TC Play Acoustic Questions??

dcopper · #1 11-12-2018, 05:31 PM

So I picked up a used TC PA for a great price. I downloaded the newest firmware version to bring it up to date. It appears to be functioning as the manual indicates.
My question are - From preset to preset -

1. Are all the guitars settings the same - best I could see in the manual it stated guitars settings are “global”, so they don’t change by preset? I don’t hear any change in the presets UNLESS the HIT button is depressed.

2. So I set up a preset with good guitar tone. Copied that preset to the next open preset and added chorus, but also wanted to still control the vocal harmony function with the “HIT” button. Does the new preset only add chorus and guitar effects when the HIT button is depressed? This then does not permit you to assign the vocal harmony function to the HIT button alone. That makes no sense to me. The manual stated that effects were added when the HIT button was engaged. In order to make this work, you would have to do a lot of presets.

3. It also appears I cannot program the up/down preset buttons to control things like chorus/delay/ Is that correct?

Just to be clear, I am using the online manual. In any other multi effects device, I would design a good guitar preset, then use it as a base to make the next preset - say inserting a chorus effect and maybe make another using the original guitar and adding both chorus and delay, etc. From what I can see the PA does not allow you to do this. OK, I am wondering whether this is operator error. My VE8 is so much easier to set up presets and works in the more traditional way of multi-effects.

So, I know many of our forum friends here prefer the PA over the VE8, and maybe it is just a matter of preference. I do think the guitar sounds a bit more natural (for K&K Taylors) and do think the vocal harmonies sound more natural as well. I am deciding to keep or return this and just keep using my VE8.

As always, your thoughts and experiences are greatly appreciated.
Davidc

AeroUSA · #2 11-12-2018, 05:43 PM

Feel free to email me or Facebook messenger and I can try to help.

Guitaurman · #3 11-12-2018, 07:05 PM

You can change effects for the guitar on each preset with the later firmware. You can change the type and level of vocal harmonies on each preset too. It's a very flexible unit.
It's cool that they have given the unit more flexibility as time has progressed so the various manuals might not include the upgrades.

Just make sure to keep the firmware updated.

gfirob · #4 11-12-2018, 08:31 PM

It is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. You might consider a switch 3 (or 6) outboard pedal switch to increase its flexibility. More programable buttons more options.

dcopper · #5 11-12-2018, 08:34 PM

I installed the latest firmware but still not getting the programming. I will go back again and give it another go.
Thanks!

Hinto · #6 11-12-2018, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcopper

I installed the latest firmware but still not getting the programming. I will go back again and give it another go.

Thanks!

It can be hard to explain in writing. There are lots of excellent videos on YouTube you can check out.

I know with mine I created a 'base' preset with basic guitar and vocal tone, just a bit of reverb. Then you can use that to created other presets with various combinations of vocal and guitar effects.

In any given preset you can have one vocal effect and one guitar effect concurrently triggered by the hit button. I really only use the hit button for vocal effects myself.

dcopper · #7 11-13-2018, 08:06 AM

Okay, I read- reread the manual, watched all of the videos which don’t really answer my questions.

I made a preset with a little body Rez for guitar effects. The guitar effects are global and guitar settings stays consistent from preset to preset I next made a preset with just CHORUS. When I go to the Chorus preset, I hear the chorus. Now my first preset also has chorus. That tells me all the guitar effects are global. So now I have chorus on my guitar no matter which preset I use.

There does not appear to be any way to turn the chorus on/off in an individual preset. Sorry, maybe this horse is way dead but I just don’t get it. I am not criticizing the sounds from the Play Acoustic - they are good. I just think this concept of global guitar effects that stay consistent in each preset, is not very useful. Usually a multi-effects pedal has the ability to toggle between preset/stomp mode which gives you access to effects using the switches (up/down then becomes on/off for designated switches). So what am I missing?

Chickee · #8 11-13-2018, 08:14 AM

Did you put the GLOBAL setting to OFF? It's in the set up menu. Once you do that you can have every preset different for guitar. It takes a little time to get familiar, but if an old goat like me can navigate and deep dive into the menus, so can you. Also, to really get the most out of the pedal for performance, get the SWITCH 6 pedal.

dcopper · #9 11-13-2018, 08:45 AM

THANKS!
That may be what I am looking for.
With the switch 6, can you turn effects on and off? The manual only talks about using external foot pedals for looping.

Chickee · #10 11-13-2018, 09:06 AM

Go to set up, go to switch 6, it will give you the options for each/all buttons on the pedal. then you set it up the way you want. There is a web site dedicated to play acoustic on the tch home page. They can answer any questions you may have, much much more accurately than me. Lol

Hurricane Ramon · #11 11-13-2018, 10:42 AM

I'd check out the T.C. Helicon forum and do some asking there . I'm a member . As forums go it's OK - Hit there Voice Live 1,2,&3 link .

https://forum.musictribe.com/#

EZ :

HR

Chickee · #12 11-13-2018, 10:51 AM

I think you meant to hit the PLAY SERIES link. That's what the OP has.

Guitaurman · #13 11-13-2018, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcopper

Okay, I read- reread the manual, watched all of the videos which don’t really answer my questions.

I made a preset with a little body Rez for guitar effects. The guitar effects are global and guitar settings stays consistent from preset to preset I next made a preset with just CHORUS. When I go to the Chorus preset, I hear the chorus. Now my first preset also has chorus. That tells me all the guitar effects are global. So now I have chorus on my guitar no matter which preset I use.

There does not appear to be any way to turn the chorus on/off in an individual preset. Sorry, maybe this horse is way dead but I just don’t get it. I am not criticizing the sounds from the Play Acoustic - they are good. I just think this concept of global guitar effects that stay consistent in each preset, is not very useful. Usually a multi-effects pedal has the ability to toggle between preset/stomp mode which gives you access to effects using the switches (up/down then becomes on/off for designated switches). So what am I missing?

That's exactly what mine did when I wanted one preset with chorus. Then I updated my firmware and found I could now turn off the global for guitar effects. Now I have one preset with a noticeable chorus sound without having it on the other presets. Just play with it for a while and you'll find it's pretty easy to get most any of the effects at what ever level you want. They can also be turned off. A little Body Rez or more depending on the guitar and it's electronics. I have different presets programmed for all my guitars. There are so many possibilities. This thing makes my vocals sound better than I have ever been able to achieve before.

Hang in there with it. Like me, I'll bet you'll find it is an amazing unit and not so hard to use.

dcopper · #14 11-13-2018, 01:28 PM

Many thanks to everyone. Now I can go home with a mission!

takatsukimike · #15 11-15-2018, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcopper

THANKS!
That may be what I am looking for.
With the switch 6, can you turn effects on and off? The manual only talks about using external foot pedals for looping.

Part of the confusion is that while TC Helicon did a great job with the firmware update, they failed to update the manual accordingly. So, we can't direct you to a certain page for the directions.

You need to look through the setup menu and find where it says "Guitar FX" and "Global" - enter that menu, twist the knob and then you're set.

In the setup menu, you select whether you have the switch-3 or switch-6 first, and then for each button you can assign it's function. In my case, I have delay tempo, delay on/off, chorus on/off, not used, and 2-button looper. Then I use the original patch up/down and hit buttons. The reason I have one unused is that when i was using it for HIT, I would occasionally start the loop by accident and I didn't want to have that risk.