Korg PBAD Pitchblack Advance Tuner Pedal Review (December 2024)

Featuring a slanted design that hints at a new age, the Pitchblack Advance retains the toughness that is characteristic of the series, in spite of becoming even lighter in weight. The display features high-brightness color LEDs, nearly doubling the size of the note name display and providing amazing visibility. Whether you’re on a dimly lit stage or outdoors in bright sunlight, this display will always be easy to read.

When using strobe mode, the Pitchblack Advance allows ultra-high-precision tuning with ±0.1 cent accuracy. It’s a great choice for exacting situations where even slight errors cannot be tolerated, such as in professional recordings or stage performances. Choose from four meter display modes to suit your playing style. In addition to the standard “Regular mode,” you can use “Strobe mode” or “Half-strobe mode” in which the direction and speed of meter movement indicate the pitch change for easy visualization of even minute differences, as well as “Mirror mode” in which two LEDs move from left and right to coincide in the center as you tune.

The true bypass design allows the input sound to be output with absolutely no change (when the tuner is off). In other words, the tuner circuit does not change, degrade, or color your sound in any way. Since the input sound is completely muted when the tuner is on, this unit is ideal for use on stage. If a separately sold AC adaptor is used, the DC OUT jack can supply power to another effect unit. Since a dedicated power supply circuit is provided for DC OUT, it can provide stable and noiseless 9V 200 mA power.

The Pitchblack Advance provides a stable playing environment for all players. When using a power supply, for example, noise can be caused by interference between different pedals using the same power supply. The Pitchblack Advance is equipped with a circuit that suppresses sudden changes in current, and also applies software control, thereby completely avoiding the occurrence of such noise. The eight-year journey of the Pitchblack series has brought its high efficiency and long-life design to an even higher pinnacle. With approximately 30 hours on zinc-carbon batteries and approximately 60 hours on alkaline batteries, this new unit achieves an ultra-long-life operation that is six times greater than the Pitchblack. Even on a long tour or an extended recording session, it will continue to fulfill its role as your faithful partner.