Trident Mk III

Cherry Audio's Trident Mk III synthesizer is a virtual instrument that not only revives the multitimbral experience and sonic capabilities of the original Trident Mk I and Mk II hardware synths but also exponentially enhances them, offering an unparalleled combination of innovation and authenticity.

Cherry Audio has meticulously recreated each section of the original Trident hardware — the sweeping Synth, the bold Brass, and the stirring Strings — and enhanced the entire ensemble with additional features. The voice count has been increased to 16 for each section, and now includes velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, as well as polyphonic aftertouch.

The lower panels for Keyboard, Motion (a new feature), and Effects have been significantly expanded to include a virtual studio of tools that enhance this "orchestra-in-a-box" experience like never before. These features include drag-and-drop zones and quick templates for splits and layers, a DAW-friendly 16x2 polyphonic step sequencer, and dual arpeggiators. Trident also features 17 studio-quality effects that can now be arranged and reused within its four effects chains. These effects include the original BBD flanger, a compressor, a lo-fi effect, a phaser, a ring modulator, a 7-band EQ, and various delays and reverbs, including the new Lushverb.

Cherry Audio has designed Trident to appeal to both new and experienced synth enthusiasts. Beginners will enjoy the instant gratification provided by over 380 presets, many of which come with preconfigured sequencer and arpeggio patterns across multiple layers. More advanced users will discover a range of evolving timbres that extend far beyond what the original hardware could offer.

Trident Mk III Features

• Based on the 1981 Mk I and 1982 Mk II versions of the Trident analog polyphonic multitimbral synthesizer.
• All three sections -- Synthesizer, Brass, and Strings -- superbly recreated and significantly enhanced with expanded functionality and modulation options:
  • Up to 16 voices for each section.
  • Polyphonic Synthesizer section with dedicated mixer.
• Paraphonic Brass and String sections with dedicated mixers.
• Support for velocity and aftertouch (including polyphonic aftertouch with compatible controllers) and pedal expression, independently assignable to the sections to control volume, filter, and modulation.
• Synthesizer Section:
  • Voice Modes: Monophonic, two Polyphonic modes, or 2, 4, 6, or 8 Unison.
  • Two VCOs: one with sawtooth, pulse width, and PWM waveforms; the other with sawtooth, triangle, and pulse width.
  • VCF per voice with LP, HP, Band, or Notch response and keyboard tracking, based on the original's SSM 2044.
  • Two envelope generators (EG).
  • Syncable dedicated Modulation Generator (LFO) with triangle, sawtooth, ramp, square, and sample & hold waveforms, with delay and retrigger.
• Brass Section:
  • Dedicated filter with cutoff, resonance, EG intensity, auto damp.
  • Dedicated vibrato with delay and EG.
  • Silence note and multi-trigger options.
• String Section:
  • Dedicated filter with attack/release envelope.
  • Equalizer.
  • Bowing control.
  • Vibrato with delay.
• Master Mixer with stereo panning, transpose, and master tune.
• Pitch bend and vibrato joystick controls, with glide for the synthesizer section.
• Hideable switching lower panels for Keyboard, Motion (a new feature), and Effects.
• Independent key range assignment for all three instrument sections for layering and splitting, with crossfade, assignable through draggable zone handles or "Quick Split" templates.
• Motion Controls:
  • 16x2 polyphonic step sequencer with start, stop, and auto start options, with accurate DAW clock and step synchronization.
  • Notes and chords can be programmed as steps with ties and accents, with Pattern A and Pattern B variations and combinations, and patterns are transposable during live performance.
  • Two assignable dynamic arpeggiators with four modes – Arp, Leap, Order, and Random.
  • Swing, Chance, and Feel groove controls for both the sequencer and arpeggiators to add degrees of randomness to arpeggiated patterns.
• Integrated Effects:
  • Four independent customizable chains of effects, one for each instrument section plus global, with a global effect modulator.
  • 17 studio-quality effects that can now be arranged, saved, and recalled within its four effects chains:
    • BBD Flanger (new, based on the Trident original).
    • Compressor.
    • Digital Delay.
    • Digital Reverb.
    • Distortion & EQ.
    • Dual Delay (new).
    • Dual Ensemble (new).
    • Dual Phaser.
    • Envelope Filter.
    • Flanger & Chorus.
    • Galactic Reverb.
    • Lo-Fi (updated).
    • Lushverb (new).
    • Ring Modulator (new).
    • Seven Band EQ.
    • Spring Reverb (new).
    • Tape Echo (new).
• Persistent mini UI Effects controls for on/off, solo, bipolar modulator amount slider, and dry/wet mix for each effect. Global FX on/off, level, and stereo expand.
• Over 380 professionally designed presets in 14 categories, accessible in a convenient preset browser.
• Standalone virtual instrument and plug-in versions included.
• User-adjustable oversampling control.
• Complete MIDI control and DAW automation for all controls, with easy-to-use MIDI learn and mapping (Preset and Global).
• Cherry Audio's popular Focus zoom-in feature, as well as standard UI zoom and resize via drag.
• Complete documentation available directly online from the instrument or in downloadable PDF format.

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