GuitarShaper

Status: draft. Concrete reference content + structural placeholders; flesh out the prose + screenshots when ready.

Purpose

A 9-tab editor for the guitar signal chain on the VL3X. Same dual-mode shape as VocalShaper — top-nav click for LIVE editing on the active preset, Library preset click for offline PRESET-mode editing. The tab order follows the device's signal chain: Amp · Drive · Delay · Reverb · Comp · Wah · µMod · Octaver · Rhythmic.

VL Studio difference — visualizers the LCD can't show

On the device, editing the guitar Comp means turning a Ratio knob and reading "8.0" on the LCD. Editing an EQ means scrolling between numbered bands and watching frequency and gain values change one at a time. The Amp tab's 30 models and the Reverb tab's 52 styles all scroll past on a tiny screen.

GuitarShaper renders the parts you can't see on the device. The Comp tab plots the actual transfer curve (input dB → output dB) so you can see what a given ratio is doing. The Amp tab has a full EQ curve editor with draggable nodes for both pre-gain and post-gain stages. Style browsers show every amp model or reverb in clickable tiles grouped by category. The µMod tab exposes the stereo delay-line routing visually. The Delay tab has a stereo timeline visualizer; the Reverb tab has an envelope shaper. And the dual master/independent tempo split (Delay shares the master clock, Rhythmic has its own) is clearly labeled — on the device, the relationship is something you have to know from the manual.

Walk-through

1. Open GuitarShaper — click "GuitarShaper" in the top nav for LIVE mode (edits write to the device's active preset, page tracks device-side changes). Click "GuitarShaper" on a Library row for PRESET mode (edits the stored library preset; nothing reaches the device until you click Push to Device).
2. Page header — left to right: the mode chip (amber LIVE or blue PRESET), the preset name (or "Active device preset" in live mode), the A/B snapshot controls, and — in preset mode — Save to Library and Push to Device buttons.
3. Tab strip — nine pill-shaped tabs in signal-chain order across the top. Each tab has an ON/OFF chip showing whether that effect block is enabled. Click the chip to bypass or re-enable.
4. Tab body — every tab follows the same pattern:
   • Style browser at the top — clickable tiles for every available style. Optional category-filter chips above the tiles let you narrow the list (e.g., "Clean" amps only). A status line shows the currently selected style + its category.
   • Knob row below the style browser — tab-specific controls. Drag to set, Shift for fine, wheel for one step, double-click to reset.
   • Visual editor (where applicable) — EQ curve, comp transfer curve, delay timeline, reverb envelope, µMod routing panel.
   • Sub-blocks (where applicable) — secondary control groups that may auto-dim based on context (Cabinet emulation dims when off; Wah's BPM and Pedal Range knobs dim depending on SubType).

The same live device tracking as VocalShaper applies — knobs on the device are reflected on screen with a short delay.

The tabs

Amp

The most-edited tab. 30 amp models across six categories (Acoustic / Clean / Crunch / High-Gain / Pedal / Body Resonance), full distortion stage controls, and pre- and post-gain parametric EQs.

Knobs: PreGain, PostGain, Sag (tube power-amp compression emulation), DC Gain (asymmetric clipping character), Low Cut frequency.

Mode: Tube / Transistor — switches the underlying distortion character.

Cabinet emulation sub-block (Speaker / Spkr): Gain, Frequency, Bandwidth (Q). The whole sub-block dims at reduced opacity when the Cabinet enable toggle is off, so you can see at a glance whether speaker emulation is part of the current tone.

Pre-Gain EQ and Post-Gain EQ — two independent 3-band parametric EQs with low/mid/high frequency, gain, and bandwidth (Q) controls per band. Edit numerically with the knobs, or drag nodes directly on the EQ curve editor below the knob row. This level of control (parametric EQ before and after distortion) is something most physical amps don't offer.

Tip

Use Pre-Gain EQ to shape what hits the distortion stage (cutting low end here keeps distortion tight), and Post-Gain EQ to shape what comes out (boosting mids here adds presence after the tone is set).

Drive

The Boost / overdrive block. 1 main parameter (the Drive Style) with three sub-styles: CLEAN, MID, HOT — each gives a different voicing.

Knobs: PreGain, PostGain (independent from the Amp tab's), and a Boost Volume knob.

Boost replaces Amp gain, doesn't stack

When the Drive block is engaged, its PreGain and PostGain replace the Amp tab's gain — they don't stack on top. This is by design: it lets you design two distinct tones (rhythm via the Amp, solo via the Drive) without juggling four gain knobs at once.

If your "drive on" tone is suddenly quieter or less distorted than your "drive off" tone, that's the swap. Either match the Drive levels to the Amp levels, or design the Amp gain knowing Drive will replace it.

Delay

15 delay styles across 7 categories. Master tempo clock (shared with vocal delay, vocal rhythmic, stutter, and looper quantize).

Knobs: Level, Feedback, Mix (or per-side Feedback L / Feedback R / Cross-feed L→R / R→L for stereo).

Filter Style dropdown — colours the repeats tonally. Options: Digital, Tape, Analog, Radio, Megaphone, Cell Phone, Lo-Fi, plus three High Cut and three Low Cut variants. Each is a single setting, not a parameter to dial in.

Trails toggle — when on, repeats ring out naturally after you bypass the block instead of cutting off.

Modulation row — Mod Depth and Mod Speed apply modulation (slight pitch wobble) to the repeats. A subtle amount is what gives "tape" delay its movement.

EQ row — Low Cut and High Cut filters applied to the repeats only. Useful for thinning echoes so they sit behind the dry signal.

Ducking — Threshold, Amount, Time. When you're playing, the delay ducks down; when you stop, it rises back up. Keeps echo from cluttering the mix during dense passages.

Set BPM widget — writes the master tempo. See Tempo clocks.

Delay timeline visualizer — drag-to-edit stereo timeline showing left/right tap positions and feedback amounts.

Reverb

52 reverb styles across 7 categories — the largest style library in GuitarShaper.

Knobs: Decay, Pre-Delay, Early Level, Late (tail) Level, plus filter and EQ controls.

Reverb envelope editor — shapes the decay curve and early/late reflections visually. The split between Early and Late levels lets you bias the reverb toward room ambience (early-heavy) or wash (late-heavy) without changing the style.

Comp

Single-stage compressor, no Post variant. 5 compression styles.

Knobs: Threshold (-30 dB lower than -20 dB — lower triggers sooner), Ratio (15 stepped values — see Comp ratio table), Makeup Gain.

Attack and Release — stepped curve presets (0–19), not continuous time values. The presets pair attack and release shapes that work musically together.

Comp transfer curve visualizer — plots the steady-state input dB → output dB curve so you can see what your settings actually do. Attack and Release are time-domain and intentionally not plotted.

Tip

Compression on a guitar signal can also raise feedback risk — it's lifting low-level content along with the rest. If you're getting unwanted feedback after engaging Comp, ease the Threshold up or the Makeup Gain down.

Wah

10 wah styles. The Wah block is context-sensitive — the available controls depend on which SubType you've chosen.

SubType dropdown sets how the filter is moved:

SubType	What drives the filter
Manual	Expression pedal (you sweep it with your foot)
Touch	Envelope follower — your playing volume sweeps the filter
Auto	Tempo clock — the filter sweeps at a set BPM

Context-dependent dimming — knobs that don't apply to the current SubType dim at reduced opacity so you can see at a glance which controls are live:

• Manual mode: Pedal Min / Pedal Max are active; BPM and Auto-only controls are dimmed.
• Touch mode: Sensitivity / Response are active; pedal and tempo controls are dimmed.
• Auto mode: BPM and Shape (Triangle / Sine) are active; pedal and touch controls are dimmed.

Always-on knobs: Resonance, Level, Frequency Max, High Cut (Manual only), plus the Order dropdown (Pre-Amp / Post-Amp) which sets the wah's position in the signal chain relative to the Amp block.

Order labels are inferred

The Pre-Amp / Post-Amp labels on the Order dropdown are inferred from typical VL3X routing — they haven't been independently confirmed against the device. If your audible result contradicts the label, the labels are the wrong half.

µMod

14 modulation styles. The Vortex Flanger and Corona Chorus emulations (built in collaboration with TC-Electronic's pedal team) are here alongside detune, phaser, and tremolo.

Knobs: Speed, Depth, Detune, Dry Gain, Width, Phase, plus the standard Level.

Wave dropdown — Square / Triangle / Sine for the modulation shape.

Routing panel — exposes the full stereo delay-line topology with editable values for Delay L, Delay R, Feedback L, Feedback R, Cross-Feedback L (XFB_L), Cross-Feedback R (XFB_R). This is where flanger/chorus character lives — the relationships between these values create the sweep, depth, and stereo width of the effect.

OutPhase dropdown — Off / Left / Right / Both. Polarity inversion on the output. Pair with a stereo amp setup for wide, "around your head" modulation effects.

EQ row — Low Cut and High Cut frequency.

Octaver

6 octaver styles.

Knobs: Mix (wet/dry blend — turn down to keep more of your dry guitar tone), Shift (interval, ±24 semitones).

Monophonic only

The Octaver tracks one note at a time. Playing chords through it produces undefined output — pitch tracking can't lock onto multiple simultaneous notes. Play single-note phrases when this block is engaged. Common use: simulate a bass guitar by shifting down an octave on monophonic bass lines.

Rhythmic

7 rhythmic styles including an improved tremolo. This tab has its own independent tempo clock — separate from the master tempo.

Knobs: Depth, Level.

Target dropdown — Level (amplitude modulation, classic tremolo) or Pan (stereo panning back and forth). Same depth knob, very different effect.

Type / Waveform dropdown — Square, Triangle, Sine, Sawtooth Up, Sawtooth Down. Pick the rhythmic shape.

Division — sets the rhythmic subdivision relative to the BPM.

Set BPM widget — writes GtrRhythm.Trem_BPM, the independent guitar-tremolo tempo. Distinct from the master clock by design — guitar tremolo can run at a different rate than delay sync. See Tempo clocks.

Two BPM widgets, two clocks

This is the only place in VL Studio where two adjacent BPM widgets (Delay and Rhythmic) write different tempos. Hover the Set button to confirm which clock you're editing.

Reference

Tabs at a glance

Tab	Styles	Notes
Amp	30 in 6 categories	Pre- and Post-Gain parametric EQs, Cabinet sub-block, Sag/DC Gain
Drive	(3 sub-styles: Clean/Mid/Hot)	Boost replaces Amp gain, doesn't stack
Delay	15 in 7 categories	Master tempo, Filter Style dropdown, Ducking, Modulation, Trails
Reverb	52 in 7 categories	Envelope editor, Early/Late level split
Comp	5	Stepped Attack/Release curves, transfer-curve visualizer
Wah	10	SubType drives which controls are active (context-dependent dimming)
µMod	14	Vortex Flanger + Corona Chorus emulations, stereo routing panel
Octaver	6	Monophonic — single-note phrases only
Rhythmic	7	Independent tempo clock; Target dropdown (Level vs Pan)

Page header & mode chip

The header tells you what mode you're in and what you're editing:

Header element	What it means
Amber LIVE chip	Edits write to the active preset on the device immediately
Blue PRESET chip	Edits a stored library preset; device isn't touched until you Push
Preset name	The preset you're editing — "Active device preset" in live mode
A/B controls	Capture and compare two settings — see below
Save to Library (preset mode only)	Persist changes to your library row
Push to Device (preset mode only)	Send this preset to its device slot

ON/OFF chips per tab

Every tab has an enable/bypass chip in its header:

• Emerald-green "ON" — the effect block is enabled and processing audio.
• Dark grey "OFF" — the block is bypassed.

Click the chip to toggle. Bypassed blocks keep their knob controls interactive so you can dial in a tone without hearing it, then re-enable.

Style browser

Every tab opens with a style browser:

• Category filter chips along the top — narrow the tile list (e.g., "Clean" on the Amp tab shows only the 5 clean models). Click a chip to filter; click again or pick "All" to clear.
• Style tiles below — every style available within the filter. The currently selected style has an amber-500 border. Click any tile to switch instantly; the device installs the style's stored defaults and the page re-reads them so the knobs show the new state.
• Status line below the filter — shows the currently selected style's name plus its category, so you always know what's loaded.

A/B snapshots

The A/B controls in the header let you capture two complete GuitarShaper states and flip between them to compare changes.

Session-only — not saved to disk

A/B snapshots live in memory for the current GuitarShaper session only. They are NOT saved to disk and do NOT survive an app restart or even leaving the GuitarShaper page.

For permanent A/B-style work, save the tweaked preset to a different slot on the device (long-press Store on the VL3X), or in preset mode use Save to Library to persist your changes, then duplicate the library row before the next experiment.

Tempo clocks

GuitarShaper writes to two different tempo clocks. This matters because it's the only place in VL Studio where adjacent BPM widgets target different times:

Tab	What the Set BPM widget controls	Shared with
Delay	Master tempo	Vocal delay, vocal rhythmic, stutter, looper quantize, Mixer metronome
Rhythmic	GtrRhythm.Trem_BPM	Nothing — independent guitar-tremolo clock

If you change tempo from the Delay tab, every other time-based effect (vocal and guitar) tracks with it. If you change tempo from the Rhythmic tab, only the guitar tremolo moves.

Comp ratio table

GtrComp.Ratio is a 15-step menu mapping to actual compression ratios:

1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5, 3.2, 4.0, 5.6, 8.0, 16.0, 32.0, 64.0

The transfer-curve visualizer plots whichever ratio you've selected. Moving by one step can be a noticeable transition (e.g., 8 → 16) — that's correct device behaviour, not a UI bug.

PreGain vs PostGain

The VL3X's PreGain and PostGain map inversely from typical physical-amp conventions:

VL3X name	What it acts like on a guitar amp
PreGain	The "Gain" or "Drive" knob — more PreGain = more distortion
PostGain	The "Volume" or "Master" knob — output level after the distortion stage

Dial distortion character with PreGain, then trim PostGain to match the output volume of your other presets. The same convention applies on both the Amp tab and the Drive tab.

HIT-gated effects

Each guitar effect block has a Hit Control parameter (visible per-tab). When set to a HIT-gated mode, whether the block is audibly engaged depends on the device's HIT button state — not just the ON/OFF chip. The Device page's effect grid renders such blocks with a dimmed appearance (and an "(estimated)" hover tooltip) to signal the uncertainty.

Open placeholders (label-only, writes work)

A small number of dropdowns still have inferred labels rather than device-confirmed names:

• GtrRhythm.Waveform indices 3 and 4 — labeled Style 3 / Style 4 pending device-side confirmation.
• Wah.Order labels (Pre-Amp / Post-Amp) — inferred from typical VL3X routing, not device-confirmed.

The values write correctly; just be aware the labels may not match what the device manual calls them.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Octaver sounds glitchy on chords	Octaver is monophonic — play single-note phrases when it's engaged.
Drive and Amp gain together feel "off"	Boost replaces Amp gain rather than stacking. Use Drive alone for the boost character, or design the Amp gain knowing Drive will replace it.
Tempo change in GuitarShaper Delay affects vocal effects too	The Delay tab writes the master tempo, shared with every other time-based effect. Use the Rhythmic tab if you want a separate guitar clock.
Tempo change in GuitarShaper Rhythmic doesn't sync with anything else	By design — Rhythmic has its own clock so guitar tremolo can run independently. If you want one BPM across everything, set it from the Mixer or the Delay tab.
Comp ratio knob feels "steppy"	The ratio is a 15-step menu, not continuous. Each step is a real ratio change.
Wah knobs are dimmed and won't take	The Wah block dims knobs that don't apply to the current SubType. Change SubType (Manual / Touch / Auto) to enable the matching controls. Pedal Min / Max activate under Manual; Sensitivity / Response under Touch; BPM / Shape under Auto.
Cabinet emulation knobs are dimmed	The Cabinet sub-block (Speaker enable) is off. Toggle it on to enable the Gain / Frequency / Bandwidth knobs.
Cabinet stays dim but I can hear amp processing	Cabinet emulation is independent from the rest of the Amp block — you can have amp tone without cabinet simulation. Re-enable Cabinet if you want speaker character in the signal.
A/B comparison was lost when I left the page	A/B is session-only and not persisted. Save changes to a separate preset slot (long-press Store on the device) or use preset mode's Save to Library before navigating away.
Drive "on" tone is quieter than Drive "off"	Drive's PreGain/PostGain replace the Amp's when engaged. Match the Drive levels to the Amp levels, or treat Drive as a deliberately different tone.
Style switch knobs look right but the device sounds the same	Wait a moment — style switches trigger a short device-side settle followed by a fresh parameter read. If sound doesn't update after a couple of seconds, click the style tile again.
ON/OFF chip looks "stuck" after editing the preset on the device	The page tracks device-side changes on a short delay. If it still doesn't update, check the Mixer page for the block's actual state.

See also

• VocalShaper — same shape, applied to the vocal signal chain. Shares the master tempo.
• Preset Editor — visual block-by-block editing across the whole preset.
• Mixer — system-level mix + master tempo + venue profile snapshots.
• Device — live effect grid; HIT-gated blocks show "(estimated)" status.
• Library — Pull All from the device to populate your editable preset library.
• Quickstart — first-launch flow.