Sequential Trigon-6 Synthesizer

General

Back in the day, synthesizers were almost purely experimental. These modular walls were usually exclusive to institutes that could afford them - something that wouldn't change until the seventies when what we now understand as conventional synthesizers emerged. Monophonic synths came first, then polyphonic synths, and even later came synths loaded with digital preset memories, and much, much later, we come to the synthesizers of right now. The history of the synth is packed with heroes and heroins who pioneered the art, and in 2022, we lost three of them within a matter of months: Klaus Schulze (of Tangerine Dream among others) went first, before the ever-influential Vangelis, and just two weeks later, we lost Dave Smith. Dave Smith was not just the father of the still-sought-after Prophet Series synthesizers, but the spiritual father of the MIDI protocol. For all of these reasons, the release of the Sequential Trigon-6 is something special. This is the last model that Dave Smith ever worked on.

The Sequential Trigon 6: Special Features

So, the Trigon-6 could be seen to represent a weighty legacy, and what a breathtakingly impressive legacy it is. The cockpit alone is fully populated with rotary knobs, buttons, blinking lights and displays, and it's little surprise that all of it can be harnessed to hammer out custom sounds in mere minutes. The sound itself is like an ecstatic analogue party. We're getting six note polyphony with three oscillators and a noise oscillator per voice, and each of those three oscillators present something subtly different but endlessly usable. After that, there's a stunning 12/24dB low-pass filter with its own ADSR envelope and a second ADSR for the amplifier loudness.

Modulation & More

This synth also uses the classic, tried-and-tested coupling method. An LFO can be linked with a range of elements, all at the simple push of a button. There's a polymod: a sort of global modulation, also with routing. There's also aftertouch, again, with routing, meaning that you can play with articulation, so just as the sound of a trumpet will increase with volume after the first attack, you can apply the same response via the aftertouch. There are also effects: two sections, kitted out with a distortion rotary knob and the Vintage knob that's found on the control panel of many Sequential models, so subtle and satisfying fluctuations can be added. Combine it all and you get sublime sonic warmth.

Connections

Besides DIN MIDI ports, two expression pedal ports have been supplied for hooking up a volume pedal and filter pedal, expanding the scope for expression and articulation even further. External switches can also be added to the setup to control the sustain and sequencer, and of course, there's a USB-MIDI port. While the Trigon 6 may not be the biggest synth you'll ever grapple with, the four octaves set it up to serve as a great lead synth - maybe stacked on top of a second synth. What it is, is a synth that's actually easy to understand. Everything is clearly laid out, everything you'll ever need is provided, and all of it comes backed up by Dave's own seal of approval. The result is a stomping all-rounder that's simply easy to work with, and while it's definitely not the last we'll hear from Sequential, this synth is like the physical manifestation of Dave Smith's parting words, making it something very special indeed.