TC Electronic Hypergravity Compresso EN

HyperGravity

English manual 2015-09-28

y Compressor

English manual – last update: 2015-09-28

1

Important safety instructions 1 Ta
Caution 2
Service 2 Inputs, outputs and co
Warning 2 Power / Switching the ef
EMC / EMI 2 Footswitch
Explanation of graphic symbols 3 Audio in and out
Effect controls
Before you begin 4
About this manual 5 Maintenance
Getting support 5 Updating the firmware
Changing the battery
About this pedal 6 Switching the pedal from
HyperGravity Compressor 7 buffered bypass mode
True Bypass 7
Frequently asked ques
TonePrint 8 Frequently asked questio
What are TonePrints? 9 TonePrint pedals
Transferring TonePrints to your pedal
using the TonePrint app 9 Links
Editing TonePrints with TonePrint Editor 10 TonePrint resources
Support resources
Setup 11 TC Electronic on…
Ready… 12
Set… 12 Technical specification
Play! 12

English manual 2015-09-28

able of contents

ontrols 13
ffect on and off 14
14
m true bypass to 14
stions 15
ons about
18
ns 19
19

20

21

22

23
24
24
24

25

a

Important saf

English manual 2015-09-28

Important safety instructions

fety instructions

1

1. Read these instructions. 14. Refer all servicing t
2. Keep these instructions. sonnel. Servicing is
3. Heed all warnings. paratus has been
4. Follow all instructions. such as power-supp
5. Do not use this apparatus near water. aged, liquid has b
6. Clean only with a dry cloth. have fallen into the
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. In- tus has been expo
does not operate
stall in accordance with the manufacturer’s dropped.
instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such Caution
as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that pro- You are cautioned that
duce heat. cations not expressly a
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the po- could void your authorit
larized or grounding-type plug. A polarized ment.
plug has two blades with one wider than
the other. A grounding-type plug has two Service
blades and a third grounding prong. The
wide blade or the third prong is provided for All service must be perf
your safety. If the provided plug does not fit sonnel.
into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet. Warning
10. Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched, particularly at plugs, con- To reduce the risk of fire
venience receptacles, and the point where expose this apparatus t
they exit from the apparatus. objects filled with liquids
11. Only use attachments/accessories speci- not be placed on this ap
fied by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, Do not install this device
bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the ap-
paratus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods
of time.

English manual 2015-09-28

Important safety instructions

to qualified service per- EMC / EMI
s required when the ap-
Electromagnetic compatibility / 
damaged in any way, Electromagnetic interference
ply cord or plug is dam-
been spilled or objects This equipment has been tested and found to
e apparatus, the appara- comply with the limits for a Class B digital de-
osed to rain or moisture, vice, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.
normally, or has been
These limits are designed to provide reasonable
any change or modifi- protection against harmful interference in resi-
approved in this manual dential installations. This equipment generates,
ty to operate this equip- uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with
formed by qualified per- the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no
or electric shock, do not guarantee that interference will not occur in a
to rain or moisture and particular installation.
s, such as vases, should
pparatus. If this equipment does cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio or television reception, which can
e in a confined space. be determined by turning the equipment off and
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following
measures:

►►Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
►►Increase the separation between the equip-

ment and receiver.
►►Connect the equipment into an outlet on a cir-

cuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
►►Consult the dealer or an experienced ra-
dio / TV technician for help.

2

For customers in Canada Explanation of gra

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Ca- The lightning bolt triang
nadian ICES-003. user to the presence of
voltages” within the unit’
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est sufficient magnitude to c
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada. tric shock to humans.

The exclamation point t
the user to presence of i
service instructions in th
ing the product.

English manual 2015-09-28

Important safety instructions

aphic symbols

gle is used to alert the
uninsulated “dangerous
’s chassis that may be of
constitute a risk of elec-

triangle is used to alert
important operating and
he literature accompany-

3

B

English manual 2015-09-28

Before you begin

Before you begin

4

About this manual Getting support

Use this manual to learn how to set up and oper- If you still have question
ate your TC product. ter reading this manual,
TC Support:
To get the most from this manual, please read it
from start to finish, or you may miss important tcelectronic.com/suppor
information.
Enjoy your TC product
This manual is only available as a PDF download
from the TC Electronic website.

Of course, you can print this manual, but we en-
courage you to use the PDF version, which has
both internal and external hyperlinks. For ex-
ample, clicking the logo in the upper left corner
of each page will take you back to the table of
contents.

To download the most current version of this
manual, visit

tcelectronic.com/support/manuals/

English manual 2015-09-28

Before you begin

ns about the product af-
please get in touch with
rt/

t!

5

A

English manual 2015-09-28

About this pedal

About this pedal

6

Thank you for spending your hard-earned mon- HyperGravity Com
ey on this TC Electronic product! We have done
our best to ensure that it will serve you for many HyperGravity Compresso
years to come, and we hope that you will enjoy will take your tone from g
using it. three amazing compress

►►a state-of-the-art mult
►►a cool vintage compre
►►all the endless compre

can access through To

HyperGravity Compres
band dynamics algorith
compression algorithm t
studio production mast
which has been the pref
top producers for over te
gically superior engine a
compression for your hig
is a more transparent an
than what can be achiev
band compressors.

English manual 2015-09-28

About this pedal

mpressor True Bypass

or is the missing link that Here at TC, we have a simple philosophy: When
good to great. It features you are using one of our products, you should
sion modes: hear something great – and if you don’t, you
shouldn’t hear it at all. This is why this pedal
tiband compressor, sports True Bypass. When it is bypassed, it is
essor and really off and has zero influence on your tone, re-
ession combinations you sulting in optimum clarity and zero loss of high-
TonePrint. end.

ssor’s advanced multi- Sometimes, it is advisable to switch an effect
hm is the same MD3 pedal from True Bypass to Buffered Bypass
that can be found in our mode. For more information, see “Switching
terpiece, System 6000, the pedal from true bypass to buffered bypass
ferred dynamics tool for mode”.
en years. This technolo­
applies perfectly tailored
ghs, mids and lows. This
nd musical compression
ved with standard single-

7

English manual 2015-09-28

TonePrint

TonePrint

8

This TC Electronic product supports TonePrints. But wouldn’t it be cool
To learn more about TonePrints, go to guitar players – guys lik
tcelectronic.com/toneprint/ Govan, John Petrucci o
rewire your reverb peda
What are TonePrints? happen “behind the scen

When you look at your TC Electronic effect ped- And how about doing th
al, you’ll only see a few knobs. Actually, for some
pedals, it’s just one knob. So – one knob, one This is exactly what Tone
function, right?
TC Electronic is working
Actually, there’s a lot more to it than meets the who explore a pedal’s hi
eye. defining the controls and
TonePrints. And we are
Star-tweaked signature sounds TonePrints available to y
your pedal is really easy
When TC Electronic builds an effect pedal, the Prints to your pedal usin
relationship between its controls and many pa- and with the amazing To
rameters “under the hood” are defined by devel- even create your own si
opers, musicians and product specialists who specifically to your liking
live and breathe sound. This gives you an excel-
lent starting point: a great-sounding pedal with You can change the Ton
well-balanced controls. often as you like, and the

It’s totally free.

English manual 2015-09-28

l to have world-famous TonePrint
ke Paul Gilbert, Guthrie
or Steve Vai – virtually Transferring TonePrints to your
al, defining what should pedal using the TonePrint app
nes”?
Being able to virtually rewire your TC Electronic
his yourself? effect pedal wouldn’t be much use if you needed
a lot of extra equipment to do it. This is why we
ePrint allows you to do. created the TonePrint app. The TonePrint app is
free software for popular smartphones that al-
g with top guitar players lows you to “beam” new TonePrints right into
idden tonal potential, re- your effect pedal whenever and wherever you
d creating their personal feel like it.
e making these custom
you. Uploading them to Obtaining the TonePrint app
(see “Transferring Tone-
ng the TonePrint app”) – If you own an iPhone, you can download the
onePrint Editor, you can TonePrint app from Apple’s App Store.
ignature pedal, tweaked
g. If you own an Android phone, you will find the
TonePrint app on Google Play.
nePrint in your pedal as
e best part: Once you have the app, no additional downloads
or in-app purchases are required. You can ac-
cess all available TonePrints from within the app,
and all TonePrints are free.

9

Transferring TonePrints to Editing TonePrints
your pedal – step by step TonePrint Editor

►►Launch the TonePrint app on your smart- The TonePrint app allow
phone. created by your favorite
But this is only the star
►►Find the TonePrint you want to use. You can Editor, you can create y
browse TonePrints by Artist or Product (i.e., pedal sounds.
pedal type). You will also find Featured Tone-
Prints. TonePrint Editor featu

►►Plug your guitar or bass into your TonePrint ►►Use TonePrint Editor to
pedal. sounds.

►►Turn your TonePrint pedal on. ►►Enjoy complete contro
►►Turn up the volume on your instrument and set eters and effect beh
your sound.
the pickup selector to one pickup.
►►Hold the speaker of your smartphone next to ►►Customize knob func
suit your needs and so
the chosen pickup and touch “Beam to pe­
dal”. ►►Audition your sonic cr
– make changes on th
immediately.

►►Works with both PC a

Last but not least…

►►TonePrint Editor is abs

English manual 2015-09-28

s with TonePrint

ws you to use TonePrints Obtaining TonePrint Editor
guitar and bass players.
rt. Using TC’s TonePrint If you want to use TonePrint Editor for your Win-
your very own signature dows or OS X computer, download it from

ures tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/

o build your own custom If you want to use TonePrint Editor on your Apple
iPad, download it from Apple’s App Store.
ol over all effect param-
havior – it’s your vision, Please note that version 2.0 or higher of the
TonePrint Editor is required for working with TC
ction and knob range to Electronic Mini pedals. Version 2.0 has a Library
ounds. function that allows you to access and use Tone-
reations in real-time live Prints even without an Internet connection.
he fly and listen to results
Obtaining the TonePrint Editor manual
and Mac.
Download the TonePrint Editor manual from
solutely free!
tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/support/

If you open the manual for TonePrint Editor in
Adobe Reader, you can click on interface sec-
tions to jump directly to the sections of the man-
ual you are interested in.

10

English manual 2015-09-28

Setup

Setup

11

Ready… Set…

Your TC Electronic effect pedal box should con- ►►Connect a 9  V power
tain the following items: ing symbol to the DC
Electronic effect peda
►►Your TC Electronic effect pedal
►►1 USB cable (Type A to Mini-B) This product does n
►►1 TC Electronic sticker supply. We recommen
►►1 leaflet about TC’s guitar FX product range PowerPlug 9 (sold sep

Inspect all items for signs of transit damage. In If no power supply is
the unlikely event of transit damage, inform the this product using a
carrier and supplier. mation on changing b
the battery”.
If damage has occurred, keep all packaging, as
it can be used as evidence of excessive handling ►►Plug the power supply
force. ►►Connect your instrum

right side of the pedal
►►Connect the out jack

pedal to your amplifie

English manual 2015-09-28

Setup

Play!

r supply with the follow-
input socket of your TC
al.

not come with a power
nd using TC Electronic’s
parately).
s available, you can run
battery. For more infor-
batteries, see “Changing

y into a power outlet.
ment to the in jack on the

l using a ¼“ jack cable.
k on the left side of the
er using a ¼“ jack cable.

12

Inputs, outpu

English manual 2015-09-28

Inputs, outputs and controls

uts and controls

13

Power / Switching
effect on and off

Power input

To power up your pedal,
to its power input socket

The power input socket
effect pedal is a standa
(centre = negative).

Your TC Electronic effec
power supply providing
supplied). TC Electronic
PowerPlug 9.

To minimize hum, use a
lated outputs.

If no power supply is av
product using a battery.
changing batteries, see “

Footswitch

►►To turn the effect on, t

►►To turn the effect off, t

HyperGravity Compressor

English manual 2015-09-28

Inputs, outputs and controls

g the Audio in and out

connect a power supply Audio input (mono)
t.
t of your TC Electronic The audio input on the right side of this pedal is
ard 5.5 / 2.1  mm DC plug a standard ¼” jack (mono/TS).

ct pedal requires a 9  V ►►Connect your guitar to the audio input on the
g 100  mA or more (not right side of your pedal using a regular ¼”
mono cable.
recommends using the
Audio output (mono)
a power supply with iso-
The audio output on the left side of this pedal is
a standard ¼” jack (mono/TS).

►►Connect the audio output of your pedal to the
next device in the signal chain using a regular
¼” mono cable.

vailable, you can run this
For more information on
“Changing the battery”.

tap the footswitch.
tap the footswitch again.

14

USB port Effect controls

Use the standard Mini-B USB port on your TC Please note that the kno
Electronic effect pedal to connect your pedal to TC Electronic effect pe
a computer. This will allow you to load TonePrints signments. Using the To
into the pedal or create your own TonePrint us- rewire all knobs so they
ing TC’s TonePrint Editor. For more information, parameters of your choic
see “TonePrint”. see the TonePrint Editor

If there should be firmware updates for this ped- A compressor reduces
al, they can also be installed using the USB port a signal. Generally spea
– see “Updating the firmware”. “even out” signal level va
nal peaks dynamically.

Reducing the dynamic
headroom that you can u
all signal level. The resu
signal that is easier to wo
tar player and the sound
can be used either sub
effect.

HyperGravity is a multib
does this mean?

Splitting an audio signa
bands before compress
fight undesired “breathin
multiband compressor a
targeting and processing
quency ranges independ

Use HyperGravity Com
shape the character an
pression applied to your

English manual 2015-09-28

Inputs, outputs and controls

ob assignments on your Sustain knob
edal are the default as-
onePrint Editor, you can Use the Sustain knob to set the amount of com-
y control one or several pression that should be applied to the signal.
ce. For more information, This corresponds to the Threshold parameter/
knob you will find in most studio compressors.
manual.
►►Set the Sustain parameter to high values
the dynamic range of to lower the compression threshold. A low
aking, it will help you to threshold mean that compression kicks in
ariations by reducing sig- more often, reducing the dynamic range of
the signal. In combination with high Level set-
range gives you more tings, this will give you a consistent signal with
use to increase the over- lots of squeeze, squash and nearly endless
ult is a more consistent sustain.
ork with both for the gui-
d engineer. Compression ►►Set the Sustain knob to a low setting for a high
btly or as a pronounced threshold – meaning compression will kick in
less often. This will give you just a hint of com-
pression when the signal exceeds the thresh-
old. This is perfect for clean rhythms.

band compressor. What

al into several frequency
sing tremendously helps
ng”/pumping. Think of a
as multiple compressors
g low, mid and high fre-
dently and efficiently.

mpressor’s controls to
nd intensity of the com-
r guitar signal.

15

Sustain and auto make-up gain Level knob
HyperGravity Compressor automatically em-
ploys make-up gain. As a compressor reduces Use the Level knob to
the dynamic range of the processed signal by at- nal level. Crank this kno
tenuating peaks, gain is applied to compensate boost that will make yo
for the reduced signal level. As you increase the sing like never before.
Sustain, more compression and more make-up
gain is applied. In other words: The signal be- Level and Blend setting
comes louder. and Blend settings intera

Please note that higher Sustain settings will in-
crease noise, as the noise floor is inevitably am-
plified along with the signal. Experiment with
Sustain and Level settings to find the right bal-
ance.

English manual 2015-09-28

Inputs, outputs and controls

control the overall sig- Attack knob
ob up for a massive level
our solos and lead lines Use the Attack knob to define how fast full com-
pression should be applied. The shorter the At-
gs interact – see “Level tack time, the sooner the signal’s dynamics will
act”. be compressed. Use low settings for a super-
fast chicken pickin’ style attack, or maximize it
for a more open and punchy compression tone.

Attack and note transients
Use the Attack knob to ensure that the tran-
sients (the onset of the notes and chords you
are playing) can pass HyperGravity Compres-
sor uncompressed. Transients are usually much
louder than the rest of the signal, and if they are
compressed too strongly, this may introduce
artefacts. The “right” setting depends on your
playing style, instrument and other factors. Be
sure to experiment!

16

Blend knob Compression type se

Use the Blend knob to set the balance between Use the Compression ty
your dry sound and the compressed signal. With desired compression mo
the maximum setting, you will only hear the com-
pressed signal. Use lower settings for some sub- Spectra setting
tle sparkle and extra presence. Set the Compression typ
to apply studio-quality c
Using Blend creatively nal.
Usually, dynamic processors such as compres-
sors are used as insert effects, with no dry (un- TonePrint setting
processed) signal passing through. But with To use TonePrint-based
HyperGravity Compressor’s Blend knob, you rations, set the Compre
can use parallel compression (sometimes called “TonePrint”. For more i
„New York style compression“). Originally, this Print”.
technique was mainly used for drums, where the
dry drum sound was mixed with a heavily com- Vintage setting
pressed version of the same signal. The same Set the Compression typ
approach works great for guitar signals. Results to jump straight into t
will vary depending on your playing style and the pression tones of yeste
settings of the other control knobs. Experiment you get all of the squee
to find the perfect balance! ated with classical stom
perfect for percussive c
Running HyperGravity Compressor sounds or sweet Gilmou
in a parallel effects loop
If you use HyperGravity Compressor in a parallel
effects loop, you should set the Blend knob to its
maximum position to remove the dry signal from
the pedal’s output.

Level and Blend settings interact
If you set both Level and Blend knobs to high
values, the compressed signal will be signifi-
cantly louder than the uncompressed version.
On the other hand, if you set Level to Zero or a
very low setting, there will be no signal for Blend
to control.

English manual 2015-09-28

Inputs, outputs and controls

elector

ype selector to select the
ode.

pe selector to “Spectra”
compression to your sig-

d compressor configu-
ession type selector to
information, see “Tone-

pe selector to “Vintage”
those old-school com-
eryear. With this setting,
eze and squash associ-
mpbox compression. It is
country tones, tight funk
ur sustain.

17

English manual 2015-09-28

Maintenance

Maintenance

18

Updating the firmware Applying the firmwar

TC may provide updates for the built-in software ►►Quit all MIDI-related
of your pedal, the firmware. Updating your TC DAW) on your compu
pedal’s firmware requires… ware updater you have

►►a computer running Microsoft Windows or ►►In the firmware updat
OS X with a standard USB interface pedal from the drop
“STEP 1” heading.
►►the specified DC power supply for your pedal.
►►When the “Update” bu
Preparing the firmware update heading turns green, c

►►Download the newest firmware from the “Sup- The updated firmware w
port” page for your TC pedal. There are up- your TC pedal. Wait for th
daters 100%. When the update
– for Microsoft Windows (these are ZIP ar- the pedal will automatica
chives containing the firmware installer) and
– for OS X (these are disk image files contain-
ing the firmware installer).

►►Unplug all cables (including the power supply)
from your TC pedal.

►►Connect the pedal to your computer using a
USB cable.

►►Press and hold the footswitch on your TC
pedal. If your TC pedal has more than one
footswitch, press and hold the leftmost foot-
switch.

►►Insert the DC power supply plug.
►►The LED on your pedal should turn green. If

your TC pedal has more than one LED, the
leftmost LED should turn green. This indicates
that the pedal is ready to receive the software
update.
►►Release the footswitch.
►►Your TC pedal will now be recognized as an
updatable device.

English manual 2015-09-28

re update Maintenance

applications (e.g. your Changing the battery
uter and launch the firm-
e downloaded in step 1. If you need to change the battery of your TC
ter app, select your TC Electronic effect pedal, proceed as follows:
p-down list under the ►►Unscrew the thumb-screw on the back of the

utton under the “STEP 2” pedal and detach the back-plate.
click it. ►►Unmount the old battery and attach the new

will now be transferred to battery to the battery clip making sure the po-
he progress bar to reach larity is correct.
e procedure is complete, ►►Remount the back-plate.
ally restart.
Notes regarding batteries

►►Batteries must never be heated, taken apart or
thrown into fire or water.

►►Only rechargeable batteries can be recharged.
►►Remove the battery when the pedal is not be-

ing used for a longer period of time to save
battery life.
►►Always dispose batteries according to local
laws and regulations.

19

Switching the pedal from true To set the bypass mode,
bypass to buffered bypass mode
►►Disconnect the pedal
True Bypass and Buffered ►►Unscrew the back pla
Bypass explained
for the two small dip
True Bypass mode is a hard-wire bypass that left corner.
gives absolutely no coloration of tone when the ►►The upper DIP switch
pedal is bypassed. This is the default mode for power in jack), switche
your effect pedal. mode (default) and Bu
►►Set the DIP switch to
Using True Bypass on all pedals is a perfect ►►Remount the back-pla
choice in setups with a few pedals and relatively
short cables before and after the pedals.

If…
►►you use a long cable between your guitar and

the first pedal or
►►if you use many pedals on your board or
►►if you use a long cable from your board to the

amp,
…then the best solution will most likely be to set
the first and the last pedal in the signal chain to
Buffered Bypass mode.

Can you hear the difference between a pedal in
True Bypass or Buffered Bypass mode?

Maybe, maybe not – many factors apply: active/
passive pick-ups, single coil/humbucker, cable
quality, amp impedance and more. We cannot
give a single ultimate answer. Use your ears and
find the best solution for your setup!

English manual 2015-09-28

Maintenance

, proceed as follows:

and turn it on its back.
ate of the pedal and look
p-switches in the upper

h (the one closer to the
es between True Bypass
uffered Bypass mode.
the desired position.
ate.

20

Frequently a

English manual 2015-09-28

Frequently asked questions

asked questions

21

Frequently asked questions
about TonePrint pedals

“Are TonePrint pedals analog or digital?”

The dry signal of your guitar passes straight
through this effect pedal and is in no way digi-
tized. The processed, “wet” signal is just added.

“Do the TonePrint pedals have balanced
or unbalanced inputs/outputs?”

TonePrint pedals have unbalanced inputs and
outputs. Use cables with TS jacks (i.e., standard
instrument cables).

“Is it possible to run this TonePrint pedal
in the effects loop of a tube amp?”

Yes. All TonePrint pedals have a very wide gain
range and are designed to run at both instru-
ment and line level. There are a few amps which
are capable of running much hotter than regu-
lar +4 dBu line-level signals because of the way
their effect loops are designed. With these amps,
it might be possible to get the input to clip. But
for 99  % of all amps, the TonePrint pedals will
work just fine.

For additional information about your TC Elec-
tronic TonePrint effect pedal, please go to TC
Electronic Support:

tcelectronic.com/support/

English manual 2015-09-28

Frequently asked questions

22

English manual 2015-09-28

Links

Links

23