Kevin W. Lee

FIVE On the floor
Five pedals, endless boardsTC Electronic Plethora X5 · Pedal Zines № 03

Issue03
PLETHORA X5 (n.) A whole board of TC TonePrint pedals in one silver box: five footswitches, five screens, any five effects in any order.
§ 01 · What it isRead me first

Pick a board. Each board holds up to 5 pedals, one per footswitch, each loaded with a TonePrint. PLAY to stomp, EDIT to build. It saves as you go.

EDIT builds. PLAY stomps.
§ 02Where everything lives

The Map

Numbers match TC's Quick Start Guide. Top face is 1 to 8; the rear panel is 9 to 15. The five screens show the example board from TC's product photo.

Stylized top view of the TC Electronic Plethora X5 Wide silver pedalboard. Top row, left to right: EFFECT knob (1), PLAY/EDIT switch (3), three PARAMETER knobs (6), BOARD switch (7), TONEPRINT knob (8). A black glass band holds five LCD screens (2). Five footswitches (4) along the front, each with an indicator LED (5). EFFECTPRESS TO SELECT PLETHORAX5 PLAYEDIT BOARD TONEPRINTPRESS TO SELECT CORONACHORUS MASH QUINTESSENCEHARMONY PIPELINETAP TREMOLO SENTRYNOISE GATE TAP TEMPO FLASHBACK 2DELAY 1 2 3 4 5 TONEPRINT PEDALBOARD 1 2 3 6 6 6 7 8 4 5
Rear panel, seen from behind ↓
Plethora X5 rear panel, seen from behind Left to right from behind: INPUT mono and stereo (9), OUTPUT mono and stereo (10), INSERT send and return (11), EXP (12), DC IN 9 V 600 mA (13), USB (14), MIDI IN and THRU (15). MONO STEREO MONO STEREO SEND RETURN INPUT OUTPUT INSERT EXP DC IN9V · 600mA USB IN THRU MIDI 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
  1. 1EFFECT knobEDIT mode: turn to scroll the effect list, press to put that effect in the selected slot. Does nothing in PLAY.
  2. 2LCD screensPLAY: what's loaded in each slot and whether it's on. EDIT: effect, TonePrint and knob settings for the selected slot.
  3. 3PLAY/EDIT switchFlips between PLAY (stomp) and EDIT (build).
  4. 4Footswitches 1 to 5PLAY: effect on/off for that slot. EDIT: picks the slot to edit. Some effects add a 2nd function (MASH, tap tempo).
  5. 5Indicator LEDsShow each slot's on/off status.
  6. 6Parameter knobsEDIT: adjust the selected slot. PLAY: can be assigned to any parameter (HOT KNOBZ).
  7. 7BOARD switchSteps between boards. In EDIT it creates/duplicates (up) or deletes/clears (down) a board.
  8. 8TONEPRINT knobEDIT: turn to browse TonePrints for the selected effect, press to load. Press and hold it for the tuner.
  9. 9INPUT mono / stereo¼" TS. Mono = MONO jack only. Stereo = both.
  10. 10OUTPUT mono / stereo¼" TS. Mono = MONO jack only. Stereo = both.
  11. 11INSERT send / returnPatch an outside pedal (your favorite drive) into the board's internal chain.
  12. 12EXP¼" TRS expression pedal.
  13. 13DC IN9 V DC, centre negative, more than 600 mA. TC supply included; use only TC supplies.
  14. 14USB (mini-B)TonePrint app on a computer, and firmware updates.
  15. 15MIDI IN / THRU5-pin DIN. Control footswitches and boards from a MIDI controller.
§ 03I/O and power

Hook It Up

FIRST RUN

Mono rig, in this order

  1. Turn the amp or mixer down first.
  2. Guitar (or the pedal before it) into INPUT MONO.
  3. OUTPUT MONO to whatever comes next.
  4. Power: the included TC supply into DC IN. 9 V DC, centre negative, over 600 mA. TC says use only TC supplies.
  5. Pick a board and play.
THE JACKS
  • Stereo in or out? Use both jacks of that pair.
  • INSERT send/return: an outside pedal inside the X5 chain.
  • EXP: TRS expression pedal.
  • USB mini-B: TonePrint app on a computer, firmware.
  • MIDI IN / THRU: 5-pin DIN.
  • Bluetooth 4.2 LE: TonePrint app on a phone.

Spec sheet: true bypass · latency 0.8 to 2.4 ms · 1.4 kg

✓ First sessionTap each one when done · saves on this device

First Session

0 / 10 done FIVE FOR FIVE.
§ 04The one idea to get

Boards › Pedals › Prints

80/20Get this nesting and the rest of the X5 makes sense. Everything else on this page is either stomping (PLAY) or building (EDIT).
BOARD

A whole pedalboard

A board holds up to 5 pedals in any order, one per footswitch. Store up to 127 boards. It ships with ready-made ones.

PEDAL

A TC TonePrint pedal

Each slot holds one effect from TC's TonePrint pedal range (chorus, delay, reverb, pitch, gate, looper and more). Any mix, any order.

TONEPRINT

A voicing of that pedal

A TonePrint is a tuned version of the effect, often by an artist. 75 TonePrint slots per pedal on the unit; more from the free app.

§ 05PLAY mode: just stomp

Stomp Moves

Press 1 to 5

Turns that slot's effect on or off. Its LED shows the state.

BOARD switch

Step to the next or previous board.

Hold TONEPRINT

Opens the chromatic tuner (FW 1.1.43+). MIDI CC 93 toggles it too.

Hold two switches

Quick Swap: hold the footswitches of two pedals and they trade places in the chain.

2nd function

Some slots have a second footswitch job: MASH (press harder for expression), RAMP, or TAP TEMPO. Set under SETTINGS › BOARD.

Turn the knobs

In PLAY the 3 black knobs do whatever HOT KNOBZ assigns on that board.

§ 06EDIT mode: build a board

Load & Swap

SWAP AN EFFECT
  1. Flip PLAY/EDIT to EDIT.
  2. Press a footswitch to pick that slot.
  3. Turn EFFECT to browse pedals. Press it to load one into the slot.
  4. Turn TONEPRINT to browse voicings. Press it to load one.
  5. Shape it with the 3 parameter knobs.
  6. Flip back to PLAY.
SAVING

There's no save button

TC: the X5 stores your settings automatically as you go. Tweak it and it's kept.

The flip side: there's no "undo to saved". Before big experiments, duplicate the board or make a restore point.

BOARD switch in EDIT

Up = CREATE a new board or DUPLICATE this one. Down = DELETE or CLEAR this board. Read the screen before you confirm.

§ 07Time and tune

Tap & Tune

TAP TEMPO

Delays and tap-tempo effects can use TAP TEMPO as the footswitch's 2nd function. TC's notes describe pressing and holding the switch first, then tapping.

Want instant tapping? Load the Tap/Tuner utility pedal (FW 1.4.3+): an always-on tap switch for the global tempo, plus the tuner on press and hold.

Either encoder fine-tunes the BPM of the last tapped tempo.

TUNER

Hold TONEPRINT

Press and hold the TONEPRINT push encoder for the chromatic tuner. Or use the Tap/Tuner pedal's hold, or MIDI CC 93.

Added in FW 1.1.43

§ 08TonePrint app, Bluetooth, USB

The App

PAIR BLUETOOTH
  1. Install the free TonePrint app (App Store / Google Play).
  2. X5 in EDIT. Scroll to settings at the bottom of the effects list; press EFFECT.
  3. Under global settings choose Bluetooth Pairing. The Bluetooth indicator flashes.
  4. Phone Bluetooth on. In the app's settings choose Bluetooth Midi Pairing, then the X5.
  5. The indicator stops flashing: paired.
WHAT IT DOES
  • Audition TonePrints from the full library.
  • Like one? Store To Product keeps it, even after power-off.
  • Arrange boards; the board organizer reorders and renames them.
  • Edit TonePrints deeply, up to 3 parameters per knob.
  • Computer? Desktop app over the USB cable instead of Bluetooth.
§ 09Deeper stuff, folded up

When You're Ready

Skip all of this on day one. Tap a tile to open it.

MASH footswitchesPress harder, effect moves

Each MASH switch can drive up to 3 parameters at once, with custom action curves (product page). The second footswitch job (MASH, RAMP, TAP TEMPO, LATCHING, MOMENTARY) is set here:

SETTINGS > BOARD > 2ND FSW FUNCTION

Momentary modes arrived in FW 1.5.6.

HOT KNOBZStompbox knobs in PLAY mode

Assign the 3 black knobs to any parameters on the board for live tweaks in PLAY. Board-level setting.

SETTINGS > BOARD > HOT KNOBZ
Tempo syncOne tempo for every slot

Turn on Tempo Sync per slot and they all follow the global tempo. Set it by tapping a synced slot, the Tap/Tuner utility pedal, MIDI CC tap or MIDI clock (FW 1.4.3).

SETTINGS > BOARD > TEMPO SYNC
Expression pedalEXP jack

Use it as a parameter modifier or as a volume pedal anywhere in the chain.

SETTINGS > BOARD > EXP ASSIGNMENT
Insert loop & 4-cableBring your own drive

INSERT send/return puts an outside pedal anywhere on the board. TC also mentions using it for the 4-cable method with an amp's effects loop. The QSG doesn't give 4-cable steps.

Cab simulationGlobal, always last

9 cab sims (FW 1.2.18). Global: while on, it always sits at the end of the chain. Leave it off when the X5 feeds an amp or an amp/IR pedal.

SETTINGS > GLOBAL > PRODUCT SETTINGS > CAB SIMULATION
Trails & bypass typeSpillover, sort of

Spec says true bypass. TC added BUFFERED / NO TRAILS, which cuts delay and reverb tails on bypass, implying the other buffered mode keeps them. The full option list isn't in the docs I could read.

SETTINGS > GLOBAL > PRODUCT SETTINGS > BYPASS TYPE
Kill dryNot a global feature

No global kill-dry setting appears in TC's X5 docs. FW 1.5.6 notes say kill dry could not be implemented for the Infinite Sample Sustainer pedal on Plethora.

MIDI basicsBrief note only

Program Change recalls the matching board. CC 102 to 106 engage/bypass footswitches 1 to 5 (0 to 63 off, 64 to 127 on). CC 93 toggles the tuner. Pick the receive channel and see the full CC map on the unit:

SETTINGS > GLOBAL > MIDI > CHANNEL SELECT / CC TABLE
Board shortcutsFootswitch combos

Optional: press footswitches 1+2 for board down, 2+3 for board up. Turning this on disables Quick Swap.

GLOBAL > PRODUCT SETTINGS > FSW BOARD DOWN/UP

Triple-click board and tuner shortcuts can also be toggled under SETTINGS/GLOBAL.

Tape Deck LooperBuilt-in looper pedal

RAM looper you can drop in any slot: about 40 s stereo or 80 s mono (FW 1.2.18).

FirmwareUSB drag and drop

Plug in USB; the X5 mounts as a drive. Drop the .bin on its root, eject, power-cycle, and don't pull power while it updates. From 1.0.101, go to 1.1.55 first.

Check version: SETTINGS > GLOBAL > SERVICE > FIRMWARE
§ 10The nuclear option

Factory Reset

ERASES EVERYTHING

The documented path

  1. Flip to EDIT.
  2. Turn EFFECT to settings at the bottom of the effects list; press it.
  3. Go to GLOBAL › SERVICE › FACTORY RESET.
  4. A warning menu asks you to confirm (FW 1.2.18+). Confirm only if you mean it.
SETTINGS › GLOBAL › SERVICE › FACTORY RESET
BACK UP FIRST

Restore points

FW 1.4.3+ can snapshot the whole unit: Create new restore point saves one on the X5; System export writes a file to the USB drive for safekeeping.

SETTINGS > GLOBAL > RESTORE POINT

Heads up: applying or importing a restore point overwrites all user content and changes the firmware to the version it was made on.

TC's docs show the menu path and the warning, not the exact confirm wording.

§ 11Off the board, for now

In My Rig

My X5 is unplugged right now. It comes out when a song or a tone calls for it. Here's my main board, and where it could slot in.

GuitarNotaklonSD-1RATPhase 90Lucky CatIR-2amp + cabMixerout front
IR-2 effects loop
SendIR-2 loopJamMan ExpressSDRUMReturnIR-2 loop
OPTION A

In front of the IR-2

Lucky CatX5IR-2

Plus: one cable change, and modulation hits the amp model like normal pedals.

Minus: delay and reverb run before the amp, so the amp drives the echoes. Fine for subtle, smeary when the amp's hot.

OPTION B

In the IR-2 loop

SendX5JamManSDRUMReturn

Plus: time effects land after the amp, like a real amp's loop. JamMan records the effected sound; SDRUM stays clean behind it.

Minus: the loop is mono (IR-2 RETURN is mono), so no stereo, and it's another box on the loop.

TIP 1

Cab sim off

The IR-2 already does the cab. The X5's CAB SIMULATION is global and always last in its chain while on, so leave it off.

TIP 2

Mono jacks only

Into and out of the IR-2 it's mono, so use INPUT MONO and OUTPUT MONO only. A mono setup uses just the MONO jack.

TIP 3

A board for this rig

Build one board just for the IR-2 setup (EDIT › BOARD up › DUPLICATE) so changes don't wreck the presets.

§ 12Screens and lights

Screen Decoder

litdarkflashing
Looks likeNameMeans
Indicator LED litThat slot's effect is on.
Indicator LED darkThat slot is bypassed.
NAME + BARScreen, PLAY modeThe effect and TonePrint loaded in that slot. The colored bar marks the slot in TC's photos.
MASHMASH tagAs shown in TC's photo: that footswitch has MASH as its 2nd function.
TAP TEMPOTAP TEMPO tagAs shown in TC's photo: that footswitch doubles as tap tempo.
IN · OUTIN / OUT marksWhich way the chain flows across the screens (you can reverse it, FW 1.3.6).
KNOB GFXHot Knobz graphicsShows which pedals have HOT KNOBZ assigned and reacts while you tweak (FW 1.3.6).
EDIT VIEWScreen, EDIT modeEffect, TonePrint and knob settings for the selected slot.
BTflashingBluetooth indicator flashingDiscoverable: ready to pair with the TonePrint app.
BTstops flashingBluetooth indicator steadyPaired with the app.
Couldn't verify

TC doesn't publish a full screen-icon legend. The MASH and TAP TEMPO tags are read off TC's product photo, and the LED's lit color isn't specified.