Designed and hand-built (by Mario) in Canada.
The OTS1 is the first, and smallest, in a series of new patch-boxes meant to serve as a pedalboard's nerve centre. It is where all of the board's connections are consolidated; enabling higher density placement of the pedals on the pedalboard, preserving the effect pedals jacks life, and accelerating and simplifying, the pedalboard setup/teardown time and process.
Ironically, the weakest link in every guitar rig, is the guitar itself - more specifically, its pickups! The hi-Z and low level signal they produce make them easily susceptible to loading and signal loss. So naturally, the OTS1 includes a buffer...
Buffers prevent the loading and loss of (1) high end frequency response (2) signal level, and (3) low end punch, due to cable capacitance and the imperfectly designed input stage/circuitry of some pedals. All of these problems still occur even if all the pedals have true-bypass switching, which also adds inconsistent tone to the equation, every time a different pedal is turned on and off. Every additional pedal, and every extra foot of cable in a rig, results in more and more loading and loss, that only a buffer can prevent.
The OTS1 input buffer is Axess' version of a 'fabled' discrete Class-A buffer circuit that's been described by some as "ultra transparent, natural and musical, just like plugging the guitar straight into the amp".
Regarding the model name / number; On-The-Side, Off-The-Shelf, Over-This-Sh*t ... take your pick! Our friends on Instagram certainly did!
Jacks and Buttons:** Please note - there are many other design aspects and choices besides the input and output impedance of a buffer that are just as important... We have been at this for a very long time and always put design and manufacturing before; Youtube marketing, parts cost, etc.