How to use the external tap tempo on the TC Flashback 2 (custom cable build) 

Thank you for taking the time to explain and demonstrate this. After seeing your diagram of the connections, I grabbed an existing Y-shaped TRS stereo > dual TS mono cable and used one side of it as a temporary fix. Would have been guessing for a lot longer without your help.

I was looking forward this. TC says it's compatible with MXR tap but they should be more clear on this. Thanks bro.

Ten minutes with a soldering iron and cutters and I have a fully functional tap tempo with parts I already had. Thanks! This video is such an immense help.

Thanks for this. Used a patch cable, substituted a stereo plug at on end soldered to your specs , worked a treat with an old latching pedal.

Many thanks!!! I was also very puzzled by the unclear instructions by TC Electronic, so this is just what I was looking for - nice clear instructions!

Man, the previous flashback HAS the "strum" tempo. It IS actually a tap tempo, but it doesn't use an external switch! You have to hold the button and thge led starts blinking, then you strum your tempo with your instrument and its done! It is super useful and really effective... have a nice day ;-)

If you use the MXR M199 Tap Tempo, then you can use TRS-TRS. You just have to set some dip switches inside the M199 to map the signals. DIP setting with 1 & 3 down, 2 up.

Thank you very much! It worked for me with my Ernie Ball Tap tempo. Your explanations are cristal clear. I've learned a lot!

I did this - it works perfectly - thanks a ton BOSS :) It's amazing how this is not officially documented at all - Yes a TS to TS (half inserted inside the Flashback such that the tip is at the ring position) also works fine but that's prone to errors as mentioned by GuitarGAS (errors like sometime if the foot touches the cable it can give out a noise, if the cable is loosely put in, it may change the tempo if shaken) so this Solution is the BEST - Thanks Again GuitarGAS :)

Vids like this save us a lot of time and frustration. Thanks!

Thanks for this. Had a short patch lead and a spare stereo jack so made up required lead. Bought a cheap tap pedal from Thomann and it now works to tap the tempo! Can’t yet get the loop function to work though...

@tcelectronics should pay you for supplying the info they should have put in the manual! thanks

Very helpful, thanks! Why a fine company like TCE the using the tap tempo on the Flashback as complex as possible is beyond my reason. Including a on-board tap temp in a small box cant be that difficult - Nux figured out how to do it for $50.

In other words: If You are not able, to solder a cable, You'll never be able to use the tap-function. Great work, tc electronic. This is not explained in the manual. Excellent video, thank You for that :-)

Thank you so much for this information! I just bought this pedal last night and in so glad theres a tap tempo i can download onto it

Thanks a lot for this video, it works perfectly! I've done it with the Ernie Ball tap tempo... Great!

Yay, thanks! Grabbing my soldering iron right away!

Thanks so much! Just got this V2 for Christmas and was wondering what was up with it. Kind of a silly way for TC to do it, but at least you figured it out and we have tap tempo. I had the V1 before and sold it because I couldn’t use it live without a true tap tempo.

Thanks for this essential hint with the TRS adapter. I even had one floating around since I had needed it some time ago for my Kawai MP6 stage piano (which also requires for the second foot switch for the tip contact to be left open, if you want to go for your BOSS switch and not buy the expensive original double pedal). I use the Flashback II together with a self-made switch that serves as an analog tap button and a MIDI Clock Foot Switch... (Arduino project). Unfortunately the Flashback II will not stick to the tap tempo when switching presets. Nevertheless, I really like the sound of the Flashback II and also I appreciate the fact that it does not introduce any audible noises.

I've been going nuts trying to figure this out! Thank you so much!!

wow ! That function is awesome !

You might try only plugging in the stereo TRS plug till you hear the first click instead of all the way in where you would hear two clicks. This may engage the parts of the male quarter inch TRS plug that need to be engaged to make tap tempo work. If so, you've saved yourself a lot of soldering and custom work.

Hi! Help pls, have a few questions. In looper mode external button works like a stop, and in delay mode it works like a tap tempo, do I understand correctly? Is it possible to use for example a looper first, record a layer, then switch to delay mode, and play with a delay on top of the layer? What kinda footswitsh i need to buy SPDT switch, or some else?

Thank you so much for this. I ordered a “Monoprice 109439” patch cable from Amazon because it was cheaper to get a TRS patch cable than 1 right angle plug. I used my own Mogami 2524 cable and a pancake mono plug like my other pedals.

dude, thank you so much for that explanation!

The best instructional video I seen in awhile. You’re awesome! I’ve been a guitarist and multi-disciplined engineer for over 30 years. It’s refreshing to see young people who know what they’re doing. Just bought the TC Electronic Flashback 2 delay and was, excuse me, really pissed at the idiots who wrote instruction manuals. The most important part of using a tap tempo delay, and they short change the instructions. Forgive the wining. Keep up the excellent work and thanks!

Thank you so much you help me a lot! I also have this pedal but I just put in my effect loops, No I can use my boss pedal to control it! Can it works with the reverb pedal?

Strymon DIG works only with TRS to TRS Cable, Will this cable work with DIG, if I use the BOSS 5FU tap tempo pedal ?

Thank you brother, that answers my question. Now I will consider buying the latest version

Thanks, you just solved my problem:)

So I made the cable and it works, but I was wondering what polarity you have the switch set to, normally opened or closed? I ask because I modded a Diamond tremolo with external tap that I tie my Boss dd-7 into and it works great, but the TonePrint app keeps giving me different tap values, I know we can’t tap exactly the same time, but it jumps from 300ms to 400ms and everything in between. On my Helix and tap metronome and I’m not this “bad” at tapping in time.

Lo que buscaba! Gracias genio! Like! : )

Based on this, I wonder if you could add a second footswitch to the case and connect it to the ring and sleeve pins directly, to have a built-in tap tempo switch (without losing the Mash functionality)?

Thanks so much, really helped.

Does the polarity switch on the Boss pedal not make a difference?

You save my day (and a few bucks). No I can re-use my FS5.

Followed the instructions, works Fine. Perfect, thanks

Excellent video, but just tell me what cable I gotta buy, thanks ;)

Thanks!!! Precious info!!

Thanks man, that was really helpful!

thanks, I am debating on buying flashback because of this exact reason, this make's it easy fix without spending more.still think strum tempo with MASH switch is the way to go for TC (it seems like a feature on the original flashback)Since I dont have a stereo rig, I can live with this method, Thank youthey sell foot switches for this @80-100$

Question, would it be possible to still use a stereo input? Because the tip is still unused, could it work that tip-sleeve is an input signal, and ring-sleeve is the tap function? You would have to solder custom cables for that of course.

So this means you could have both the signal and the tap tempo in one cable? You just use the tip of the stereo cable for the signal and the ring for tap tempo

someone says that it works even with a normal cable (mono-mono), you just need to pull out a bit the jack from the pedal side.

Any idea what sort of voltage is required to send the tap signal?

Excellent video. Thank you for that.

Thank you very much! Just what I needed

I do the same thing on the external home Made Switch to the mini beat buddy 2 and it Works

Great Job, fantastic explanation. Thanks so much!!

you can buy the EBS ICY-30 it also works

I have the mrp tap tempo switch. Could I use a y cable to maintain stereo input and use the tap tempo at the same time?

Maaaaaan KILLLERR thanks sooo much

You could also use a TS-TS cable and plug it in until only part way, so the tip contacts the ring terminal in the Flashback jack, no?

Thanks a lot for this video ! I asked TC and appart from recommendeding the MXR tap tempo pedal, they don't provide any other solution. Do you think it will work with the BOSS ES-8 (tap tempo signal from EXT CTR output) ? Thanks !

Its because of boss's version of tap tempo, which is normally closed loop tap, instead of everyone else's normally open tap

Does the tapping function detect short tap intervals, like 120ms for slapback? I had a TC Nova repeater and it had problems to detect tap intervals shorter than 200ms.

They did this way because that input is hybrid, for audio (stereo) and tap tempo function

I don't know how to do this....can't I just buy a cable to do this?

Can this type of cable be bought?

Thx so much. I got my Earnie Ball tap tempo switch to work.

There is a new firmware (1.2.00) on the website of TC electronic for tap tempo since october. You do not need to buy a tap tempo pedal anymore.

I've made the TRS to TS cable and I'm using a MXR External tap tempo with my FB2. The tap tempo feature works, but when I'm tapping the tempo in it distorts my output sound. The mash affects seems to be applied to the signal by the external foot switch, for some reason. Any idea why this might be occurring? If I go into the pedals settings and turn the mash affect off this doesn't occur. Cheers, great video by the way.

Can you still use both outputs to operate in stereo mode? For a ping pong L&R ?

does this work for tc eletronic alter ego v2 too?

helpful video, thanks!

Disaster Area TNT or MXR M199 both work fine with the FB2.

si yo utilizo el tap de mxr tendré problema con el cable?

Can you tap the tempo on the BOSS even when the TC is bypassed?

Thanks for this awesome tip!!!

Excellent video)

thanks!!! now I can use my fs-6 :)

This has put me off the flashback! Why don't they do it so it just works with any tap tempo switch?

how can i use it with earnieball tap tempo?

Yesssss Bo

Does anybody know if the digitech fs300 or fsx footswitch works with it as tap tempo unit? Thanks

Can you put a signal on the tip and still use the pedal in stereo?

Nice video dude

hi, do this work for the alter ego too ?

Thanks mate!

I heve flashback 1 delay I can make this ? In flashback dilay 1 ?

Hello! do you know if this works for the Flashback x4?

Hi! It is compatible with flashback triple delay?

It is compatible with flashback 1?

Does it work for alter ego v2?

Странно, что Н смогли достигнуть передачу данных по usb midi. Просто по проводу.

Good demo, are you Deftones's Abe Cunningham brother? LOL

Great and helpful thanks. Though the title is misleading and should be "How to use the FB2 tap tempo with any footswitch". I expected some info on wether the tap tempo can be used with stereo delay on the FB2 and if there is still strum tempo available and with which modes (toneprint or stock).

Tanks man very nice video you halp me...

🙌🏼

On the old one, you held down the switch for 1 second and strummed the beat

Great demo. Just what I needed to know But, couldn't you also use a TS-TS cable and plug a stereo jack adapter or a TRS-TRS with a mono jack adapter? www.thomann.de/de/the_sssnake_1844_adapter.htm www.thomann.de/de/thomann_sk140_winkel_klinke.htm?ref=prod_rel_275718_12

or just get a BOSS DD-7 and be done with it.

*I laughed out loud when you did the 1 2 3 4 5 ...nothing is happening!*

WHY SO DIFFICULT?!?!?!?! JMFC & I bet they sell this cable for a "nominal" fee >=(

What a royal pain in the butt. Get it together TC.

Yeah, you solder this one first then you're fucked!!!

This is a great video. Thanks

Can the output still do true stereo if you use tap tempo? Obviously cannot input stereo...