TC ELECTRONIC PolyTune 3 User Manual

POLYTUNE 3

Ultra-Compact Polyphonic Tuner with Multiple Tuning Modes
and Built-In BONAFIDE BUFFER

User Manual

2 POLYTUNE 3 User Manual

Table of Contents

Important Safety Instructions ...................................... 3

Legal Disclaimer ............................................................. 3

Limited warranty ............................................................ 3

1. About this Manual ..................................................... 4

2. Introduction ............................................................... 4

2.1 Unpacking ............................................................................. 4

2.2 Setting up .............................................................................. 4

2.3 Get ready for a new tuning experience! ................... 4

2.4 True Bypass ........................................................................... 5

2.5 Brighter than a thousand suns ...................................... 5

2.6 Strobe tuning ...................................................................... 5

2.7 Total recall ............................................................................. 5

3. Operation – Inputs, Outputs

and Controls ................................................................... 5

4. Operation – Tuning with POLYTUNE 3 ..................... 6

4.1 Chromatic vs. polyphonic tuning ................................ 6

4.2 Display modes ..................................................................... 6

4.3 Needle mode ....................................................................... 6

4.4 Strobe mode........................................................................ 7

4.5 Polyphonic tuning.............................................................. 7

4.6 Drop D tuning ...................................................................... 7

4.7 4.7 Alternate tunings and capos .................................. 7

4.8 Changing the reference pitch ........................................ 7

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) .......................... 8

6. Operation – Bypass Mode ......................................... 8

6.1 True Bypass and Buered Bypass explained ............ 8

6.2 Switching between True Bypass and

Buered Bypass ........................................................................... 8

7. Maintenance ............................................................... 8

7.1 Updating the rmware ...................................................... 8

7.2 Changing the battery ........................................................ 9

8. Links ............................................................................ 9

9. Specications ............................................................. 9

3 POLYTUNE 3 User Manual

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized

20. Please keep the environmental aspects of battery

or statement contained herein. Technical speci cations,

Important Safety Instructions

Terminals marked with this symbol carry
electrical current of su cient magnitude

to constitute risk of electric shock.
Use only high-quality professional speaker cables with
¼" TS or twist-locking plugs pre-installed. Allother
installation or modi cation should be performed only
by quali edpersonnel.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to the presence of uninsulated

dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure-voltage that may be su cient to constitute a
risk ofshock.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to important operating and

maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Please read the manual.

Caution

To reduce the risk of electric shock, donot

remove the top cover (or the rear section).
No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to
quali ed personnel.

Caution

To reduce the risk of  re or electric shock,

do not expose this appliance to rain and
moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping
or splashing liquids and no objects  lled with liquids,
suchas vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

Caution

These service instructions are for use

by quali ed service personnel only.
Toreduce the risk of electric shock do not perform any
servicing other than that contained in the operation
instructions. Repairs have to be performed by quali ed
servicepersonnel.

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 ampli ers) that produce heat.

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  t 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. Use only attachments/accessories speci ed by
themanufacturer.

12. Use only with the
cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table speci ed 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 quali ed 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.

15. The apparatus shall be connected to a MAINS socket
outlet with a protective earthing connection.

16. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is
used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readily operable.

17. Correct disposal of this
product: This symbol indicates that
this product must not be disposed
of with household waste,
according to the WEEE Directive
(2012/19/EU) and your national

law. This product should be taken
to a collection center licensed for the recycling of waste
electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The
mishandling of this type of waste could have a possible
negative impact on the environment and human health
due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally
associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperation
in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to
the e cient use of natural resources. For more
information about where you can take your waste
equipment for recycling, please contact your local city
o ce, or your household waste collection service.

18. Do not install in a con ned space, such as a book
case or similar unit.

19. Do not place naked  ame sources, such as lighted
candles, on the apparatus.

disposal in mind. Batteries must be disposed-of at a
battery collection point.

21. Use this apparatus in tropical and/or
moderate climates.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

MUSIC Group accepts no liability for any loss which
may be su ered by any person who relies either
wholly or in part upon any description, photograph,

appearances and other information are subject to
change without notice. All trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. MIDAS, KLARK TEKNIK,
LAB GRUPPEN, LAKE, TANNOY, TURBOSOUND,
TC ELECTRONIC, TC HELICON, BEHRINGER, BUGERA
and DDA are trademarks or registered trademarks
of MUSIC Group IP Ltd. © MUSIC Group IP Ltd.
2017 All rights reserved.

LIMITED WARRANTY

For the applicable warranty terms and conditions
and additional information regarding MUSIC Group’s
Limited Warranty, please see complete details online at
music-group.com/warranty.

4 POLYTUNE 3 User Manual

1. About this Manual

Thank you for spending your hard-earned money on this TC ELECTRONIC product!
We have done our best to ensure that it will ser ve you for many years to come,
and we hope that you will enjoy using it.

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

Please read this manual in full, or you may miss
important information.

Please do not operate your TC device before you have made all connections
to external equipment as described in the “2.3 Setting Up” section. In the
subsequent sections of the manual, we assume that all connections are made
correctly and that you are familiar with the previous sections.

We reserve the right to change the contents of this
manual at any time.

To download the most current version of this manual, view the product warranty,
and access the growing FAQ database for this product, visit the web page
tcelectronic.com/support/

2. Introduction

As the world’s first polyphonic tuner, the original POLYTUNE took the hear ts
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.

2.2 Setting up

Connect a 9 V power supply with the following symbol to the DC input socket of
your TC ELECTRONIC effect pedal.

This product does not come with a power supply. We recommend using
TC ELECTRONIC’s PowerPlug 9 (sold separately).

• You can also power POLYTUNE 3 using a standard 9V battery (not included),

but if you intend to power additional pedals using the power out jack, you
need to use a power supply. Plug the power supply into a power outlet.

• 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 amplier using a

¼" jack cable.

• If you have another 9 V guitar pedal that you want to power, connect it to the

power out socket on the rear of the pedal.

2.3 Get ready for a new tuning experience!

Tuning your instrument with POLYTUNE 3 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.

So how do you make the best-selling polyphonic tuner even better? You take
it to the next level by: providing multiple tuning modes, including polyphonic,
chromatic, strobe and a variety of altered tunings; adding an onboard BONAFIDE
BUFFER to preserve your tone over long cable runs and pedal board signal paths;
and upgrading the LED display for even higher tuning accuracy.

Enter POLYTUNE 3.

2.1 Unpacking

Your TC ELECTRONIC effect pedal box should contain the following items:

• Your TC ELECTRONIC eect pedal

• 1 TC ELECTRONIC sticker

• 1 Quick Start Guide for quick information about the pedal’s controls

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.

If you want to learn more – read on!