TC Electronic Flashback X4 Delay and Looper Pedal

No longer available at zZounds
Tap into a huge range of delay and loop settings with the Flashback X4. This versatile pedal also includes four TC TonePrint slots for downloaded presets.

The TC Electronic Flashback X4 delay and looper pedal is virtually three Flashback pedals stuffed into one stompbox. With the X4's insanely wide tonal range, it's pretty much the only delay/looper effect your pedalboard needs. This baddie comes with three presets and 12 different delay sounds, including tape, tube, space, analog, ping-pong, and more. What's more, this pedal allows you to download and store up to four TonePrint sounds. USB connectivity or the TonePrint app for your smartphone gives you access to free updates and instant downloads of your favorite guitarists' settings, and an easy-to-use control layout won't overwhelm you as you navigate everything this "time machine" has to offer.

TC Electronic tells you 5 things you need to know about the Flashback X4:


12 Delay Types and Four Storage Slots

You'll never find yourself short of delay styles to color your signal, because your TC Electronic Flashback X4 boasts 12 different delay settings to choose from. Some of these include analog, ping pong, slap back, tape, tube, and beyond. You can also store up to four different TonePrint settings, leaving you with 16 pedal-ready delay settings to give your axe some really intriguing tones.

Add TonePrint to Your Signal Chain

What really separates your TC Electronic Flashback X4 from other delay/looper pedals is its TonePrint function. Via either your smartphone or the X4's USB slot, you can download an array of different settings crafted by some of your favorite read more artists. Simply hold your smartphone up to your axe's pickup and beam the setting directly to your Flashback X4 pedal instantly.

Dials and Controls

This amazingly versatile pedal features a straightforward control layout that's easy to learn and manipulate. From left to right, you have your delay setting control, then your delay time, feedback, delay level, and looper level controls. A delay/looper toggle switch sets your pedal's effect setting, and four footswitches allow you to quickly record, play, pause, and undo/redo hands-free.

Get in Sync with Tap Tempo or MIDI I/O

If you want to sync up your delay effect to an exact tempo, your Flashback X4 pedal features a tap tempo switch on the bottom right. You also have a subdivision selector switch to set your tempo to using quarter notes, eighth notes, or a mixture of both. What's more, there's MIDI I/O, so you can lock your delay to your drum machine or DAW in the studio. This awesome feature is just another dimension of control that this monster-of-a-pedal lays right at your feet.

Love and Care for Your Signal

With the TC Electronic Flashback X4, your signal will continually receive the best treatment it can. This pedal utilizes a true-bypass system, so your instrument's sound loses none of its original color or character when you disengage your pedal. Utilizing analog-dry-through, your dry, unaffected signal remains untouched and un-digitized, keeping things consistently natural-sounding.

Tough and Durable for the Road

If you're a regularly gigging musician with plenty of shows on the road ahead of you, then your Flashback X4 will stand up well to the tough abuse that frequently employed hardware has to take. You can rock on with assurance that this baby will deliver -- time after time.

Check out our overview of the TC Electronic Flashback X4 Delay and Looper:


Features:

- Delay/looper pedal in stompbox fashion
- Simple control layout -- easy to read, learn, and use
- Four simple-to-use switches -- record, play/pause, play once, and undo/redo
- Maximum loop time of 40 seconds
- Two 1/4" input jacks -- mono/stereo
- Two 1/4" output jacks -- mono/stereo
- Use Tap tempo to keep your effects in tempo
- Subdivision selector switch -- quarter note, eighth note, and a mixture of both
- Comes with three presets with savable parameters
- 12 different delay types -- tape, tube, space, analog, ping pong, and more
- Four TonePrint slots to store your favorite artists' presets
- True bypass or optional buffered bypass configuration available
- Independent loop and delay engines
- Delay time, feedback, delay level, and looper level controls
- TonePrint allows you to load signature sounds from your favorite guitarists
- USB connectivity allows you to download TonePrints and receive free updates -- PC and Mac friendly
- Beam TonePrints directly through your smartphone with the TonePrint app
- Subdivision selector including dual delay
- MIDI in and through connectivity -- sync tempos/timing up exactly on beat
- Expression pedal input jack
- Powered via 9-volt battery or external 9-volt DC power supply -- included
read less

- TonePrint enabled
- Beam enabled
- Three Presets
- Tap Tempo
- 16 Delay Types
- 40 second looper with undo function
- Independent loop and delay engines
- True Bypass (optional buffered)
- Analog-Dry-Through
- Expression pedal input
- Stereo in- and output
- MIDI enabled
- Subdivision selector including dual delay
- 9 Volt DC power supply included

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Web: https://www.tcelectronic.com/service.html

TC Electronic Flashback X4 Delay/Looper

The TC Electronic Flashback X4 delay and looper pedal is simple to operate and has many options, while the sounds and TonePrint functionality span the complete spectrum of delay in the most musical way possible.

Mix and match

The subdivision selector on Flashback X4 allows you to choose quarter notes or dotted eights, but has a nifty feature that allows you to select or mix either/both when using dual delays. This adds flexibility, creativity and unexpected results!

Time is on your side

Turn this dial all the way down for really short repeats. Turn up until you find your preferred amount of delay. With 7 seconds of delay, Flashback X4 can make your music as spacious and wide as your creativity.

Positive feedback

No, this is not the Marshall-like squeal you know and love, but it does allow you to set the number of repeats you want from short and snappy to a total timewarp.

Simply delay

Flashback X4's controls and I/O options are aimed at one thing: making life easier for you. Dialing in sounds, loading TonePrints and integrating X4 into your set-up is a breeze. There are Mono and Stereo options and even an expression pedal port, allowing you to control any delay parameter available.

Ember to Inferno

Subtle to screaming, this is the knob you rely on for setting the volume of your delay level.

Room To Rock

Flashback X4 is equipped with 4 TonePrint slots, allowing you to load your favorite signature delay effects as done by the artists on the TonePrint roster. Oh, and since this is the 21st. century, you can load TonePrints via your smartphone.

Delay's delight

12 delay types plus 4 TonePrints are at your disposal, all done in world-renowned TC quality.

Loopy for creativity

Flashback X4 has a 40 second looper so you can jam to your heart's content - oh, and they've added an "undo" function to speed up workflow and increase fun.

Separated at birth

In Flashback X4, the delay engine is completely separate from the one handling looping. This means total dedication to the sound you want to get and the cool ability to add delay to your loops.

The world at your feet

The most requested feature from the original Flashback Delay -- presets. Here they are, three presets at your disposal. However, the question will be how you will be able to divide your time between three great accessible sounds?

Maximum signal integrity

Flashback X4 goes with the flow like the other TonePrint enabled pedals. Whatever your set-up or situation, Flashback X4 can adapt and guarantee optimal signal integrity -- via small dip switches, Flashback X4 can be set to either True Bypass or Buffered Bypass.

Creativity at your own tempo

Instantly sync up your delays with your band's tempo, the ideas in your head or whatever else is guiding you without taking your hands of the guitar or bending over the pedal. Simply tap the tempo with your foot and get on with things!

Can't touch this

Flashback X4 features an analog-dry-through which ensures your natural, dry signal remains unaffected and is never converted to digital. This results in a more natural, warmer sound.

Endless Headroom

From guitar to amp-FX-loop signals, Flashback X4 handles anything you throw at it with ease.

Express Yourself

Flashback X4s total dedication to delay shines brightly in the expression pedal input. Many guitarists dream to have direct control over delay parameters and Flashback X4 gives you exactly that. But it's just not one parameter you can control, you can choose to control either the delay time, the feedback or the delay level of your sounds, giving you unprecedented control (and a good reason to pretend you are Steve Morse).

No time wasted - Plug and Go!

The Flashback X4 comes with a power supply included, so you don't have to waste any time and can get straight to rocking.

USB / Beam

Yes - there's a USB port but it's not just for boring stuff! They've got some features in store that they want to put out once they've perfected them or once music is ready. Oh, they mean free updates of course. You can also load TonePrints via the USB, but all the hip kids use the TonePrint app on their smartphones. It works wirelessly and flawlessly and it's also totally free.

I/O stealing the show

Flashback X4 allows for MIDI clock sync -- perfecting delay times to your exact wishes. You can change presets and control X4 externally, for example if you want to have it in a rack or safely setup in your backline.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (3 ratings)
Submitted November 30, 2012 by Paul A in McKinney, TX

"tc electronics X4 Flashback Delay/looper Pedal"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
A superb update and extension of the smaller tc Flashback with an added modes, making 16 different delay modes, 12 selectable delay modes and 4 selectable toneprint slots. A 40sec full controllable looper , very long 7sec delay range, button tap tempo. This delay for the money compares with units costing twice as much and usually has more delay time and looper time then the more expensive. Compared side by side in an A/B one cannot tell a difference in the quality of the delays. The tc X4 represents a flag ship delay unit, an excellent buy for the money, for the features nearly untouchable. There is not a bad sounding delay mode on this unit, the choice is merely what suits your needs or ideas at the time. There are dirtier, low fi, and analog delays as well as the high quality 2290 modes, reverse and ping pong. Stereo ins and outs, expression pedal jack and pretty much anything one could imagine in a delay.

Sound
The various delays on this unit seem to lay back into your overall sound better than most and the various assortment of modulated and dirty analog delay filtering does a great job in the mimic of analog and tape units with the benefits of advanced technology. Those liking traditional tape and analog delays should like this unit.

Features
Easy selection of unit modes, easy to adjust and then store the preset into one of three slots simply holding down the preset button a few seconds, flash to green and read more it is locked and loaded. Unit holds 4 toneprint uploads which are probably marvelous for younger players looking for stars to mimic, tc apparently feels even advanced users cannot design their own preset so solution to that is find some close to something you can use and modify it via the controls and resave. Heads up, there is a toneprint that turns the X4 into a chorus unit using its internal tri chorus circuits, crank up the width on this and it is one of the best chorus sounds I have ever heard. Keep that in a preset and presto a great chorus as a change of pace from a delay unit.

Ease of Use
Could not be easier to operate and uploading presets is simple enough. Download the toneprints you want to try from the tc website (I keep a folder of them) connect the provided USB cable, activate the upload simply by "run" on the toneprint and then "upload" button, a couple secs and toneprint is in. Simply turn the selector to 1 of 4 slots.

Quality
tc has a name of quality and their delay probably next to their chorus has a long term name of quality. I did have a couple odd freak things happen on my unit which happens to components and such given thousands of builds. One of my bottom plate screws (torex heads by the way) was stripped out and double slotted, I could not get the plate off to try the buffer toggle. And my "A" preset switch seemed to have a bad wire connection and stopped working. zZounds changed it out for me with no issue.

Value
I consider this pedal to compare to and actually be superior to similar delay units costing a great deal more and the others have no upload ability.

Manufacturer Support
Well. I have to say, just deal w zZounds if you have an issue. The tech dept at tc does not seem to ever get what you are saying. I told them of the screw and they kept telling me to look at a link that did not work to read about what driver to use. Why they do not say these are blasted torex heads is a mystery to me, not something one uses in the US for a removable plate. Much less prone to cross thread and strip out. the small toneprint pedals have this great large thumbscrew for the plate. Why they went with these stupid screws on the X4 is a mystery to logic.

The Wow Factor
Impressive unit really. I was impressed it had some size to it and did not seem like a small toy. Looks like it is a great pedal and that means something. Size matters, sure I know the small footprint thing is all the rage, but you can only put so much into a small little enclosure.

Musical Background:
Guitarist for 40 years, retired these days but an effect user all my life

Musical Style:
heavy fusion: mix of blues, some jazz, metal, rock and a smattering of funk
read less
18 of 19 people (95%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

No longer available at zZounds

In most cases, a product is unavailable because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer