EDIT PAGE - Introduction

EDIT PAGE - Introduction

 

 

Trilian’s EDIT page has been designed to provide a useful set of controls over every aspect of the sound, but in cases when more precise and detailed controls are needed, the Zoom feature reveals a set of deeper controls.  You can also think of the EDIT page as an “Overview” of the sound.

The EDIT page is divided into two primary sections, Common & Layer.  The Patch Common parameters in the Footer and on the far left and far right of the EDIT page are controls that affect the whole Patch (both Layer A & Layer B).  All of the Layer-specific parameters are in the large middle area, and are generally unique to the Layer.  The controls in the middle area change when Layer A or B is selected.  The common controls on the left and right sides do not.

 

EDIT PAGE - Soundsources

EDIT PAGE - Soundsources

 

 

The Soundsource section is the heart of Trilian’s sound capabilities. It provides direct access to the Soundsource Browser, the Soundsource Mixer, controls for Special Articulations such as Legato and Release Noises, and Sample Thinning controls. It also provides sound tweaking controls such as Sample Timbre, and Sample Start, and gives access to FM synthesis and HarmoniaÔ settings using the sub-pages.

Trilian’s enormous core-library is comprised of high-definition, multi-channel, multi-velocity layered, sampled Bass sounds called Soundsources. These Soundsources cover a wide spectrum of Bass sounds; Direct Pickup and Mic’d channels, articulations and effects, and includes the massively sampled Trilian basses, the remastered Trilogy library, a vast collection of unique Synth Soundsources, and the bonus collection of the enhanced Bass Legends library.

SOUNDSOURCES - Display

EDIT PAGE - Soundsource Display

 

 

The Soundsource Display area contains an image of the loaded Soundsource, and provides controls to access to the Soundsource Browser and Soundsource Zoom View.

 

Image

Whenever you load a Soundsource into the Layer, it will include an image representing the Soundsource. This makes it convenient to see at a glance the type of Soundsource that is loaded.

 

Browser Access

Selecting the Folder icon, the Soundsource Name Display, or the Soundsource Image will open the Soundsource Browser.

 

 

SOUNDSOURCE - Zoom

EDIT PAGE - Soundsource Zoom

 

 

Trilian ships with sophisticated multi-channel Soundsources, and the Soundsource Zoom Edit View provides controls that let you manage several aspects of these complex Soundsources.

You can mix the levels of multiple channels, such as Microphone and Direct Pickup outputs, select the desired Release Noise and adjust its level, enable the special Legato articulation triggering, and other adjustments. Deceptively simple, this single interface provides important sound shaping and memory management capabilities.

Selecting the Zoom icon in the Soundsource Display will open the Soundsource Zoom Edit View by default.  The Soundsource Zoom has two sub-panes, the Edit View and the Info View, accessed by selecting the EDIT and INFO buttons.

The Soundsource Zoom Info View provides the most information about the loaded Soundsource, with details about the origin of the samples and suggestions for their application. It also displays a large representative image of the loaded sound. The Soundsource Zoom Info View is covered in detail in the Browser section of the guide.

The Edit View is divided into two main areas, the Image area and the Controls area. The Image area contains a large, representative image of the loaded Soundsource. The Controls area consists of a Soundsource Name Display, Soundsource Mix section, Special Articulations section, and the Sample Thinning section.

 

SOUNDSOURCE - Zoom Mix

EDIT PAGE - Soundsource Zoom - Mix

 

 

Most of the Acoustic and Electric bass Soundsources recorded specifically for Trilian’s library are multi-channel, containing one channel for the Direct output of the bass pickup signal and another channel for the Microphone/Amplifier signal. Depending on the Soundsource, the different mics or cabinets used are referenced in the channel name. In some cases, the two channels are used for double tracking basses (as in Trilogy’s Fretless section).

The Soundsource Mix section provides level faders for both channels. Mixing the two sources can have a strong affect on the sonic characteristics of the bass and how it sits in your mix. Certain basses will sound best favoring one channel or the other. Rarely does a 50/50 mix sound best.

Moving the faders to the left lowers the level, moving them to the right increases the level.

If you only want to hear one of the channels, for example, the Direct signal, then simply move the level for the Mic channel all the way to the left.

SOUNDSOURCE - Special Articulations

EDIT PAGE - Soundsource Zoom - Special Articulations

 

 

Most of Trilian Soundsources include Special Articulations. The Special Articulations are additional Soundsources loaded in the background that will be automatically triggered depending on how a passage is performed. These two Special Articulations are Legato Soundsources (samples of actual Legato performances), and Release Noise articulations.

In the Special Articulations section, you can control how these are applied to the primary Soundsource.

 

Use Legato SS / Legato Rules

When Legato Soundsources are available and loaded, enabling the Use Legato SS button will automatically trigger these Special Articulation samples when playing legato-phrased notes a half step or a whole step apart, providing added realism and nuance to the Bass sound.

The Use Legato SS feature enables very realistic hammer-on, pull-off and other types of realistic bass phrasing. It allows for a very natural playing style, and great sounding Legato trills!

Enabling Use Legato SS will change the way the instrument responds to notes that are played Legato. Successive Legato notes that are played half step or a whole step apart, will behave much like a lead synth using SOLO mode. That is, the next note played will cut-off the previously played note. If you sustain the cut off note, it will sound again when you release the successive note. The key difference is that Legato Mode is actually polyphonic!

Notes played Legato, but more than a whole step apart will not trigger the Use Legato SS behavior.

NOTE: The Use Legato SS button only changes the behavior of the Part. In order to hear the Legato Soundsources, make sure “No Limit” is selected in the Sample Thinning - Legato menu. This will allow the Legato Soundsources to load, and can add a very live, dynamic quality to the sound during performance.

NOTE: Use Legato SS is a Patch Common parameter. Changing its setting will affect both Layers in the Patch.

 

Release Soundsource Menu

Release Soundsources are triggered only after a note has been released.

This menu lets you select the Soundsource used for Release Noises. You can also select “No Release Soundsource” if none are desired. Some Basses have multiple sets of Release Noises (e.g. a softer set), and you can try mixing the Release Noises from Basses other than the one loaded.

 

Release Key Tracking

When the Release Key Tracking Button is enabled, the pitch of the Release Noise will track the keyboard. If it is disabled, the Release Noise will only play at the pitch of the root note

 

Release Level

This level fader is used to mix the level of the Release Soundsource. Use it together with the Soundsource Mix faders to set the balance you prefer.

The biggest difference between Trilogy and Trilian release noises is that Trilian release noises are multi-sampled, meaning they are actually tuned release noises, and they include Round Robin samples, which makes the bass sound much more realistic.

When experimenting with mixing Release Noises, try mixing them louder for up-tempo tunes, and lower them for tunes with slower tempos.

If the fader is all the way to the left, no Release Soundsource will be heard. Moved all the way to the right, will make the Release Soundsource very prominent. A setting of around -3dB is usually a good starting point for a natural sound.

NOTE: The Amp Envelope Release Time must be set long enough to hear the decay of the Release Noise Soundsource.

NOTE: Legato and Release Noise Soundsources load after the primary Soundsource samples have finished loading. If you have Release Noise Soundsources enabled, you can start playing before they have loaded, but you will hear long sustains ringing instead of the noises. This is because release times for the amp envelope are set long to let the full Release Noises through.

 

Transition Timing

This fader affects the transition time between the sustained sample release and the Release Noise Soundsource. At higher settings you will hear an overlap of the sustained sample release time, and the trigger of the release noise. This can be a desirable effect in some circumstances.

If the fader is all the way to the left, there will be no overlap. The farther to the right you move the fader, the more overlap will be heard.

 

SOUNDSOURCES - Thinning

EDIT PAGE - Soundsource Zoom Thinning

 

 

In addition to Special Articulations, most Soundsources also include multiple Round Robin samples, and Velocity switched samples.

For this reason, a fully loaded Soundsource can use a tremendous amount of memory. The Sample Thinning interface helps to manage the use of those resources.

By limiting the number of Round Robin samples, or the Velocity switched samples, or by turning off Legato Soundsources, you can dramatically reduce memory used

 

 

Round Robin

A Soundsource can have over 20 Round Robin samples mapped per zone in some cases. To limit the number of Round Robin samples that are loaded, select an option from the Round Robin menu.

You can choose a setting that ranges from “No RR” too “At Most 4 RR”. Select “No Limit” to allow all Round Robin samples to be loaded.

 

Velocities

Trilian Soundsources can include a very large number of Velocity switched samples, which is great for very realistic and expressive playing. However, if you need to conserve system resources, you can choose to thin the amount of Velocities using this menu.



No Limit
Will load all Velocity switched samples.

Every other
Will load every other Velocity switched sample.

Every third
Will only load every third Velocity switched sample.

Every fourth
Will only load every fourth Velocity switched sample.

Velocities above
Selecting a value from this menu, for example, 64, will only load Velocity switched samples mapped to a Velocity of 64 and above.

Velocities below
Selecting a value from this menu, for example, 100, will only load Velocity switched samples mapped to a Velocity of 100 and below.

 

NOTE: When thinning Velocities, there are no gaps in the sound. The remaining Velocity switched samples will adjust to be triggered across the full Velocity range.

 

Legato

This menu has two options, No Limit and None, which determine whether or not Legato Soundsources will be loaded with the sound.

If No Limit is selected, Legato Soundsources will be loaded if the Soundsource has Legato Soundsources associated with it. If None is selected, the Legato Soundsources will be unloaded.

 

TIP: If you choose to load the Legato Soundsources, you must also enable the Use Legato SS button to trigger them when playing.

NOTE: If you are not using the Use Legato SS feature, it’s a good idea to unload the Legato Soundsources (by selecting None from the menu) to conserve system resources.

NOTE: You can think of the difference between the Legato Thinning menu, and the Use Legato SS button in this way: The Legato menu controls whether the Legato Soundsources will be loaded or not, while the Use Legato SS button determines the behavior of the Part (whether it will “solo” notes played Legato that are half step or a whole step apart).

 

Pitch Thinning

A Trilian Soundsource can contain thousands of samples mapped across the full keyboard range. Pitch Thinning lets you limit the samples that are loaded to match either a “trained” range of played notes, or a selected Scale or Interval. Using Pitch Thinning can substantially reduce the number of samples loaded with the Soundsource.

TIP: Although only a limited set of samples will be loaded, this won’t result in “silent zones” on the keyboard. All notes will still play, but will be stretched from the nearest pitched sample.

 

Trained Pitch Thinning

With Trained Pitch Thinning, you can load only the samples used during a performance.

For example, if you are working on a simple bass phrase that has notes in a limited range, say from C2 to C4, by using Trained Pitch Thinning, you can speed up load times, and reduce memory usage by loading only the samples used in that range.

If you have recorded a bass part in a song, and want to speed up load times and conserve memory, you can apply Trained Pitch Thinning by playing the MIDI clip in the host. Trilian will then only load the samples used in the actual phrase.

To use Trained Pitch Thinning, select the Begin Training button. Play a range of notes (or a MIDI clip in the host), and then select the Finish Training button. This will limit the loaded samples to the note pitches that were played during training.

 

Pitch Thinning Using Scales & Intervals

To limit loaded samples to a specific Scale or Interval, select the Pitch Thinning drop-down menu, and select an option from the available sub-menus. You can select from Major or Minor Scales, or from a variety of Intervals.

 

NOTE: The Pitch Thinning options on the Soundsource Zoom Edit View are the same as those found on the Patch & Multi Browser “Lite Version” Zoom. However, the Browser’s Lite Version feature affects the entire Patch or Multi, while the Soundsource Zoom options affect only the individual Soundsource. Using the Soundsource Zoom thinning options, you can apply different thinning options to each Layer in a Patch.

NOTE: All Thinning options applied here are saved with the Patch or Multi, and are recalled the next time you load them.

SOUNDSOURCES - Sub-Pages

EDIT PAGE – Soundsource Sub-Pages

 

MAIN Soundsource Sample Modifiers
FM Frequence Modulation Synthesis
MULT The Harmonia Voice Multiplier

 

Each of the three sub-pages contain a flexible set of synthesis functions that can be applied to the Soundsource.

The default MAIN page provides primary controls over the Soundsource’s Timbre and the ability to alter the sample playback start point.

The FM Page offers Frequency Modulation Synthesis controls, and the MULT Page provides Voice Multiplier controls.

 

Indicator Switches

 

The Indicator Switches below the sub-pages indicate activity in that area.  They also double as mini-power-switches for those functions, so that quick comparisons can be made.  It’s also useful to see at a glance which features are currently in use. Selecting the Soundsource sub-page buttons will not enable their functions, but selecting the small indicator switches below the sub-pages will. 

 

NOTE: The MAIN sub-page’s indicator is unique because it doesn’t function as a switch and will remain unlit until the default settings are changed.

 

SOUNDSOURCES - Sample Timbre Control

EDIT PAGE - Sample Timbre Control

 

 

The TIMBRE slider varies the harmonic tone quality of the Soundsource by shifting the tonal characteristics of the original samples. The center-point of this bidirectional slider is the null point – meaning no TIMBRE shift will occur.

TIMBRE transposes the mapping of the samples in one direction and changes the pitch in the opposite.  This can result in significant harmonic changes in the Soundsource.  Moving the TIMBRE slider to the right will transpose the sample mapping down and the pitches up and vise versa when moving it to the left.

When TIMBRE is applied in either direction, the character of the Soundsource can change significantly.  And when TIMBRE is used as a modulation target, the character of the Soundsource can change dynamically.

 

NOTE: Because of the way TIMBRE works, changes to the modulation of the TIMBRE slider must be retriggered to hear the effect.  TIMBRE shifting can’t be heard on a sustained note.

 

NOTE: The more samples the Soundsource has mapped across the keyboard, the more effective that TIMBRE will be.  Conversely, on a Soundsource that only contains a single sample, it will have no effect.

 

SOUNDSOURCES - Sample Start

EDIT PAGE – Sample Start

The START control determines at what point in the sample that it begins when the Soundsource is triggered. This setting will vary depending on the number of samples in the Soundsource.

This feature has several applications.  First, it can remove sharp attacks or clicks at the start of a sample. 

 

 

Soundsources have many samples mapped to different ranges on the keyboard.  These ranges are called ‘zones’.

The number of zones determines the maximum range of the Start slider.  If the Soundsource has more than 12 zones mapped, the range of the START slider is 1 second.  If it has less than 12 zones, then the START slider’s range can be up to 90 seconds.  The .60 range is especially useful when using the Arpeggiator.

 

NOTE: In the Synth Bass part of the core library, sometimes a & b mapping variations are provided. These are to give more sample start range possibilities for modulation.

 

Sample Start Fade

These are mode switches that control the shape of the sample start point.  This can be useful for eliminating clicks that might happen at certain sample start offsets.  These three mode switches set the duration of fade-in;

No Fade-In eliminating
Medium Fade-In
Maximum Fade-In

 

SOUNDSOURCES - FM

EDIT PAGE – Oscillator Frequency Modulation

 

 

FM stands for Frequency Modulation.  FM has been a feature on synthesizers since the 1960s, but it was most famously realized in Yamaha’s DX/TX series of digital synthesizers in the 1980s.  It was well known for producing glassy, metallic sounds and for creating sound that are more harmonically complex.

FM is a form of audio synthesis where the timbre of one waveform, called the “carrier”, is changed by modulating it with the frequency of another waveform, called the “modulator” – hence Frequency Modulation synthesis. 

FM can take simple waveforms, like sine waves, and make them sound quite complex.

Each Layer in Trilian has a dedicated, hidden FM oscillator, which acts as the modulator; so the other Layer’s Oscillator is not required for FM synthesis to work.  This dedicated Modulation Oscillator can utilize different waveforms and both its frequency and depth can be shifted and modulated.

 

SOUNDSOURCES - FM Controls

EDIT PAGE – Oscillator FM Controls

 

FM POWER SWITCH

Turns the FM modulating oscillator on or off.

 

FM KEYBOARD TRACKING

The small music-keyboard switch enables or disables Keyboard Tracking.   The Keyboard Tracking button determines whether the modulator oscillator tracks the keyboard.

If the Keyboard Tracking is turned on, then the modulator oscillator will track the keyboard, meaning it will change pitch with the keyboard.  If Keyboard Tracking is off, the modulation oscillator will not change pitch with the keyboard, it will stay the same pitch no matter what key is played.  This can be useful for more clangorous sounds.

 

FM FREQUENCY

Controls the frequency of the modulator oscillator.  Because the modulator is unheard, it does not change the pitch of the original Soundsource.  Instead it alters the timbral characteristics of the Soundsource waveform.

When this horizontal slider is set to just above the minimum, it can produce LFO-type pitch effects.  Moving the slider towards the maximum increases the frequency and begins to oscillate fast enough that it will introduce timbre changes.

The notches along the FREQUENCY slider are markers for the frequency ratios that will produce the most musically useful results. 

These musically useful values at the notches are decimal versions of these ratios - 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 – represented as .250, .500. .750 and 1.00.

Range 0.000 to 1.000

 

FM DEPTH

Controls the modulator’s depth.  The higher the DEPTH slider is set, the more the dedicated modulator is affecting the timbre of the Soundsource.

Range 0.000 to 1.000

 

FM WAVEFORM

Many FM synthesizers use only Sine waves, but Trilian’s modulator can use any one of four different waveforms.  The four mode switches are for Sine, Triangle, Sawtooth and Noise.  Each successive waveform has more overtones and so will add a brighter timbre.

In general FM works better when beginning with a simpler, more pure sound than a sound with a lot of complexity to start with.

 

SOUNDSOURCES - Voice Multiplier

EDIT PAGE – Oscillator Voice Multiplier (MULT)

 

 

The Voice Multiplier (MULT) sub-page contains the unique, polyphonic Voice Multiplier function called HARMONIA™, which adds richness and variety by multiplying the number of oscillator voices to achieve different types of sonic enrichment.

 

Harmonia™

HARMONIA™ is an exciting and unique feature. While it may intuitively look like it shares the same functionality of the traditional Harmonizer effect, it’s actually far more powerful because it’s built into Trilian’s oscillator as a polyphonic synthesis component, and not just as an audio effect.

HARMONIA™ adds two additional oscillators to the layer.  Since each Layer has it’s own HARMONIA section, it can add up to 4 additional oscillators per Patch!

SOUNDSOURCES - Harmonia™ Controls

EDIT PAGE – Harmonia™ Controls

 

HARMONIA VOICES 1-4

Up to four HARMONIA voices can be stacked on top of the OSCILLATOR’S voice by selecting the numbered switches in HARMONIA.

Keep in mind the more additional voices are added, the higher the demand on the CPU.

 

HARMONIA LEVEL

Controls output level of the HARMONIA voices, so the effect of each HARMONIA voice can be subtle or pronounced. 

Range 0.000 to 1.000

 

HARMONIA PAN

Each of the HARMONIA voices can be individually positioned in the stereo field with the PAN controls.

Range 0.000 to 1.000

 

HARMONIA DETUNE

Each of the HARMONIA voices can be detuned by +/- 100 cents.  When the knobs are centered, there is no detuning of the HARMONIA voices.

 

HARMONIA INTERVAL

Each of the HARMONIA voices can be transposed over a four-octave range.  Selecting the INTERVAL switch will bring up a drop-down menu of half-step transpositions, either up or down by two octaves.

Range -24 to +24

 

HARMONIA MIX

The Mix slider controls the blend of the Harmonia voices with the primary Soundsource. It is very similar to a “wet/dry” control, in that it determines the overall amount of Harmonia that will be added to the sound. 

At the far left position, no Harmonia effect will be heard, even if the Harmonia Power Switch is on. At the far right position only the Harmonia voices will be heard.

 

NOTE: Having two Harmonia voices per layer is more than enough to create huge sounding basses, and to also create new and unusual bass sounds. However, if you want to explore additional synthesis possibilities, and create more complex sounds using Trilian Soundsources, Omnisphere Library Integration lets you load Trilian sounds into Omnisphere, and manipulate them there using the four Harmonia voices per layer found in Omnisphere.

 

EDIT PAGE - Modulation

EDIT PAGE - Modulation

 

 

Modulation adds motion and complexity to sounds. Simply put, modulation is any source that’s affecting a target parameter in some way. The most common form of modulation in all synthesizers is vibrato, where an LFO modulates the pitch of an Oscillator. Modulation is the method used in synths for adding richness and variety to a sound in real-time.

Trilian’s modulation capabilities are very extensive but they are simple to use with the Flex-Mod™ system we’ve designed. Trilian also features a traditional Modulation Matrix Zoom view that provides more precise control over modulation routings and an overview of all assigned routings.

There are three ways to set up modulation routings in Trilian:

1. Modulations can be set up on the fly by right-clicking parameters and choosing a modulation source from a drop down menu. 

2. Modulation routings can be defined in the Modulation section of the EDIT overview. 

3. Modulation routings can be configured on the Mod Matrix Zoom view.

With the wide variety of sources and destinations, there are literally thousands of potential modulation routings that can be configured.

 

EDIT PAGE - Flex Mod™

EDIT PAGE - Flex Mod™

 

 

The quickest way to set up a modulation routing is by right clicking on the control to be modulated*. From the menu, select from the list of available sources.

The first group of modulation options in the list is commonly used sources. If there’s more than once source available of a given type, the next available source will be used automatically. This approach saves a lot of time that used to be wasted trying to find an unused source.

For example, when “Modulate with LFO” is selected, the next available LFO will automatically be routed to the target parameter. This means if LFO1 is already being used as a modulation source, the Flex-Mod system will automatically assign LFO2. Of course any of these automatic routings can be overridden as well.

A complete list of all of the Modulation sources is provided at the bottom of the menu as “All Mod Sources”, so specific sources can be chosen if that’s preferred.

After the target parameter’s modulation source has been selected, the routing is then displayed in the MODULATION section of the EDIT page.

*Not all controls are Modulatable, but the majority are.

 

NOTE: If all six LFOs have been routed as modulation sources, and “Modulate with LFO” is selected it will default to LFO1.  This is the same with the modulation envelopes - after both are in use all additional “Modulate with Envelope” routings will default to MOD Envelope 1. 

 

 

EDIT PAGE - Modulation Section

EDIT PAGE - Modulation Section

 

 

The Modulation section has two functions; to display any existing modulation routings and also to create new routings. Existing routings can also be edited here. The key concept of the Modulation section of the EDIT page is that only one modulation routing is displayed at a time (the Mod Matrix Zoom shows many routings simultaneously).

 

Modulation Menu

Selecting the drop down arrow on the MODULATION header will bring up a menu that allows new modulation routings to be created as well as the removal of existing routings. All of the modulation routings set up in the currently selected Layer are visible from this list. Selecting any of these routings will allow them to be displayed and modified in the Modulation section of the EDIT page.

 

Source Depth

This slider controls the amount of modulation that will be sent from the source to the modulation target. If the slider is set to minimum, the modulation source will have no effect on the modulation target. The higher the setting, the more the source will be affecting to the target. This is useful in controlling the subtlety of the modulation. However it is possible to send too much signal from the source, which causes unusual behavior in the target because the values are out of range.

 

Target Parameter

This slider is a duplicate of the target parameter – meaning it’s another representation of the parameter that’s being modulated.

Inside the parameter ‘slot’ is a dual indicator. The yellow line represents the range of the modulation and the white point indicates the current value of the modulation.

 

Mute

The currently displayed modulation routing can be muted with this switch. This is a quick way to hear the Patch with and without the modulation routing.

 

Invert

 

The Invert button changes the modulation source by reversing the values so it will have the opposite effect on the modulation target.

For example, if the modulation source is an LFO with an ascending ramp wave as its waveform, it will invert the signal to that of a descending ramp waveform.

 

EDIT PAGE - Modulation Sources List

EDIT PAGE - Mod Sources List

 

 

The SOURCES menu brings up a list of the 26 possible modulation sources available in Trilian. 

These are the 26 available modulation sources in Trilian;

LFO1 – Low Frequency Oscillator 1

LFO2 – Low Frequency Oscillator 2

LFO3 – Low Frequency Oscillator 3

LFO4 – Low Frequency Oscillator 4

LFO5 – Low Frequency Oscillator 5

LFO6 – Low Frequency Oscillator 6

Alternate – Every keystroke alternates between positive and negative values (polyphonic)

Random – Every keystroke will generate a random value (polyphonic)

Velocity – MIDI velocity values (polyphonic)

Key Tracking – Values based on what not is played on the MIDI keyboard

Filter Envelope – The output of the Filter Envelope (polyphonic)

Amp Envelope – The output of the Amp Envelope (polyphonic)

Mod Envelope 1 – The output of Modulation Envelope 1

Mod Envelope 2 – The output of Modulation Envelope 2

Wheel – The value from Modulation wheel MIDI controller (MIDI CC#1)

Aftertouch – The MIDI note pressure value (Channel Aftertouch)

Pitch Bender  - The value from the Pitch Bend MIDI controller

Breath Controller – The value of a breath controller MIDI device (MIDI CC#2)

Foot Controller – The value of a MIDI Foot Controller (MIDI CC#4)

Expression – The value of a continuous MIDI expression (MIDI CC#11)

Sustain – The value from a MIDI Sustain pedal (MIDI CC#64)

Sostenuto – The value from a MIDI Sostenuto pedal (MIDI CC#66)

Soft Pedal - The value from a MIDI Soft Pedal (MIDI CC#67)

Legato – The value from a MIDI Legato Pedal (MIDI CC#68)

User CC – A user-defined Continuous Controller (or MIDI CC value defined from the System page)

Morphing Source – a special-purpose modulation source described in the Morphing Modulation chapter

 

NOTE: See the System Page chapter for more information about the Mod Source slots and how they can be remapped to other MIDI CCs, etc.

EDIT PAGE - Modulation Target List

EDIT PAGE - Mod Target List

 

 

A “Modulation Target” is a parameter that can be controlled by a source. “Target” is another word for “Destination”. Trilian has an extensive set of nearly fifty different modulation targets available. They are grouped into six categories:

 

Oscillator

Pitch Coarse – The coarse tuning of the oscillator’s pitch (polyphonic)

Pitch Fine – The fine-tuning of the oscillator’s pitch (polyphonic)

FM Frequency – The frequency of the dedicate FM modulator (polyphonic)

FM Depth – The depth of the FM modulator (polyphonic)

Harmonia Mix – The blend of the Harmonia voices with the primary Oscillator (polyphonic)

Sample Timbre – The Sample Timbre parameter in the Oscillator (polyphonic)

Sample Start – The Sample Start parameter in the Oscillator (polyphonic)

 

Filter

Cutoff – The Filter’s cutoff frequency (polyphonic)

Resonance – The Filter’s Resonance amount (polyphonic)

Filter Mix – The mix between Filter1 and Filter2 (monophonic)

Spread – The Filter’s Spread control value (monophonic)

Filter 1 Cutoff Offset – The Filter 1 cutoff offset value (monophonic)

Filter 2 Cutoff Offset – The Filter 2 cutoff offset value (monophonic)

Filter 1 Res Offset - The Filter 1 Resonance offset (monophonic)

Filter 2 Res Offset - The Filter 2 Resonance offset (monophonic)

Filter 1 Spread – The Filter 1 spread (monophonic)

Filter 2 Spread – The Filter 2 spread (monophonic)

 

Amp

Amplitude* – The amplitude level (polyphonic)

Pan – The stereo panning control (polyphonic)

 

LFO

LFO1 Rate – The speed of LFO1 (monophonic)

LFO1 Depth – The amount of LFO1 (monophonic)

LFO2 Rate – The speed of LFO2 (monophonic)

LFO2 Depth – The amount of LFO2 (monophonic)

LFO3 Rate – The speed of LFO3 (monophonic)

LFO3 Depth – The amount of LFO3 (monophonic)

LFO4 Rate – The speed of LFO4 (monophonic)

LFO4 Depth – The amount of LFO4 (monophonic)

LFO5 Rate – The speed of LFO5 (monophonic)

LFO5 Depth – The amount of LFO5 (monophonic)

LFO6 Rate – The speed of LFO6 (monophonic)

LFO6 Depth – The amount of LFO6 (monophonic)

 

Envelope

Amp Env Attack Trim* – The relative AMP Attack time (polyphonic)

Amp Env Decay Trim* – The relative AMP Decay time (polyphonic)

Amp Env Release Trim* – The relative AMP Release time (polyphonic)

Amp Env Speed – The speed of the Amplitude Envelope

Filter Env Attack Trim* – The relative Filter Attack time (polyphonic)

Filter Env Decay Trim* – The relative Filter Decay time (polyphonic)

Filter Env Release Trim* – The relative Filter Release time (polyphonic)

Filter Env Depth – The amount of the Filter Envelope

Filter Env Speed – The speed of the Filter Envelope (monophonic)

Mod Env1 Depth – The amount of Mod Envelope1 (monophonic)

Mod Env1 Speed – The speed of Mod Envelope1 (monophonic)

Mod Env2 Depth – The amount of Mod Envelope2 (monophonic)

Mod Env2 Speed – The speed of Mod Envelope2 (monophonic)

 

Morphing Modulation

Morphing Input A – Explained in the Morphing Modulation section

Morphing Input B – Explained in the Morphing Modulation section

Morphing Input A/B Xfade – Explained in the Morphing Modulation section (monophonic)

 

* These parameters appear exclusively within the Modulation Matrix and are not seen on the GUI.

 

NOTE: The following Modulation Targets appear on the Target list, but are grayed out and not accessible from within Trilian. They are there for compatibility with Omnisphere’s Library Integration feature.

Unison Detune - The amount of detuning of Oscillator unison voices (monophonic)
Unison Depth - The amount of Oscillator Unison voices added (monophonic)
Ring Mod Frequency - The frequency of the Ring modulator (polyphonic)
Ring Mod Depth - The amount of Ring Modulation (polyphonic)
Waveshaper Depth - The amount of Oscillator Waveshaping (polyphonic)
Waveshaper Mix - The blend of the waveshaping signal (polyphonic)
Sample Granular Intensity - The size/intensity of the sample grains (monophonic)
Sample Pitch Grains - The probability of Granular pitch grains (monophonic)
Synth Shape - The Synth Oscillator’s shape (polyphonic)
Synth Hard Sync - The Synth Oscillator’s Hard Sync (polyphonic)
Synth Symmetry - The Synth Oscillator’s Symmetry (polyphonic)
Synth Phase - The Synth Oscillator’s Phase control (polyphonic)
Synth Analog - The Synth Oscillator’s Analog control (polyphonic)

 

EDIT PAGE - Effects Modulation

EDIT PAGE - Effects Modulation

 

 

The fact that Trilian can modulate nearly fifty synthesis parameters is only part of the story. Any of Trilian’s modulation sources can be applied to the myriad of FX parameters as well. Just about every single parameter in all of Trilian’s 33 effects modules can be modulated, which means there are over 200 effects parameters available on top of all of the synthesis parameters. In total, Trilian has nearly 300 available modulation targets!

Effects Modulation can be set up quickly using the same flex-mod system available on the MAIN and EDIT pages.

 

Modulation Effects Menu

Any effect that’s added to a Layer Effect rack (A or B) is available as a modulation target. After any Effect has been added to a Layer rack, a new category called “Layer Effects” will appear at the bottom of the list of target categories.

 

NOTE: Only FX assigned to a Layer Rack are available as Modulation Targets - FX in the COMMON rack are not.

 

When any modulatable parameter is right-clicked, the same list of Modulation options appears when a synthesis parameter is right-clicked. All of the Modulation options are the same.

After a parameter has been assigned as a Modulation Target, the control will become shaded with a yellowish tint (in the example below, the Delay control is now yellow).

These parameters will be available as long as the effect module is assigned to the Patch – meaning they will no longer appear if they effect is removed from that Layer’s rack.

 

EDIT PAGE - Mod Matrix Zoom

EDIT PAGE - Mod Matrix Zoom

 

 

Selecting the Zoom icon on the Modulation header will open the Mod Matrix Zoom view. The Mod Matrix view offers precise control over all of the modulation routings in the Patch. The advantage of this zoom view is that the many routings can be displayed for editing simultaneously.

There are the same Source/Target sections, Depth and Target Parameter controls from the EDIT overview page, as well as some controls unique to the Mod Matrix Zoom, like smoothing. There are two sub-pages in Mod Matrix Zoom, each with twelve modulation routings making for a total of 24 possible modulation routings available per Patch.

It’s important to note that Trilian also has a number of fixed modulation routings as well. Many of the typical routings have already been hardwired in the STEAM engine, so they don’t have to be assigned. These include Velocity control over Envelope depth, Key Tracking to Cutoff, Filter Envelope to Cutoff, and so on.

 

Mod Matrix Page Switch

Toggles between the two Mod Matrix sub-pages. It’s generally a good rule of thumb to fill up the first modulation page before any mod routings are added on the second modulation page. Each page displays twelve routings at a time. The Mod Matrix shows modulation routings for both Layers simultaneously.

 

Modulation Smoothing

The modulation Smoothing control takes the incoming modulation source and slows the sharper points down, smoothing them out. This means that the character of the modulation source will not have quite as drastic or harsh an effect on the modulation destination. It works in a similar way to the Lag processors on some vintage synthesizers. This is the same principle that is used in Glide/Portamento, but applied to any source and target.

 

Modulation Status

This is a shared area with two switches, Mute & Invert.

The Mute control virtually disconnects the modulation routing. This is a quick way to hear what kind of effect it’s having on the part.

The Invert control allows toggles between positive or negative modulation.

 

Modulation Source

The source area displays and selects the modulation source to control a target. Selecting the source will open up a menu of 28 modulation sources and “Off” – which negates any modulation source.

 

Modulation Depth

This control determines to what degree the source affects the modulation target. The higher the setting, the more the Source will affect the target. Depending on the kind of Modulation Source used, it is possible to send too much signal from the Modulation Source, which causes unexpected results in the target.

 

Modulation Target

The Target is the destination for the Source’s modulation output. Trilian has a large number of modulation targets, including synthesis parameters as well as effects parameters.

The full list of Targets is listed in the MODULATION section above.

 

Modulation Target Parameter


This control represents the setting of the target parameter – meaning it’s another representation of it.

Inside the parameter ‘slot’ is a dual indicator. The yellow line represents the range of the modulation and the white point indicates the current value of the modulation.

 

Layer Display Swtiches

These buttons allow viewing the active modulation routings on either layer. When Layer A or Layer B is selected, that layer’s modulation routings are shown in bright yellow text, while the other layer’s routings are disabled.

 

MOD MATRIX ZOOM – Morphing Modulation

MOD MATRIX ZOOM – Morphing Modulation

 

 


Trilian has a very special modulation feature that goes beyond the standard method of modulating a single target with a single source, called morphing modulation. This system uses dual-sources to modulate a single target and adds a morphing component to interactively crossfade between the output of the two modulation sources. This can create very dynamic modulation routings and effects.

There are four components to Morphing Modulation, which means setting up a Morphing Modulation routing will use four slots in the Modulation Matrix.

First a target must be designated; this is the parameter that will be modified by the morphing modulation. Two different modulation sources need to be defined. The degree that the two modulation sources will be blended together is determined by the Morphing Input A/B Xfade source. This modulation source will control how the two morphing inputs are combined before they are sent to the target.

 

Morphing Source

This defines that target of morphing modulation. It can be any of Trilian’s modulation targets. Once “Morphing Source” is selected and a Target parameter is designated, then the two morphing modulation inputs must be defined.

 

Morphing Input A

This is one of the two sources that will become a Morphing Input.  The sum of both Morphing Input A and B will be sent to the target defined in Morphing Source routing, so its necessary to define Morphing Input A as the target.

 

Morphing Input B

This is the other morphing source that will modulate the target. After the Source is chosen, then Morphing Input B needs to be selected as the target.

It’s important to make the Source in Morphing Input B different from Morphing Input A – if they are the same source then the morphing will have no effect.

 

Morphing Input A/B Xfade

This routing is what defines what will control the morphing between the two A/B inputs - so the Source here should be one that is suited to this kind of cross fading. 

Suggested Morphing Inputs for A/B Xfade;

Wheel

Velocity

LFOS

Envelopes

 

EDIT PAGE - Filters

EDIT PAGE - Filters

The Filter is a key component of subtractive synthesis.  It’s designed to remove frequencies from within a sound, which can enhance the character of that sound.  Filters typically consist of a cutoff control, which sets the removal of certain frequencies, and a resonance control, which emphasizes the frequency of the cutoff point.

The most common form of filtering is called lowpass, which means that higher frequencies are removed while lower frequencies pass through without being removed.  Most vintage synthesizers employed low-pass filtering, but some also included high-pass filtering, which removes low frequencies and lets the high frequencies pass through.

Trilian includes an exceptionally versatile dual-filtering system, which features two stereo filters per layer that can be routed in series or parallel. There are 24 different filter types available, which include lowpass, highpass, bandpass and other specialized varieties. Because Trilian’s filters are stereo, they are ideal for dynamic filter panning effects.

The FILTERS section of the EDIT overview features a basic set of filter controls, such as Cutoff, Resonance, Keyboard tracking and Filter envelope depth.  The full set of filter controls is available on the FILTER ZOOM view.

 

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Power Switch

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Power Switch

 

 

Enables or disables the Filter.

NOTE: Turning the Filter OFF saves CPU power, since every voice played has it’s own dual-filter per Layer.

EDIT PAGE - Filters Presets

EDIT PAGE - Filters Presets

 

 

Trilian has a wide variety of customized filter configurations, called presets.  The presets represent the settings of Trilian’s complex dual stereo filter.   Filter presets can be selected, copied, pasted and saved from this menu.

 

TIP: If you find a Patch that has an interesting custom filter configuration, you can save it into your preset library to use with your own patches!

 

The Presets are categorized into several sub-categories; Bandpass Filters, Highpass Filters, Lowpass Filters and Specialty Filters.  For the sake of space, the preset names are abbreviated, but this is what the different abbreviations mean;

 

BPF

Band Pass Filter

HPF

High Pass Filter

LPF

Low Pass Filter

UVI

UVI Filter from Trilogy®

db

Short for Decibel.  Names like 12db, 24db, refer to the roll off slope of the filters.

 

NOTE: Filter presets are not the same as Filter types.  Filter Presets include the settings for Filter type.  Filter types are covered in the FILTER ZOOM section.

 

FILTER PRESET MENU

After a Preset has been chosen from the drop-down menu, the name will be displayed in the preset display window:

 

If the filter types are changed in the Zoom view, then the display will be changed to “Modified” until the Filter settings are saved as a preset or another preset is selected.

 

NOTE: Filter presets intentionally do not recall CUTOFF, RES, KEY and ENV settings. This is done because it’s the best way to audition the different Filter Presets within the context of your current Patch.

 

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Cutoff

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Cutoff

 

 

The primary function of the filter is to remove, hence “cut off”, frequencies from a sound.  Trilian’s filter can remove frequencies in a variety of ways, via its numerous different filter types; Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Notch and several specialized ones.   Depending on the Filter type, the Cutoff will remove different types of frequencies in various ways.

For example, if a Low Pass filter is used, turning the control counter-clockwise will remove the higher frequencies.  If a High-Pass Filter is used, turning it clockwise will remove low frequencies.  Experiment with cutoff control with the wide variety of filter presets and types

 

Range 00.05Hz to 19.00kHz

 

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Resonance

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Resonance

 

 

Resonance is also called ‘Q’ or Emphasis in synthesizers, because it emphasizes the cutoff point of the filter.  Resonance can often increase the loudness of the Filter, so its a good idea to use this control along with the Filter Gain, so that audio clipping does not occur.

 

TIP: Trilian’s UVI1 filter can self-oscillate.  If the Resonance is set to maximum, the filter can be ‘tuned’ by the cutoff control

 

 

EDIT PAGE - Filter Key Tracking

EDIT PAGE - Filter Key Tracking

 

 

The Filter Tracking is a dedicated modulation control.  It determines to what extent the cutoff frequency will track the keyboard.  The higher the KEY value is set, the more the filter will open over the upper range of the keyboard and close in the lower ranges of the keyboard.

For example, if a low pass filter is loaded and the cutoff is set below 1.00KHz, the notes played below middle-C will become increasingly darker in tone, and keys above middle-C will be increasingly brighter.   At the minimum setting, higher and lower notes have no effect on the cutoff frequency.

Range 0 to 127

 

FILTER KEY TRACKING INVERT SWITCH

Key Tracking can be inverted simply by selecting the word “Key” below the control.  This switch will change to inverted text when Key tracking is inverted and the sonic result will be the opposite of standard Filter Key Tracking.

 

EDIT PAGE - Filter Envelope Depth

EDIT PAGE - Filter Envelope Depth

 

 

The Filter Envelope Depth is a dedicated modulation control.  It sets the amount that the Filter Envelope controls the cutoff frequency.  At minimum setting, the Filter Envelope has no affect on the cutoff.  The higher the setting, the greater effect the Filter Envelope’s contour has in opening and closing the Filter.

 

NOTE: If both the Filter Cutoff and Filter Envelope Depth are set to minimum values, little to no sound will be heard.  If the Filter Cutoff is at the maximum value, then the ENV DEPTH knob will have no effect, since the cutoff is already wide open. A good starting point is to keep the ENV control at the middle point.

 

Range 0 to 127

 

ENV INVERT SWITCH

This control inverts the Filter Envelopes contour and so it will have the effect of closing the filter (lowering the cutoff frequency). This switch will change to inverted text when Env tracking is inverted.

 

TIP:  Inverting the Filter’s Envelope can be useful for creating unusual contours, such as double triggering and release effects

 

EDIT PAGE - Filter Gain

EDIT PAGE - Filter Gain

 

 

By default the FILTER GAIN is set at 0.0db.  Changing this control alters the output level of the Filters.  One application would be if the Filter is closed down, and the tone is quite dark and rather low in output, the level could be compensated for by using the FILTER GAIN control.  More commonly, Filter combinations with Resonances can get too loud, causing distortion and clipping.  The GAIN slider is very useful to reduce the overall level in these cases.

Range between - inf (0) and +9.54.dB

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Zoom

EDIT PAGE - FIlter Zoom

 

 

FILTER ZOOM in Trilian provides precise control over each Layer’s dual-filter. The two stereo filters are represented on the right and left. The central area controls the routing and contains the shared controls. Each of the two stereo filters can have any of 24 filter types assigned to it. They can be combined in series or parallel, allowing for hundreds of possible filter configurations.

There are primary Cutoff and Resonance controls for the entire filter, but both FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 each have their own independent Cutoff and Resonance offsets which are applied to those primary values.

FILTER ZOOM - Power Switch

FILTER ZOOM - Power Switches

 

Dual-Filter Power Switch

Enables or disables the entire Filter.  It is a duplicate of the power button on the EDIT page. The entire Dual-Filter can be turned on and off with this switch, which provides a quick way to compare the sound with and without filtering.

 

FILTER 1 & FILTER 2 Power Switches

    

Enables or disables Filter 1 and/or Filter 2.

 

NOTE: If both Filter 1 and Filter 2 are turned off, the only control on the Filter Zoom page that will still change the sound is the GAIN slider.

FILTER ZOOM - Filter Type

FILTER ZOOM – Filter Type

 

 

The Filter Type menu allows you to select the actual Filter algorithm to be used in Filter 1 or Filter 2. Trilian comes with a wide range of filter types. Each of the two stereo filters has the same 24 filter types available.

Because of the flexible dual-filter system in Trilian, these different filter types can be combined, routed in series or parallel, allowing for hundreds of possible filter configurations.

The extent to which the frequencies are removed is based on the roll-off slope (measured in dB) of the filter type.  This means a Lowpass filter with a 24dB roll-off is going to allow less sound to pass through than a filter with a 12dB roll-off.

Once a customized filter configuration has been created, the settings can be saved as a Filter Preset and loaded it from the FILTERS section on the EDIT overview page.

OFF

 

The Filter is off.

     

LOW PASS

Gentle 6db

A subtle, 1-pole low pass, useful for acoustic sounds

 

Crisp 12db

 
 

Warm 12db

 
 

Juicy 12db

This new 2-pole Low Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

 

Warm 24db

 
 

Smooth 24db

 

 

Colorful 24db

 

 

Edge 24db

 

 

Juicy 24db

This new 4-pole Low Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

 

Power LP24

This is the Low Pass 24db filter from the Power Filter FX module

 

UVI 1

The 4-pole 24db Low Pass filter used in Atmosphere (can self-oscillate)

 

UVI 2

The 3-pole 18db Low Pass filter used in Atmosphere

 

UVI 3

The 2-pole 12db Low Pass filter used in Atmosphere

     

HIGH PASS

UVI

The 2-pole 12db High Pass filter used in Atmosphere

 

Crisp

 
 

Juicy 12db

This new 2-pole High Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

 

Juicy 24db

This new 4-pole High Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

     

OTHER

Bandpass

All frequencies above and below a certain range are removed.

 

Bandpass Juicy 12db

This new 2-pole Band Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

 

Bandpass Juicy 24db

This new 4-pole Band Pass filter has a very smooth response at high resonances.

 

Notch

Frequencies pass thru a narrow ‘notch’, also known as a ‘band-reject’ filter

 

Allpass

All frequencies are passed equally, but it changes the phase relationship between the frequencies.

 

Metal Pipe +

A complex stereo comb-filter that produces flanger-like metallic overtones

 

Metal Pipe -

A complex stereo comb-filter, inverted

FILTER ZOOM – Cutoff Offset

FILTER ZOOM – Cutoff Offset

 

 

The Filter Cutoff settings affect both FILTER 1 and FILTER 2.  The CUTOFF OFFSET counterbalances the Cutoff for FILTER1 and FILTER2 independently.  These are not separate filters controls; they simply increase or decrease the Cutoff frequency of that particular Filter Type, relative to the primary Cutoff control.

When the slider is centered in the middle, there is no offset to the Filter Cutoff.  Moving the control to the right increases the Filter Cutoff and moving it to the left decreases the cutoff.

FILTER ZOOM – Resonance Offset

FILTER ZOOM – Resonance Offset

 

 

As Filter Resonance settings affect both FILTER 1 and FILTER 2, the RES OFFSET (meaning Resonance Offset) allows the depth of the resonance for FILTER1 and FILTER2 to be set independently.  This control decreases or increases the amount of Resonance of that particular Filter Type.

When the slider is centered in the middle, there is no offset to the Filter Resonance.  Moving the slider to the right increases the Filter Resonance and setting it farther left decreases the Resonance.

FILTER ZOOM – Spread Offset

FILTER ZOOM – Spread Offset

 

 

As both of Trilian’s filters are stereo, they are both capable of offsetting their stereo position with this control.  Like the other Offset controls in Filter Zoom, this counterbalances the setting of the primary control, in this case is the Spread control.

 

NOTE: Since Spread moves the cutoff between Right and Left, the Spread Offset can counteract the Spread’s setting for each Filter if moved in the opposite direction.

FILTER ZOOM – Shared Controls

FILTER ZOOM – Shared Controls

 

 

The central part of the FILTER ZOOM section is dedicated for controls that are common to both of the Filters, including the ability to route to two Filters in parallel or in series and to place them before or after the Amplifier.

Aside from the Series/Parallel, Mix and Spread control, the remaining four knobs (CUTOFF, RES, KEY, ENV) are exactly the same as those in the Filter section on the EDIT page. So any changes that are made on these controls will be reflected on the Edit page as well.

 

FILTER ZOOM – Series / Parallel

FILTER ZOOM – Series / Parallel

 

 

When Trilian’s two Filters are in “Series”, it means that the output of Filter 1 is feeding into Filter 2 - and thus affects the character of Filter 2.  When the two Filters are in Series, the Mix control is not in use.  “Parallel“ means the two Filters are both working, but they are not directly affecting the other; they are operating side-by-side and mixed together.  The Mix slider controls the balance between the two filters.

FILTER ZOOM - Mix

FILTER ZOOM - Mix

 

 

In Parallel mode, each of the two Filters pass thru the Filter Mixer, and the Mix control determines how much of each filter is heard.  Centering the slider will allow both filters to be heard equally, and sliding it to the right or left will favor one over the other.

Range 100.00 to  00.100  (50.50 is the center point)

 

FILTER ZOOM – Gain

FILTER ZOOM – Gain

 

 

The Gain adjusts the level of the input, or output of the Filter Module.

Range between - inf (0) and +9.54.dB

 

FILTER ZOOM – Pre / Post

FILTER ZOOM – Pre / Post

 

 

The Dual-Filter can be placed before or after the Gain Control.  These switches determine if the gain control will be used before or after the Filter.  Aggressive Filter sounds will have a different character depending if PRE or POST is enabled.

 

PRE

The Gain Control is applied before the Filters.

 

POST

POST means that the Gain Control will be applied after the Filters

 

FILTER ZOOM - Cutoff

FILTER ZOOM - Cutoff

 

 

The primary Cutoff control is identical to the Cutoff control on the EDIT page.  The primary function of the filter is to remove, hence “cut off”, frequencies from the sound.  Trilian’s filter can remove frequencies in a variety of ways, from Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Notch and also specialized filter types.   When different Types are loaded, the Cutoff will remove different frequencies from the sound.

Depending what Filter preset is chosen, the Cutoff control will remove different frequencies in various ways.

For example, if a Low Pass filter is used, turning the control counter-clockwise will remove the higher frequencies.  If a High-Pass Filter is used, the opposite will happen.  It’s best to experiment with cutoff control with the wide variety of Filter Types.

The Filter’s roll off slope is measured in dB, and is sometimes expressed in “poles”.  The higher the dB value, the greater the extent of the filtering, but this should not be confused with sounding “better”.  Filters with fewer poles can often sound more appropriate than those with more poles.

6dB =

1 Pole

12dB =

2 Pole

18dB =

3 Pole

24dB =

4 Pole

Range 00.05Hz to 19.00kHz

 

FILTER ZOOM – Resonance

FILTER ZOOM – Resonance

 

 

The Resonance control on the FILTER ZOOM page is identical to the RES knob on the EDIT page. Resonance is also called ‘Q’ or Emphasis in synthesizers, because it emphasizes the cutoff point of the filter.  Resonance can often increase the loudness of the Filter, so its a good idea to use this control along with the Filter Gain, so that audio clipping does not occur.

 

TIP: Trilian’s UVI1 filter can self-oscillate.  If the Resonance is set to maximum, the filter can be ‘tuned’ by the cutoff control.

 

 

Range 0 to 127

 

FILTER ZOOM - Spread

FILTER ZOOM - Spread

 

 

The SPREAD control in Trilian’s Filter is not typically found on most synthesizers.  Since Trilian’s filter is stereo, the SPREAD control can move the cutoff frequency in one direction on one side of the stereo field while moving it in the opposite direction in the other side of the stereo field. 

For example, the filter would be opening on the right channel while closing on the left channel.  This can create unique panning effects that are more dramatic than the standard audio panning approach - particularly when SPREAD is modulated.

Range L to R

 

NOTE: Unlike the other filters, the Power filter is not a pair of L/R mono filters. Instead, it's a stereo filter with no spread capability. In the case of the Power Filter, the Spread control does the same function as the Width control in the Power Filter effect unit.

 

FILTER ZOOM – Key Tracking

FILTER ZOOM – Key Tracking

 

 

The KEY control on the FILTER ZOOM page is identical to the KEY slider on the EDIT page. The Filter Tracking is a dedicated modulation control.  It determines to what extent the cutoff frequncy will track the keyboard.  The higher the KEY value is set, the more the filter will open over the upper range of the keyboard and close in the lower ranges of the keyboard.
For example, If a low pass filter is loaded and the cutoff is set below 1.00KHz, the notes played below middle-C will become increasingly darker in tone, and keys above middle-C will be increasingly brighter.   At the minimum setting, higher and lower notes have no effect on the cutoff frequency.

 

KEY INVERT SWITCH

The KEY INVERT switch on the FILTER ZOOM page is identical to the KEY INVERT switch on the EDIT page. Key Tracking can be inverted simply by selecting the word “Key” below the control.  This switch will change to inverted text when Key tracking is inverted and the sonic result will be the opposite of standard Filter Key Tracking.

FILTER ZOOM - Envelope

FILTER ZOOM - Envelope

 

 

The Filter ENV control is identical to the ENV control found on the EDIT page.  The Filter Envelope Depth is a dedicated modulation control.  It sets the amount that the Filter Envelope controls the cutoff frequency.  At minimum setting, the Filter Envelope has no affect on the cutoff.  The higher the setting, the greater effect the Filter Envelope’s contour has in opening and closing the Filter.

 

NOTE: If both the Filter Cutoff and Filter Envelope Depth are set to minimum values, little to no sound will be heard.  If the Filter Cutoff is at the maximum value, then the ENV DEPTH knob will have no effect, since the cutoff is already wide open. A good starting point is to keep the ENV control at the middle point.

 

ENV INVERT SWITCH

The Filter ENV INVERT switch is identical to the Filter ENV INVERT switch on the EDIT page.  This control inverts the Filter Envelopes contour and so it will have the effect of closing the filter (lowering the cutoff frequency). This switch will change to inverted text when Env tracking is inverted.

 

TIP:  Inverting the Filter’s Envelope can be useful for creating unusual contours, such as double triggering and release effects

 

EDIT PAGE - Envelopes

EDIT PAGE - Envelopes

 

 

One of the innovative features of Trilian’s envelopes is that each of them has two interfaces. There have always been two competing design philosophies; ADSR envelopes, which are fast and easy to use, and Complex envelopes, which are more powerful and flexible but typically not as fast or easy to use.

In Trilian we combined both ideas into one, offering the best of both worlds. Trilian’s envelopes are extremely powerful and at the same time very easy to use, regardless of the envelope style.

Envelopes are the contours that shape the sound coming from the Oscillators and the Filters.

A basic ADSR-style envelope determines how quickly a sound will begin, its initial decay, what level it sustains at, and how long it will fade out after the note has been released. These different elements of the envelope are called stages. Most synthesizers have 4-stage envelopes, often called ADSR envelopes, which stands for Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release.

Trilian adds a fifth stage, called Hold, that comes between Attack and Decay (making it a 5-stage “AHDSR” Envelope), which determines how long an Envelope remains open before it begins to decay.

Complex envelopes contain contours with more than five stages. Complex envelopes allow a much greater degree of control in shaping the sound, and offer tremendous flexibility when shaping sounds and can be very useful in creating rhythmic shapes.

Each Part in Trilian has six envelopes, and each can be used either as a basic 5-stage AHDSR envelope, or as a Complex envelope. Each Layer has a dedicated AMP (Amplitude) envelope and a dedicated FILTER envelope, while there are two Modulation envelopes that are common to both Layers.

NOTE: The Mod Envelopes in Trilian provide tremendous flexibility for creating both evolving and rhythmic bass sounds. For most bass instrument applications this is more than enough.

However, if you want to explore additional synthesis possibilities using Trilian Soundsources, Omnisphere Library Integration lets you load Trilian sounds into Omnisphere, and manipulate them there using the two additional Mod Envelopes per part found in Omnisphere.

 

AMP ENVELOPE

Each Part has two dedicated AMP (Amplitude) Envelopes, one each for Layer A and Layer B. These shape the overall loudness of the Layer. A dedicated Velocity knob controls the dynamic output of the AMP Envelopes based on MIDI Velocity.

 

FILTER ENVELOPE

Each Part also has two dedicated FILTER Envelopes, one each for Layer A and Layer B. These shape the Filter cutoff for each Layer. A dedicated Velocity knob controls the dynamic output of the FILTER Envelopes based on MIDI Velocity.

 

MODULATION ENVELOPES

A Part has two Modulation Envelopes, which are shared by both Layers. These can be used to modulate various parameters in Trilian. A dedicated Depth knob controls the amount of envelope modulation that is sent to the modulation matrix.

There are two key differences between the AMP and FILTER Envelopes, and the MOD Envelopes:

• AMP and FILTER Envelopes are per Layer, and are polyphonic.

• Modulation Envelopes are per Part, and are monophonic.

 

EDIT PAGE – ADSR Controls

EDIT PAGE – AHDSR Controls

 

 

The AHDSR Envelope controls operate the same way for all the different envelope types in Trilian.

 

 

The screenshot above is from the Envelopes Zoom page, but illustrates what a standard AHDSR Envelope looks like. The first to second point (or Stage) is the Attack time; the second to third point is the Hold time, The third point is the Decay time, which ends at the fourth point, the Sustain level. After the note is released, the Sustain level drops away based on the Release time.

When viewed on the MAIN page, the AHDSR Controls looks like this:

 

 

A - Attack

The ‘A’ stands for ATTACK, which means the attack time of the envelope. At minimum setting, the Attack is immediate, so the Envelope will start as soon as a controller triggers it. Higher settings will delay the Attack time, so the Envelope will gradually fade in.

Range between 0 to 20 seconds.

 

Hold (Knob)

The HOLD knob opens the envelope at maximum amount for a certain period of time before allowing the Decay to begin. Turning the knob clockwise increases the length of the Hold. Turning the knob counter-clockwise decreases the Hold time.

Range between 0 to 20 seconds.

NOTE: If you would like to use the AHDSR Envelope as a simpler 4-Stage ADSR, simply set the HOLD value to 0.

 

D - Decay

The ‘D’ is the DECAY time, which begins after the Attack has reached its maximum level. At minimum settings, the Decay will be zero, which means there is no Decay after the Attack and the Envelope goes straight to the Sustain stage. At the maximum setting, the DECAY can be about twenty seconds before the Sustain stage starts.

Range between 0 to 20 seconds

 

S - Sustain

‘S’ is the Sustain Level. Unlike A, D & R, Sustain is not a time value; it’s a level value. Sustain determines at what level the Envelope’s output remains constant while a note is held. At the minimum setting there is no sustain, so the envelope’s output will stop until it’s been retriggered. Higher sustain settings mean the Envelope’s output will be constant as long as a note is held down.

 

R - Release

‘R’ is the Release time value. After a note has been let go, the sound will continue to decay for the duration of the Release time. Raising this fader lengthens the Release time.  Lowering it decreases Release time.

 Range 0 to 20 seconds.

 

EDIT PAGE – Velo (Envelope Velocity)

EDIT PAGE – Velo (Envelope Velocity)

 

 

VELO is short for Velocity Sensitivity. The Velocity knob controls how much MIDI velocity will affect the output signal of the Envelope.  Moving the control counter-clockwise decreases the dynamic sensitivity of the envelope and clockwise changes increases the sensitivity.

 

NOTE: Each of the VELO (Velocity) controls for the two AMP and two FILTER envelopes are independent. The VELO control will only affect the selected envelope.

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Depth

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Depth

 

 

The DEPTH controls are dedicated to the two MOD Envelopes. Turning this knob clockwise increases how much of the modulation envelope is sent to the modulation target. The default setting is at maximum.

 

NOTE: The DEPTH controls for the Modulation Envelopes are independent. The DEPTH control will only affect the selected envelope.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom

 

 

The ENVELOPE ZOOM page provides precise editing of the six available envelopes in a Part. Complex envelopes can be created with hundreds of stages. Each envelope segment can have one of nine different curve presets applied to it. These include bumps, spikes, pulses, curves and linear transitions. It is not necessary to choose between a simple or complex envelope, since they both exist simultaneously. Any changes made to the AHDSR controls on the MAIN page will be reflected on the Envelopes Zoom page.

A complex envelope can be further configured via a dedicated set of editing options that can fine-tune, scale and modify specific parts of the envelope. Envelope contours can be repeated or ‘unrepeated’ to easily add or remove more stages.

 

 

Envelope Zoom has a special CHAOS feature, which can randomize the envelope’s shape. Chaos can also be set to automatically change on every cycle, creating constantly changing envelopes. The degree that CHAOS will affect the Envelope is determined with dedicated probability mini-sliders.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Preset Menu

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Preset Menu

 

 

There are two drop-down menus that provide access to Envelope Presets. One is on the Edit Page next to the ENVELOPES label, the other is found in the Envelopes Zoom View beside the ENVELOPES ZOOM label.

The Drop-down menus will display a list of various Envelope presets as well as options to Save, Copy and Paste Envelopes.

Envelope Presets contain all the contours of a single envelope. The Save Envelope Preset function allows you to save envelopes for later recall. Envelopes can be copied to other Layers or Parts using the Copy/Paste Envelope Preset functions. This provides a quick and convenient way to work with envelopes, and Trilian ships with a large number of interesting and useful Envelope Presets for you to explore.

 

Saving & Loading Envelope Presets

To save a customized Envelope setting select Save Envelope Preset. A standard save dialogue will appear. Make sure that the preset that’s being saved is given a name. Trilian will automatically add the ‘.env’ extension to the name.

By default the Envelope preset will be saved in the STEAM folder, inside the Trilian Settings Library/Presets/Envelope folder. You can also create custom sub-folders within the Envelope folder to organize custom Presets according to your own preferences.

After a new Preset has been saved it can be loaded using the Envelope Presets menu. Use one of the drop-down menus and browse to your newly saved Preset.

 

 

NOTE: In order to load any shared Preset file, it must first be placed in the Envelope folder;

STEAM/Trilian/Settings Library/Presets/Envelope/Sub-Folder

Only then will it appear on the list of presets.

 

Copying & Pasting Envelope Presets

Select “Copy Envelope Preset” from the Presets menu to copy the current Envelope contours. Then select the Envelope to copy it to. This can be any of the Envelopes in the current Part – or in any other Part. From the Presets menu select “Paste Envelope Preset” and the copied Envelope will replace it.

NOTE: There is no ‘Undo’ for Pasting an Envelope, so use caution when Copying and Pasting them.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Page Buttons

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Page Buttons

 

 

Above the Envelope Display area are four buttons that select the controls for the four Envelopes available in the current Layer.

 

NOTE: the AMP and FILTER Envelopes displayed are only for the current Layer, the other Layer must be selected to see the other two AMP/FILTER envelopes.

EDIT PAGE – Mod Envelopes Timeline

EDIT PAGE – Mod Envelopes Timeline

 

 

Both MOD Envelopes each have an LED indicator that tracks the time it takes to play through the Envelope contour. The rate of the Envelope’s contour will make these LEDs trace along as a visual guide. The LED timeline display is also helpful in monitoring the different types of Envelope triggering.

For example, if “NOTE” triggering is enabled, the LED display will start at the beginning of the Envelope every time a note is triggered. If “LEGATO” is selected, the LEDs will continue to along the timeline even when new legato notes are triggered.

 

NOTE: Until a MOD envelope has been set up as a modulation source to a target in Trilian, the LED display will be off.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Edit

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Edit Menu

 

 

There are four different automated Envelope adjustments, which provide a simple way to double and/or half the total number of Envelope points. These options can quickly change the playback rate of the Envelopes as well.

 

 

Repeat

Every time ‘Repeat’ is selected, all of the stages in the Envelope will be duplicated, doubling the number of points.

   

Unrepeat

Can undo any Repeats that have been done.  Unrepeat can also be used to “halve” the number of segments in an envelope.

   

Half time

Each time this is selected, Half time will change the speed of the Envelope’s contour by half.

   

Double time

The speed of the Envelope’s contour will double every time this is selected.

 

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Display

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Display

 

 


The contour of the current Envelope can be modified from this display. The point to the extreme left is always the Attack time and on the last two points on the right are the Sustain level and the Release time stages. Time is represented horizontally and Level is on the vertical axis.

To add an additional stage to the Envelope, right-click (Control-Click) and select “add” from the pop-up menu. When an additional point is added, all points to the right are shifted to make room for the new stage. When selecting between two points, a new point is inserted in the middle of the stage and the points to the right are not shifted.

Selecting and dragging any point in the display will change the position of the point. Selecting anywhere there is no line or point will move the background grid forward and back.

When any point has been selected a small numerical window will appear above the display that indicate the level settings for that point (0.000 is minimum and 1.000 is maximum)
Right Clicking (or Control-Clicking) in the display area will bring up the Envelope Curves menu.

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Curves

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Curves Menu

 

 

All of Trilian’s six dedicated Envelopes are capable of generating contours with hundreds of points. Right/Control-clicking anywhere in the Envelope display are will bring up a list that allows points to be added or removed, followed by a list of preset curves.

Clicking and dragging directly on the curve can change the orientation and position of the curves. A cross hair will appear that will move the curve in any direction within the limits of the curve.

Some presets automatically have maximum level settings, such as Spike, Pulse and Bump. To reduce the levels, click and drag and the cross hair will appear that will allow the amplitude of the curve to be changed.

 

Remove

 

Deletes the currently selected point

     

Add

Puts a new point at the place in the Envelope display.

     

Curve1

A gradual slope between the points

     

Curve2

A steeper, more exponential slope between the points.

     

Pulse

Places a three-angle pulse shape between two points.

     

Spike

A sharp point with a gradual slope on one side.

     

Step

Adds a right angle between the points.

     

Linear

Places a straight line between the points.

     

Bump

A rounded bump that rises and falls between the points.

     

Four Pulses

Introduces four pulses between the points

     

Three Pulses

Introduces three pulses between the points

 

NOTE: Envelopes can never have fewer than four points, as they correspond to the ADSR of the simple envelope.  Attempting to remove these ADSR points will be ignored.

 

TIP: Double-clicking on any point in the Envelope will remove it.

 

NOTE: Whether an Envelope is considered SIMPLE or COMPLEX depends on the number of points (or stages) it has.  Since there are many preset curves available, it’s possible to have a SIMPLE envelope, but with a complex shape, as it only has four points:

 

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Editing Controls

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Editing Controls

 

 

These mode switches offer several methods for precise editing of the Envelopes. 

 

ENVELOPES ZOOM SNAP

When SNAP is selected, any horizontal repositioning of a point is limited to 16th notes. The Envelope Display has vertical reference lines, which are helpful when using SNAP to line up the points at the 16th note divisions.

If the Envelope is short, under a few seconds, the SNAP points are correspondingly small. When an Envelope is long, the snap points appear to be greater in scale.

Keyboard Shortcut - Option/Alt

 

ENVELOPES ZOOM LOCK

When LOCK is enabled, all the points to the right of the point selected can be moved as one single group of stages. The only restriction is the current range of the Envelope Display.

Keyboard Shortcut -Command/Control

 

ENVELOPES ZOOM X/Y

This will constrain the movements vertically or horizontally.

Keyboard Shortcut - Shift

 

ENVELOPES ZOOM FINE

Movement of points will be at a higher resolution than normal when FINE is enabled. The numbers in the value window will be correspondingly small as long as FINE is in use.

 

ENVELOPES ZOOM SCALE

The range of the Envelope will be increased by dragging any of the points within it (except the first one). Scaling the Envelope beyond the limit of Envelope Display will appear to ‘squish’ many of the points together, but selecting AUTO ZOOM will expand the view to fit them all.

 

NOTE: When zoomed in, clicking and dragging in an empty region of the envelope display will drag the display left or right.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Chaos

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Chaos

 

 

The envelope contour can be randomized with the special CHAOS feature. CHAOS can change the level settings for all the points in an Envelope as well as the curve transitions between the points.

Chaos works by taking the existing points in an Envelope and randomizing their Levels and Curves based on two controls. The two sliders in the CHAOS section, CURVES and LEVELS, control the probability of randomization. Also, the two Modulation Envelopes have an automatic feature that randomizes the CHAOS on every cycle of the Envelope.

 

CHAOS AUTO

When enabled, the Level and Curve settings will be re-randomized with every cycle of the Envelope. For example, if an Envelope’s cycle lasts for two seconds, then every two seconds the contour will change according to the settings of the CURVES and LEVELS probability sliders.

 

NOTE: The AUTO switch is only available on the two Modulation Envelopes.

 

CHAOS SWITCH

Each time the CHAOS button is selected, it will randomize the Envelope’s contour. The two adjacent mini-sliders, CURVES and LEVELS, determine the probability of randomization made when CHAOS is selected.

 

NOTE: CHAOS only affects the existing points in an Envelope; it will not add or remove any stages.

 

CHAOS CURVES

The higher the Curves probability slider is set, the greater the likelihood of variance in the curves between the stages. Higher settings will also smooth out the sharper Envelope transition types, such as bump, pulse, spike, linear and the three and four pulses curves.

 

CHAOS LEVELS

The amplitude of the Envelope points will be changed more or less frequently, depending on the setting of this control. At minimum setting, the levels of the points will only change slightly. Maximum settings will produce more dramatic shifts in the Level values of the stages.

 

NOTE: LEVEL changes are strictly vertical; no point is moved horizontally with CHAOS.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Speed

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Speed

 

 

Controls how quickly the envelope will cycle. This is a rate-based control, based on the duration of the Envelope.

For example, if the Envelope’s cycle is 2 seconds, and the SPEED slider is set to 0.50, the Envelope will take 4 seconds to complete its cycle. If the SPEED slider is set to 5.00, the Envelope will cycle 3 times every second. This control can be modulated.

Range 0.10X-10.0X (1.00X is the default)

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Zoom Velocity

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Velocity

 

 

This slider controls the effect of MIDI Velocity on the output of the envelope.  Moving the slider to the left decreases the dynamic sensitivity of the envelope.  Moving the slider to the right increases the sensitivity.

Range 0 to 1.00

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Depth

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Depth

 

 

The Depth slider controls the amount of envelope modulation that is sent to the modulation matrix. At the minimum settings, little to no modulation will be sent to the target. At the maximum setting the full output of the Modulation Envelope will affect the modulation target.

Range 0 to 1.00

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom Trigger

EDIT PAGE – Envelope Trigger

 

 

Several modes are available to determine how the Envelope is triggered and cycled. The NOTE/LEGATO/SONG modes are only available on the Modulation Envelopes.

 

LOOP

This switch toggles Envelope looping.  When selected the Envelope will continually repeat.

 

SYNC

The Envelope will sync to the song’s tempo. Both LOOP and SYNC can be selected at the same time so the Envelope will cycle and sync to the song’s tempo.

 

NOTE/LEGATO/SONG

These three mode switches are only available on the Modulation Envelopes as they are related to the Modulation Envelopes Timeline display.

NOTE – With every note played, the Envelope will be retriggered. 

LEGATO – The Envelope is only retriggered on the first note of a legato passage.

SONG – The Envelope will follow the song position in the host.

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom – Zooming

EDIT PAGE – Envelopes Zoom – Zooming

 

AUTO ZOOM


Selecting the button will auto-fit all of the points into the Envelope Display. 

NOTE: If the Envelopes contour is very short, less than 1Ú4 of a bar, the Envelope Zoom will not fill the Envelope Display area with the full Envelope.

 

ZOOM

This slider controls the how much of the Envelope Display is seen. At the minimum value it will display a small part of the first segment and a maximum setting all 100 bars are visible.

If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can use it to zoom. Mouse-over the envelope display and move your scroll wheel to zoom.

 

NOTE: If the Envelopes contour is very short, less than 1Ú4 of a bar, the Zoom slider will not be able to fill the Envelope Display area with the full Envelope.

EDIT PAGE – LFOS

EDIT PAGE – LFOS

 

 

LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) are used for cyclical modulation effects like vibrato, tremolo, filter sweeps and auto-pan effects.

Trilian has six independent LFOs available for each Part.  All six LFOs have an identical set of parameters and can be used as sources within Trilian’s Modulation Matrix.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Presets

EDIT PAGE – LFO Presets

 

 

Selecting the menu arrow in the section header will display a drop down menu that allows copying, pasting and saving of LFO settings as presets.  Below that is the list of available LFO presets, which can be applied to the currently selected LFO.   When the LFO is set up to modulate a Trilian parameter, these presets can be auditioned.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Number

EDIT PAGE – LFO Number

 

 

Underneath the section header are page buttons numbered 1-6, each of which represents an LFO.  Selecting a button displays the current values of that LFO’s parameters.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Waveforms

EDIT PAGE – LFO Waveforms

 

Each of Trilian’s LFOs can have its own waveshape.  There are nine available LFO waveforms. 

 

Sine – A smooth curved shape that begins positive and then curves negative and back again. Useful for sweeps and vibrato.

   

Triangle – Is a positive/negative shape like the Sine, but without curvature. Useful for sweeps and vibrato.

   

Square – Starts at maximum positive value and then drops to maximum negative value.  Useful for trills and pulsing effects.

   

Rounded Square – A smoothed Square wave.  Useful for smooth pulsing.

   

Ramp – A linear slope from highest to lowest value.  This waveform is also frequently referred to as a sawtooth wave.  Useful for sweeps.

   

Reverse Ramp – A linear slope from lowest to highest value. This waveform is also frequently referred to as an inverted sawtooth wave.  Useful for reverse sweeps.

   

Sample and Hold –Steps through random values.  Useful for classic analog synth effects.

   

Heartbeat – Modeled after a human heartbeat

   

Noise/Random - Similar to Sample and Hold, with random values, but doesn’t step, the values change immediately.  Useful for adding chaos.

 

The waveforms can be changed by selecting the stepper buttons or by dragging the cursor on the LFO waveform display.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Rate

EDIT PAGE – LFO Rate

 

The Rate knob controls the speed of the LFO’s cycle.  The Rate knob has two modes.  These modes depend on the state of the LFO Sync button.

• SYNC OFF –The LFO’s rate is not synchronized with the host tempo and the LFO’s rate is measured in Hz.  The rate increases as it’s turned clockwise.

• SYNC ON –The LFO’s rate is synchronized to the host’s tempo.  Changing the rate in Sync mode scrolls through different rhythmic value groups - it does not simply get faster as the knob is turned clockwise. Some examples of note values found spread out around the control are: 

8x - this value stretches a cycle across eight bars. 

1/8 - this value cycles the LFO every eighth note. 

1/8 dot - this value cycles the LFO every dotted eighth note. 

1/8 triplet - this value cycles the LFO every eighth note triplet

 

Range (Sync Mode On)

32X, 16X, 8X, 7X, 6X, 5X, 4X, 3X, 2X,

1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/96,

1/1 dot, 1/2 dot, 1/4 dot, 1/8 dot, 1/16 dot,

1/1 triplet, 1/2 triplet, 1/4 triplet, 1/8 triplet, 1/16 triplet

 

Range (Sync Mode Off) 0 to 60Hz

EDIT PAGE – LFO Depth

EDIT PAGE – LFO Depth

 

 

This knob controls LFO depth.  The higher the setting, the greater the amount of the LFO signal is sent to the modulation matrix.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Delay

EDIT PAGE – LFO Delay

 

 

The Delay slider determines the how quickly the LFO’s depth will reach its maximum strength after a note has been triggered.  This allows the modulation to be introduced gradually, for example, to achieve delayed vibrato.

When the slider is set to maximum, it will take approximately 5 seconds for the LFO depth to reach maximum value.

The LFO Delay always works in a “legato” style trigger mode, where subsequent legato notes do not retrigger the start of the LFO delay.  The LFO Trigger Mode has no affect on the Delay slider, since it is always in “legato” triggering mode.

 

EDIT PAGE - LFO Sync

EDIT PAGE - LFO Sync

 

 

The Sync switch determines how the LFO rate behaves.  When Sync is enabled, the LFO will lock its rate to the host’s song tempo.  Also, the values assigned to the Rate knob will change.  Instead of displaying a value in Hz, the values are displayed in rhythmic values. 

(See the LFO Rate for the different values available when SYNC is enabled)

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Trigger Mode

EDIT PAGE – LFO Trigger Mode

 

 

The LFO trigger mode determines how the LFO will begin its cycle.  There are four available LFO Trigger Modes:

FreeThe LFO will independently cycle regardless of when a note is triggered.

Note The LFO will restart its cycle with every new note that is played.

Legato – The LFO will start its cycle when the first note is played, but will continue its cycle when additional notes are played.  If staccato notes are played, the LFO will restart its cycle with each note.

Song Pos The LFO will track the bars and beats of the song.  This ‘Song Position’ mode is the best to use if repeatable results are required for playback.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Unipolar Switch

EDIT PAGE – LFO Unipolar Switch

 

 

The Unipolar switch is represented by a small (+) button.  When it is not selected, the LFO will be in Bipolar mode.  In Bipolar mode the modulation corresponds to the mid-point of the LFO, meaning that the LFO’s output will stay above and below the mid-point.  When the Unipolar switch is selected, the LFO is Unipolar, the LFO will above the mid-point and will double the range of its amplitude.

In this example, the oscillator’s pitch is being modulated with a Sine wave from LFO1.  If LFO1 is in bipolar mode, the pitch will go above, then below, the pitch of the note that was triggered.  In Unipolar mode, the pitch would only rise above the pitch of the note being triggered - and the range of the change in pitch would be greater.
For example, a Unipolar LFO applied to Oscillator pitch is great for simulating guitar-string bending, as guitarists typically bend strings only in one direction.  Another use is for a Unipolar LFO to modulate the filter-cutoff.  This will often create better filter sweeps than a bipolar LFO, as a bipolar LFO cycles below the mid-point - so no result is heard if the cutoff frequency is low.

 

 

NOTE: If it’s desired to have the value needs to go negative instead of positive, simply select the INVERT button in the MODULATION section.

 

EDIT PAGE – LFO Phase

EDIT PAGE – LFO Phase

 

 

The small LFO Phase slider determines the point at which the LFO waveform will begin its cycle.  If the slider is set to minimum, the LFO will begin its cycle at the start of the waveform.  As the phase is increased, the point in the waveform that the LFO will begin its cycle will be changed.

For example, if the Phase control is in the center of the slider, the LFO will trigger from the middle of the waveform.  In the screenshot above, the LFO’s waveform is a ramp wave, and if the Phase control is in the center, the waveform will start at the point where the slope goes below the center-point.

 

NOTE: If all six LFOs have been routed as modulation sources, and “Modulate with LFO” is selected on any additional parameters, they will all default to LFO1.  These routings to LFO1 can be overridden in the Mod Matrix Zoom page.

 

EDIT PAGE - Common

EDIT PAGE - Common

 

 

The Patch Common parameters in the Footer and on the far left and far right of the EDIT page are controls that affect the whole Patch (both Layer A & Layer B).  All of the Layer-specific parameters are in the large middle area, and are generally unique to the Layer.  The controls in the middle area change when Layer A or B is selected.  The common controls on the left and right sides do not.

The Patch Common controls include the MIX section, with Level, Pan & Pitch controls.  Also included in the Patch Common Controls are the Velocity Curves, Solo/Glide mode and Voice controls.  The V-Curve (Velocity Curve) section has a Zoom option for customizing Velocity curves.

The Footer contains a Part level fader & level meter, which mirrors those found on the MIXER Page. The Footer also contains Layer Selection Buttons, a Link Layers button and Pitch Bend range controls.

There are other parameters that are common to the whole patch as well.  The six LFOs are common, as are the two Modulation Envelopes. 
The general rule in Trilian is; “If it’s got a number, it’s a control that’s common to the whole Patch”

 

EDIT PAGE - Layer Tabs

EDIT PAGE - Selecting & Linking Layers

 

Selecting Layers

Layer Selection Tabs

Layer Selection Buttons (Footer)

 

The Layer Selection Tabs & Buttons simply toggle between the controls for each Layer in a Patch. The parameters in the center section of the EDIT page will change when toggling between the layers. The common parameters in the Footer and on the far left and far right will not change when switching Layers. 

The Layer selection controls will highlight to indicate the selected Layer.

 

NOTE: The Layer Selection Buttons in the Footer will remain visible when the Soundsource Browser is open. You can use the Layer Selection Buttons to toggle between Layers while browsing, which makes it very convenient to quickly load or replace Soundsources for both Layers.

 

Linking Layers

Using the LINK Button it’s possible to lock the controls of both Layers together. When enabled, any parameter changes made in one Layer will be exactly mirrored in the other.

The Link Button will highlight when enabled, to indicate that the Layers are linked.

When the LINK Button is disabled, changes made to Layer parameters will only affect the selected Layer.

For example, if you select Layer A and enable the Link Button, moving the Timbre slider on Layer A to the far left, the Timbre slider on Layer B will also be set to hard left.

 

EDIT PAGE - Layer Mixer

EDIT PAGE - Layer Mixer

 

The MIX and PITCH section offers controls for the levels, panning and pitch of Layer A and Layer B.  

 

LAYER MIXER LEVELS

The level sliders are used to blend the two layers, oftentimes, even a subtle change in level can make the patch sound very different.

The Layer mixer level sliders cover a range of -inf dB (silence) to +9.54dB. 

To quickly set the Level to 0dB (unity gain), select the slider when holding down the Command key (Mac) or Control key (Windows).  It will snap to the 0dB Unity gain position.

Range -inf dB (silence) to +9.54dB

 

LAYER ON/OFF

Below each of the Layer Mix sliders are two on/off buttons that determine if a Layer is active or not.  They also can be used to mute either layer to make comparisons without having to adjust the Layer Mix faders.  If the button is yellow, the layer is active, if it’s gray, it’s inactive and no sound will be heard.

 

LAYER PAN

The Layer Pan knobs provide independent Pan controls for each Layer. The Pan controls can also be independently modulated.

To quickly return the Pan value to Center, CMD/Control-click the Pan knob. It will snap to the default Center position.

Range 0.000 to 1.000. The default value of 0.500 is Centered.

EDIT PAGE - Pitch

EDIT PAGE - Pitch

 

The PITCH area has three sets of controls for changing the pitch of both Layers; TRANSPOSE, COARSE & FINE.  The COARSE and TRANSPOSE controls are shared by the same knob.  Selecting the label switch below the PITCH knobs will toggle between COARSE and TRANSPOSE.

 

TRANSPOSE

The Transpose controls work like MIDI transposition and pitch changes are made in semitones.  Changes in pitch don’t affect the sound quality of the Oscillator.  Transpose is most often used to set the oscillators at different semitone values, such as octaves or different intervals. Transpose offers the best available sound quality but it is not Modulatable.

Range -24 semitones to +24 semitones

 

COARSE

Coarse operates in a similar way to a fine pitch control, but with a much larger range.  Unlike Transpose, using Coarse tuning does affect the sound quality of the Oscillator, but it is a Modulatable control.  COARSE is very useful for wide-range pitch modulation FX.

Range -4800 cents to +4800 cents

 

NOTE: Changing from Coarse to Transpose (or vise versa) will not reset the pitch values because they are separate parameters.

 

FINE

The fine pitch controls are the most precise, changing the pitch in 1-cent increments.  The Fine controls can shift the pitch 100 cents up or down, or one semitone each way.

The most common use of fine pitch controls is to ‘de-tune’ one oscillator a small amount (less that 15 cents) that makes the oscillators sound richer because of the chorusing effect it provides.

Range -100 cents to +100 cents

 

EDIT PAGE - Velocity Curves

EDIT PAGE - Velocity Curves

 

 

The “V” stands for Velocity.  Trilian has four velocity curve presets available on the CONTROLS screen.  The first curve is linear, then two exponential curves and the last is flat.   These curves are provided to quickly adjust the dynamic response of the current Patch to your MIDI controller and playing style.

 

LINEAR

The linear curve is the most commonly used velocity setting.  Playing harder on the keyboard will have a direct effect on any parameter that is modulated with velocity in an even and linear way.

 

EXPONENTIAL POSITIVE

The Exponential Positive curve means that when playing softly not much effect will be heard, but when playing at a moderate intensity on the keyboard the velocity modulation will be more dramatic than with a linear curve.

 

EXPONENTIAL NEGATIVE

Exponential Negative has the opposite effect of Exponential positive - meaning that it’s better suited for more intense touch and provides the widest musical dynamic range.

 

FLAT

Trilian will receive the same velocity value with this flat curve.  Useful if a totally consistent and predictable result is desired.

 

V-CURVE ZOOM

The V-Curve Zoom button provides access to the Velocity Curve Zoom, for precise editing of the Patch’s Velocity response. 

 

EDIT PAGE - Velocity Curve Zoom

EDIT PAGE - Velocity Curve Zoom

 

 

By selecting the Zoom icon next to the different Velocity curves presets the VELOCITY CURVE ZOOM page will appear.  This page provides extensive controls to create and modify many different velocity curves.  The Velocity curve settings are global to the patch - meaning that curve settings will apply to both layers, but the amount applied by layer can be controlled.

You can save, copy and load preset Velocity curves from the down-triangle next to the VELOCITY CURVE ZOOM.

 

CURVE DISPLAY

When any changes are applied to the SLOPE & OFFSET sliders (described below) or the CONTROL POINT in the display, the shape of the curve change will change accordingly in this display. 

 

AMP ENV (Layer A & Layer B)

The AMP ENV (Amplitude Envelope) independently controls how much the Amplitude Envelope is affected to the Velocity curve.  If the knobs are set to a low level, then keyboard velocity won’t have much effect on the Amplitude Envelope’s control of the level of the layer.

 

FILTER ENV (Layer A & Layer B)

The FILTER ENV (Filter Envelope) independently controls how much the Filter Envelope is affected to the Velocity curve.  If the controls are set to a low level, then keyboard velocity won’t have much effect on the Filter Envelope’s control of the Filter.

 

SLOPE

The horizontal slider below the Curve Display controls the steepness, or slope, of the velocity curve.  If the slider is set all the way to the right, the curve will be very steep and moving all the way to the left with show a horizontal (or flat) curve.

 

OFFSET

The vertical slider offsets the velocity curve by raising and lowering it within the display.   By raising it the curve will start at a higher level and moving the slider down will set the velocity curve to a minimum level.

 

CONTROL POINT

The Control-Point determines the shape of the velocity curve, whether it’s a positive or negative curve (or a straight linear curve).    With the Control Point and the OFFSET and SLOPE sliders it’s possible to create a wide variety of possible curves.

 

EDIT PAGE - Solo & Glide

EDIT PAGE - Solo & Glide

 

SOLO

Solo allows the Patch to play monophonically.  SOLO mode is most effective when playing lead or bass lines.  It works in conjunction with the LEGATO button below it, which determines how the sound is triggered

 

LEGATO

Legato is a triggering mode that allows the envelope and Soundsource to run through their settings instead of re-triggering with every new note that is played.  If LEGATO is not selected, then each new note played will retrigger both the envelopes and the Soundsource.

 

NOTE: In vintage synths, Legato ‘ON’ would be referred to as “Single Trigger” while Legato ‘OFF’ would be “Multi Trigger”

 

GLIDE

Glide is a portamento effect, which adds a pitch slide from one note to the next.  Trilian’s Glide function is polyphonic, which means that every note that’s played will have a sliding pitch.  Selecting the SOLO button above it enables monophonic Glide.

The control slider next to the GLIDE button determines how slowly or quickly that the pitches slide from one note to the next.  The higher the control slider is set, the slower the pitch glide between notes. 

Range 0 to 2 seconds

 

GLIDE LEGATO

Glide Legato will change the criteria for when GLIDE is enabled.  If legato notes are played, then GLIDE will be activated.  If quick, staccato notes are played, the Glide effect will not be heard.

 

GLIDE A B (LAYER BUTTONS)

GLIDE can be used on just one Layer if desired.  By default, when GLIDE is selected, both A & B will active.  If neither A or B is selected, no GLIDE effect will be heard, and the GLIDE button will turn itself off.

Gliding on one Layer only can be an interesting musical effect.

 

EDIT PAGE - Voice, Octave & Gain

EDIT PAGE - Voice, Octave & Gain

 

VOICES

The VOICES parameter determines the number of simultaneous notes (also called polyphony) that are playable in a single Part.  Trilian is capable of up to 64 voices of polyphony per part, and the VOICES selector determines the maximum number of voices that the Part will have.

The higher the number of voices that the Patch has, the more CPU power it will use, so this is a very important parameter in Trilian.  The best approach is to only set it to the maximum number of notes that are needed for the given musical application.

The factory Patches have all been set conservatively, so if more polyphony is needed, increase the number of voices.

 

NOTE: Voices applies to all sounding notes, not just the ones that are currently being played.  This is important to consider when playing sounds with longer release times

 

Range 1-64

 

OCTAVE

This function raises or lowers the overall pitch by transposing the patch in 12-semitone increments.  There is a total range of five Octaves.

Range -2 to +2

 

GAIN

The output level of the part can be controlled in 1db increments.  The default is -6db. 

Range +10db to -24db