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 3 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
Important Safety
Instructions
LIMITED WARRANTY
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
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. Allother
installation or modi cation should be performed only
by quali edpersonnel.
This symbol, wherever it appears,
alertsyou to the presence of uninsulated
dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure-voltage that may be su cient to constitute a
risk ofshock.
This symbol, wherever it appears,
alertsyou to important operating and
maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Please read the manual.
Caution
To reduce the risk of electric shock, donot
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,
suchas vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.
Caution
These service instructions are for use
by quali ed ser vice personnel only.
Toreduce 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
servicepersonnel.
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.
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. Ifthe
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
themanufacturer.
12. Use only with the
cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table speci ed by the
manufacturer, orsold 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
beendropped.
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.
20. Please keep the environmental aspects of battery
disposal in mind. Batteries must be disposed-of at a
battery collection point.
21. Use this apparatus in tropical and/or
moderate climates.
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,
or statement contained herein. Technical speci cations,
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.
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 5 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 serve you for many years to come,
and we hope that you will enjoy using it.
This manual is available as a PD
F 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 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.
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.
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 separate
ly).
• • 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.
• • 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.
If you want to learn more – read on!
2.4 True Bypass
Here at TC ELECTRONIC, we have a simple 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 o and has zero in uence on your tone, resulting in optimum clarity and
zero loss of high end.
POLYTUNE 3 lets you switch between True Bypass and Bu ered Bypass modes,
the latter giving you an “always on” option that keeps the tuner in full operation
– even when your signal is not muted. Tuning made simple and more e cient
than ever.
Sometimes, it is advisable to switch an e ect pedal from True Bypass to Bu ered
Bypass mode. For more information, see “6.2 Switching between True Bypass to
Bu ered Bypass”.
2.5 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 POLYTUNE 3 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!
2.6 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 ne-tuning your precious instrument – wherever you may be.
2.7 Total recall
POLYTUNE 3 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 3 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
• • Bu ered bypass to compensate for long cable runs
• • DC output for powering other pedals
POLYTUNE 3 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.
Enjoy!
3. Operation – Inputs, Outputs
and Controls
(1) POWER input To power up your pedal, connect a power supply to its power
input socket. POLYTUNE 3 requires a 9V power supply providing 100 mA or
more (not supplied). To minimize hum, use a power supply with
isolated outputs.
The power input of this pedal is a standard 5.5/2.1 mm DC plug
(centre = negative).
(2) POWER output If you use are using an external power supply to power
POLYTUNE 3, you can use the power out jack of POLYTUNE 3 to provide power
to other, daisy-chained guitar pedals.
• • Make sure that your power supply delivers su cient power to cover the
power consumption of all connected pedals.
• • Current draw on pedals daisy-chained to the power out jack may not
exceed 2A.
(3) 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 3”).
The selected tuning mode is stored and will be recalled when you power on
POLYTUNE 3 again.
(4) USB port If there should be rmware updates for this pedal, they can be
installed by connecting it to your computer using this port.
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