NAMM 2015: TC Electronic/TC Helicon release three new stompoxes

Namm 2015: TC Electronic has added three new pedals to its popular line of stompboxes. Joining the hugely successful TonePrint series are the Viscous Vibe, and a long-awaited phaser in the form of the Helix. Meanwhile, the Ditto family of loopers has been expanded with the addition of the Ditto Mic Looper. Read on for more details.

Since launching, TC's TonePrint series has had one glaring omission: a dedicated phaser. Well, hanker no more, as the Helix has finally arrived and is promising to be more than just a “run-of-the-mill” phaser. Offering everything from “Gilmour swirls” to “Van Halen swooshes” and more, the Helix has two phase modes – Vintage and Smooth – plus a TonePrint slot. The Helix can run in mono or stereo, and also features true bypass and TC's Analog Dry Through.

Based on the Shin-Ei Uni Vibe – as used by Hendrix and Pink Floyd – the Viscous is billed by TC as being a “dead on 1:1 digital recreation”. You get Speed, intensity and volume controls, as well as a mini-toggle to switch between chorus, vibrato or TonePrint. As with all TonePrint pedals, the Viscous is true bypass.

If you've ever tried looping your mic, or a mic'd acoustic, you'll know that you require a separate mic preamp. The new Ditto Mic does away with the need for this, allowing you to connect your mic into a small footprint. The Ditto Mic has five minutes of looping time (24-bit, uncompressed), and is equipped with phantom power, automatic mic gain, plus dedicated start/stop switches for controlling your loops. The Ditto also offers remote Mic Control from TC Helicon's MP-75 or Sennheiser's e835 FX microphones.