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Today we are going to review the TC Electronic Polytune 3 polyphonic guitar tuner pedal, talk about all its features, and compare it with the Polytune 3 Mini version. Keep in mind that we will be reviewing two models of tuners at the same time - Polytune 3 and Polytune 3 Mini, as both models are identical in all specifications and features. We will mainly review the TC Electronic Polytune 3, but everything we will say about this model will also apply to the Mini version (going ahead we will say that they differ only in size). The company TC Electronic is well-known among musicians for producing effects, guitar pedals, and accessories. Among a wide range of products, a special place in the catalog of the Danish company is occupied by a line of Polytune tuners, available as clips and guitar pedals. Polytune polyphonic tuners are loved by many guitarists around the world for their tuning accuracy, quality construction and stylish appearance.
In 2018, TC Electronic released the third version of its flagship tuner in the Polytune pedal format. The updated Polytune 3 offers several new features over its predecessor and is designed to make tuning your instrument easier with multiple modes of operation and the ability to analyze and tune all strings simultaneously. Shortly thereafter, TC Electronic released the Polytune 3 Mini, which became a worldwide hit and bestseller among guitar tuners. We've spent a few weeks with the tuners and are ready to tell you if the Polytune 3 & Polytune 3 Mini are as good as they say they are. But as usual, we will start our TC Electronic Polytune 3 review with the specifications of the devices.
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Best Price on TC Electronic Polytune 3 (Mini)
The TC Electronic PolyTune 3 is an exceptional guitar tuner pedal that offers a perfect blend of innovation, accuracy, and versatility. |
Classic Package
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TC Electronic Polytune 3 comes in a small box. In addition to the tuner itself, the package contains a sticker with the company logo and a user's manual. As with most pedals, no 9V power supply is included. We also want to note that the Polytune 3 Mini comes with rubberized anti-slip pads, while the classic version of the Polytune 3 already has 4 rubberized pads from the factory.
At first glance, the tuner makes a good impression. The case is well assembled, all elements fit tightly together, and nothing squeaks or dangles outside or inside the tuner. The carefully painted case is very strong (I don't know how you can use Polytune 3 to break it), but it is light - the pedal weighs about 300 grams and 160 grams weighs the Mini version.
On the top of the device, there is a display with LEDs protected by special glass, which occupies almost a third of the pedal. The information on the screen is easy to read: the elements are bright and large, clearly distinguishable in all lighting conditions. TC Electronic offers a three-year warranty on the display and protective glass - they promise that nothing will happen to it during this time under normal use.
Below the display, there is a switch (footswitch) to turn on the tuner, which can be pressed in two different ways. A normal press turns the tuner on and off while pressing the switch for a few seconds allows you to select whether you want to tune in Standard or Drop-Re (works for guitars and basses). The switch stroke is light, smooth, and requires only a small amount of force to press.
On the back of Polytune 3, there are two power adapter connectors: one for powering the tuner itself, and the other for powering another pedal in the chain. There is also a microUSB-A port for connecting to a computer and updating the firmware, and two buttons for switching the tuner's operating modes. The buttons protrude slightly from the body to minimize accidental pressing. The buttons are easy to press, there is no need to press hard. Polytune 3 Mini has only one power connector, directly for the power supply of the tuner, which is not located on the back, but on the right side of the housing.
The DISPLAY button is responsible for changing the tuning instruments and display modes (guitar, bass, tuning one string or all at once). In turn, the TUNING button selects alternative strings for tuning - you can specify the presence of a capo on the 1st-7th fret or select a semitone string (up to 5 down). Pressing the buttons together puts the tuner in pitch tuning mode: the guitarist can choose which frequency to use as the starting frequency within a range of 435 to 445 Hz (default is 440 Hz). Despite the various operating scenarios and tuning options, the tuner does not inform the guitarist in any way how it is now working - this information should always be kept in mind. Note that Polytune 3 Mini does not have a TUNING button, the unit will only default to a reference pitch of 440 Hz.
The lack of information about the tuner's operating status is apparent when you unplug the pedal and don't use it for a while (for example, on your way from home to a concert). The tuner has its own memory that remembers all the selected settings even after disconnection, but when you turn it on again, the pedal does not remind you how it works.
At first glance, there is nothing remarkable on the bottom panel: an information sticker, rubber feet, a special rotating cover that opens access to the compartment for installing a 9V battery. Unfortunately, battery power is only available in the classic version of Polytune 3, the mini version does not have this feature, and the bottom panel of the Polytune 3 Mini is not removable.
If you remove the bottom of the TC Electronic Polytune 3, you will find not only the battery compartment but also two small switches on the top of the pedal. Depending on the position of the switches, the guitarist can use the built-in Bonafide Buffer in "off" or "always on" mode, or not use it at all by switching the pedal to bypass mode. The decision to place these controls inside the pedal itself is a wise one-you don't have to worry about the tuner picking up the signal during the performance from accidental heavy pedal pressure or other influences. In Polytune 3 Mini, these switches are located on the left side of the housing.
Here we get to the main part of our TC Electronic Polytune 3 review, let's take a look at the killer features of this device. The main innovation in Polytune 3 is the introduction of a new analog Bonafide Buffer, borrowed from TC Electronic's pedal of the same name. The buffer replaces the usual bypass and serves two purposes:
The solution is convenient: during concerts and recordings, you can keep the tuner always plugged into the circuit, without fear that it will affect the sound in any way. There are no differences from the usual bypass, Polytune simply takes a copy of the audio signal into the buffer, from where it works with it without any delays, distortions and limitations in the functionality of the tuner. At the same time, if for any reason you do not trust the buffer or are not sure of its work, it can be completely disabled and replaced by the usual bypass to tune in the old-fashioned way.
The Polytune 3 and Mini can operate in three modes: strobe, polyphonic, and chromatic tuner. The strobe tuner is designed for extremely precise tuning of instruments with an accuracy of ±0.1 cents (1/1000th of a semitone). Polyphonic and chromatic tuning modes provide a tuning accuracy of ±0.5 cents.
Polyphonic tuning has been an integral part of the tuner since the first Polytune model was released in 2010. It allows the guitarist to tune all the strings on a guitar or bass simultaneously, and the tuner can automatically detect how the guitarist is tuning the instrument. Simply swipe all strings to display the tuning state in the form of six bars in the center of the display. Tuned strings are colored green, while out-of-tune strings are colored red and move up or down from the center bar depending on the sound. This visibility is useful for owners of guitars with tremolo systems, where tuning one string changes the tension of another-you can always see which string is out of tune.
However, the polyphonic mode lacks precision (no complaints here), and the problem here is not in the "brain" of the tuner itself, but in the display. During polyphonic tuning, the display only shows a few or three divisions up and down, so it is not always clear how much the string is stretched and how many turns the tuning peg is. For quick tuning at a concert, this display is fine, but for fine-tuning, it's better to use a good old-fashioned chromatic tuner.
There is no question about the chromatic and strobe tuners: the tuning accuracy is high and the information display is excellent. The frequency of the signal is determined instantly and with high accuracy, and by looking at the screen you can immediately see how much you need to turn the tuning bar. Particularly noteworthy is the magnetic pointer simulation function, which smooths the movement of the digital pointer as it approaches the center for greater accuracy. No matter how much the manufacturer advertises a lot of operating options and additional functions, we mostly used the chromatic mode during the test.
So it's time to compare these two great guitar tuners. Let's just say right off the bat that our favorite in this comparison is the Polytune 3 Mini, and we're going to tell you why. We also did some research and found out that most guitarists prefer the Mini version (here's a little thread on Reddit about this, just in case).
The main reason we prefer Polytune 3 Mini is that it doesn't take up a lot of space on your pedalboard, and trust us, pedalboard space runs out fast. At the same time, Polytune 3 Mini is not inferior to the classic full version of Polytune 3 in terms of functionality and operation, but there are still differences and we will list them now:
That's all the difference! In all other respects, the pedals are identical, it's up to you which one to choose. We would like to add that there are a lot of rumors and disputes on the Internet about which of these two tuners is more accurate and has a smaller inaccuracy, but do not dwell on this issue - we can safely say that both tuners will be super accurate when tuning guitar or bass strings.
Now that we've come to the end of our review on TC Electronic Polytune 3 and Polytune 3 Mini, it's time to summarize. Compared to one of the most popular and sold in the world tuners Boss TU3, Polytune 3 offers several modes of operation at a slightly higher price. In addition, the TC Electronic pedal is distinguished by a more informative presentation of information, which will be especially important for concert/live performance guitarists. When the difference between pedals is ~$10, it makes sense to overpay for a larger and more readable display, or it makes sense to buy the mini version to save space on your pedalboard.
TC Electronic's Polytune 3 is one of the most advanced and accurate tuners on the market. It features a rugged design, simplicity, ease of use, and rich functionality. Live performance musicians will appreciate the bright, large display that is easy to read in any lighting condition, the buffer that allows you to work without disconnecting the pedal from the chain, and the ability to quickly assess the condition of all the strings on your instrument. However, Polytune 3's functionality is obviously overkill for home use: any clip-on tuner or ordinary chromatic tuner will suffice for tuning guitars at home.
We hope you enjoyed our TC Electronic Polytune 3 (Mini) review. Feel free to leave your questions, comments and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all. And if you own this device, please leave us your impressions as well. Finally, we recommend you get acquainted with the revolutionary guitar pedal-shaped device - IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal, on which we wrote a great review.
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