I’ve often pondered the usefulness of multi‑effect modules that only let you run one effect at a time. It seems criminally mean to have all these possibilities built into the module but not be able to run a delay with a reverb, or a chorus with a vibrato. Esu’s Trifecta from Ali Modular is a multi‑effects module that offers three effects in series, so if you must have granular into ring mod into reverse delay in the one device then you can.
Along with a striking front panel, you get stereo in and out, eight CV inputs, an envelope follower, a clock input, a ducking input, four knobs, eight buttons and a very small screen. You get the sense this last will determine whether you enjoy using this module or not.
The effects roster is impressive. At the time of writing, you’ve got four types of distortion, a couple of filters, EQ, there are seven forms of modulation effects, seven delays, four reverbs and one fascinating granular effect. You can load any effect into any of the three slots, reorder them, edit them and store the whole setup in one of 20 presets. The CPU isn’t infinite, and so you can’t quite run three instances of some of the deeper effects, but there’s plenty of processing to do most of the things you can think of.
Each effect can have up to eight parameters, accessible via the four knobs. The Alt button switches between the Main and Alt parameter pages, and as you turn a knob, the parameter appears nice and large on the screen. Pressing the Edit button displays the four parameters of the current page in a compact form, so you can be more intentional about which knob to move. It does trip me up, though, as the Edit page shows the knobs in a nice 2x2 grid, whereas the knobs are actually in zig‑zags, so knob 1 is shown top left on the screen and is actually top right on the front panel.
As all the effects are different, the functions of the knobs are going to change. However, Alt knob 4 is always, and very usefully, a wet/dry mix. Personally, I find this is the knob I change the most on effects and would prefer this to be knob 4 on the Main page. Many of the effects don’t even have four parameters on the Main page, and I still have to switch to Alt to use the mix knob.
The knobs use a soft‑pickup method of regaining control. When you turn a knob you’ll see a blob on the circular display showing where the current value is. You only start to make changes once you’ve turned through it. The knob position and the offset of any modulation are also shown, and these details are very helpful when editing the effect.
Bringing the eight channels of modulation into play is a breeze, provided you’ve been practising your finger gymnastics. Holding Shift+Settings and turning a knob brings up the Quick Modulation Routing page, where you can dial in an amount to a pre‑selected CV input. You can change the CV selection but it takes a bit more button fiddling, and there are deeper modulation options available in the Settings. Something I really appreciate is how the modulation is animated on the knob display in the Edit screen. There’s actually a dedicated Mod Meters screen that shows all the voltage levels in motion, which is superb.
Lastly, we have the unexpected presence of a ducking input. Stick a pulse into here, and it will drag down the level to highlight a kick drum or give some rhythmic character to the output. You have control over how ducky it is and the speed of recovery. Oh, and another thing you’ll find in the Duck settings is a gain for an envelope follower that extracts an envelope from the input and makes it available as an internal modulator. Nice.
The CERN granular effect is particularly fun, especially when being fed into a reverb and then some tape saturation, which, of course, you can do in this one module.
The Esus Trifecta is a terrific effects module. It can easily do the work of a couple of other modules and have everything saved for the next time you want to play. The effects are great, and some of them are excellent.
The CERN granular effect is particularly fun, especially when being fed into a reverb and then some tape saturation, which, of course, you can do in this one module. There is some disconnect when using it at arm’s length, because you can’t see what’s on the screen, but when working close up you have a lot of great detail and versatility available to you. To that end, it would be nice if you could opt to have the single‑knob display up all the time rather than it timing out the moment you stop moving the knob. There are a few button combos you’ll have to learn to avoid frustration, but otherwise, this triple‑layered effects cake is very tasty indeed.