Jul 31, 2014 Long story short, I recently sold the Flashback, and pretty much stole a Ditto X2 from GC used online for $99 (pats self on back) a couple of weeks ago. I'll get the Alter Ego X4 after my son's birthday next weekend. X4 & X2 together should be awesome. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences so far. Keep 'em coming! It doesn’t seem too long ago that the Internet was alight with the concept of the TC Electronic Flashback. With 11 different patches (including a looper and TonePrint), interest from the gear aficionado community was certainly piqued. After a couple iterations, TC has arrived at the Alter Ego x4.
- Tc Electronic Alter Ego X4 Manual
- Tc Alter Ego V2
- Tc Electronic Alter Ego V2
- Tc Electronic Alter Ego Manual
- Tc Alter Ego X4
- Alter Ego X4 Manual
A few years ago TC Electronic debutedthe Flashback Delay/Looper, a compactdigital delay that not only packed a ton ofdelay flavors in a petite package but alsoincorporated the company’s now famousTonePrint technology. The impressive collectionof delay types ranging from tape echostyle to reverse delay was enough to sell alot of gigging players on the unit. But as theTonePrint library (which offers free delayscreated by professional artists) has continuedto grow, the Flashback continues to becomean ever more functional and versatile unit.
Never a company to sit still, TCElectronic heeded the clamor from its sizableonline community of users and createda more expansive Flashback. The resultingFlashback X4 Delay/Looper turns the littleFlashback into a relative behemoth fourtimes the size of the original. The payoff?A dedicated tap tempo, three presets, additionaldelay voices and TonePrint slots, andan enhanced—and much more capable—loop function for building your own wallsof sound.
Simple But SeriousSound Selection
The Flashback X4 gives players a lot moresound options and control than the original,but it remains simple enough for plug-and-play use and TC seems to have placedthat aspect of the X4’s performance at a premium.The upper leftmost knob switchesbetween twelve delay types (including 2290with modulation, tube, and space settings),plus an additional four TonePrint presets.TonePrints can either be uploaded from theTC Electronic website via USB, or via yoursmart phone through your guitar’s pickups.Yes, you can literally “beam” a TonePrintto the Flashback X4 by placing the phonespeaker output to your pickup and transmittingthe TonePrint data (assumingyour phone supports the app). It’s a usefulinnovation if you need some fresh presets atrehearsal or for a last-minute cover tune.
The Flashback X4 gives players a lot moresound options and control than the original,but it remains simple enough for plug-and-play use and TC seems to have placedthat aspect of the X4’s performance at a premium.The upper leftmost knob switchesbetween twelve delay types (including 2290with modulation, tube, and space settings),plus an additional four TonePrint presets.TonePrints can either be uploaded from theTC Electronic website via USB, or via yoursmart phone through your guitar’s pickups.Yes, you can literally “beam” a TonePrintto the Flashback X4 by placing the phonespeaker output to your pickup and transmittingthe TonePrint data (assumingyour phone supports the app). It’s a usefulinnovation if you need some fresh presets atrehearsal or for a last-minute cover tune.
Delay time, feedback, and delay levelwork just as they do on any conventionaldelay—changing the distance betweenrepeats, total repeat length, and repeatintensity, respectively. The subdivisionswitch alters the intervals for note repetitionwith quarter-note, eighth-note, or quarter-plus-eighth-note counts.
![Tc alter ego x4 manual Tc alter ego x4 manual](/uploads/1/3/3/2/133282159/623298236.jpg)
The rightmost knob, looper level, isonly activated when the correspondinglooper switch, located at the lower right,is engaged. https://sphereclever.weebly.com/parrot-hands-free-ck3100-user-manual.html. And the looper enables you torecord up to 40 seconds and add almostlimitless layers to your foundation. Unlikethe original Flashback, the looper on theX4 can be used in conjunction with thedelay. Though once in looper mode, thefootswitches change from your delay presetsto a mini-editing station that can pause,playback, playback once, and undo the lastlayer of your loop.
Additional features include stereo input/output, MIDI jacks to clock sync delay, anexpression pedal input (which can controldelay time, feedback, or delay level), and aninterior DIP switch to choose between truebypass or buffered bypass. All of this comesin a tough metal chassis and enclosuresporting the same cobalt sparkle finish asthe original Flashback.
At nearly four times the size of the original,making space for the X4 may be hardto justify for those who use delay only occasionally.But echo freaks will doubtless betempted to ditch more limited units for thebounty of excellent delay sounds that lurkin the X4’s circuitry.
Tc Electronic Alter Ego X4 Manual
Echoes of the Past,Contemporary Tech
One of the new delay options on theFlashback X4 is the 2290 w/Mod, whichtakes the performance characteristics of theclassic TC 2290 delay adds some very chorus-like modulations on the repeats. Usinga Les Paul plugged into a Carr Bloke, I wasable to coax the X4 into producing dancingdelay embellishments that would makeThe Edge proud. And the setting is a perfectmatch for the quarter-plus-dotted-eighth-notesubdivision. This combination mightbe about as close as you’ll get to U2-in-a-boxwithout splurging on countless rack effectsand a couple of techs for maintenance. Thededicated tap tempo also helps you add atouch of precision to keep your echoes surgicallysuccinct with a rhythm section.
One of the new delay options on theFlashback X4 is the 2290 w/Mod, whichtakes the performance characteristics of theclassic TC 2290 delay adds some very chorus-like modulations on the repeats. Usinga Les Paul plugged into a Carr Bloke, I wasable to coax the X4 into producing dancingdelay embellishments that would makeThe Edge proud. And the setting is a perfectmatch for the quarter-plus-dotted-eighth-notesubdivision. This combination mightbe about as close as you’ll get to U2-in-a-boxwithout splurging on countless rack effectsand a couple of techs for maintenance. Thededicated tap tempo also helps you add atouch of precision to keep your echoes surgicallysuccinct with a rhythm section.
![Electronic Electronic](/uploads/1/3/3/2/133282159/855382655.jpg)
Using the USB interface, I downloadedthe Omar Rodriguez-Lopez TonePrintentitled “David, the Dogs!” from the TCElectronic website. This TonePrint mates atape delay-style voice with dirty repeats thatare louder than the original input, whichcreates a kind of sputtering, hacking coughof a delay that works great in chaoticallyrocking situations. But though the “David,the Dogs!” setting is a little bonkers, all theadjustability you get from one of the X4’sstandard delays applies to the TonePrint, andyou can quell the repeat intensity by rollingdown on the delay level. That said, as withmany of the TonePrints, the extreme natureof the sounds is their strength—and havingthese unique and often radical effects alongsidemore traditional delays makes the X4 aneven more valuable gigging and studio asset.
Plugging into the stereo output, I flippedthe rotary switch over to ping-pong delay,and sent one output to a silverface Bassmanand the other to a Nace M1-18R. Witha Telecaster in hand and a little distancebetween the amps, I created a rather massivesounding post-rock setup, creatinga frenzied delay pattern of chirping crisptriads in stereo. At times, I found the ping-ponga tad sterile for my taste, and a toneparameter would have been a nice additionto shape repeats on all settings. However,rolling off the Tele’s tone rounded theoutput considerably, and the minute differencesin sterility that provoked my auralnitpicking would likely go unnoticed in alive situation with a full band.
Tc Alter Ego V2
Ratings
Tc Electronic Alter Ego V2
Pros:
An abundance of delays to keep you busy.TonePrint enabled.
An abundance of delays to keep you busy.TonePrint enabled.
Cons:
Takes up a lot of room. Can’t store loops or createyour own TonePrint.
Takes up a lot of room. Can’t store loops or createyour own TonePrint.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Apeman c450 dash camera user manual. Street:
$249
$249
TC Electronic
tcelectronic.com
tcelectronic.com
The looper feature on the X4 is a vastimprovement over the original Flashbacklooper simply due to increased control. TCset up the four footswitches to maximize useof the 40 seconds of looping time, whichenabled me to lay a foundation, play aharmony—inevitably screw up the last fewnotes—and then use the undo function topeel off the flubbed layer and make anotherpass. The once footswitch is also a smart featurethat will play your previously recordedloop and cut off before repeating the cycle.This is especially useful for a precise endingfor a tune, or summoning a recurring harmonyif you’re the sole axe slinger in a band.You can also use the onboard delay whencreating a loop, a much appreciated featureoddly missing in some delay/looper combosincluding the original Flashback.
The Verdict
The Flashback X4 is an excellent soundingdelay by any measure. And it’s home toan absolute wealth of features—includingmore delay voices than can be covered inthe space of this review. The inclusion of amore capable looper means the X4 claimsquite a bit of pedalboard real estate, but it’snot that different from a lot of other industry-standard delays and loopers that takepride of place on a lot of pro boards.
The Flashback X4 is an excellent soundingdelay by any measure. And it’s home toan absolute wealth of features—includingmore delay voices than can be covered inthe space of this review. The inclusion of amore capable looper means the X4 claimsquite a bit of pedalboard real estate, but it’snot that different from a lot of other industry-standard delays and loopers that takepride of place on a lot of pro boards.
Seagate personal cloud access. A few of the delays will inevitably sounda bit antiseptic to analog heads, thoughplayers who savor the crystalline soundsof digital will savor how clean it sounds.Overall, though, the X4 has a warmer characterthan a lot of digital delays out there.The Flashback X4 is a total workhorse.At $249 it’s priced right, and with a freeTonePrint database that grows constantly,you’ll have ever-expanding acreage of newterritory to explore without spendinganother dime. https://sphereclever.weebly.com/blog/samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-user-manual.
more.. Gear • Reviews • Effects • Delay • Review Demo • Pedal Issue 2014 • Special Videos • Videos • October 2014 • TC ElectronicCaptain Ahab had his whale. Stompbox developers, it seems, obsessively pursue the sounds and colors of vintage delays. It’s easy to fathom the obsession. Tape delays, oil can echoes, and bucket brigade devices embody everything that is wonderful about analog—deep, multi-hued tones and inexplicable wobbles and irregularities. Even though good digital modelers can nail a lot of these analog idiosyncrasies, duplicating analog intricacies at the affordable end of the spectrum is tough.
Thankfully, that hasn’t kept engineers from trying. And the TC Electronic gang has developed a new version of their Flashback X4 digital delay inspired by tough-to-model echoes from the Binson Echorec to the Watkins Copicat and Tel-Ray Deluxe Organ Tone.
Tripped-out Flashback Doppelganger
Though the Alter Ego is relatively large, you can’t argue with the elegant simplicity of the design. TC probably could have stuffed the same functionality into a pedal a third the size, but it would have been a lot less fun to use and less practical in real-world gigging situations. The many voices of the Alter Ego are derived from hip inspirations: two different Echorecs, two Echoplex models, a Ibanez DM-2, the TC Electronic 2290 (with a touch of modulation), a Watkins Copicat, Roland Space Echo, Electro-Harmonix Echoflanger, and more.
Though the Alter Ego is relatively large, you can’t argue with the elegant simplicity of the design. TC probably could have stuffed the same functionality into a pedal a third the size, but it would have been a lot less fun to use and less practical in real-world gigging situations. The many voices of the Alter Ego are derived from hip inspirations: two different Echorecs, two Echoplex models, a Ibanez DM-2, the TC Electronic 2290 (with a touch of modulation), a Watkins Copicat, Roland Space Echo, Electro-Harmonix Echoflanger, and more.
With an intense, Leslie-in-a-Bathysphere wobble that’s deep and full of character, the TR Organ voice sounds amazing for languid psychedelic chords and warped jazz comping.
Each delay is shaped via a conventional control set: time, delay, and feedback. And the three controls take on very different characteristics, ranges, and personalities for each delay. Three of the four footswitches are dedicated to user-defined presets and looper operation. The fourth doubles as a tap tempo and undo switch.
Two notable omissions among the control set are rate and depth for modulation. Given that most Alter Ego settings feature some form of modulation, it would be nice to have intensity and speed controls. Doubtless this functionality would add to the price, but depending on the delay type, such knobs would contribute a lot of range and musicality.
Dotted-eighth and dual-delay settings give you percussive variants for the delays. Combined with the tap tempo function, they let you mate the device’s vintage voices with more modern playing styles and song structures. The easy-to-use looper also enhances the usability of the unit. With independent record and play footswitches, it’s refreshingly simple to operate.
Altered States
Each Alter Ego delay has something cool to offer. Depending on your experience with originals, you’ll find some more or less authentic. But subtract perfect accuracy from the equation and the Alter Ego X4 is still very impressive.
Each Alter Ego delay has something cool to offer. Depending on your experience with originals, you’ll find some more or less authentic. But subtract perfect accuracy from the equation and the Alter Ego X4 is still very impressive.
Ratings
Pros:
Oodles of unique delay voices. Elegant design. Useful looper. Killer one-stop delay generator for gigging players.
Oodles of unique delay voices. Elegant design. Useful looper. Killer one-stop delay generator for gigging players.
Tc Electronic Alter Ego Manual
Cons:
Perceptible digital artifacts at most settings.
Perceptible digital artifacts at most settings.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Tc Alter Ego X4
Street:
$269
$269
TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 Vintage Echo
tcelectronic.com
tcelectronic.com
The first Echorec voice (E REC 1) will be a big draw for Pink Floyd obsessives. It nails much of the original’s metallic, submarine liveliness—especially when you stack the repeats on heavy. But lacking the cool, murky darkness of the original, this delay also reveals its digital origins. The upside is that it sounds fantastic with fuzz or high-gain overdrive for Gilmour-in-an-arena lead tones—less authentic, perhaps, but probably more useable and forgiving.
The Deluxe Memory Man settings mostly nail the essence of the original, though you hear trace digital artifacts in the slightly too-clean repeats, and you’re stuck with a fixed intensity for the vibrato and chorus.
The rare, oddball “oil-can” Tel-Ray Organ Tone inspired the X4’s graphics as well as one of the device’s most delightful settings: With an intense, Leslie-in-a-Bathysphere wobble that’s deep and full of character, the TR Organ voice sounds amazing for languid psychedelic chords and warped jazz comping.
The Boss-inspired BDM2 setting is perfect for subtle textures, and allocating a preset to this voice is a great way to get out of trouble if more radical presets let you down. A more ambitious undertaking is the Watkins Copicat. Replicating the original’s multi-head tape echo irregularities would be tough for the most advanced digital modelers. But TC does a great job of replicating the dense wash of a multi-head setting and it sounds great at heavy feedback levels.
The VerdictThe Alter Ego X4 is a superb digital delay, a ton of fun, and a fantastic tool for gigging guitarists. Some of the best voices have a perceptible digital-around-the-edges color in the repeats. But replicating so many oddball delays for $269 is a tall order, and wasting processing power on arcane analog quirks at the expense of functional facsimiles is a fool’s pursuit. TC Electronic deserves praise for tastefully balancing ambition and restraint. And given how many textures are on tap and the easy-to-use presets and looper, the Alter Ego X4 Vintage Echo is likely to reward your investment many times over.
Alter Ego X4 Manual
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