The DigiTech HT-6 PolyChromatic Tuner is a tuner pedal built around one idea: instead of tuning one string at a time, you strum all six strings at once and the pedal shows you which ones are out of tune. Vintage Guitar described it plainly: "The Digitech HT-6 PolyChromatic Tuner allows tuning of all six strings in one strum."1
What it does and how it works
The core of the HT-6 is its display. MusicRadar's reviewer described it as "a matrix of 90 LEDs. That's six horizontal rows with 15 lights for each string," so the pedal shows all six strings at once, each with its own row of lights. Vintage Guitar noted that the display mimics the appearance of the frets on a guitar neck, which makes it read like the instrument itself.12
Using it is simple: strum all strings and view the string display readout showing which string is in or out of tune. The technology behind that comes from 3dB Research; HardWire's press release said the HT-6 "makes tuning instruments faster and easier by simply strumming all strings."3
The pedal is wired true-bypass, so when it is off it stays out of your signal path.1
Tuning modes and calibration
Beyond standard tuning, the HT-6 covers a range of situations:
- Alternate tuning modes including drop-d
- Four-, five-, and six-string bass modes
- Fret offset mode
- A traditional single-note mode, so it can also be used as a standard single string tuner13
For non-standard tunings, there is a self-calibration routine. MusicRadar's reviewer explained: "you'd hold the footswitch down for a couple of seconds and strum the strings. The HT-6 detects your guitar's pitch and calibrates itself to work at that tuning."2
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer was impressed by the tracking: "I was really impressed with how well the HT-6 tracked, all six rows lit up and it immediately told me my third string needed attention." That is the practical test for any polyphonic tuner, whether it can pick out individual strings from a full strum, and the reviewer found it could.4
The pedal has also appeared in professional rigs. In a Guitar World rig rundown, Alex Skolnick and Jon Gosnell noted that Steve Lukather uses a DigiTech HT-6 polychromatic tuner.5
Where it sits among tuners
The HT-6 belongs to the same family of polyphonic tuners as the TC Electronic PolyTune and the Korg Pitchblack Poly, all of which let you strum and tune rather than pluck string by string. If you only ever tune one string at a time, a conventional chromatic pedal such as the Boss TU3 Tuner does the same job with a simpler display; see the full range on the Tuner Pedals page. DigiTech also makes other pitch-related pedals, including the Digitech DROP and the Digitech LUXE13.
Videos
Guitar World
Premier Guitar
Premier Guitar
Questions
How does the HT-6 tune all six strings at once?
You strum all six strings and the pedal detects each string's pitch, showing a readout of which strings are in or out of tune. Vintage Guitar described it as allowing tuning of all six strings in one strum. The display is a matrix of 90 LEDs, six horizontal rows with 15 lights for each string, so each string has its own row of lights.
Can the HT-6 handle alternate tunings and bass?
Yes. Vintage Guitar lists alternate tuning modes including drop-d, four-, five-, and six-string bass, fret offset, and a traditional single-note mode. There is also a calibration routine: hold the footswitch down for a couple of seconds and strum the strings, and the HT-6 detects the guitar's pitch and calibrates itself to work at that tuning.
Sources (5)
- Digitech Offers HT-6 PolyChromatic Tuner, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2012-07-23
- Hardwire HT-6 Polyphonic Tuner review, MusicRadar, 2011-07-13
- NAMM 2011: HardWire introduces HT-6 Polyphonic Tuner, MusicRadar, 2011-01-13
- Hardwire HT-6 Polyphonic Tuner Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-06-14
- Watch Alex Skolnick demo Steve Lukather's live rig and reveal what's on the Toto guitarist's pedalboard, Guitar World, 2022-07-14
