Korg Pitchblack True Bypass Chromatic Tuner Pedal with 4 Display Modes

by Korg

Product Features

• Tuning: 12 note equal temperament
• Detection range: E0 (20.60 Hz) -- C8 (4186 Hz)
• Calibration range: 436--445 Hz (1 Hz steps)
• Display modes (auto): Full Strobe, Half Strobe, Meter, and Mirror
• Input impedance: 1 M ohms (when tuner is on)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0015RIN6U
• Item model number: PITCHBLACK
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #11 in Musical Instruments > Instrument Accessories > Guitar & Bass Accessories > Tuners
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 13, 2004

Product Description

Pitchblack True Bypass Chromatic Tuner Pedal

Korg's Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is ideal for the gigging musician. Its effect-pedal proportions make Pitchblack a welcome addition to any pedalboard; it can even power your other effects. The light-emitting-surface is viewable in daylight, stage light, or no light at all.

The ideal guitar pedal tuner for the gigging musician

Provides a DC OUT jack that can supply power to other effect pedals. View larger

The Must-Have Pedal Tuner for the Guitarist or Bassist

High precision, advanced functionality, and sleek style make this guitar/bass pedal tuner from Korg the most advanced one yet. The Korg Pitchblack Guitar Tuner is the same size as a compact effect unit, and features a tough aluminum die cast body that will endure hard use on the road or in the studio. While small in size, this strobe pedal tuner boasts a large; easy to read LED meter with a light-emitting surface for excellent visibility in any setting from daylight, to stage light and to no light at all, as well as an extremely smooth eleven-segment LED meter that allows accurate visual tuning from any angle. With a red LED that indicates the on/off status, a large note name display, and a tuning guide that indicates whether your instrument is sharp or flat, you'll always be able to tune quickly and accurately in any situation. The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner provides a tuning range of E0 (20.60 Hz) to C8 (4,186 Hz), and adjustable calibration between 436--445 Hz.

The light-emitting surface is viewable in daylight, stage light, or no light at all. View larger

Designed to fit conveniently into your pedal board system. View larger

Four Display Modes

The Korg Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner features an LED meter that can be switched between four display modes including: Meter mode, Full Strobe mode, Half Strobe mode and Mirror mode.

Meter Mode

Similar to using a needle meter, tune your instrument with this chromatic pedal tuner so that the green LED in the center of the LED display lights and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The tuning LEDs will be to the right of center if your instrument is sharp, and to the left of the center if it is flat.

Full Strobe Mode

Using this guitar or bass pedal tuner, tune your instrument so that the LED meters stop streaming and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The LED meters will stream from left to right if your instrument is sharp and from right to left if it is flat.

Half Strobe Mode

Tune your instrument so that the LED meters stop streaming and only the green LED in the center is lit and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The LED meters will stream to the right of center if your instrument is sharp, and to the left of center if it is flat. When the pitch is correct, only the center LED will be lit.

Mirror Mode

Tune your instrument so that the two LEDs on the left and right sides of the center LED meet in the middle and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The pitch lit LEDs will spread farther apart the more your instrument is out of tune. The left tuning guide will light if your instrument is flat, and the right tuning guide will light if it is sharp.

100% True Bypass Output Keeps Your Tone Intact

The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner mutes the input signal for silent tuning, and when you're not tuning, the input is passed directly to the output jack without being affected by any circuitry (True Bypass). Therefore, even if you connect this chromatic pedal tuner between several of your favorite pedals, the signal will pass without going through the internal buffer amp, ensuring that the sounds you've created using your effects will not be colored in any way. The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is designed to coexist transparently with other effect pedals.

Power Your Other Pedals

The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is designed to fit conveniently into your pedal board system. This chromatic pedal tuner provides a DC OUT jack that can supply power to other effect pedals when the optional AC adapter is used. By connecting optional DC cables, you can supply up to 200 mA of power to multiple effect pedals, simplifying the power connections in your pedal board.

Pitchblack True Bypass Chromatic Tuner Pedal Korg's Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is ideal for the gigging musician. Its effect-pedal proportions make Pitchblack a welcome addition to any pedalboard; it can even power your other effects. The light-emitting-surface is viewable in daylight, stage light, or no light at all. The ideal guitar pedal tuner for the gigging musician Provides a DC OUT jack that can supply power to other effect pedals. View larger The Must-Have Pedal Tuner for the Guitarist or Bassist High precision, advanced functionality, and sleek style make this guitar/bass pedal tuner from Korg the most advanced one yet. The Korg Pitchblack Guitar Tuner is the same size as a compact effect unit, and features a tough aluminum die cast body that will endure hard use on the road or in the studio. While small in size, this strobe pedal tuner boasts a large; easy to read LED meter with a light-emitting surface for excellent visibility in any setting from daylight, to stage light and to no light at all, as well as an extremely smooth eleven-segment LED meter that allows accurate visual tuning from any angle. With a red LED that indicates the on/off status, a large note name display, and a tuning guide that indicates whether your instrument is sharp or flat, you'll always be able to tune quickly and accurately in any situation. The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner provides a tuning range of E0 (20.60 Hz) to C8 (4,186 Hz), and adjustable calibration between 436--445 Hz. The light-emitting surface is viewable in daylight, stage light, or no light at all. View larger Designed to fit conveniently into your pedal board system. View larger Four Display Modes The Korg Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner features an LED meter that can be switched between four display modes including: Meter mode, Full Strobe mode, Half Strobe mode and Mirror mode. Meter Mode Similar to using a needle meter, tune your instrument with this chromatic pedal tuner so that the green LED in the center of the LED display lights and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The tuning LEDs will be to the right of center if your instrument is sharp, and to the left of the center if it is flat. Full Strobe Mode Using this guitar or bass pedal tuner, tune your instrument so that the LED meters stop streaming and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The LED meters will stream from left to right if your instrument is sharp and from right to left if it is flat. Half Strobe Mode Tune your instrument so that the LED meters stop streaming and only the green LED in the center is lit and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The LED meters will stream to the right of center if your instrument is sharp, and to the left of center if it is flat. When the pitch is correct, only the center LED will be lit. Mirror Mode Tune your instrument so that the two LEDs on the left and right sides of the center LED meet in the middle and both tuning guide LEDs are lit. The pitch lit LEDs will spread farther apart the more your instrument is out of tune. The left tuning guide will light if your instrument is flat, and the right tuning guide will light if it is sharp. 100% True Bypass Output Keeps Your Tone Intact The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner mutes the input signal for silent tuning, and when you're not tuning, the input is passed directly to the output jack without being affected by any circuitry (True Bypass). Therefore, even if you connect this chromatic pedal tuner between several of your favorite pedals, the signal will pass without going through the internal buffer amp, ensuring that the sounds you've created using your effects will not be colored in any way. The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is designed to coexist transparently with other effect pedals. Power Your Other Pedals The Pitchblack Guitar Pedal Tuner is designed to fit conveniently into your pedal board system. This chromatic pedal tuner provides a DC OUT jack that can supply power to other effect pedals when the optional AC adapter is used. By connecting optional DC cables, you can supply up to 200 mA of power to multiple effect pedals, simplifying the power connections in your pedal board.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for working musician October 26, 2008

By William Darrow

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this Korg after losing a prior tuner after many years of gigging. Researched on several on-line boards and alot of guys recommended. Wanted something easy to use on a dark stage, tough, and not too expensive. This fits the bill: am satisfied after several months of use. The bright, highly visible read-out cannot be missed or misunderstood. That's what you want tuning in a hurry, on cluttered, dark stages. The unit is happy living in a jumbled gig bag. Battery lasts a long time. Leave your guitar plugged in (bypass) during a set, or simply keep the unit on your amp to use in-between sets. My bass player used it recently too with no problem. Expect to have this for years.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything anyone needs in a stage tuner August 25, 2010

By Ian M. Mcclintock

This is pretty much the ideal tuner, as far as I'm concerned. It's true-bypass, brilliantly visible and easy to read on a dark stage, accurate, small footprint, durable, powers all your other pedals, and is under $100, especially if bought used...its virtues are many and varied. If you've been using a cheap crappy tuner like I was, you'll notice the difference all the more.

If you want a hyper-accurate tuner for some kind of technical work, the Pitchblack's tolerances might not be quite what you're looking for. But as far as stage tuners go, it's got a tighter tolerance than the Boss stompbox.

If you want a buffer in your chain, this pedal won't supply it, as it is true-bypass.

If you want to hear your strings ringing out while you tune, this is not the pedal for you. The output is muted while the tuner is engaged. I prefer not to make my audience listen to me tune, so for me this is a non-issue. Plus, I like being able to use the pedal as a killswitch.

These are the only circumstances I can think of where there might be a valid reason not to buy a Pitchblack right this instant.

EDIT: After some time with this pedal, I've noticed that when used to power other pedals, some of them don't like being daisy-chained from this pedal's power output, most notably tremolos. But when the daisy-chain cable is connected straight to the power supply and the Pitchblack is powered like any other pedal, the problem vanishes. Kind of strange, and I figured worth noting here, but I don't consider it enough of a problem to take any points off or recommend this box any less.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great True Bypass Tuner! March 28, 2010

By Chasing Static

Amazon Verified Purchase

Al my other band mates were yelling at me to pick up an inline tuner for my instruments, so after prolonging my purchase I picked up this pedal, and I'm glad I did. My band mates all use the Boss tuner pedal's but I didn't want to spend $100 on a pedal that wasn't true bypass. For those out there who are unaware of what this means, there are two main ideas. When your instrument is plugged into the input, it is only active when stepping on the pedal. This was crucial for me because if you are running on a 9V battery and forget to unplug after practice, your battery would be toast. With this pedal its only active when you step on the trigger. Another thing about True bypass, is that when the pedal is not in use and is "bypassed" there is no change to the signal leaving your instrument. Other competitors pedals that are not True Bypass will muddy your sound a bit by dropping the signal level as it passes through the pedal.

Construction of this pedal is very durable, metal case, you could probably drop it off the roof of a building, not that I would try, but you know what I mean. The display is fantastic for low lit stages or practice spaces. It doesn't use little LED's like competitors, it is very visible, and has multiple display settings to make sure you are accurately tuned. The battery life is also very resilient with this pedal. And I use dollar store 9V's. I don't think there is more to say about this pedal. I bought it offline for a price that was significantly cheaper than competitors, and I probably would have paid more for it now.