DigiTech introduces the TRIO Band Creator, a smart auto-accompaniment pedal that automatically generates bass and drum parts based on your playing.
Related Feature:
DigiTech Mosaic 12-String Effect
Instead of merely playing through a selection of canned “loops” or backing tracks, this innovative pedal can modify the rhythm section to match your playing, by analyzing the chords, notes and timing of your playing.
As the name implies, “TRIO” will let any guitarist have his own “trio” by adding bass and drum parts in realtime. Instead of tweaking knobs or pressing buttons to find the right bass line or drum beat, all you have to do is press the footswitch to “teach” the pedal by playing the chords and rhythm part on your guitar. After playing, just press the footswitch again and it will start up your very own band.
DigiTech Marketing Manager Tom Cram said, ““TRIO is like no pedal ever created – it’s an entirely new type of musical accompaniment device. With TRIO, one musician can now sound like a full band. It’s an incredibly creative and useful performance tool for solo artists, or just a great way to have fun while practicing and jamming.”
Going beyond the typical looper / auto-accompaniment gear, TRIO can learn up to three different song parts. This will let you “teach” the pedal the chords and groove for the verse, chorus and bridge – which should be enough to let you play virtually any conventionally written song. The three parts are then saved and can easily be recalled realtime during live performance.
For pattern variations, the pedal has seven musical genres available, which should be enough to back up most popular and contemporary songs. You can choose between Rock, Pop, Country, Alternative Rock, Blues, R&B and Jazz. For more variety, each genre has up to 12 song styles with each one having their own distinct flavor. You can also choose between 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures.
DigiTech designed the interface of the pedal to provide total control over the virtual bass and drum performances. You can easily switch between the various genres and style variations via two dedicated selector knobs and it comes with volume adjustment for both the bass and drum instruments. You can also lock in the tempo if you prefer by simply adjusting the Tempo knob to lock the groove. If some parts of the song calls for slowdown or faster tempo, the pedal has an Alt Time button that lets you select an alternate half time or double time setting for each song part.
On top of all these auto-accompaniment features, the DigiTech TRIO comes packed with a selection of built-in effects for your guitar. The effects are tailor suited to vary according to the genre selected, giving you essential effects depending on the style of music your playing, be it a rock trio, jazz trio or others, and it can all be done by utilizing the button interface of the pedal.
Check out one of the many video demos of the DigiTech TRIO
The TRIO looks and behaves like a regular pedal so you can connect it to a guitar amp, but to better reproduce the sound of the bass and drum parts, it would be best to connect it to a full range amp and speaker system, such as the ones used on Keyboard Amps and PA Systems. Speaking of PAs, you can plug the pedal directly into a mixer.
Other features include a headphone jack with level control, an optional DigiTech FS3X footswitch for handsfree selection of song parts and styles, and it comes with a power supply. Like all DigiTech products, the pedal is packed in a rugged metal enclosure.
The DigiTech TRIO Band Creator Pedal is scheduled for release in March 2015, with a suggested retail price of $224.95. Since it won a “best in show” award at the recently concluded 2015 NAMM Show, it would not be surprising to find guitarists, especially solo singer-songwriters, anticipating the pedal’s arrival. Visit DigiTech for more information.
Related Articles:
Singular Sound BeatBuddy Mini Pedal
Click here for more Loop Pedal goodness!