Fender has announced a hefty firmware update to the Tone Master Pro modeler and its desktop app, Pro Control.
The update delivers a host of new features and a sizable list of bug fixes to its modeler, which seeks to rival the likes of Line 6, Neural DSP, and Kemper in an increasingly competitive market.
New features include an added switch link function, a switchless bypass, and the addition of a 4x12 British Blackback cab. It has also added the Preset MIDI function to the Preset Settings menu.
The issued fixes include phase alignment of internal cab IRs, improving the experience of reordering presets, and renaming several effects and cabs. You can find them all listed below.
It’s the first major firmware update since the Tone Master Pro’s launch in late ’23, as Fender looks to respond to user feedback. To make things easier, the company has also created a firmware update guide for users.
The newly added switch link function allows players to assign up to eight switches to one of four switch link groups (A, B, C, or D). When grouped in a switch link, only one can be active at a time. Players can select any linked footswitch to turn its parameters on, and again to power off any active switches in the group.
Its switchable bypass function applies to EXP assignments and is now able to turn on block(s) without the toe switch by moving the expression pedal. Adding the preset MIDI to the preset settings menu, meanwhile, allows players to send up to five custom MIDI Program Change (PC) and Continuous Controller (CC) messages when selecting any TMPro preset.
Having lived with the Tone Master Pro for two weeks, Guitar World scribe Alex Lynham said that it was the way the modeler felt, as opposed to the tones it offered, that was a real game-changer. Its interface, he wrote, has set a “new benchmark” for the modeler market.
In our full Fender Tone Master Pro review, we hailed it as “a unit that is quite possibly the best in its class and price point”.
Meanwhile, it may just be a coincidence, but Neural DSP recently lowered the price of its Quad Cortex to stand at the same price as the Tone Master Pro.
See below for a full list of features and fixes, and head to Fender.com to download the update.
New features
- Added “Switch Link” function to footswitch assignments. Assign up to eight foot switches to a switch link group(A, B, C or D). When footswitches are grouped together in a switch link, only one can be active at a time. Select any linked footswitch to turn its parameters ON and subsequently turn OFF any active switches in the group.
- Added “Switchless Bypass” function to EXP assignments. Now able to turn on block(s) without Toe Switchby moving the expression pedal.
- Added Preset MIDI to Preset Settings menu. Allows the ability to send up to 5 custom MIDI Program Change (PC) and continuous Controller (CC) messages when selecting any TMPro preset
- New Cab Model-4x12 British Blackback
Product enhancements
- Amp model update–EVH® 5150® IIIS 6L6 Red
- Amp model update–EVH 5150 IIIS 6L6 Blue
- Amp model update–EVH 5150 IIIS 6L6 Green
- Amp model update–British 800
- British 800 half-stack now uses 4x12 British Blackback as default cab
- Added User IR Level control to IR edit screen
- Added DIM LED option for all footswitch assignments
- Added support for default footswitch LED active/inactive color options in GlobalSettings>Footswitch
- Looper position can now be toggled between Pre / Post in Instrument signal path using the top right footswitch labeled “HOLD: POSITION” when in Looper ModeoAfter assigning a preset to a footswitch in a song, the preset will load and its corresponding footswitch LED will light up
- Added +/–buttons for fine adjustments on gradient sliders in Pro Control App
- Added MIDI Thru and Merge options in I/O Settings>MIDI
- Added MIDI CC support for Amp Control jacks, Master Volume and Looper commands
Fixes
- Fixed phase alignment of some internal Cab IRs
- Fixed footswitch LED out of sync with single effect issue
- Fixed “popping”issue when selecting preset with Maximus Drive and boost enabled
- Fixed bug in EVH 5150 IIIS Red amp model where some modeled effects loop circuitry was affecting the tone
- Fixed bug in British 800 model where Master Volume would cause “rubber-banding” at higher settings
- Improved experience when reordering presets via long drag & drop on TMP and in ProControl
- Changed Cloud Reverb High Dampparametert
- 100Hz increments instead of 1Hz
- Footswitch LED now continues to illuminate after saving a preset in Songs Mode
- Mythic Drive font now matches between hardware and Pro Control
- 4x12 Mega V30 Cab model now uses same % of DSP resources as other cab models
- Signal path selection is now highlighted in the list menu after selecting a new signal path type
- Chromatic Pitch Shifter “Pitch” parameter is now adjusted in steps of 1 cent within the gradient adjustment control when using the +/–buttons
- Assigning an FX Loop to a Toe Switch and then deleting the FX Loop from the signal path no longer leaves behind a blank, un-editable Toe Switch assignment
- Fixed issue when navigation through the list is interrupted due to continuous dragging process
- Fixed issue where double tap selection in "add preset to song" popup switches the mode
- Fixed issue where selecting mic for cab returns screen to cab selection window instead of cab edit
- Fixed "Undefined" preset name in Song Footswitch Assignment
- Outgoing USB signals now appear as USB 1-4 instead of Analogue 1-4in DAW settings
- Ribbon mic placement corrected in speaker cabinet microphone selection list
- Improved preset list scrolling performance on TM Pro
- 4x12 British Jubilee cab renamed 4x12 British Jubilee V30
- Diatonic Harmonizer Effect Renamed Diatonic Pitch Shifter
