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Pros:
- Quiet operation
- Easy to use
- True bypass
Cons:
- Bottom part is plastic
- A bit hard to read in daylight
No matter how professional you consider yourself to be, there is no way you will not need a tuner in your career. These little devices are the starting point of any sounds since they make sure whatever you play is correct. There is nothing worse than inaccurate tones because they have the ability to ruin every freaking thing. All your sophisticated chords, layered effects and meticulous modifications will be in vain if the core of your sound is impure. And that’s why you need a tuner in your life.
You can choose almost any type out there but all the gigging musicians will concur that their pedal variation is the best creation for live performances. These are the units that don’t require complicated features in order to be wonderful. They can be simple as hell and still maintain their place in the upper league. The ease of usage can turn into an important advantage in most cases and the pedal we are going to talk about today wins the hearts of its customers with that very property. Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a straightforward tool for correcting your pitch. It will provide you with a wonderful performance and turn into a first aid kit for all those emergency situations. Let’s begin this review and dive into all the tiny crevices!
Features
The most important qualities of any tuner out there are precision and accurate tracking. Without these two, nothing else makes any sense. Korg knew that well from their previous experience and created something that does both with excellence. Pitchblack recognizes your signal and corrects any mistakes that are caused by loosened or tightened strings. It mutes the pedal so that you can tune your sound silently.
This way your audience won’t drool from boredom while you are messing around with your instrument and you will be spared from embarrassment. It features a high-contrast, ultra-bright LED display with adjustable brightness, ensuring excellent visibility even in the darkest performance environments. The large display makes tuning easy and fast, helping musicians stay in tune with minimal effort.
The Pitchblack X offers ±0.1 cent tuning accuracy in strobe mode, making it an excellent choice for players who require ultra-precise tuning. It includes four distinct display modes: Regular, Strobe, Half-Strobe, and Mirror, allowing musicians to choose the mode that best suits their playing style and preferences.
A standout feature is the Ultra Buffer, which maintains signal integrity across long cable runs, preventing tone loss that can occur with standard bypass setups. This ensures a clear, strong signal whether the tuner is on or off. Additionally, its true bypass mode allows for completely unaffected sound when disengaged.
With a robust aluminum body, the Pitchblack X is built to withstand the rigors of live performance. Its compact design fits easily into pedalboards, making it a reliable and essential tool for any guitarist or bassist.
Controls
The Korg Pitchblack X Tuner features a simple yet effective control layout, making it easy to use for both beginners and professionals. The footswitch is the primary control, allowing users to activate or bypass the tuner with a single press. It also supports long-press functionality to toggle between True Bypass and Ultra Buffer modes.
On the side of the pedal, a brightness adjustment button lets players customize the LED display brightness, ensuring optimal visibility in different lighting conditions. The display mode button allows users to switch between the four tuning display options: Regular, Strobe, Half-Strobe, and Mirror, providing flexibility based on personal preference.
The input and output jacks are conveniently placed for easy integration into pedalboards. A 9V DC input/output enables power sharing with other pedals. With its intuitive controls, the Pitchblack X ensures quick, precise tuning without disrupting a performance.
Korg Pitchblack Sound
Due to the fact that tuners don’t have any audible effect on your sound, it is always a bit tricky to judge their sonic abilities. However, there are some rules they should follow and Korg Pitchblack nails them all with ease. It offers transparent operation – there is no way it will color your tone or interfere with its qualities. It does so whether it is active or not, guarantee that your signal will remain in tune without sacrificing its precious properties. What is more, this pedal has smooth tracking in all four modes.
The only thing that changes is the design of the display – everything else remains amazing throughout the whole experience. Adjustable calibration makes it possible to tailor this unit to your instrument and preferences, and acts as a go-to tool no matter if you are playing with bass or guitar. This puppy knows how to do its job and won’t disappoint you. It offers consistent and reliable operation and, thus, secures its place on your pedalboard. We can’t really ask for more from tuners, so this one is easily one of the best in its price range.
Conclusion
On the whole, Korg Pitchblack is something you can’t go wrong with. It offers easy operation and makes sure you are in tune all the time. It doesn’t have any sophisticated features, yet its properties are more than enough to turn it into a decent rival in the competition. Unless you are looking for a polyphonic tuner or something that has studio quality, this one is definitely worth trying out. Pitchblack will be by your side for all those times when you need a quick fix for your sound. Good luck!
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