Over the last few years, Korg's Pitchblack pedal tuner has built up a solid reputation for durability and accuracy. With a footprint not much bigger than an original iPhone, it's not exactly huge either. But with pedalboard space often at a premium, Korg has introduced the Pitchblack mini – a small stomp tuner with a large, easy to read display.
The Pitchblack mini measures just 1.77 x 3.66 x 1.73 in (45 x 93 x 44 mm), which is just a tad chunkier than one of the EL34M tubes in the old Marshall amp sitting in the office corner, and features slide-out stabilizers to help prevent the unit turning over when placed on the floor. And at just 4.5 oz (129 g), it won't weigh your gig bag down.
A seven-segment color LED display dominates much of the upper face of the mini, with the player being offered a choice of three meter display modes. There's regular for a quick tune-up. When precision is paramount, the strobe mode offers ±0.1 cent accuracy, while the direction and speed of meter movement indicate pitch change in half-strobe mode. The mini has a detection range from E0 (20.6 Hz) to C8 (4,186 Hz) and also caters for pitch calibration adjustment.
It can be powered by two 3 V CR2032 lithium battery for up to 3 hours of continuous use or connected to a wall outlet via an optional 9 V DC adapter. True bypass switching means that the tuner will allow the signal to pass through uncolored.
The Pitchblack mini will be available from next month for US$69.99. For players looking for a capable clip-on tuner, we heartily recommend TC Electronic's PolyTune Clip.
Source: Korg