TC Electronic Alter Ego Delay User manual

Alter Ego Delay

a
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 Table of contents
Important Safety Instructions 1
EMC / EMI 2
About this manual 3
TonePrint-enabled 3
Introduction 4
Unpacking and setting up 5
Setup examples 6
Choosing the right setup 8
Inputs, outputs, controls 10
1. Power input 10
2. Audio inputs 10
3. Audio outputs 10
4. Footswitch 10
5. DELAY – Delay time control 11
6. REGEN – Regeneration control 11
7. MIX – Effect level control 11
8. Delay type selector 11
9. Subdivision selector 11
10. USB port 11
Delay types 12
Using TonePrints 14
Bypass modes 16
Kill-dry on/off 16
Changing the battery 17
Technical Specifications 17
Getting support 17

Important Safety Instructions
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 1
Important Safety
Instructions
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. In-
stall in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such
as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that pro-
duce heat.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the po-
larized or grounding-type plug. A polarized
plug has two blades with one wider than
the other. A grounding type plug has two
blades and a third grounding prong. The
wide blade or the third prong are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does
not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician
for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched particularly at plugs, conve-
nience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories speci-
fied by the manufacturer.
12) Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, brack-
et, or table specified by the manufacturer,
or sold with the apparatus. 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.
14) Refer all servicing to qualified service per-
sonnel. Servicing is required when the ap-
paratus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is dam-
aged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the appara-
tus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.
Warning
Do not expose this equipment to dripping or
splashing and ensure that no objects filled with
liquids, such as vases, are placed on the equip-
ment.
Do not install this device in a confined space.
Service
All service must be performed by qualified per-
sonnel.
Caution
You are cautioned that any change or modifi-
cations not expressly approved in this manual
could void your authority to operate this device.

EMC / EMI
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 2
EMC / EMI
Electromagnetic compatibility /
Electromagnetic interference
This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B Digital de-
vice, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in resi-
dential installations. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio communications. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encour-
aged 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.
For customers in Canada
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Ca-
nadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

TonePrint-enabled
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 3
About this manual
This manual will help you learn understanding
and operating 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 exam-
ple, clicking the TC Electronic logo in the upper
left corner of each page will take you to the table
of contents.
To get the most from this manual, please read it
from start to finish, or you may miss important
information.
To download the most current version of this
manual, visit tcelectronic.com/support/manuals/
Enjoy your TC product!
TonePrint-enabled
This TC Electronic product
supports TonePrints. Follow
the icon to learn more about
TonePrints, or go to
tcelectronic.com/toneprint/

Introduction
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 4
Introduction
Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS
“In February of 2010, TC Electronic flew Andy
and I to their headquarters in Denmark. Andy
went along to create a number of TonePrints,
and I was presented with the possibility of a cus-
tom Flashback. I saw this as a really fun project
to work on. We get to do some really cool cus-
tom products with our manufacturers, and it’s
the part of my job that I enjoy the most. I mean
– really, who gets to do this kind of stuff?
After spending about 30 minutes with the Tone-
Print software, I realized that this software could
create nearly any sound that you want it to. My
mind began to race with the possibilities, and I
knew relatively quickly what we would create.
Being a complete delay geek, I own so many de-
lays that it’s quite frankly embarrassing. There
is no excuse for it, it’s an addiction. There are
two delays that I own that I consider some of my
most prized possessions. Very dear to my heart
are my original Binson Echorec, and a vintage
Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.
We are proud to present the result of the joint
collaboration between TC Electronic and Pro-
GuitarShop. Alter Ego Delay is a new take on the
very successful TC Electronic Flashback, fea-
turing two new presets modeled after a couple
classic delays: the Binson Echorec, and the EHX
Deluxe Memory Man.”

Unpacking and setting up
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 5
Unpacking and
setting up
Ready…
The Alter Ego Delay box should contain the fol-
lowing items:
– 1 Alter Ego Delay pedal
– 2 rubber feet for “non-velcro” pedalboard
mounting
– 1 TC Electronic sticker
– 1 leaflet about TC’s guitar FX product range.
– 1 USB cable for transferring TonePrints from
the computer to the pedal and updating the
pedal firmware
Inspect all items for signs of transit damage. In
the unlikely event of transit damage, inform the
carrier and supplier.
If damage has occurred, keep all packaging as it
can be used as evidence of excessive handling
force.
Set…
– Connect a 9V power supply with the follow-
ing symbol to the DC input socket of Alter Ego
Delay.
! Please note that Alter Ego Delay does not
come with a power supply.
– Plug the power supply into a power outlet.
– Connect your instrument to the MONO IN jack
on the right side of the pedal using a ¼“ jack
cable. You can also feed the pedal with a ste-
reo signal by using both IN jacks.
– Connect the MONO OUT jack on the left side
of the pedal to your amplifier using a ¼“ jack
cable.
Play!

Setup examples
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 6
Setup examples
Alter Ego Delay in front of the amp
Modulation
Pedals
Looper
Pedal
Combo
Input
Drive
Pedals
Reverb
Pedals

Setup examples
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 7
Alter Ego Delay in an FX Loop
FX Loop Send ►
◄FX Loop Return
Modulation
Pedals
Looper
Pedal
Combo
Input ▼
Drive
Pedals
Reverb
Pedals

Delay effects and volume pedals: choosing the right setup
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 8
Delay effects and volume pedals: choosing the right setup
You have a delay effect and a volume pedal. Great! Now – which setup is right for you? It really depends on how you intend to shape your sound.
“I want to be able to turn down the volume of everything!”
Cool. Then you will want to place your volume pedal after Alter Ego Delay.
Modulation
Pedals
Looper
Pedal
Combo
Input
Drive
Pedals
Reverb
Pedals
▲
Your volume pedal goes somewhere over here.

Delay effects and volume pedals: choosing the right setup
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 9
“I want my delays to trail out when I use my volume pedal!”
Awesome! In that case, place your volume pedal before Alter Ego Delay so Alter Ego Delay can work its magic.
Modulation
Pedals
Looper
Pedal
Combo
Input
Drive
Pedals
Reverb
Pedals
▲
Your volume pedal goes somewhere over here if you want
your delays to trail out when lowering the volume.

Inputs, outputs, controls
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 10
Inputs, outputs, controls
4
9
10
1
7
8
5
6
3
2
1. Power input
The power input of this pedal is a standard
5.5 /2.1mm DC plug (centre = negative). To pow-
er up your pedal, connect a power supply to its
power input socket. Alter Ego Delay requires a
9V power supply providing 100mA or more (not
supplied). To minimize hum, use a power supply
with isolated outputs.
2. Audio inputs
The audio inputs of this pedal are standard ¼”
jacks (mono/TS).
– If your signal source is mono, connect it to the
M input jack on the right side of the pedal.
– If your signal source is stereo, connect the ca-
ble carrying the left signal component to the
M jack and the cable carrying the right signal
component to the S jack.
3. Audio outputs
The audio outputs of this pedal are standard ¼”
jacks (mono/TS).
– If the next device in the signal chain has a
mono input (e.g. your amp), connect the M
output jack of Alter Ego Delay to the other de-
vice’s input.
– If the next device in the signal chain has stereo
inputs (e.g. another stereo effect pedal), con-
nect the M output jack of Alter Ego Delay to
the left input and the S output jack to the right
input of the other device.
4. Footswitch
Effect on/off
Tap the footswitch to turn the pedal on or off, just
like with any other pedal on your board.
Audio tapping
Hold down the footswitch for Audio Tapping.
Of course, the delay time can be set using the
DELAY knob. However, for timing the delay re-
peats to the tempo of the song you are playing,
you can also tap in a the tempo via audio.
To set the tempo:
– Hold down the footswitch.
– With the footswitch held down, play steady
short 1/4 notes on your instrument.
! Please note that the output is always muted
during audio tapping.
– Release the switch again.
That’s it – you have now entered the global
tempo, and the delay repeats will play accord-
ing to the subdivision you have selected with
the subdivision switch. The options are: 1/4,
1/8. and 1/4+1/8.

Inputs, outputs, controls
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 11
Inputs, outputs, controls
continued
4
9
10
1
7
8
5
6
3
2
5. DELAY – Delay time control
Use the DELAY knob to control the delay time.
Almost all delay types have a delay range of
20ms to 7000 ms (that’s 7seconds). Slapback
(“SLP”) has a range from 20ms to 300ms.
6. REGEN – Regeneration control
Use the REGEN knob to set the desired numbers
of delay repeats. Turning the REGEN knob to the
right will give you more delay repeats.
7. MIX – Effect level control
Use the Mix knob to control the level of the de-
lay repeats.
! The direct, unprocessed signal is always
passed at the original level (unity gain). Only
the level of delay repeats is changed when
turning the MIX knob.
8. Delay type selector
Use the Delay type selector to choose the type
of delay you want to work with.
The delay types are described in the section
“Delay types”.
9. Subdivision selector
Use this switch to choose the note intervals that
the delay repetitions are based on.
– Top position: quarter notes
– Middle position: dotted eighths
– Bottom position: quarter notes and dotted
eighths.
10. USB port
Use this standard Mini-B USB port to load new
TonePrints into the pedal or create your own
using the TonePrint Editor – it’s 100 % free of
charge! If there should be firmware updates for
this device, they can also be installed using this
port.

Delay types
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 12
Delay types
This section of the manual describes the delay
types you can access using the Delay type se-
lector.
2290
Once upon a time… (i.e., back in 1985) TC Elec-
tronic released the 2290 Dynamic Digital De-
lay. It set the bar for professional delays for years
to come and is still held in high regard among
delay enthusiasts.
Use the “2290” setting for the crispest and clean
delay you can imagine. This is the standard.
AN – Analog delay
This is as close as you can get to the charming
nature of an old analog transistor bucket-brigade
delay without buying the real thing! With every
repeat you get more of that old-school “fade to
grey” vibe.
TP – Tape delay
Who doesn’t love the smooth sound of an old
tape echo machine?
The “Tape” setting makes for an overall great
starting point with its mellow and “warbling”
sound.
ER – Echorec*
Tweaked by ProGuitarShop
“In the mid 80’s, I was a teenager in high school,
and I had just discovered Pink Floyd. I remember
coming home from school every day for weeks
and sitting in my room and listening to ‘Dark Side
of the Moon’ on my gigantic Sony Walkman. I
barely knew how to play guitar back then, but
later on in life, when I was gigging in Portland, I
had the opportunity to pick up a Binson Echo-
rec*. I couldn’t resist the chance to have one of
those rare units that Gilmour had made famous.
After I had the Echorec for a few years, it began
to develop a very unique modulation that I fell in
love with. Typically, when you think of delay and
modulation, you think of a chorusing effect. My
unit developed more of a vibrato than a chorus.
On lower settings, it just added a very subtle 3D
effect, but if you would crank the volume (mix), it
would give you a nice warble, a slight Leslie type
effect. This is what we modeled the ER setting of
Alter Ego Delay after. You will notice this warble
at around 300 ms repeat times. It morphs into
some great swirling upper harmonics at higher
delay time settings.”
Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS
DMM – Deluxe Memory Man*
Tweaked by ProGuitarShop
“The other delay that fits into my all-time favor-
ites category is the Electro Harmonix Deluxe
Memory Man*. I have had one of the early mod-
els for years and it is a delay that I continue to
come back to. The DMM is a classic delay that
everyone is very familiar with. We aren’t the first
to model it, but I think we did a pretty darn good
job of capturing the original sound. We really fo-
cused on capturing the nuances of the echo and
mimicking the unique decay heard in its repeats.
The DMM setting is based upon my Memory
Man pedal.”
Aaron Miller, Founder of PGS
MOD – 2290 delay with modulation
Take the 2290’s pristine sound, send it through
three (!) chorus pedals… et voilà. If you’re into
the sound of The Edge, you don’t want to miss
this setting.
Oh, and while you’re at it, try playing around with
the SUBDIVISION SELECTOR Switch.
PP – Ping-pong delay
Like the ball in the eponymous game, the delay
repeats jump from left to right (provided you’re
using both outputs for a stereo signal). The ef-
fect is really wide. Ping-pong is a lot of fun to
play around with in stereo – but it sounds great
in mono, too.

Using the looper
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 13
SLP – Slap delay
A delay type for all things country – but you can
also use this for many other genres.
Use this setting to get your Rockabilly on and
pay homage to the rich staccato heritage of Bri-
an Setzer, Chet Atkins and Scotty Moore, or as
an alternative to reverb.
RVS – Reverse delay
If you’ve been around for some time, you know
the drill: Record a guitar part on tape. Flip the
tape over. Play it back. This is a classic effect
made famous by guitar legends such as Jimi
Hendrix – and although it’s kind of “old school”,
the reverse effect still seems to inspire people to
try out new things.
Try this:
Turn the Mix knob all the way down to hear only
the reversed signal.
LP – Looper setting
Set the Delay type selector to LP to use the built-
in audio looper.
Using the looper is explained in the Using the
looper section.
TP – TonePrint setting
Set the Delay type selector to TP to use the
TonePrint setting.
Using and editing TonePrints is explained in the
Using TonePrints section.
* All third party product names mentioned in the
context of this manual are trademarks of their
respective owners, which are in no way asso-
ciated or affiliated with TC Electronic. These
product names and descriptions are provided
for the sole purpose of identifying the prod-
ucts that were studied during product devel-
opment.
Using the looper
With Alter Ego Delay’s looper, you can record
and play back grooves and lines for playing
along. You can even overdub your recording an
unlimited number of times.
The duration of a loop can be up to 40 seconds
in mono and 20 seconds in stereo, regardless of
how many overdubs you make.
Recording and playing loops
1. Set the Delay type selector to LP (Loop).
2. Make sure the pedal is in bypass mode (i.e.,
the LED should be off). Feel the groove and
prepare for recording. Then tap the pedal’s
footswitch to start your recording and play.
The pedal’s LED flashes red.
3. To stop recording, press the footswitch again.
Alter Ego Delay immediately switches to play-
back mode and starts playing the loop. In
playback mode, the LED is green.
4. To overdub your recording, press the switch
once more. The LED now blinks.
5. To delete all recordings, double-tap the foot-
switch.
Notes regarding the Looper
– The first round of recording always sets the
length of the loop.
– If an overdub exceeds the length of the loop,
a third round of recording begins. This gives a
very natural, logic and musical feel when re-
cording loops.
! The DELAY and REGEN knobs are inactive in
Loop mode.

Using TonePrints
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 14
Using TonePrints
When you look at your pedal,
you’ll only see a few knobs
and switches. However, they
actually control a large num-
ber of internal parameters.
TC has defined the relation-
ship between the knob and all the parameters
“under the hood”. But wouldn’t it be cool to have
guys like Steve Stevens, Scott Ian or Paul Gil-
bert (i.e., some of the world’s leading guitar play-
ers) virtually rewire these controls, defining what
should happen behind the scenes or perhaps
even do it yourself?
This is exactly what TonePrint does.
We work with top guitar players who explore
a pedal’s hidden tonal potential, redefining the
controls and creating their personal TonePrints.
TC is making these custom TonePrints avail-
able to you. Uploading them to your pedal is re-
ally easy, and with the amazing TonePrint Editor
you can even create your own signature pedal
tweaked specifically to your liking.
You can change the TonePrint in your pedal as
often as you like, and the best part:
It’s totally free.
Transferring TonePrints to the pedal
“So how do I load new TonePrints into my pedal?”
“Use USB, Luke – or beam it.”
Transferring TonePrints to
the pedal by beaming
For all you iPhone and Android users out there,
we created the TonePrint app. iPhone users can
download the app from Apple’s App Store, An-
droid users will find it on Google Play.
– Launch the TonePrint app on your smart-
phone and find the TonePrint you want to use.
– Plug your guitar or bass into your Alter Ego
Delay.
– Turn your Alter Ego Delay on.
– Turn up the volume on your instrument and set
the pickup selector to one pickup.
– Hold the speaker of your smartphone next to
the chosen pickup and touch “Beam to ped-
al”.
(Or just follow the on-screen instructions on
your phone.)
Transferring TonePrints to
the pedal via USB
– Go to tcelectronic.com/toneprint.
– Select your TC product in the “TonePrint by
product” section.
– Download a TonePrint you’d like to try.
– Connect your TC pedal and your computer
using a Mini-B to Type A USB cable.
– Turn Alter Ego Delay on.
– Launch the TonePrint application you down-
loaded and follow the on-screen instructions.
It’s quick and easy.

Using TonePrints
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 15
Editing TonePrints with
the TonePrint Editor
For years, we have given musician the opportu-
nity to use TonePrints created by their favorite
guitar and bass players. But it’s time to step up
the game. Finally, you can create your very own
signature pedal sounds using TC’s TonePrint
Editor!
TonePrint Editor features
– Use TonePrint Editor to build your own custom
sounds.
– Enjoy complete control over all effect parame-
ters and effect behavior – it’s your vision, your
sound.
– Customize knob function and knob range to
suit your needs and sounds.
– Audition your sonic creations in real-time live
– make changes on the fly and listen to results
immediately.
– Works with both PC and Mac.
Last but not least…
TonePrint Editor is absolutely free!
Getting and using TonePrint Editor
– Download TonePrint Editor for your computer
from tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/.
– Find the manual in your language at
tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor/support/.
If you open the manual for TonePrint Editor
in Adobe Reader, you can click on interface
sections to jump directly to the sections of
the manual you are interested in.

Kill-dry on/off
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 16
Bypass modes
Here at TC, we have a simply philosophy: When
you are using one of our products, you should
hear something great – and if you don’t, you
shouldn’t hear it at all. This is why this pedal
sports True Bypass. When it is bypassed, it is
really off and has zero influence on your tone, re-
sulting in optimum clarity and zero loss of high-
end. Also please note that the pedal lets your
dry, unprocessed sound pass without ever con-
verting it to digital – keeping your original tone
pure and without any latency.
To set the bypass mode, proceed as follows:
– Disconnect the pedal and turn it on its back.
– Unscrew the back plate of the pedal and look
for the two small dip-switches in the upper left
corner.
– The upper DIP switch (the one closer to the
power in jack), switches between True By-
pass mode (default) and Buffered Bypass
mode.
True Bypass and Buffered
Bypass explained
True Bypass mode is a hard-wire bypass that
gives absolutely no coloration of tone when the
pedal is bypassed.
Using True Bypass on all pedals is a perfect
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!
Kill-dry on/off
When you activate Kill-dry, the direct signal is
removed from the pedal’s output. Use this mode
when you place the pedal in a parallel effects
loop.
Please refer to the Setup examples section of
this manual to decide wether you want the dry
signal at the pedal’s outputs or not.
To set Kill-dry mode, proceed as follows:
– Disconnect the pedal and turn it on its back.
– Unscrew the back plate of the pedal and look
for the two small dip-switches in the upper left
corner.
– The lower DIP switch (the one further away
from the power in jack), switches between Kill-
dry on and Kill-dry off mode.
! You can only remove the dry signal from the
signal path if you have selected Buffered By-
pass mode using the upper DIP switch – see
previous section of this manual. Kill-dry is not
available in True Bypass mode.
True Buffered Kill-dry Kill-dry
Bypass Bypass off on

Getting support
Alter Ego Delay English Manual Version 1.0 17
Changing the battery
If you need to change the battery of your pedal,
proceed as follows:
– Unscrew the thumb-screw on the back of the
pedal and detach the back-plate.
– Unmount the old battery and attach the new
battery to the battery clip making sure the po-
larity is correct.
– Remount the back-plate.
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
being used for a longer period of time to save
battery life.
– Dispose batteries according to local laws and
regulations.
Technical Specifications
– Delay Types: 9 + TonePrint + Looper
– Max Delay length: 7seconds
– Max Loop length: Mono: 40seconds
– Stereo: 20seconds
– Mono/Stereo: Auto-sensing – automatic
Mono or True Stereo mode depending on the
connections used
– Bypass mode:
True Bypass (Buffered Bypass optional)
– Signal Circuitry: Analog Dry-Through
– Dimensions (W x D x H):
72 x 122 x 50mm / 2.8 x 4.8 x 2.0”
– Input Connector Types:
2 Standard ¼” jack – mono/TS
– Output Connector Types:
2 Standard ¼” jack – mono/TS
– Power Input: Standard 9V DC, centre nega-
tive >100mA (not supplied)
– Battery option: Standard 9V (not supplied)
– Input Impedance: 1 MΩ
– Output Impedance: 100 Ω
Getting support
If you still have questions about the product af-
ter reading this manual, please get in touch with
TC Support:
http://tcelectronic.com/support/