Frequently Asked Questions (Faq); Operation - Bypass Mode; Maintenance; Technical Specifications - TC Electronic POLYTUNE 3 User Manual

8 POLYTUNE 3 User Manual

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

"I'm not hearing anything!"
When the tuner is active, the output will be muted for silent tuning.
"The pedal has power supply, but pressing the footswitch doesn't
do anything!"
To operate POLYTUNE 3, you need to connect an instrument to the pedal's audio
input jack.
"The display shows a red '#' – what does this mean?"
This is the symbol of the Secret Brotherhood of the Tune-O-Calypse of Doom –
and it is telling you that you are not playing loud enough...
Just kidding. This symbol shows that your POLYTUNE 3 is not bypassed and
ready to display the pitches of your instrument's strings. Please note that this
also means that POLYTUNE 3's audio output is muted. To unmute, press the
footswitch.
"How do I get the best (most accurate) results?"
We have found that you will achieve the most accurate tuning of electric guitars
in polyphonic mode by selecting the guitar's neck pickup and using the thumb to
strum the strings.
6. Operation – Bypass Mode
6.1 True Bypass and Buff ered Bypass explained
True Bypass mode is a hard-wire bypass that gives absolutely no coloration of
tone when the pedal is bypassed. This is the default mode for your eff ect pedal.
Using True Bypass on all pedals is a perfect choice in setups with a few pedals and
relatively short cables before and after the pedals.
If...
• • you use a long cable between your guitar and the fi rst pedal or
• • if you use many pedals on your board or
if you use a long cable from your board to the amp,
• •
... then the best solution will most likely be to set the fi rst and the last pedal in
the signal chain to Buff ered Bypass mode.
Can you hear the diff erence between a pedal in True Bypass or Buff ered
Bypass mode?
Maybe, maybe not – many factors apply: active vs. passive pick-ups, single-coil
vs. humbucker, cable quality, amp impedance and more. We cannot give a single
ultimate answer. Use your ears and fi nd the best solution for your setup!
6.2 Switching between True Bypass and
Buff ered Bypass
To set the bypass mode, proceed as follows:
• • Disconnect the pedal and turn it on its back.
• • Unscrew the back plate of the pedal and look for the two small DIP-switches
in the upper left corner.
• • These two DIP switches off er three modes:
Switch confi guration Mode
Both switches set to the left True Bypass
Top switch set to the right Buff ered Bypass
Lower switch set to the left
Both switches set to the right Buff ered Bypass Display Always On
• • Set the DIP switch to the desired position.
• • Remount the back-plate.

7. Maintenance

7.1 Updating the fi rmware
TC may provide updates for the built-in software of your pedal, the fi rmware.
Updating your TC pedal's fi rmware requires...
• • A computer running Microsoft Windows or OS X with a standard
USB interface
• • The specifi ed DC power supply for your pedal.
Preparing the fi rmware update
• • Download the newest fi rmware from the "Support" page for your TC pedal.
There are updaters for Microsoft Windows (these are ZIP archives containing
the fi rmware installer) and for OS X (these are disk image fi les containing the
fi rmware installer).
• • Unplug all cables (including the power supply) from your TC pedal.
Connect the pedal to your computer using a USB cable.
• •
• • Press and hold the footswitch on your TC pedal. If your TC pedal has more
than one footswitch, press and hold the leftmost footswitch.
• • Insert the DC power supply plug.
• • The LED on your pedal should turn green. If your TC pedal has more than
one LED, the leftmost LED should turn green. This indicates that the pedal is
ready to receive the software update.
• • Release the footswitch.
Applying the fi rmware update
• • Quit all MIDI-related applications (e.g., your DAW) on your computer and
launch the fi rmware updater you have downloaded in step 1.
• • In the fi rmware updater app, select your TC pedal from the drop-down list
under the "STEP 1" heading.
• • When the "Update" button under the "STEP 2" heading turns green, click it.
• • The updated fi rmware will now be transferred to your TC pedal. Wait for the
progress bar to reach 100%. When the update procedure is complete, the
pedal will automatically restart.
9 POLYTUNE 3 User Manual
7.2 Changing the battery
If you need to change the battery of your TC ELECTRONIC eff ect pedal,
proceed as follows:
• • Unscrew the thumb-screw on the back of the pedal and detach
the backplate.
• • Unmount the old battery and attach the new battery to the battery clip
making sure the polarity is correct.
• • Remount the back-plate.
Notes regarding batteries
• • Batteries must never be heated, taken apart or thrown into fi re or water.
• • Only rechargeable batteries can be recharged.
• • Remove the battery when the pedal is not being used for a longer period of
time to save battery life.
Always dispose batteries according to local laws and regulations.
8. Links
Support resources
• • TC ELECTRONIC Support: tcelectronic.com/support/
• • TC ELECTRONIC – product software: tcelectronic.com/support/software/
• • TC ELECTRONIC – all product manuals: tcelectronic.com/support/manuals/
• • TC ELECTRONIC user forum: forum.tcelectronic.com/
TC ELECTRONIC on...
the Web: tcelectronic.com/
• •
• • Facebook: facebook.com/tcelectronic
• • Google Plus: plus.google.com/+tcelectronic/
• • Twitter: twitter.com/tcelectronic
• • YouTube: youtube.com/user/tcelectronic
9. Technical Specifi cations
Bypass mode True Bypass (default) /
Buffered Bypass / Buffered Bypass
Display Always On, switchable
Input connector 1 x ¼ " TS, unbalanced, mono
Input impedance 1 MΩ
Output connector 1 x ¼ " TS, unbalanced, mono
Output impedance 100 Ω
Power input Standard 9 V DC, centre negative,
>100 mA
Battery option 9 V (battery not included)
USB port Mini USB connector for
firmware updates
Dimensions (H x W x D) 72 x 122 x 50 mm (2.8 x 4.8 x 2.0")