PolyTune Plug-In
by TC Electronic · Utility · Polyphonic and chromatic tuner
Not rated yet
PolyTune Plug-In brings TC Electronic's PolyTune pedal tuner into the DAW, with polyphonic and chromatic modes.
Polyphonic mode checks all six strings from one strum; it is $75 on KVR Marketplace until 1 November 2026, down from $149.
Best for: Guitars, Bass. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: bass, electric guitar, mixing, strings, utility.
What it does
PolyTune Plug-In brings TC Electronic's PolyTune pedal tuner into the DAW. Its main trick is polyphonic tuning: strum all six strings at once and see which ones are off, then fine-tune single strings in chromatic mode.
- Polyphonic mode: reads all strings from one strum and shows each string's deviation together.
- Chromatic mode: a fast, accurate tuner for single notes, for any instrument or voice.
- Automatic switching: moves between polyphonic and single-note display depending on whether you strum or pick one string.
- Drop tunings: flat tuning modes down to five semitones.
- Pitch reference: adjustable reference pitch for instruments not tuned to A440.
The current version is 1.1.0.6. A trial version is available.
Source: TC Electronic product page
When to use it
PolyTune Plug-In is the better pick when you track a lot of guitar or bass and want to check the whole instrument in one strum. Compared with DAW built-in tuners and free chromatic tuners such as GTR3 Tuner, polyphonic mode is its only real advantage, but it saves time between takes. It does nothing beyond tuning, so it is a single-purpose purchase. Its pedal-style display is familiar to anyone who owns the PolyTune hardware.
- Best for: tuning guitars and basses quickly before and between takes.
- Genres: general-purpose, for any style with guitar or bass.
- Look elsewhere if: you only need a chromatic tuner; your DAW's built-in one or a free tuner may be enough.
- Tip: use polyphonic mode on chords to get a good average tuning for heavy strumming parts, as one KVR user suggests.
What producers say
The one KVR user review is positive about the tuning, with doubts about the interface and future updates.
- KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review, saying the polyphonic tuning "is accurate" and works like the pedal.
- Criticisms: the same reviewer noted the GUI "is not Retina-ready" and suspected the plug-in may no longer be updated.
Where to buy
- Thomann: $64 (TC Electronic no longer sells its plugins directly)
Tutorials and reviews
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