The new TonePrint iPhone app from TC Electronic almost has to be seen to be believed. It's fortunate, then, that we have a video all about it.
Now here at TG, we're not exactly technophobic. We've reviewed (and liked) the Fret King Supermatic, which bedazzled us with its subtle self-tuning capabilities, we've championed the rise of Fractal Audio's Axe-FX II and we wet our tiny pants over the recent arrival of Garageband on the iPhone.
None of that, however, prepared us for the pure magic technical prowess of TC Electronic's new TonePrint app, which allows the transfer of TonePrint presets from the iPhone to your TonePrint pedals without the use of wi-fi, Bluetooth or wired connection.
Instead it uses magnets to transfer a signal from your iPhone to the guitar's pickups, which is then sent along the cable to the pedal and loads the new TonePrint preset.
All you need to practise this dark art is a TonePrint pedal, the latest firmware update and the TonePrint iPhone app (there's an Android version on the way), of which the latter two are free.
Magnets sending through the pickup in your guitar????
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 6:36 pm
by stewart
it's kind of a similar idea to the way you could back up/restore data with tape in the 80s, just that the guitar pickup 'hears' the noise rather than using a cable to transfer it.
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 6:44 pm
by Doog
It's like an old skool modem or a Commodore loading up!
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 6:46 pm
by Pens
Yeah, I get how it works, but how does the iPhone transmit it? Pickups aren't microphonic.
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:16 pm
by serfx
super strange.. very cool
and something i have no use for. but still
BLACK MAGIC!
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:22 pm
by Pens
And now I'm interested in hearing how their vibrato pedal sounds. There are used ones up on GC's web site. I want to check them out now.
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:39 pm
by Doog
Pens wrote:Yeah, I get how it works, but how does the iPhone transmit it? Pickups aren't microphonic.
Isn't it just using the speaker on the bottom? Pickups will pick up any electromagnetic shit, especially that of a speaker.
I guess in the "listen" mode, the pedal is super sensitive for the frequencies it's looking for, so it doesn't need to be a mad-strong signal. I'd imagine what we're hearing in the video is what's coming out of the iPhone rather than what is actually being picked up by the guitar/amp.
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:42 pm
by A_saVANT
Someone call the Crusaders!
PAGANZ!!1!
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:07 pm
by THEGREATJONZINI
would everything have to be dead quiet? so no gig use?
our next song is called "beep beep scuuuhhrruuuuhhhh" aka "America online"
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:37 pm
by timhulio
Ah, this takes me back. Um, 27 years... christ!
[youtube][/youtube]
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:03 pm
by Dannymec
This is bonkers!
But i feel like the digitech pedal with the ipad dock is a lot more convenient.
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:30 pm
by Sloan
Yeah, but what's the point? Just changing the settings of a pedal?
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:57 pm
by Mike
Dannymec wrote:This is bonkers!
But i feel like the digitech pedal with the ipad dock is a lot more convenient.
Pfft. Who wants an iPad on stage?
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:42 pm
by Viljami
Bloody hipsters.
Also, what if you only want the transmitting sound?
Witchcraft!!!