All user reviews for the Korg Pitchblack

How long have you been using?

I've had six months

Did you try many other models before buying it?

Yes classical tuners.

What is so special that you like most and least?

Plus: It has a 9 V output So we do not waste one adapter for pedal (or may connect two pedals on an adapter with it). The screen is highly visible and the tuner is very accurate. It mutes the sound when it is activated. (So ​​when you want to mute the sound, you can activate the pedal).

Least: Nothing

How do you rate the quality / price?

It is less expensive than other models but still € 50 is a bit expensive for a tuner.

With experience, you do again this choice?

Probably, yes.

Korg has been in the tuner game for over 20 years, being famed for the accuracy and quality of their rackmount tuners. Korg introduced the Pitchblack series of tuners in 2008, to much acclaim, and rightly so. It's a very simple, functional design.

Encased in a durable metal housing with barrel footswitch, the Pitchblack measures in at just slightly smaller in dimension than the more famous Boss TU-2/3 tuner. This is a plus for those with cramped pedalboards.The Pitchblack also sports true bypass switching, so it won't color your tone when placed in your signal chain, and if you operate it via battery, you won't lose your signal in bypass mode if the battery suddenly dies.

It boasts 4 different display modes, including: Meter, Full Strobe, Half Strobe, and Mirror. The display itself is large with a readout of the note along with a range of LED lights that display variances in cent by their brightness in standard meter mode.

The tuner also has a parallel power jack for jumpering other 9v pedals from the same power source.

The cons of this otherwise great pedal tuner are note tracking time, and display brightness. On a dark stage, it's easily seen, but outdoor daytime gigs are the enemy, and direct sunlight can render the Pitchblack almost impossible to read. I found this was sometimes subverted by tucking the tuner or the pedalboard on which it sat, as close to a monitor wedge or other source of shade, as I could.

The Pitchblack exhibits some lag to how quickly it tracks a note compared to other pedal tuners, most notable the Boss TU series. This isn't a good thing when your singer doesn't give you much time in between songs to tune your guitar.

What this tuner has going for it is accuracy and simplicity, and this was enough a few years ago, but with the introduction of competitively priced models from other manufacturers that are comparable in accuracy, Korg would do well to update the Pitchblack with a brighter display and faster note tracking.
If they can do this, and maintain the original price point, I don't see why the Pitchblack series can't compete with the new and improved Boss TU-3 to become the gold standard in pedalboard tuners.

• The Korg Pitchblack is the best pedal tuner I’ve ever owned. I’ve went through the Johnson Chromatic floor tuner, the Boss TU-2 and now I’m sticking with the Pitchblack by Korg. The Pitchblack not only looks sleek, but it also takes up a little less space on my board than the other two did. The reason I prefer this tuner is simple; it just works better. The tuner quickly picks up the signal from my guitar and the LED’s smoothly light up letting me know when I’m close to true pitch. The note you are closest to shows up in a large and easy to ready note name display. The pedal is much easier to read in the light than any other tuner I’ve used which comes in handy when playing outdoor festivals. The Pitchblack is built very well and has been used for several gigs without a hiccup. The housing of the pedal is made out of a die-cast aluminum and the jacks and bypass switch are top notch, so reliability should not be an issue. The screen has an eleven segment LED meter which makes accurate reading a breeze. It has a tuning range of E0 (20.60 Hz) to C8 (4,186 Hz) and an adjustable calibration that goes from 436Hz to 445Hz. The pitchblack's LED meter can be switched among 4 display modes including: Meter, Full Strobe, Half Strobe, and Mirror. Meter mode is just like a needle meter, if the light is to the right of the center the note is sharp and to the left of the center it is flat. When the green light in the center is lit you are in tune. Full strobe mode will have the LEDs streaming to the right if the instrument is sharp, and to the left if the instrument is flat. The streaming will stop and both tuning guide LED lights with be on when you are in tune. Half strobe mode is a mix between the last two modes. The LEDs will stream similar to full strobe mode, but the center green LED will light up when the instrument is in tune. Mirror mode lets you meet the LED’s from the left and the right into the center spot when the instrument is in tune and the green light will be lit. This pedal has 100% true bypass so tone robbing is not a problem. I do not notice it in my signal path at all. The pedal also has a silent tune feature that lets you tune without the crowd having to listen to you search for the right pitch. A 9V DC output jack lets you power other pedals off the power going into the tuner. Tuning is very important and this pedal is worth every penny. Quality isn’t cheap, but with this tuner it’s reasonable. A reliable tuner is a lifelong investment. Overall this is a very sturdy and reliable tuner that is easy to read in all settings and works great without hogging a lot of floorspace. If I had to go out and buy a new tuner today the Korg Pitchblack would be my choice time and time again.

Korg's Pitchblack is a chromatic tuner pedal, designed primarily for use on the stage. It has LED meters so you can see the pedal in, you guessed it, pitch black. It also has four modes to choose from and is about the average size of a guitar pedal. The LED meters are definitely brighter and larger than most other chromatic tuner pedals that I've seen out there, which is great for shows. It's got a standard make up with 1/4" connections for input and output and power can be achieved by plugging a 9 volt power supply into the jack in the back. You can also change the calibration and display with controls on the back of the pedal. Like the Boss TU-2 and TU-3 chromatic tuners, it also has a power supply output for connecting a daisy chain and powering up other pedals, although I'm not sure what the full range of compatibility is there. There aren't any other technical characteristics to worry about, and I think that users will be able to catch on very quickly when it comes to tuning your guitar or bass with this pedal. The price is a bit cheaper than the Boss chromatic tuners, but isn't that much cheaper when you consider that this seems to be a bit less sturdy than it's competition. It should still last for a while, but I don't own one and can't say for sure. I do own the Boss TU-2 and it has served me well for years without problems, so it's definitely worth considering that if you're looking at the Pitchblack for a chromatic tuner. Pitchblack is a nice design but it's not groundbreaking. I do like that it's super simple and gives you only the basics, but it does seem like it could be a bit better built in terms of it's casing. Either way, it's worth checking out if you're looking for a reasonably priced tuner for your live show.

This is hands down the best tuner I've owned. It extremely well built; I've been gigging mine for years and had no issues. The display is really bright so it is easy to see in dark clubs. During outdoor gigs there are no issues either, even in bright light the display is easy to read. The face that its easy to see in any light comes in really handy. It is also a little cheaper and much better than the BOSS equivalent. You can't go wrong.

I've been using this tuner exclusively for the past 3 years or so. I've used it extensively for gigging like I mentioned before, but I've also used it to setup my guitars. It is accurate to +/-.1%, which is perfect for setting the intonation on a guitar. Since the tuner is chromatic you can use it to setup a guitar in any tuning. It is really handy.

I also really like the simplicity of it. There are not any unneeded bells and whistles, it does one thing and it does it extremely well. It will accurately tune your guitar.

Before buying the Pitchblack I owned a BOSS tuner, I've also used a bunch of built in tuners in multifx units. The Korg tracks much faster than any of these other tuners. It also seems better built than most of them.

Another great feature of the Pitchblack is the true bypass feature makes the tuner completely transparent. The TU2 used to really color my tone when bypassed, along with all the other tuning units I’ve used. It is not something that happens with the Pitchblack.

I realize this review pretty much sounds like a sales pitch, but I honestly can't find anything wrong with this tuner. Its fast, accurate, and cheap. Whats not to love?

It's a tuner pedals format (size of a Casing "Hammond 1590N" = length of a
"BB" and width suprieure just a "B", perfect for a pdalboard double-booking!)
built and mtal BYPASS TRU ... of a loop You Save!
Compltement black when not in use, it is a vritable "tree Nol" in action
(Trs Geek-Friendly!).

It possde 4 viewing modes of the agreement:
-1 "Traditional" LEDs simulate the behavior of a needle ... little
prcis ...

-2 Modes (pseudo) "strobe" dfile a group of more or LED
less rapidly depending on the precision of the agreement (note just stop =) .. Trs good
trs prcis visibility ... may be even too: a time-consuming before the
"Target"! for the studio!

-1 Mode "mirror" my prfr the LEDs light up each and extrmits
move towards the center, until the green LED power when the note is right. Trs visible, faster than Strobos ... perfect concert.

The visibility of the "display is excellent, whatever the lighting conditions.
Test electric guitar, electro-acoustic and bass for ten days,
no worries. It replaces a BOSS TU12 (vintage!) with ease and precision
amliores much (! possde do not give a microphone to acoustic).

Most:
+ Trs prcis
+ Trs good visibility of the display
Tru + ByPass
Casing + mtal

Les:
- "Too" sensitive strobe mode?
Ice-protection may not display the least apprcier
Careful ...

In prcis résumé, practice, small, pretty and cheap ... why not?

- How long have you use it?
one week

- What is so special that you like most and least?
Goodies: precision, 4 tuning mode, display size, true bypass, another opportunity to feed from a pedal that if
Cons: May be too specific in some tuning mode bit easier when you have only a few seconds between song 2

- Have you tried many other models before buying it?
pedal format not put a hand on my present one multi purpose zoom g1
- How would you rate the quality / price?
Very good
- With experience, you do again this choice? ...
Certainly it is very little visible light so excelente ds abscurité the most total and complete black qd is in bypass mode and looks very solid all for 70 euro in music store could ask for more

How long have you use it?
Purchased in May 2005, used for tuning a live electro-acoustic bass.

What is the particular feature you like best and least?
+ Particularity: True Bypass, efficient and small
Particular -: Diodes are not enough luminous little notch being protected from scratches.

Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
I possde the Korg DT10 for my electric bass. MODEL This is his worthy successor.

How do you report qualitprix?
Excellent: 68 Thomann, the DT10 was quoted o leaving a hundred euros.

Exprience with, you will do again this choice? ...
Yes, as it has done its office.

I use this tuner for about 1 month ... It's been over 8 years I have been a guitarist and I never thought to get a tuner pedal format. Before each concert and rehearsals, I had to disconnect to give m ... etc. This small Pitchblack just changed my life! LOL! Ac pressure foot and hop, the sound is muted, and we can agree quickly and easily!

Not very big (a little smaller than a boss), true bypass, super fast and very accurate. I do not really regret my purchase! For those who do Lives Repeated or etc ... This tuner (like a boss, tc electronic ...) is an investment really necessary!

I highly recommend it!

I put the max rating because I probably never will part with it, a hand if I loose (but it looks pretty tough!) ... and at worst I buy another!

This is definitely one of the best tuners out there so far. First of all it's by Korg, so you know it's accurate and it's an improved version of every tuner that's been in existence so far. Also, there are no bells and whistles, which is great since almost 90% of guitarists who want tuners just want one function, to tune. It's also all black, which is great as it accentuates the LED on stage, thus making it brighter overall and more visible. It's also smaller! Smaller than other tuner pedals, which is great for space saving for your massive pedal board! You can also power other pedals through this tuner pedal if you wish, though I generally don't, it's doable with a daisy chain.

Seriously, what more does any guitar player really need in a tuner? Did i mention it's true bypass? You can also calibrate it how you want if you don't want 440hz. There's also the 4 tuning modes: full strobe, half strobe, meter and mirror. All of which are just as accurate with each other. It's also improved and I believe even more accurate than the standard tuner.

One thing to mention is the sensitivity of the tuner is also improved. Meaning when you strike the note, the tuner picks up the note a lot faster, it 'tracks' faster and sooner than regular tuners. Faster is always better!

In addition to all this it's REALLY well priced. Cheaper than a new TU-3 the last time I checked, you really can't go wrong with this tuner!

For how long have you been using it?
I've had it six months already, allow me to quickly live

What thing do you like most/least about it?
+ Characteristic: efficiency, ease of use, sleek design
Particularity -: little if we take care of his minimal gear

Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I had a tuning pedal Behringer, a regretable purchase compared to Pitchblack

What is your opinion about the value for the price?
Excellent value for money! € 60 at my local store, unbeatable!

Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...
Totally, I have nothing to say about this little machine!

This is a solid tuner for the money and in my experience is a much better buy then the similar priced boss tu2. The pitch black tracks faster, has true bypass to keep your signal intact, and is more accurate at +/- 1 cent. I have previously used the Peterson Strobo stomp, a Korg rack mount, and the Boss tu2. I prefer the pitch black to all of these in a live setting. I don't get any noise, clicks, or pops with it and that's really all you can ask for in a tuner in my opinion.

As far as features it's pretty standard for a tuner. You get four different modes of tuning: Full Strobe, Half Strobe, Meter Mode,and Mirror Mode I personally keep it in half strobe. The pedal can also be calibrated from 436 to 445 Hz in case you want to tune just a bit different but without going down or up an entire half step. The display is nice and bright for dark stages and is easily readable under stage lights. I have not played outside with it so I cannot comment on how easy it is to read in the sunlight. It operates on a standard boss style 9v dc jack or battery and there is also a thru power jack.

The extra power jack seems pretty pointless. I think some people get confused and think this pedal actually produces power when It really just passes unused power through the jack. If you have a daisy chain to plug into it then you might as well just plug the daisy chain into your power adapter.

I have had a few instances where the pitch black cut out and passed no signal but I think it may have been a dirty switch since it has not happened in about a year now. When this happened I just hit the switch a few times and it came right back on. I'll admit I don't keep my board as clean as it should be sometimes.

This is a tuner pedal made by Korg with the following features:

-True bypass so that the tone of your signal chain is left unaffected when the pedal is not engaged

-Four types of display mode: Full Strobe, Half Strobe, Meter and Mirror

-Bright LED display which is easy to use in sunlight, under stage lights or no light at all

-Tuning range from E0 to C8

-Powered by 9V power supply or battery and has 9V out so can be used to power other pedals

-Accurate to plus or minus one cent

-Can be calibrated between 436Hz and 445Hz in 1Hz steps

-Strong die cast aluminum case which should last years of touring

-Only has chromatic tuning mode unlike the Boss TU-2

-Footswitch is easy to press and makes no popping sound when turned on or off, mechanically or electrically which is quite a nice features as all other footswitches like these tend to produce some sort of sound.


After owning a Boss TU-2 for a few years and then trying out a few Pitchblack tuners I have decided that I need to sell my Boss and buy a Pitchblack. I find the display on the Pitchblack to be much more pleasant and is true bypass so it doesn't color the tone when it's not engaged like the Boss does. Another reason is that it's also much more accurate than the Boss model. I have also found that the Korg Pitchblack doesn't have a lag between playing a note and displaying how in tune it is unlike the Boss TU-2 unit, this is quite important for me as quick tuning on stage is an essential feature for any tuner that I use. The only other tuner in this price range that I'd consider is the TC Electronics Polytune but as I have no use for the polyphonic tuning feature then I feel the Korg Pitchblack is definitely the best choice for me.