BOSS TU3

CONTACT: Roland UK PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.roland.co.uk
CONTACT: TC Electronic PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.bluemic.com
132 Guitarist April 2010
QUICKTEST
MISCELLANEOUS
Apple iPod user? Can’t be
bothered with a portable field
recorder or multitrack, but
want better audio quality than
a dictaphone? Blue has the
answer. The company behind
those extremely desirable
studio microphones has come
up with Mikey, a stereo
condenser, cardioid-pattern
microphone that attaches
neatly to your iPod (or iPhone –
see below). It doesn’t require
any software; simply plug it in,
angle into your position of
choice and select a recording
application such as Voice Memo.
In Use
Mikey has three sensitivity
settings to enable a good
recording level regardless of the
source. We’ve recorded artist
interviews, rehearsals and even
a gig with impressive results. A
pair of Neumann U87s it isn’t,
but it’s infinitely better than
you can expect from the iPhone
or iPod’s built-in mic.
A couple of practical
considerations: like all sensitive
condenser mics any extraneous
knocks or vibrations will cause
a loud thud on your recordings,
so be careful where you place it.
Also, it’s worth setting your
iPod not to auto lock the screen
as unlocking it again can stop
the recording (it’s not officially
supposed to work with iPhone,
but it works with this reviewer’s
3G no problem). Mikey’s
frequency response is a claimed
35Hz to 20kHz, with a sample
rate of 44.1kHz/16 bit, which
means you get CD audio quality,
The Bottom Line
We like: Improved accuracy;
high brightness mode;
no-nonsense operation; price
We dislike: Nothing
The Bottom Line
We like: Neat design;
sensible features; good
sound quality
We dislike: Serious (but
justified) price
GUITARIST RATING
GUITARIST RATING
even if Apple’s Voice Memo
software does knock it all
down to mp3 quality.
Verdict
Every music making iPod
owner should have one. And
there’s an updated model in the
pipeline that officially works
with iPhone, too… [MT]
BOSS TU-3 £80
The market leading pedal tuner, updated
An extremely neat stereo mic for your iPod
BOSS created an industry
standard with the TU-2 pedal
tuner in 1998 – they’re
ubiquitous. Over the ensuing 12
years, however, its +/- 3 cent
accuracy and limited display
drew questions – though we’ve
never had any issues live – as
other brands offered better
specs. Time for an update…
In Use
First and foremost, accuracy of
the new TU-3 is quoted at +/-1
cent over a 23-segment LED
display, which means it tunes
more accurately. Tested against
a 10-year-old TU-2 and a TU-12,
the TU-3 outperforms its
predecessor; unnoticeable in
most live situations, but it does
mean that the TU-3 is a better
companion for adjusting your
intonation. Improved accuracy
means landing bang-on in tune
is marginally more fiddly live;
for example, this reviewer
doesn’t wait the extra half a
second or so for the ‘AccuPitch’
confirmation display after the
single green LED lights up.
Other functions include drop
tuning up to six semitones and
bass tuning up to three f lats.
A new high brightness mode
means that maximum current
draw is up from 55mA (TU-2) to
85mA. Using the recommended
BOSS supply and a PCS-20A
daisy chain, the TU-3 will also
supply a total of 200mA to up to
seven other BOSS Compacts.
BOSS is resisting true-bypass
switching which may be an
issue for the tone-obsessed, but
the usual BOSS buffered output
helps when using long leads and
numerous pedals. Also there’s
no facility for sweetened
tunings but the truth of that
matter is that only a tiny
proportion of players either
know or care about them!
Verdict
Simple: a classic, updated.
Success awaits you, TU-3. [MT]
Blue Mikey
iPod microphone
£59
GIT327.rev_quick 132 25/2/10 5:13:53 pm