The TC Electronic INFINITE SAMPLE SUSTAINER is a sample sustainer pedal: it captures a snippet of your playing and holds it as a sustained sound, letting you layer new samples on top while you keep playing over the frozen texture. It was TC Electronic's first sustainer pedal, introduced as the Infinite and released at the end of February 202212. It is built around the reverb engine TC developed for the Hall of Fame, with a modulation block added, and offers seven effect types in total34.
TC Electronic positions it as a creative tool rather than an always-on effect. The maker says you probably will not engage it for hard rock riffs or solos, but rather for dreamy interludes or to glue two songs together in a live set5. Delicious Audio describes it as an evolution, rather than a copy, of an idea pioneered by Gamechanger Audio6.
What the Infinite Sample Sustainer does
The pedal samples what you play and sustains it, with optional layering so you can stack new samples over the held sound. In Infinity mode, TC Electronic says you can "virtually add and sustain an endless number of layers"5. The sustained sound can be shaped by reverb and modulation: MusicRadar reported seven effect types, including the Hall of Fame's reverb algorithm and a modulation block4, and Guitar.com noted the single-footswitch pedal "marries the engine found in TC's Hall Of Fame reverb with modulation effects"8.
Three knobs shape the sustain itself, and TC Electronic describes them plainly5:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LEVEL | Sets the overall output level of the sustain signal |
| FADE IN | Adjusts the pace of new layers |
| DECAY | Controls the length of your sustained sound(s) |
| FX TYPE | Selects the effect type; must be set before playing, not on the fly |
The FX TYPE knob and the switches have to be predefined, but the three remaining knobs can be adjusted while you play5. You also get three TonePrint slots (TP1, TP2 and TP3) for storing and recalling artist TonePrints or custom TonePrints beamed to the pedal5.
An Analog-Dry-Thru design keeps your original guitar signal passing completely unaltered, whether the effect is engaged or bypassed5, and the pedal uses true bypass circuitry7.
The controls and footswitch modes
The footswitch can be set for latching or momentary operation, and the mode you choose changes how the sampling behaves1.
- Latching mode works in a classic punch-in/punch-out way5. In latching operation, a double-tap stops the sample and clears the memory, while a single press adds more sample layers1.
- Momentary mode works like a sustain pedal on a piano: the sound stays frozen for as long as you keep your foot on the switch5. Set to momentary, your sampled section is active only while your foot is down1.
- L1 mode sustains a single sample that is replaced by another one with a single footswitch press1.
- Infinity mode lets you add and sustain an endless number of layers5.
Guitar World's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, summed up the pedal's appeal in his verdict1:
"This is a pedal you have to 'play', and it can be a lot of fun. It may not be an essential item for every 'board, but there's plenty of creativity to be unleashed, whether noodling around at home or throwing a curveball into a live show"1
His review also lists the practical limits a player will want to know: it is mono only, powered by a 9V DC adaptor that is not supplied, and made in China1.
The Infinite Mini
In May 2023 TC Electronic announced the Infinite Mini, a smaller-format version of the pedal that keeps the same sustain functions and the same Level, Fade In and Decay controls92. It was available to preorder at $11910, which gearnews.com noted was around $40 cheaper than the original full-sized version9. One difference in behavior: TC Electronic says the Mini loops its sampled layers back and forth randomly to create a more organic sound9.
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Questions
Is the TC Electronic Infinite Sample Sustainer true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses true bypass circuitry, so when it is switched off it does not color your signal. It also has an Analog-Dry-Thru design, which TC Electronic says keeps your original guitar signal passing through completely unaltered whether the effect is engaged or bypassed.
Is the Infinite Sample Sustainer stereo?
No. Guitar World's review lists it as mono only. Its connections are a standard input, a standard output, a standard send, a standard return and USB, so there is no stereo output pair for running two amps or a stereo reverb setup.
Does the Infinite Sample Sustainer come with a power supply?
No. It runs on a 9V DC adaptor, and Guitar World's review notes the adaptor is not supplied, so you need to provide your own. There is no mention of battery operation in the available information.
What is the difference between the Infinite and the Infinite Mini?
The Infinite Mini, announced in May 2023, is a smaller-format version of the original pedal with the same sustain functions and the same Level, Fade In and Decay controls. It was priced around $40 cheaper than the full-sized version, at $119 for preorder. TC Electronic says the Mini loops its sampled layers back and forth randomly for a more organic sound.
Can you change the FX type on the Infinite Sample Sustainer while playing?
No. TC Electronic states that the FX TYPE knob and the switches must be predefined before you play. The three remaining knobs, Level, Fade In and Decay, can be adjusted on the fly while you are performing.
Sources (10)
- TC Electronic Infinite Sample Sustainer review, Guitar World, 2022-04-06
- TC Electronic Launches the INFINITE Sample Sustainer, Premier Guitar, 2022-01-06
- Check out demos of TC Electronic's time-bending Infinite Sample Sustainer pedal, MusicRadar, 2022-01-12
- The new effects pedals you need to be stomping in 2022, MusicRadar, 2022-01-29
- INFINITE SAMPLE SUSTAINER, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Infinite Sample Sustainer, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-04
- TC Electronic Infinite Sample Sustainer, Pedal of the Day, 2023-04-16
- TC Electronic’s Infinite sample sustainer lets you shape complex, infinite soundscapes, Guitar.com, 2022-01-06
- TC Electronic Infinite Mini Sample Sustainer, gearnews.com, 2023-05-24
- TC Electronic debuts the Infinite Mini Sample Sustainer, shrinking John Mayer's favorite infinite sustain pedal, Guitar World, 2023-05-24
