Trident's Motion section is like a drummer who never runs out of ideas. Not a metronomic timekeeper, but the kind of inventive percussionist who can spin the same groove a dozen different ways, improvise polyrhythms, and still keep the band locked in tight.
This section houses three powerful auto-playback engines: Arpeggiator 1, Arpeggiator 2, and the 2x16 Polyphonic Step Sequencer. Each can be routed independently to the Synthesizer, Brass, or Strings sections, which means you can set them loose in parallel, with one spitting synth arps, another chugging brass stabs, and the third weaving string ostinatos. It’s a recipe for pseudo-generative symphonies, cascading counterpoint, and grooves that practically write themselves.
Arpeggiator 1 (and 2)
Trident’s arpeggiator may look simple at first glance, but it can latch, leap, and swing its way into surprisingly complex territory. Think of it less as a utility and more as a compositional partner with a bag full of rhythmic tricks.
Select
Routes the arpeggiator to the Synth, Brass, or Strings section.
KEYS mode: The arp plays directly from the notes you hold on the keyboard.
SEQ mode: The arp takes its marching orders from the Polyphonic Step Sequencer instead.
The On/Off switch turn the arpeggiator on or off.
Arpeggiator Controls
Swing – Gives your patterns a groove. At 0% it’s rigid and straight; crank it up and every other note delays slightly, creating a shuffling groove. Around 67% you’ll find a triplet feel that can turn even chords into rolling shuffles.
Chance – Sets the probability of a note actually sounding. At 100% you hear everything; dial it down and you’ll get rests, skips, and syncopations. Random gaps can feel like instant funk.
Feel – Adds human-like timing looseness. Push notes ahead, pull them behind, or automate it for arps that breathe instead of marching in lockstep.
Pattern
Choose how the arp serves up your notes:
Arp – Classic up-the-ladder arpeggiation. Hold a chord and suddenly you’re in Berlin School territory.
Leap – A Trident exclusive. Each note you hold catapults to a different octave in a tumbling three-step cycle. Add more notes and the sequence tangles into hypnotic cascades, chaotic yet composed.
Order – Plays notes in the order you press them. A great way to play your arp like a memory recorder.
Random – Shuffles the deck. Your held notes fire off in random order, great for electronic loops that never quite repeat.
Direction
Sets whether the pattern climbs, descends, or zig-zags back and forth (Up, Down, Down/Up, or Up/Down).
Range
Selects how far the arp will travel through octaves (1–4). But it’s not just “higher or lower” since the pattern reshapes itself depending on mode.
In Arp mode, engaging the Range switch stretches the pattern across 1-4 octaves.
In Leap mode, that same zigzag applies—but now each note in your held chord leaps independently through the 0 / +1 / -1 octave cycle. So holding C3–E3–G3 results in this sequence of octave gymnastics: C3, E4, G2, then the pattern rolls on.
Latch
Keeps the arp running after you lift your hands. Release all keys, play a new chord, and the pattern updates seamlessly. Perfect to assign to a pedal for live jamming.
Speed
Controls playback rate from 0.25 to 30 Hz. The LED in the corner flashes in time with the speed.
Sync
When engaged, locks the arp to master tempo.
In standalone Trident, it follows the toolbar tempo.
As a plug-in, it locks to your DAW clock. Speed control flips from Hertz to musical divisions (1/64-note triplets up to 8 beats).
Arpeggiator Tips
• Strings + Leap - instant cinema. Hold a minor seventh, set the arp to Leap with 2–3 octaves, and you’ve got an evolving pad that feels like it’s soundtracking an indie sci-fi film.
• Brass + Chance - syncopated stabs. Turn Chance down to around 40% and you’ll get brass hits that pop in unexpected places. Perfect for funk, electro, or anything that wants attitude.
• Synth + Swing - human groove box. Try Swing at 67% with a tight saw-wave patch. Suddenly your robot arpeggiator sounds like it grew up on Motown.
• Order mode - secret sequencer. Tap in a melody by pressing keys one at a time, then let the arp cycle through them in your exact order. It’s like programming a step sequence without ever touching the sequencer.
• Latch + pedal - hands-free fun. Assign Latch to a sustain pedal, kick it on, and go wild with filter sweeps while the arp keeps the groove alive.
• Random + high Range - generative chaos. Try four octaves, Random mode, low Chance then sit back and enjoy your self-playing synthetic dreamscapes.
Polyphonic Step Sequencer
If the Arpeggiator is Trident’s hyper-caffeinated drummer, the Polyphonic Step Sequencer is the percussionist who also composes symphonies in his spare time. It doesn’t just loop a pattern, it remembers chords, dynamics, ties, and accents, and then serves them back with machine-like precision or human-like looseness (your choice). In short, it’s Trident’s built-in idea machine, capable of everything from pulsing basslines to complex counterpoint.
Unlike most old-school step sequencers that only deal in single notes, Trident’s is polyphonic: each step can store full chords. That means you can build entire harmonic sequences, not just riffs. Pair that with flexible playback modes, timing controls, and performance tricks, and you’ve got the heart of a full song section beating right inside the Motion panel.
In essence, the Polyphonic Step Sequencer is much more than just a grid of notes. It’s a composer’s tool.
Program chords into steps for harmonic sequences.
Use Transpose live to shift entire progressions with a single key.
Combine Chance and Random playback for endless evolving textures.
Chain A and B patterns for long-form progressions.
Layer it with the Arpeggiator for “sequence inside an arp” complexity.
Controls Overview
Select
Routes the sequencer’s output to the Synth, Brass, or Strings section. Or set to Off if you’re not using it.
On
Turns the sequencer on or off.
Start
Manually launches playback.
Playback Modes
Choose how the sequence runs once you’ve programmed your steps:
• Once – Plays your sequence once through, then stops.
• Loop – Cycles endlessly until you tell it otherwise.
• Ping-Pong – Runs forward, then backward, repeating the cycle.
• Random – Shuffles the order of steps for a generative effect.
Tip: Press the Spacebar on your computer keyboard to start/stop playback in the standalone version of Trident.
Key Control
Determines how the keyboard interacts with the sequencer:
• Start/Stop – Trigger sequence playback with a key press.
• Step Adv (Advance) – Each key press steps the sequencer forward one stage. Great for “manual sequencing” or syncing to unusual rhythmic ideas.
Transpose
When enabled, any notes you play on the keyboard transpose the running sequence in real time. Think of it as moving the whole pattern up or down without rewriting it.
Sync with Your DAW When the sequencer is set to SYNC or SYNC ALL, it doesn’t just run in parallel with your DAW, but is glued to it. Hit play, stop, or even jump around the timeline, and Trident’s sequencer will follow in perfect lockstep. It not only starts on time but also drops in at the correct step in the pattern.
That means if you’re midway through bar three of your track, the sequencer is too. It even respects advanced modes like A+B / A OR B and PING-PONG, recalculating sequence length on the fly so you’re always in sync.
However, if you’re in KEYBOARD START/STOP or STEP ADV mode, the sequencer ignores DAW transport and only responds to your playing. That’s by design because all of these modes are all about hands-on control.
In Practice:
Use SYNC when tracking parts into your DAW and you want every note to land exactly on the grid.
Use SYNC ALL when you want all three sections sequenced together in perfect sync with your project.
Switch to KEYBOARD START/STOP or STEP ADV when you want live, responsive interaction instead of DAW control.
Tips for Using Sequencer Modes
Use SYNC when you want your sequence to behave like a drummer with perfect time. Every step lands exactly where it should in your DAW.
SYNC ALL is ideal for big layered riffs. Try sequencing all three sections, then mix their patterns for huge, interlocking grooves.
Flip to KEYBOARD START/STOP in a live set so sequences launch only when you say so. It’s great for call-and-response moments with the band.
STEP ADV is your ticket to oddball stutters and experimental grooves. Advance steps by hand for glitchy, humanized rhythms no DAW could predict.
Combine PING-PONG with SYNC to create back-and-forth motion that still stays locked to the DAW grid. This is useful for evolving arps or bass lines that never quite repeat the same way twice.
Don’t be afraid to move your DAW playhead mid-song. The sequencer will automatically jump to the correct step in real-time. It’s like having a rhythm section that actually pays attention to the conductor.
Programming a Sequence
The row of 16 step buttons (labeled 1–16) is where input happens. Each step can contain a chord, a single note, or nothing. Here’s how you tell Trident what to do:
Record – Arms the sequencer to capture notes you play on the keyboard into whichever step is active.
Erase – Clears the selected step.
Note – Manually enters a note/chord into the selected step without overwriting the others.
Tie – Extends a note across steps, creating legato lines instead of chopped staccato.
Accent – Boosts a step’s level (usually by velocity), giving your pattern punch and dynamics.
Steps – Sets the total number of active steps (from 1–16). Want a 7-step polyrhythm against 4/4? Go for it. Quickly set the number of steps in the sequence (i.e., the sequence length) by clicking on the step number. This will constrain the sequence length to that number of steps.
You can flip between Pattern A and Pattern B for variation, or chain them (see Sequence knob).
Arranging Sequences
A or B / A+B 1 / A+B 2 / A+B 4 – Selects which patterns play:
A or B – Only one pattern at a time.
A+B 1 – Alternate between Pattern A and B every pass.
A+B 2 – Play Pattern A twice, then Pattern B twice.
A+B 4 – Four repeats of A, then four of B.
Groove Controls
Swing – Injects shuffle into the timing. Straight at 0, swung at higher settings. Dial around 67% for triplet feel.
Chance – Sets the probability that a step will trigger. Great for adding variety — your 16-step loop never has to sound the same twice.
Feel (Push/Pull) – Shifts notes slightly ahead or behind the beat, humanizing the sequence.
Master Speed – Overall clock rate. The LED above flashes in tempo.
Sync – Locks playback to Trident’s global tempo (standalone) or your DAW’s tempo (plug-in).
Managing Sequences
In addition to hands-on editing, the Sequencer features a dropdown menu (click the triangle in the upper-right corner of the Sequencer panel) with a set of utilities for managing your patterns quickly:
Reset Pattern – Clears the current pattern and returns all steps to their default state. This creates a clean slate when you want to start over.
Transpose Up / Transpose Down – Shifts the entire sequence up or down in pitch 1 semitone or 12 semitones (1 octave). Handy for re-keying a riff without re-entering every note.
Clear Pattern Notes – Removes all note values from the sequence while leaving ties and accents untouched.
Clear Pattern Ties – Deletes all tie information while keeping notes and accents intact.
Clear Pattern Accents – Strips away all accents, leaving note and tie data in place.
Copy Pattern A to B / Copy Pattern B to A – Duplicates one pattern bank into the other. Good for creating variations without starting from scratch.
Copy Note Data to Clipboard / Paste Note Data – Lets you copy just the note information from one pattern and paste it into another, even across different presets or incidents of Trident.
Copy Pattern to Clipboard / Paste Pattern – Copies or pastes the entire pattern (notes, ties, accents, the works) to or from the clipboard.
Together, these commands make it easy to manage multiple ideas, build variations, and keep your workflow moving fast.
Tips: Managing Sequences
Keep a Safety Copy: Before experimenting, use Copy Pattern A to B so you’ve always got the original tucked away.
Transpose for Inspiration: If a sequence feels stale, try Transpose Up or Down — sometimes new inspiration is just a few semitones away.
Selective Clearing: Don’t nuke everything if you don’t have to. Clearing just Ties or Accents is a quick way to reshape a groove without reprogramming the whole line.
Clipboard Power: Use the clipboard commands to move sequences between projects or duplicate ideas across presets or multiple Trident instances. It’s a hidden workflow booster.
Variation Builder: Copy a sequence, then strip accents or ties to create subtle variations. Alternate between them in A/B mode for evolving patterns.
Sequencer Tips
• Chords in steps - instant song sketches. Load full triads or sevenths into steps instead of single notes, and suddenly the sequencer is writing progressions while you focus on textures.
• Transpose is your friend - Record a 4-bar chord pattern, then use a single key to move the whole thing around. You’ll feel like you’re conducting the band with one finger.
• Steps ≠ 16 only. Set the sequence length to an odd number like 7 or 11. Against a 4/4 drum track, you’ll get endlessly shifting polyrhythms that never quite repeat.
• Accent for drama. Sprinkle a few accented steps into otherwise quiet patterns and you’ll create grooves with natural push and pull. Works wonders on brass stabs.
• A + B = evolution. Write Pattern A as a simple groove and Pattern B as the variation. Chain them with A+B 2 or A+B 4 to build tension and release without lifting a finger.
• Chance + Random = happy accidents. Let the sequencer surprise you. Strings with low Chance and Random playback create lush, evolving textures that feel more like generative ambient music than a rigid sequence.
Keyboard Splits
The Motion tab isn’t just about sequencers and arpeggiators. It’s also where Trident shows off its multi-instrument muscle with a flexible, musician-friendly keyboard split system. This lets you decide exactly how and where the Synthesizer (red), Brass (green), and Strings (blue) live on your keyboard.
Drag-and-Drop Zones Underneath the on-screen keys, you’ll see three color-coded zones: red for Synth, green for Brass, and blue for Strings. Click and drag their edges to resize them while watching the notes (C3, B5, etc.) update on screen. It’s a quick, visual way to carve up the keyboard into dedicated regions for each section.
Quick Splits Not in the mood to fuss with handles? The right-hand panel offers twelve “Quick Split” presets that instantly arrange all three zones into sensible starting points. Click to call one up, then adjust to taste.
Crossfade for Soft Splits Here’s where Trident goes beyond the usual hard wall splits. Enable the Crossfade switch, and overlapping zones will actually blend together. Instead of an abrupt cutoff, you get a smooth transition where one section blends into the next. The size of the overlap determines how long the crossfade transition lasts. A short overlap is a subtle hand-shake, while a longer one becomes a morph between sounds. It’s far more musical, and useful for live performance or cinematic layering.
In Practice
Put deep Synth bass down low, then crossfade into a Brass stab zone for electro-funk performances.
Let Strings bloom above C5, overlapping into Brass for an orchestral sweep that feels seamless.
Use Quick Splits to sketch an idea, then fine-tune the crossfade regions until your keyboard feels custom-tailored to the part at hand.
Aftertouch
Aftertouch is a performance feature found on many MIDI keyboards that lets you apply extra pressure to keys afterthey’ve been struck, sending a continuous control signal. It’s like having an extra layer of expression under your fingertips. Dig in harder, and you can add vibrato, open a filter, increase volume, or introduce modulation, all without touching another knob or wheel.
Trident’s implementation of aftertouch is flexible and section-specific:
The Synthesizer section responds to full polyphonic aftertouch, meaning each key can transmit its own independent aftertouch data. This allows per-note expressive control. Press harder on just one note of a chord and only that note responds.
The Brass and Strings sections use a modified form of poly aftertouch for volume and modulation, but because they’re paraphonic, filter control responds to channel (mono) aftertouch, where a single aftertouch signal applied to the whole section.
The Aftertouch panel in the Motion tab lets you decide exactly how this expressive control is applied:
Volume knob – Sets how much aftertouch affects the loudness of the selected section(s).
Filter knob – Sets how much aftertouch affects filter cutoff.
Modulation knob – Sets how much aftertouch controls modulation depth (such as vibrato or MG modulation).
Each of these knobs has corresponding ON switches for Synth, Brass, and Strings, allowing you to enable or disable aftertouch routing for each section independently. For example, you might route aftertouch to filter sweeps on the Brass, but only use it for volume swells on the Strings.
Finally, there’s a Sustain Pedal switch, which enables sustain per section. When ON for Synth, Brass, or Strings, pressing the sustain pedal will hold notes for that section in the usual musical way (notes continue to sound until the pedal is released). This routing is independent of the aftertouch knobs above.
Synthesizer: holds polyphonic notes/voices.
Brass (paraphonic): holds the section’s envelope while the pedal is down; it releases when the pedal is lifted and no keys are held.
Strings: extends per-note AR envelopes so chords can ring under new playing.
Tip: Enable sustain for Strings only to let pads bloom while keeping Synth bass lines tight.
Aftertouch Tips
Bow Your Strings: Assign aftertouch to Strings volume for realistic swells. Pressing harder mimics a string player digging in with the bow.
Expressive Brass: Route aftertouch to the Brass filter for classic horn-style filter swells. Dig in and the brass section opens up just like players pushing more air.
Solo Spice: Use Synth modulation with aftertouch to bring in vibrato on leads without touching the mod wheel. This is useful for emulating guitar-like expressiveness.
Multi-Dimensional Pads: Spread aftertouch across multiple destinations (e.g., volume + filter) for pads that bloom and evolve under your fingers.
Dynamic Balance: Don’t overdo it. Subtle amounts of aftertouch often feel more natural and musical than cranking it to extremes.
