Modular Magic Redux: Trinity Returns
Modbap Modular’s multimode drum-synth captured the imaginative ingenuity of founder Corry Banks’ vision to bridge Eurorack modularity with boom bap style and substance, earning a wealth of support from beat-makers of all creeds with the original Trinity module. Now, Trinity 2.0 has arrived, updating and enhancing everything that made the original digital drum-synth array such a celebrated addition to numerous setups, alongside a suite of new features that were meticulously engineered to expand your percussive panache. This 3-channel powerhouse effectively supplies three powerful drum modules in one. Flexible, inventive algorithms are effortlessly refined via its intuitive and aesthetically satisfying interface, expanding its aural armature to feature six total algorithms, up from the original’s four. Comprehensive CV, Gate, and Trigger connections let you add depth and dimension to each channel, modulated on the fly or attenuated in real time. Trinity 2.0’s performance-focused operating modes come in three invigorating shades, with the returning Channel and Stack modes joined by a dedicated MIDI Finger Drumming mode, injecting this module with expanded hues of boom bap beat crafting. Its output matrix gives you detailed control over your drum mix and sound design, including sidechaining, parallel processing, and more. This just scratches the surface, but Sweetwater’s beat makers and synthesists alike agree: the Modbap Modular Trinity 2.0 has more than earned its title as a worthy successor.
Related Videos: Trinity 2.0 Digital Drum Synth Array Eurorack Module
What’s new in 2.0?
The OG Trinity left some big shoes to fill, and Modbap Modular wasn’t going to drop a sequel unless it felt it gave synthesists and beat makers further creative tools that justified the redux. Trinity 2.0 does precisely that. On the performance side, the digital drum-synth array’s suite of algorithms has expanded with two new options: Orb and Clang. Preset management has also grown to offer 12 total slots — four for each channel — that allow you to craft, save, and recall entire kits, with additional CV support for selecting and managing presets, making on-the-fly switch-ups and layering easier than ever. Dimmable LEDs give you flexible quality-of-life adjustments to adapt to your environment, while anodized panels reinforce this robust groove-crafting garrison. What’s arguably Trinity 2.0’s most impactful creative enhancement is the USB-MIDI connectivity that accompanies its USB Type C port: MIDI Finger Drumming mode.
Using a MIDI pad or keyboard controller of your choice, the USB-MIDI connection is your gateway to full control of Trinity 2.0’s latent potential. Up to 12 voices are yours to wield, alongside managing and recalling presets, as well as triggering sounds that can be augmented by the myriad sonic-sculpting tools and controls available to shape and build your sound. What’s more, this MIDI connectivity effectively transforms the Trinity 2.0 into a bridge that connects the Eurorack world of modular CV control and virtually any MIDI-driven system. Beat making and modular synthesis have never worked so well together!
- Orb: A modal-synthesis model that conjures rich harmonic depth and complex, shapable timbres, yielding dynamic, tuned drums that resonate with bell-like clarity, capped off with a warm, natural decay.
- Clang: This algorithm imbues your drums with a metallic mélange of ring-modulation and frequency-modulation synthesis, resulting in explosive but malleable crunch and crisp. It gives hi-hats and cymbals plenty of sizzle while every drum sound exudes complex overtones that result in resounding, alien textures.
Dialed-in drum design
With each channel hosting its own trigger and v/oct CV controls, Trinity 2.0 is a sandbox of sound design. A total of 11 face knobs grant immense control over shaping your drums, with these four synth algorithms — returning from the previous module — streamlining and inspiring composition, with each one arranged around the “type” button and an LED indicator for each choice. Clockwise, you’ll find “Block,” your first option: a fantastic foundation of triangle and sin sounds, utilizing subtractive synthesis to generate rhythms emblematic of classic electronic drums. Next, “Heap” implements additive synthesis, hosting 12 partials for expressive, natural-sounding drums with harmonious pitching proprieties. The “Neon” algorithm is a powerful FM engine, perfect for harsher or metallic drums and ripe with overtones and plenty of timbre experimentation. Lastly, “Arcade” functions as your noise option, rhythmically re-creating degraded or explosive noises that would feel just as at home in 1980s arcade cabinets as they would for supplementary percussion and expressive textures.
Sonic sculpting with groovebox sensibilities
Trinity 2.0’s streamlined UI practically begs for inventive performances, thanks to its unique mix of face controls and CV modulation. Like all Modbap modules, Trinity 2.0 is designed with intention, doing plenty of work under the hood to ease your workflow to focus on the music. Toggle Random or Cycling Channel modes to quickly switch up your patterns across Trinity 2.0’s vast aural offerings. Stack modes allow for dynamic layering of sounds to achieve precise personal character in your drums. The “shape” knob will let you alter the spread of the drum stack, adding a dimensional consideration to your drum design that you just won’t find elsewhere. Additional tools include controls for grit, decay, pitch, sweep, and time, each of which can be CV modulated on each channel, delivering unbounded opportunities for modular use.
Modbap Modular: from SoCal with love
A portmanteau of “modular synthesis” and “boom-bap,” Modbap Modular seeks to bridge the oft-misunderstood gap between modular/electronic spaces, and the beatmaking/DJ foundations of hip-hop. Founder Corry Banks masterfully accomplishes this through his passion for the work and understanding of deep-rooted senses of culture, community, and creative experimentation that undergird both of these musical domains. His extensive education and work as a technologist allow Modbap to build and expand on the shared and parallel histories of synthesis, sampling, and beatmaking, thriving in both spaces without compromising identity or integrity.
Modbap Modular Trinity 2.0 Features:
- 20HP module delivers 3 channels of powerful, digital synth drums that can be played individually or simultaneously
- Unique cycling and stacking modes allow for inventive drum design and patterning
- Newly added MIDI Finger Drumming mode utilizes USB-C for MIDI connections, supporting 12 voices of multimode production that bridges Eurorack and MIDI workflow
- 6 distinctive synth algorithms include Block, Heap, Neon, Arcade, Orb, and Clang options for subtractive, additive, FM, noise drums, modal synthesis, and metallic FM/RM
- Multiple forms of synthesis allow for complex and expressive sonic layering
- Each channel can be individually modulated, featuring dedicated trigger and v/oct CV controls
- Complex output matrix delivers extensive and adaptable mix options with live use in mind
- Clipping limiter and DJ-style filtering add performance-minded control to your sound shaping
- Extensive CV control over all major parameters and MIDI control over USB allow for seamless integration into many setups
