TC Electronic Alter Ego Delay User Manual

Alter Ego Delay

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 Table of contents

Important Safety Instructions 1

EMC / EMI 2

About this manual 3

TonePrint-enabled 3

Introduction 4

Unpacking and setting up 5

Setup examples 6

Choosing the right setup 8

Inputs, outputs, controls 10

1. Power input 10

2. Audio inputs 10

3. Audio outputs 10

4. Footswitch 10

5. DELAY – Delay time control 11

6. REGEN – Regeneration control 11

7. MIX – Effect level control 11

8. Delay type selector 11

9. Subdivision selector 11

10. USB port 11

Delay types 12

Using TonePrints 14

Bypass modes 16

Kill-dry on/off 16

Changing the battery 17

Technical Specifications 17

Getting support 17

a

Important Safety Instructions

Important Safety Instructions

1) Read these instructions.

2) Keep these instructions.

3) Heed all warnings.

4) Follow all instructions.

5) Do not use this apparatus near water.

6) Clean only with dry cloth.

7) Do not block any ventilation openings. In­stall in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.

8) Do not install near any heat sources such
as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that pro­duce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the po­larized or grounding-type plug. A polarized
plug has two blades with one wider than
the other. A grounding type plug has two
blades and a third grounding prong. The
wide blade or the third prong are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does
not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician
for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10) Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched particularly at plugs, conve­nience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the apparatus.

11) Only use attachments/accessories speci­fied by the manufacturer.

12) Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, brack­et, or table specified by the manufacturer,
or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is
used, use caution when moving the cart/
apparatus combination to avoid injury from
tip-over.

13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods of
time.

14) Refer all servicing to qualified service per­sonnel. Servicing is required when the ap­paratus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is dam­aged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the appara­tus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.

Warning

Do not expose this equipment to dripping or
splashing and ensure that no objects filled with
liquids, such as vases, are placed on the equip­ment.

Do not install this device in a confined space.

Service

All service must be performed by qualified per­sonnel.

Caution

You are cautioned that any change or modifi­cations not expressly approved in this manual
could void your authority to operate this device.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 1

EMC / EMI

EMC / EMI

Electromagnetic compatibility /
Electromagnetic interference

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B Digital de­vice, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.

These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in resi­dential installations. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interfer­ence to radio communications. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encour­aged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:

– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
– Increase the separation between the equip-

ment and receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a cir-

cuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.

– Consult the dealer or an experienced ra-

dio / TV technician for help.

For customers in Canada

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Ca­nadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 2

TonePrint-enabled

About this manual

This manual will help you learn understanding
and operating your TC product.

This manual is only available as a PDF download
from the TC Electronic website.

Of course, you can print this manual, but we en­courage you to use the PDF version, which has
both internal and external hyperlinks. For exam­ple, clicking the TC Electronic logo in the upper
left corner of each page will take you to the table
of contents.

To get the most from this manual, please read it
from start to finish, or you may miss important
information.

To download the most current version of this
manual, visit tcelectronic.com/support/manuals/

Enjoy your TC product!

TonePrint-enabled

This TC Electronic product
supports TonePrints. Follow

the icon to learn more about
TonePrints, or go to

tcelectronic.com/toneprint/

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 3

Introduction

Introduction

Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS

“In February of 2010, TC Electronic flew Andy
and I to their headquarters in Denmark. Andy
went along to create a number of TonePrints,
and I was presented with the possibility of a cus­tom Flashback. I saw this as a really fun project
to work on. We get to do some really cool cus­tom products with our manufacturers, and it’s
the part of my job that I enjoy the most. I mean
– really, who gets to do this kind of stuff?

After spending about 30 minutes with the Tone­Print software, I realized that this software could
create nearly any sound that you want it to. My
mind began to race with the possibilities, and I
knew relatively quickly what we would create.

Being a complete delay geek, I own so many de­lays that it’s quite frankly embarrassing. There
is no excuse for it, it’s an addiction. There are
two delays that I own that I consider some of my
most prized possessions. Very dear to my heart
are my original Binson Echorec, and a vintage
Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.

We are proud to present the result of the joint
collaboration between TC Electronic and Pro­GuitarShop. Alter Ego Delay is a new take on the
very successful TC Electronic Flashback, fea­turing two new presets modeled after a couple
classic delays: the Binson Echorec, and the EHX
Deluxe Memory Man.”

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 4

Setup

Setup

Ready…

The Alter Ego Delay box should contain the fol­lowing items:

– 1 Alter Ego Delay pedal
– 2 rubber feet for “non-velcro” pedalboard

mounting
– 1 TC Electronic sticker
– 1 leaflet about TC’s guitar FX product range.
– 1 USB cable for transferring TonePrints from

the computer to the pedal and updating the

pedal firmware

Inspect all items for signs of transit damage. In
the unlikely event of transit damage, inform the
carrier and supplier.

If damage has occurred, keep all packaging as it
can be used as evidence of excessive handling
force.

Set…

– Connect a 9V power supply with the follow-

ing symbol to the DC input socket of Alter Ego
Delay.

! Please note that Alter Ego Delay does not

come with a power supply.
– Plug the power supply into a power outlet.
– Connect your instrument to the MONO IN jack

on the right side of the pedal using a ¼“ jack
cable. You can also feed the pedal with a ste­reo signal by using both IN jacks.

– Connect the MONO OUT jack on the left side

of the pedal to your amplifier using a ¼“ jack
cable.

Play!

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 5

Setup examples

Setup examples

Alter Ego Delay in front of the amp

Input

Combo

Looper

Pedal

Reverb

Pedals

Modulation

Pedals

Drive

Pedals

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 6

Setup examples

Alter Ego Delay in an FX Loop

Drive

Pedals

FX Loop Send ►

Input ▼

Combo

◄ FX Loop Return

Looper

Pedal

Reverb
Pedals

Modulation

Pedals

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 7

Choosing the right setup

Choosing the right setup

You have a delay effect and a volume pedal. Great! Now – which setup is right for you? It really depends on how you intend to shape your sound.

“I want to be able to turn down the volume of everything!”

Cool. Then you will want to place your volume pedal after Alter Ego Delay.

Looper

Pedal

Input

Combo

Your volume pedal goes somewhere over here.

Reverb

Pedals

▲

Modulation

Pedals

Drive

Pedals

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 8

Choosing the right setup

“I want my delays to trail out when I use my volume pedal!”

Awesome! In that case, place your volume pedal before Alter Ego Delay so Alter Ego Delay can work its magic.

Looper

Pedal

Input

Combo

Your volume pedal goes somewhere over here if you want
your delays to trail out when lowering the volume.

Reverb

Pedals

Modulation

Pedals

Drive

Pedals

▲

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 9

Inputs, outputs, controls

4

9101

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8

5

6

3

2

Inputs, outputs, controls

1. Power input

The power input of this pedal is a standard

5.5 / 2.1mm DC plug (centre = negative). To pow­er up your pedal, connect a power supply to its
power input socket. Alter Ego Delay requires a
9V power supply providing 100mA or more (not
supplied). To minimize hum, use a power supply
with isolated outputs.

4. Footswitch

Effect on/off

Tap the footswitch to turn the pedal on or off, just
like with any other pedal on your board.

Audio tapping

Hold down the footswitch for Audio Tapping.

2. Audio inputs

The audio inputs of this pedal are standard ¼”
jacks (mono/TS).

– If your signal source is mono, connect it to the

M input jack on the right side of the pedal.

– If your signal source is stereo, connect the ca-

ble carrying the left signal component to the
M jack and the cable carrying the right signal
component to the S jack.

3. Audio outputs

The audio outputs of this pedal are standard ¼”
jacks (mono/TS).

– If the next device in the signal chain has a

mono input (e.g. your amp), connect the M
output jack of Alter Ego Delay to the other de­vice’s input.

– If the next device in the signal chain has stereo

inputs (e.g. another stereo effect pedal), con­nect the M output jack of Alter Ego Delay to
the left input and the S output jack to the right
input of the other device.

Of course, the delay time can be set using the
DELAY knob. However, for timing the delay re­peats to the tempo of the song you are playing,
you can also tap in a the tempo via audio.

To set the tempo:
– Hold down the footswitch.
– With the footswitch held down, play steady

short 1/4 notes on your instrument.

! Please note that the output is always muted

during audio tapping.
– Release the switch again.
That’s it – you have now entered the global

tempo, and the delay repeats will play accord-

ing to the subdivision you have selected with

the subdivision switch. The options are: 1/4,

1/8. and 1/4+1/8.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 10

Inputs, outputs, controls

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5

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Inputs, outputs, controls

continued

5. DELAY – Delay time control

Use the DELAY knob to control the delay time.

Almost all delay types have a delay range of
20ms to 7000 ms (that’s 7seconds). Slapback
(“SLP”) has a range from 20ms to 300ms.

6. REGEN – Regeneration control

Use the REGEN knob to set the desired numbers
of delay repeats. Turning the REGEN knob to the
right will give you more delay repeats.

7. MIX – Effect level control

Use the Mix knob to control the level of the de­lay repeats.

! The direct, unprocessed signal is always

passed at the original level (unity gain). Only
the level of delay repeats is changed when
turning the MIX knob.

9. Subdivision selector

Use this switch to choose the note intervals that
the delay repetitions are based on.

– Top position: quarter notes
– Middle position: dotted eighths
– Bottom position: quarter notes and dotted

eighths.

10. USB port

Use this standard Mini-B USB port to load new
TonePrints into the pedal or create your own
using the TonePrint Editor – it’s 100 % free of
charge! If there should be firmware updates for
this device, they can also be installed using this
port.

8. Delay type selector

Use the Delay type selector to choose the type
of delay you want to work with.

The delay types are described in the section
“Delay types”.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 11

Delay types

Delay types

This section of the manual describes the delay
types you can access using the Delay type se­lect or.

2290

Once upon a time… (i.e., back in 1985) TC Elec­tronic released the 2290 Dynamic Digital De-

lay. It set the bar for professional delays for years

to come and is still held in high regard among
delay enthusiasts.

Use the “2290” setting for the crispest and clean
delay you can imagine. This is the standard.

AN – Analog delay

This is as close as you can get to the charming
nature of an old analog transistor bucket-brigade
delay without buying the real thing! With every
repeat you get more of that old-school “fade to
grey” vibe.

TP – Tape delay

Who doesn’t love the smooth sound of an old
tape echo machine?

The “Tape” setting makes for an overall great
starting point with its mellow and “warbling”
sound.

ER – Echorec*
Tweaked by ProGuitarShop

“In the mid 80’s, I was a teenager in high school,
and I had just discovered Pink Floyd. I remember
coming home from school every day for weeks
and sitting in my room and listening to ‘Dark Side
of the Moon’ on my gigantic Sony Walkman. I
barely knew how to play guitar back then, but
later on in life, when I was gigging in Portland, I
had the opportunity to pick up a Binson Echo­rec*. I couldn’t resist the chance to have one of
those rare units that Gilmour had made famous.

After I had the Echorec for a few years, it began
to develop a very unique modulation that I fell in
love with. Typically, when you think of delay and
modulation, you think of a chorusing effect. My
unit developed more of a vibrato than a chorus.
On lower settings, it just added a very subtle 3D
effect, but if you would crank the volume (mix), it
would give you a nice warble, a slight Leslie type
effect. This is what we modeled the ER setting of
Alter Ego Delay after. You will notice this warble
at around 300 ms repeat times. It morphs into
some great swirling upper harmonics at higher
delay time settings.”

Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS

DMM – Deluxe Memory Man*
Tweaked by ProGuitarShop

“The other delay that fits into my all-time favor­ites category is the Electro Harmonix Deluxe
Memory Man*. I have had one of the early mod­els for years and it is a delay that I continue to
come back to. The DMM is a classic delay that
everyone is very familiar with. We aren’t the first
to model it, but I think we did a pretty darn good
job of capturing the original sound. We really fo­cused on capturing the nuances of the echo and
mimicking the unique decay heard in its repeats.
The DMM setting is based upon my Memory
Man pedal.”

Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS

MOD – 2290 delay with modulation

Take the 2290’s pristine sound, send it through
three (!) chorus pedals… et voilà. If you’re into
the sound of The Edge, you don’t want to miss
this setting.

Oh, and while you’re at it, try playing around with
the SUBDIVISION SELECTOR Switch.

PP – Ping-pong delay

Like the ball in the eponymous game, the delay
repeats jump from left to right (provided you’re
using both outputs for a stereo signal). The ef­fect is really wide. Ping-pong is a lot of fun to
play around with in stereo – but it sounds great
in mono, too.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 12

Using the looper

SLP – Slap delay

A delay type for all things country – but you can
also use this for many other genres.

Use this setting to get your Rockabilly on and
pay homage to the rich staccato heritage of Bri­an Setzer, Chet Atkins and Scotty Moore, or as
an alternative to reverb.

RVS – Reverse delay

If you’ve been around for some time, you know
the drill: Record a guitar part on tape. Flip the
tape over. Play it back. This is a classic effect
made famous by guitar legends such as Jimi
Hendrix – and although it’s kind of “old school”,
the reverse effect still seems to inspire people to
try out new things.

Try this:
Turn the Mix knob all the way down to hear only
the reversed signal.

LP – Looper setting

Set the Delay type selector to LP to use the built­in audio looper.

Using the looper is explained in the Using the
looper section.

TP – TonePrint setting

Set the Delay type selector to TP to use the
TonePrint setting.

Using and editing TonePrints is explained in the
Using TonePrints section.

* All third party product names mentioned in the

context of this manual are trademarks of their
respective owners, which are in no way asso­ciated or affiliated with TC Electronic. These
product names and descriptions are provided
for the sole purpose of identifying the prod­ucts that were studied during product devel­opment.

Using the looper

With Alter Ego Delay’s looper, you can record
and play back grooves and lines for playing
along. You can even overdub your recording an
unlimited number of times.

The duration of a loop can be up to 40 seconds
in mono and 20 seconds in stereo, regardless of
how many overdubs you make.

Recording and playing loops

1. Set the Delay type selector to LP (Loop).

2. Make sure the pedal is in bypass mode (i.e.,

the LED should be off). Feel the groove and

prepare for recording. Then tap the pedal’s

footswitch to start your recording and play.

The pedal’s LED flashes red.

3. To stop recording, press the footswitch again.

Alter Ego Delay immediately switches to play-

back mode and starts playing the loop. In

playback mode, the LED is green.

4. To overdub your recording, press the switch

once more. The LED now blinks.

5. To delete all recordings, double-tap the foot-

switch.

Notes regarding the Looper

– The first round of recording always sets the

length of the loop.
– If an overdub exceeds the length of the loop,

a third round of recording begins. This gives a

very natural, logic and musical feel when re-

cording loops.
! The DELAY and REGEN knobs are inactive in

Loop mode.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 13

Using TonePrints

Using TonePrints

When you look at your pedal,
you’ll only see a few knobs
and switches. However, they
actually control a large num­ber of internal parameters.

TC has defined the relation­ship between the knob and all the parameters
“under the hood”. But wouldn’t it be cool to have
guys like Steve Stevens, Scott Ian or Paul Gil­bert (i.e., some of the world’s leading guitar play­ers) virtually rewire these controls, defining what
should happen behind the scenes or perhaps
even do it yourself?

This is exactly what TonePrint does.

We work with top guitar players who explore
a pedal’s hidden tonal potential, redefining the
controls and creating their personal TonePrints.

TC is making these custom TonePrints avail­able to you. Uploading them to your pedal is re­ally easy, and with the amazing TonePrint Editor
you can even create your own signature pedal
tweaked specifically to your liking.

Transferring TonePrints to the pedal

“So how do I load new TonePrints into my pedal?”

“Use USB, Luke – or beam it.”

Transferring TonePrints to
the pedal by beaming

For all you iPhone and Android users out there,
we created the TonePrint app. iPhone users can
download the app from Apple’s App Store, An­droid users will find it on Google Play.

– Launch the TonePrint app on your smart-

phone and find the TonePrint you want to use.

– Plug your guitar or bass into your TonePrint

pedal.
– Turn your TonePrint pedal on.
– Turn up the volume on your instrument and set

the pickup selector to one pickup.
– Hold the speaker of your smartphone next to

the chosen pickup and touch “Beam to ped-

al”.
(Or just follow the on-screen instructions on

your phone.)

Transferring TonePrints to
the pedal via USB

– Go to tcelectronic.com/toneprint.
– Select your TC product in the “TonePrint by

product” section.
– Download a TonePrint you’d like to try.
– Connect your TonePrint pedal and your com-

puter using a Mini-B to Type A USB cable.
– Turn your TonePrint pedal on.
– Launch the TonePrint application you down-

loaded and follow the on-screen instructions.

It’s quick and easy.

You can change the TonePrint in your pedal as
often as you like, and the best part:

It’s totally free.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 14

Using TonePrints

Editing TonePrints with
the TonePrint Editor

For years, we have given musician the opportu­nity to use TonePrints created by their favorite
guitar and bass players. But it’s time to step up
the game. Finally, you can create your very own
signature pedal sounds using TC’s TonePrint
Editor!

TonePrint Editor features

– Use TonePrint Editor to build your own custom

sounds.

– Enjoy complete control over all effect parame-

ters and effect behavior – it’s your vision, your
sound.

– Customize knob function and knob range to

suit your needs and sounds.

– Audition your sonic creations in real-time live

– make changes on the fly and listen to results

immediately.
– Works with both PC and Mac.
Last but not least…
TonePrint Editor is absolutely free!

Getting and using TonePrint Editor

– Download TonePrint Editor for your computer

from tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/.
– Find the manual in your language at

tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/support/.

If you open the manual for TonePrint Editor

in Adobe Reader, you can click on interface

sections to jump directly to the sections of

the manual you are interested in.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 15

Kill-dry on/off

Bypass modes

Here at TC, we have a simply philosophy: When
you are using one of our products, you should
hear something great – and if you don’t, you
shouldn’t hear it at all. This is why this pedal
sports True Bypass. When it is bypassed, it is
really off and has zero influence on your tone, re­sulting in optimum clarity and zero loss of high­end. Also please note that the pedal lets your
dry, unprocessed sound pass without ever con­verting it to digital – keeping your original tone
pure and without any latency.

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

cor n e r.
– The upper DIP switch (the one closer to the

power in jack), switches between Tr u e By-

pass mode (default) and Buffered Bypass

mode.

True Bypass and Buffered
Bypass explained

True Bypass mode is a hard-wire bypass that

gives absolutely no coloration of tone when the
pedal is bypassed.

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 first 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 first and the last pedal in the signal chain to

Buffered Bypass mode.

Can you hear the difference between a pedal in
True Bypass or Buffered Bypass mode?

Maybe, maybe not – many factors apply: active/
passive pick-ups, single coil/humbucker, cable
quality, amp impedance and more. We cannot
give a single ultimate answer. Use your ears and
find the best solution for your setup!

Kill-dry on/off

When you activate Kill-dry, the direct signal is
removed from the pedal’s output. Use this mode
when you place the pedal in a parallel effects
loop.

Please refer to the Setup examples section of
this manual to decide whether you want the dry
signal at the pedal’s outputs or not.

To set Kill-dry 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
cor n e r.

– The lower DIP switch (the one further away

from the power in jack), switches between Kill­dry on and Kill-dry off mode.

! You can only remove the dry signal from the

signal path if you have selected Buffered By­pass mode using the upper DIP switch – see
previous section of this manual. Kill-dry is not
available in True Bypass mode.

True Buffered Kill-dry Kill-dry
Bypass Bypass off on

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 16

Getting support

Changing the battery

If you need to change the battery of your pedal,
proceed as follows:

– Unscrew the thumb-screw on the back of the

pedal and detach the back-plate.

– 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 fire 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.
– Dispose batteries according to local laws and

regulations.

Technical specifications

– Delay Types: 9 + TonePrint + Looper
– Max Delay length: 7seconds
– Max Loop length: Mono: 40seconds
– Stereo: 20seconds
– Mono/Stereo: Auto-sensing – automatic

Mono or True Stereo mode depending on the
connections used

– Bypass mode:

True Bypass (Buffered Bypass optional)
– Signal Circuitry: Analog Dry-Through
– Dimensions (W x D x H):

72 x 122 x 50mm / 2.8 x 4.8 x 2.0”
– Input Connector Types:

2 Standard ¼” jacks – mono/TS
– Output Connector Types:

2 Standard ¼” jacks – mono/TS
– Power Input: Standard 9V DC, centre nega-

tive >100mA (not supplied)
– Battery option: Standard 9V (not supplied)
– Input Impedance: 1 MΩ
– Output Impedance: 100 Ω

Getting support

If you still have questions about the product af­ter reading this manual, please get in touch with

TC Support:

http://tcelectronic.com/support/

Due to continuous development, these speci-

fications are subject to change without no-

tice.

Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 2.1 17