Free The Tone TRI AVATAR TA-2H

The Free The Tone TRI AVATAR TA-2H is a chorus pedal from Japanese maker Free The Tone, described by the company as a next-generation chorus with four signal paths: three chorus sounds, or phases, plus one dry signal¹. Where a conventional stereo chorus splits one modulated voice across two outputs, the TA-2H generates three independent chorus sounds and mixes them, which Free The Tone and reviewers alike say adds more width and depth than a usual stereo chorus¹².

The TA-2H is the successor to the TA-1H Tri Avatar, keeping the three-phase concept while expanding presets from 4 to 128, replacing the Hi-Cut control with a Tone control, and widening the Dry Mix range¹. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in July 2021 and concluded there was "nothing not to like about the new and improved Tri Avatar TA-2H"².

A three-phase chorus with four signal paths

The core idea of the TRI AVATAR is running three separate chorus voices at once. In stereo use, the first phase is assigned to the left output, the second phase to both left and right, and the third phase to the right only¹. Pedal of the Day described the same layout: "The first phase goes to the left, the second phase goes to the left and right, and the third phase goes to the right only"². Run the pedal in mono and all three phases are mixed together into a single output¹².

Free The Tone says the pedal uses original signal processing and algorithms to solve common chorus problems: unintentional pitch changes, sound images with a blurred lower end, and noises related to sweep timing³. The same source describes the TA-2H as the next generation of the TA-1H Tri Avatar, built on the same idea of four signal paths creating three chorus sounds and one dry signal³¹.

The controls

The TA-2H carries six knobs: RATE, TONE, DEPTH L/C/R, DRY MIX and LEVEL¹. Pedal of the Day noted that Level, Tone, Rate and Dry Mix "control the bulk of the sounds you can create with the TA-2H"².

Two of these controls changed from the TA-1H. The chorus tone adjustment moved from a Hi-Cut control to a full Tone control, and the Dry Mix range went from the TA-1H's wet-100% to dry-50%/wet-50% sweep to a full 0% to 100% range on the TA-2H¹. The TA-1H's control set was RATE, HI-CUT, DEPTH L/C/R, DRY MIX and LEVEL⁴.

The DEPTH L/C/R knobs are the heart of the three-phase design: each phase gets its own depth setting, so the left, center and right chorus voices can move at different intensities while sharing one RATE value¹.

Presets, MIDI and expression control

The TA-2H stores 128 presets¹. From the pedal alone you can recall presets 1 through 4; with a MIDI controller connected, all 128 are available¹. Pedal of the Day highlighted the same split: four on-board presets for instant recall, with the full 128 accessible via MIDI control².

The EXP jack on the rear takes an expression pedal for real-time control of either RATE or TONE¹. Pedal of the Day described it as letting you manipulate either parameter hands-free with any kind of expression controller². Free The Tone recommends expression pedals in the 10k to 25k ohm range and names these models¹:

• Boss FV-500L
• Roland EV-5
• EHX Expression Pedal and Dual Expression Pedal
• Jim Dunlop DVP-3 and DVP-4
• Moog EP-2 and EP-3
• M-Audio EX-P

Power and connections

The TA-2H runs on a 9V DC power supply, center negative, drawing 150mA¹³. The AC adapter (FA-0905D-JA or FA-0905H-JA) is sold separately¹.

Connections are four 1/4-inch jacks (IN, OUT-L/MONO, OUT-R and EXP) plus a 5-pin DIN MIDI IN connector⁴. Input impedance is 500k ohms or higher, and the output wants to see a load of 10k ohms or higher¹.

The +7dBu maximum input level matters for placement: Free The Tone states the TA-2H can be connected to an amplifier's send, so it works in an effects loop as well as in front of the amp¹.

Bypass and the HTS circuit

Free The Tone says the TA-2H contains its HTS circuit, which manages the signal from input to output and keeps the sound's character the same with the effect on or off¹. In the maker's words, the circuit is designed so that "エフェクトON時とOFF時のサウンドの質感を同じに保ちます", the tonal feel stays consistent between engaged and bypassed states¹.

Size, weight and what comes in the box

The TA-2H measures 120mm wide, 102.3mm deep and 58.5mm high including protruding parts such as jacks, and weighs about 380g without accessories¹. Included in the box are the warranty card, a website access card, safety notes and four rubber feet¹.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day's July 2021 review covered the TA-2H as the next generation of the TA-1H, taking "the building blocks from its older sibling" and expanding them². The reviewer praised the original signal processing and algorithms for solving pitch drift, blurred low end and sweep-timing noise, and summed up:

Pedal of the Day's reviewer found nothing not to like about the new and improved Tri Avatar TA-2H Multi-Dimensional Chorus, having also rated the first version of the pedal highly².

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