Bypass Switching and other Tech Talk:

Not all true bypass is the same! Most true-bypass pedals, especially from "boutique" builders, use a mechanical switch called a 3PDT. Usually it is made by one particular Chinese company whose products cost less and are much easier to find, at the major mail-order retailers, than better-made switches from other manufacturers. Those switches are very prone to making loud "pop" noises, especially the first time you step on them after powering up your rig. This is caused by electrical charge building up capacitively on one side of the mechanical switch, which is then released all at once into your audio path when you step on the switch. There are ways of minimizing this, such as pull-down resistors, but even those are not a "cure" for the pop noises. Additionally, those switches fail sometimes. Like any mechanical device, the parts can break or wear out, and the most commonly-used 3PDT's are cheaply made.
 
EXAR's relay-based true bypass switching system is a big step up from what most people are accustomed to. It not only bypasses the effect circuit completely, preventing "tone suck" when bypassed, it also is completely silent! There is no buildup or release of static charge into your audio path, and the click sound of actually stepping on the switch is quieter too. The gold-plated relays are designed specifically to reduce any chance of ever breaking or wearing out, and they are custom-made to a very high standard. EXAR has taken bypass switching to a whole new level!
 
Pedal Specs
Size: 62 x 112 x 50 mm (a bit smaller than a Boss single pedal)
Weight: 400 g
Input impedance: 1 Meg
Current draw: 15 to 24 mA
Power: 9V DC, center-negative barrel jack

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