English Manual – 2014-09-01
PolyTune 2 Mini
Important Safety Instructions 1
EMC/EMI 2
About this manual 2
Introduction 3
Setup 4
Inputs, outputs, controls 5
1. Power input 5
2. Tuning mode button 5
3. Audio input 5
4. Audio output 5
5. Footswitch 5
6. Display 5
7. Ambilight sensor 6
How to use PolyTune 2 Mini 7
FAQ 8
True bypass 9
Technical specifications 9
Getting support 9
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 a
Important Safety Instructions
Important Safety Instructions
The lightning flash with an arrowhead
symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock to
persons.
The exclamation point within an equi-
lateral triangle is intended to alert the
user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
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!
– To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do
not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture
and objects filled with liquids, such as vases,
should not be placed on this apparatus.
– Do not install this device in a confined space.
Caution
You are cautioned that any change or modifications not expressly approved in this manual
could void your authority to operate this equipment.
Service
– All service must be performed by qualified
personnel.
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 1
About this manual
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:
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.
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!
– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
– Increase the separation between the equip-
ment and receiver.
– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/
TV technician for help.
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 2
Introduction
Introduction
Pol yTune 2 Mini:
Polyphonic tuning revisited
As the world’s first polyphonic tuner, the original
PolyTune took the hearts of guitarists by storm.
Features such as the MonoPoly technology
(which automatically detects whether you want
to tune a single string or all strings) made tuning a bass or guitar faster and easier than ever
before.
But at TC Electronic, we are all about moving forward, and so the obvious question was: How can
we improve on perfection?
Enter PolyTune 2 Mini.
Brighter than a thousand suns
When you need to tune, you need to tune. And
the last thing you want to worry about at that
moment is a display that is either too bright for
the club stage or unusable in the bright sun of
a late afternoon gig. The display on PolyTune2
Mini is primed with some of the brightest LEDs
you have ever laid your eyes on. And the ambient light sensor makes sure you get just the right
amount of brightness. It’s the best of/for both
worlds!
Strobe tuning
TC has received many requests from the guitar
community for a strobe tuner, so we added a
strobe mode, which is both lightning fast and ultra precise. And with a pitch detection accuracy
of ±0.1 Cent, (that’s 1/1000 of a semitone!) this is
the right tool for fine-tuning your precious instrument – wherever you may be.
Total recall
PolyTune 2 Mini stores your preferences. From
pitch reference to selected tuning mode, it hangs
on to this information even after it is powered
down – making sure you only have to set these
parameters once. And just to be safe, it will display the current settings when you plug in your
instrument. One less thing to worry about!
Of course, PolyTune 2 Mini still has all the features from the original PolyTune that users know
and love.
– PolyTune®: Tune all strings simultaneously
– For guitars and basses
– Supports Drop-D and capo tuning modes
– True bypass with silent tuning
PolyTune2 Mini will allow you to tune your instrument faster and easier than ever before, so you
can go back to doing the one thing we know you
care about: playing your music.
Please note that the information in this manual
applies both to PolyTune 2 Mini and PolyTune 2
Noir.
Enjoy!
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 3
Setup
Setup
Ready…
The PolyTune2 Mini box should contain the following items:
– 1 PolyTune2 Mini pedal
– 2 rubber feet for “non-velcro” pedalboard
mounting
– 1 TC Electronic sticker
– 1 leaflet about TC’s guitar FX product range.
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 power in socket of PolyTune2
Mini.
! Please note that PolyTune2 Mini does not
come with a power supply.
– Plug the power supply into a power outlet.
– Connect your instrument to the “in” jack on
the right side of the pedal using a ¼“ jack
cable.
– Connect the “out” jack on the left side of the
pedal to your amplifier using a ¼“ jack cable.
Get ready for a new
tuning experience!
Tuning your instrument with PolyTune2 Mini is
fast and intuitive. If you don’t feel like reading the
manual, just strum your instrument and watch
the display. We think you’ll like what you see.
If you want to learn more – read on!
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 4
Inputs, outputs, controls
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Inputs, outputs, controls
1. Power input
The power input of this pedal is a standard
5.5/2.1mm DC plug (centre = negative).
To power up your pedal, connect a power supply to its power input socket. PolyTune 2 Mini
requires a 9V power supply providing 100 mA
or more (not supplied). To minimize hum, use a
power supply with isolated outputs.
2. Tuning mode button
Set the tuning mode button according to the
instrument’s tuning. Use either standard (“e”)
or one of the several dropped tuning or capo
modes.
Tuning modes are explained in the following
section of this manual (“How to use PolyTune 2
Mini”).
The selected tuning mode is stored and will be
recalled when you power on PolyTune 2 Mini
again.
3. Audio input
Connect your instrument to the IN jack on the
right side of the pedal.
The audio input of this pedal is a standard ¼”
jack (mono/TS).
When you connect your instrument to the audio
input, the following information will be displayed:
– the reference pitch.
For best results, place PolyTune2 Mini in your
signal chain before your drive, distortion and vibrato pedals. A distorted or modulated signal is
harder to analyze.
4. Audio output
Connect the OUT jack of PolyTune2 Mini to the
input jack of the next device in the signal chain.
The audio output of this pedal is a standard ¼”
jack (mono/TS).
5. Footswitch
To turn the tuner on or off, just tap the footswitch.
Notes regarding tuning
and signal output
– When the tuner is active, the output will auto-
matically be muted for silent tuning.
– When the tuner is active and no signal is de-
tected, four red LEDs will light on the bottom
of the display, indicating that PolyTune2 Mini
is ready for tuning.
– PolyTune2 Mini features a true bypass circuit
that leaves your beloved tone unaltered when
the tuner is bypassed.
6. Display
The LEDs of the PolyTune2 Mini display are extremely bright; ensuring a clear readout even in
broad daylight.
– Standard (“STD”) or Drop D tuning mode
– the currently selected display mode
– the currently selected tuning mode
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 5
The various display modes are explained in the
following section of this manual (“How to use
PolyTune 2 Mini”).
Inputs, outputs, controls
7. Ambilight sensor
In the lower right corner of the display is a socalled ambilight sensor. It detects the strength of
the surrounding light and automatically adjusts
the display brightness accordingly. This ensures
you can see and correct your instrument’s tuning
under all conditions.
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 6
How to use PolyTune 2 Mini
How to use PolyTune 2 Mini
Chromatic vs. polyphonic tuning
A very simple guitar tuner will only allow you to
tune open strings, one string at a time – e.g. E, A,
d, g, b, and e’ for the standard tuning of a guitar.
PolyTune 2 Mini is a chromatic tuner – meaning it will detect and allow you to tune all twelve
notes of the scale.
But that’s not all. Other than a traditional tuner,
PolyTune 2 Mini allows you to play all your instrument’s string simultaneously when tuning.
PolyTune2 Mini will detect which strings need to
be tuned and indicate those strings in its display.
This allows you to tune your instrument much
fa ster.
Finally, you may have tuned one or all strings on
your instrument differently from standard tuning,
or you may be using a capo to change the playable length of the strings.
In all these situation, PolyTune 2 Mini has you
covered.
Display modes
PolyTune 2 Mini has two display modes: Needle mode and Strobe mode. To switch between
these modes, press and hold the Tuning mode
button (2).
– Needle mode (indicated by a “G” and the
center LED column lighting up).
– Strobe mode (indicated by a “G” and the
middle row of LEDs lighting up).
Needle mode
In Needle mode, when you tune a single string,
pitch is indicated by a column of five LEDs in
the upper part of the display, and the name of
the target note is displayed at the bottom of the
display.
If the string you are tuning is too low, LEDs to
the left of the center column will light up. If the
string is too high, LEDs to the right of the center
column will light up.
Tune the string until the middle column and the
middle row of green LEDs lights up. This means
you are “on target”.
Needle mode – A string in tune
Strobe mode
In Strobe mode, the difference between the
correct (target) frequency and the actual detected frequency is displayed by two indicators
simultaneously:
1. red LEDs to the left (pitch too low) or to the
right (pitch to high) of the center LED column
2. rotating segments in the display. The closer
the detected frequency is to the target frequency, the slower the rotation.
Tune the string until the rotating pattern has
come to a stop and only the middle column of
green LED lights up.
Polyphonic tuning
As you know by now, PolyTune2 Mini is a poly-
phonic tuner. You can strum your instrument,
and PolyTune2 Mini will analyze and display the
tuning of all strings.
So how do you activate polyphonic tuning mode?
You don’t – it just works. Strum, tune, rock on!
Strum your guitar. Strings that are in tune will
be represented by two green LEDs. Strings that
need tuning are represented by two red LEDs
below (flat) or above (sharp) the middle row.
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 7
FAQ
Alternate tunings and capos
There’s more to life than E A d g b e’! You may
have tuned all strings of your instruments down,
or you may be using a capo. In that case, tell
PolyTune2 Mini about your instrument’s tuning
by pressing the Tuning mode button (2).
FAQ
“I’m not hearing anything!”
When the tuner is active, the output will be muted for silent tuning.
Tune your guitar and strum again. Your instrument is in tune when all strings are represented
by two green LEDs in the middle row.
Of course, only the strings that are actually present and played will be shown in the display.
Drop D tuning
“Drop D” is a popular tuning (also known as
DADGBE) in which the lowest string of a guitar is
tuned down (“dropped”) from E to D.
– If you want to tune an instrument set to
“Drop D”, press and hold the PolyTune2 Mini
footswitch for about three seconds.
The word “DROP” will be displayed briefly,
and the default “ready for tuning” indicator at
the bottom of the display will change from a
small square to a “d”.
– If you want to switch PolyTune2 Mini back
to standard tuning, press and hold the footswitch for three seconds again.
“STD” will be displayed briefly, and the “ready
for tuning” indicator will go back to a small
square.
If you press the tune mode button once, the current tuning will be displayed (“-- E--” for standard tuning). Pressing the tune button repeatedly
will cycle through the following tunings:
Display Mode
--- E --- Standard tuning
Eb All strings tuned down 1 semitone
D All strings tuned down 2 semitones
Db All strings tuned down 3 semitones
C All strings tuned down 4 semitones
B All strings tuned down 5 semitones
F 1 capo at first fret
Gb 2 capo at second fret
G 3 capo at third fret
Ab 4 capo at fourth fret
A 5 capo at fifth fret
Bb 6 capo at sixth fret
B 7 capo at seventh fret
If you do not touch the tune mode button for two
seconds, the display will blink twice, and the selected tuning will be used.
The selected tuning mode is stored and will be
recalled when you power on PolyTune 2 Mini
again.
“The pedal has power supply,
but pressing the footswitch
doesn’t do anything!”
To operate PolyTune2 Mini, 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 PolyTune2 Mini is not bypassed and ready to display
the pitches of your instrument’s strings. Please
note that this also means that PolyTune2 Mini’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.
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 8
Getting support
True bypass
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.
Technical specifications
– Input Connector Type:
1 Standard ¼” jack – mono/TS
– Output Connector Type:
1 Standard ¼” jack – mono/TS
– Tuning Range: A0 (27.5Hz) to C8 (4186Hz)
– Tuning Accuracy: ±0.1cent
– Reference Pitch: A4 = 440Hz
– Input Impedance: 500kΩ (pedal on)
– Power Input: Standard 9V DC,
centre negative >100mA
(power supply not included)
– Current Draw: 45 to 50mA (typical use)
– Dimensions (W x D x H):
51 x 93 x 45mm / 2 x 3.66 x1.77”
– Weight: 160g / 10.6oz
Due to continuous development, these speci-
fications are subject to change without no-
tice.
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/
PolyTune 2 Mini English Manual – 2014-09-01 9
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