLR microphone or shielded 1/4”
TS instrument cables, respectively, to the back-line amplifi er. Alternatively, we also have a two-in-one device called
the HIGH-WIRE™ DUAL BUFFER / OUTPUT BOOST
which includes both circuits, plus a boost and tuner mute.
Using the STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER in tandem with
a CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER
resolves the deep-rooted signal loss and inconsistent
tone issues faced by guitarists due to; capacitive loading,
impedance loading and mismatching, and changes to a
pickup’s resonant frequency/peak, as a result of varying
effect pedals and interconnecting cables. They accomplish
this by providing the two constants in every guitar rig, the
guitar and amplifi er, with a resolute load and source, via
the STOWAWAY™ and the CLEARLINK™, respectively.
The two form an effects loop, which segregates the guitar
and amplifi er from the variables on a pedalboard, easily
handles many pedals, interconnecting cables, and effortlessly drives a long cable run to the back-line amplifi er,
either balanced or unbalanced. As a result, the only variations in sound and tone will be from the actual effect of the
pedals on the pedalboard, and not from a guitar or amplifi er related loading or impedance mismatch issue.
SPECIFICATIONS:
• Input Impedance: 1Mohm
• Buffer Design: Discrete Class-A
• Maximum Operating Voltage: 20VDC
• Nominal Operating Voltage: 9-18VDC
• Typical Current Draw: 10mA @ 9VDC
• DC Adapter (Optional): 2.1 x 5.5mm Barrel Plug
Negative Center
• Weight: 0.27 lbs (121 g)
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 1.42 x 3.98 x 1.24 inch (36
x 101 x 32 mm)
NOTE: Device specifi cations are subject to change
without notice.
STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER – SETUP #1
LEVEL GAIN
TONE
OVERDRIVE
QUICK AND EASY TONE IMPROVEMENT
The STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER presents a dynamically
ideal load to the guitar that remains steadfast, converting its
high-impedance signal to low-impedance, and segregating it
from varying effect pedals, interconnecting cables, and the
long cable run to the back-line amplifier. This first step results
in consistently better tone from the guitar regardless of what’s
connected after the buffer.
9-18VDC
SPEED DEPTH
INOUT
TONE MIX
PHASER
INOUT
COMPRESSOR
OUTPUT SENSITIVITY
INOUT
OUT
STOWAWA
INPUT BUFFER
Y
™
IN
Application Diagrams are available at www.mesaboogie.com
16/07/26
Loading...