The TC Electronic Pipeline Tap Tremolo is a tremolo pedal from TC Electronic, released on July 1, 20171. It is built around tap tempo, a sequencer and seven rhythmic subdivisions, and it carries two tremolo shapes: Vintage, aimed at the soft sine waves of old school American amp tremolos, and Square, for the uncompromising choppy edges of harder musical genres1. Premier Guitar's press release called it "the final piece in their modulation pedal puzzle"1.
What it does to your sound
Tremolo raises and lowers the volume of your signal at a set speed, and the Pipeline covers both ends of that range. On the vintage side, gearnews' Jef described the pedal as "Based on that classic vintage tremolo sound of the late '50s and early '60s", mimicking the tremolo normally built into a valve amp and associated with Fender-style clean amps and the surf guitar sound4. On the other end, the Square shape delivers what Premier Guitar's release called "the uncompromising Square edges of harder musical genres"1.
That Pedal Show, interviewing TC Electronic's Tore Lynggaard Mogensen in July 2017, summed the design up as "2 trems in one, and a sequencer for up to four subdivisions"6.
Controls, tap tempo and the sequencer
The front panel carries four knobs and a rotary selector4:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the tremolo rate4 |
| Depth | Sets how far the volume dips on each cycle4 |
| Volume | Sets overall output level4 |
| Subdivision | 7-position rotary knob for choosing the subdivisions4 |
| Shape toggle | Three-way mini switch selecting Vintage and Square modes4 |
The Subdivision knob, as Guitar Interactive Magazine's Jonathan Graham put it, "lets you splice the tempo into seven inspiring rhythmic accents"3.
Tap tempo runs through the footswitch. To set it, "you just hold down the footswitch for two seconds, the light then turns green, and you can tap the desired tempo"4. Guitar Interactive Magazine confirmed "The footswitch is tap tempo-enabled for fast tempo adjustments"3.
The sequencer is where the pedal departs from a standard tremolo. Through the free TonePrint Editor app you can sequence up to 4 bars of different subdivisions, which means the tremolo effect can evolve over time along a phrase instead of repeating one fixed pattern4. That Pedal Show described the same feature as a sequencer for up to four subdivisions6.
The Vintage and Square modes and the waveform shaping are accessed and edited through the TonePrint system: the TonePrint component gives control over both modes, altering the shape of the tremolo's waveform to make it more or less choppy4.
Price and where it sits
At launch, Premier Guitar listed the price as $129.99 MAP1, and gearnews gave an RRP of USD 129.99 with the pedal due out 1st July4. In gearnews' December 2025 buying guide to tremolo pedals, Julian Schmauch listed the Pipeline at $83.00, with £76.00 and 89.00€ for other markets5.
What reviewers said
Jef at gearnews judged the design as "a well thought-out modern version of a Tremolo effect with all these added controls for timing", advancing a much loved classic effect into the modern world4. Guitar Interactive Magazine called it "The widely anticipated Pipeline Tap Tremolo"3. For context on how it sits among other options, see the site's page on Tremolo Pedals.
Videos
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Questions
How do you set tap tempo on the TC Electronic Pipeline?
The footswitch is tap tempo-enabled. To use it, hold the footswitch down for two seconds: the light turns green, and you can then tap the tempo you want. After that, the pedal follows your tapped speed. Gearnews described this as a fast way to adjust tempo on the fly, and Guitar Interactive Magazine noted the footswitch is tap tempo-enabled for quick tempo changes during a set.
What is the difference between Vintage and Square mode on the Pipeline Tap Tremolo?
Vintage and Square are the pedal's two tremolo shapes, chosen on a three-way mini toggle switch. Vintage mode follows the soft sine waves of old school American amp tremolos, the kind built into Fender-style clean amps and associated with surf guitar. Square mode gives the uncompromising, choppy edges suited to harder musical genres. TonePrint editing lets you alter the waveform shape to make the effect more or less choppy.
Can you edit the Pipeline Tap Tremolo with TonePrint?
Yes. The pedal supports TC Electronic's free TonePrint Editor app, which gives control over both the Vintage and Square modes and lets you sequence up to 4 bars of different subdivisions. That means the tremolo effect can evolve over time across a phrase rather than repeating one fixed pattern, which is what the pedal's sequencer is built around.
How much does the TC Electronic Pipeline Tap Tremolo cost?
At launch in 2017 the price was listed as $129.99 MAP by Premier Guitar, and gearnews gave an RRP of USD 129.99. In gearnews' December 2025 tremolo buying guide the price was listed at $83.00, with £76.00 and 89.00€ given for other markets. Prices vary by retailer and date.
When did TC Electronic release the Pipeline Tap Tremolo?
TC Electronic announced the Pipeline Tap Tremolo in June 2017 and released it on July 1, 2017. Premier Guitar's press release called it the final piece in TC Electronic's modulation pedal puzzle, and gearnews reported it was due out on 1st July with an RRP of USD 129.99.
Sources (6)
- TC Electronic Releases the Pipeline Tap Tremolo, Premier Guitar, 2017-06-09
- PIPELINE TAP TREMOLO, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Lays Down a Pipeline Full of Tremolo, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2017-06-14
- TC Electronics Pipeline Tap Tremolo pedal, gearnews.com, 2017-06-09
- The 9 Best Tremolo Pedals for Any Budget: Vintage Pulses and Modern Vibes, gearnews.com, 2025-12-22
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2017-07-28
