TU-3
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. The TU-3 is an advancement the previous TU-2. The TU-2 was itself was a reimagining of the Boss TU-12h Chromatic Tuner, which in turn was from the Boss TU-12. The TU-12h was not a pedal, but a conventional tuner that used a bouncing needle-in-a-VU-meter that was housed in a plastic case. The TU-12/12h could fit near the handle area of the Boss 6-pedal-unit, the BCB-60. These previous electronics served as the platform on which the Boss TU-2 pedal was built, and in-turn the TU-3.
- Boss tuning device release dates
- 1982: TU-12 Chromatic Tuner unit
- 1990: TU-12h High-Range Chromatic Tuner unit
- 1998: TU-2 Chromatic Tuner pedal
- 2010: TU-3 Chromatic Tuner pedal
Controls
- Button 1 - "Stream / Cent": At first glance, this button toggles between "Stream" and "Cent" tuning methods, but there's a lot more functionality described below.
- Button 2 - "Mode": At first glance, this button toggles between
- Tuning for Bass or Guitar
- Setting the number of steps or half-steps below standard tuning you may wish to tune your instrument
- Footswitch 1 - "Active/Bypass": Toggles the function of the pedal between "on" and "off". How this footswitch works is dependent on the output jack used.
Jacks
- Output 1 - "Output": When this output jack is used, toggling the footswitch will turn the signal on or off. The signal will be "on" for when the tuner is not engaged or in use, and the signal will be "off" when the pedal is being used to tune. Use this when you don't want people to hear you tuning up.
- Output 2 - "Bypass": When this output jack is used, using the footswitch on the TU-3 only turns the function of the tuner on and off. That means that whether the tuner is on or off, the instrument signal will always be going out on this jack. Use this when you don't care about people hearing you tune up.
- Power In - Standard 9-volt barrel-negative tip Boss-style power supply
- Power Out - The TU-3 *can* power other pedals if using a daisy-chain cord of Boss-style barrel-negative tip terminals, provided those other pedals use the same AC adapter
- Note
- There's nothing stopping you from using both output jacks at the same time. For example, it would certainly be possible to use the Bypass jack as a "direct out" for re-amping while using the Output during a live concert.
Bypass:Buffered
Like all Boss pedals, the TU-3 has a buffered bypass.
General Information
The TU-3 begins at power-on in the "Chromatic" mode for tuning. Using this mode is simple enough: play a note, and the pedal will detect the note, and show which note is being played in the digital display. Pressing the "Mode" button at that point will advance right-to-left through the different tuning modes, as seen printed under on Tuning Indicator.
The TU-3 can handle tuning seven-string guitars, and 6-string bases.
- In Guitar mode, you can press the mode button again and select drop-tunings, from 1 step down all the way to 6-steps down.
- In Bass mode, you can tune down by 1 to 3 trj
Tuning Indicator
The Tuning indicator is the LED-filled arc seen spanning the face of the pedal. This arc can be used to select a tuning mode for either "Cent" tuning or
Cent Tuning
In this tuning mode, the lights act in a manner corresponding to a needle in a VU meter.
Stream Tuning
In this tuning mode, the lights act like a strobe tuner, turning counter-clockwise when sharp, clockwise wh]]]]]]]] the center
Tuning Calibration
By pressing both buttons at the same time, it's possible to reset the tuning calibration of the TU-3. Default calibration is A=440, but the calibration can be set as low as A=436 and as high as A=445.
Additional Tricks
If playing outdoors in sunlight, it's possible to turn up the LED brightness in order to see the tuning indicator despite sun glare. Hold down Button 1, the "Stream / Cent" button for 2 seconds. The tuning indicator section will briefly display 5-6 vertical bands to indicate you're in high-brightness mode. To revert to standard brightness, hold down Button 1, the Stream / Cent button, again for two seconds, and the TU-3 will again display the tuning indicator in standard brightness.
Pedal Manual
https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/TU-3_e04_W.pdf
Phase Inversion
Schematic
The Boss TU-3 has no schematic insofar as we've
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