The Stunning Korg Trident

[@calsynth]

That intro tune was a superb theme song for a show about a group of aquatic teenage adventurers and their magic squid

[@AlexBallMusic]

Presumably these aquatic teenagers hunt underwater with...a trident?

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

And probably produced by a French animation studio

[@virgilsstudio]

This is exactly what I was thinking!😂

[@udiorockmeamadeus]

sigmund the seamonster?

[@udiorockmeamadeus]

It sounds like the idea is to avoid having the brass while something else is playing..

[@DarthOjasArnav]

Great Vid as always, but I always felt that your ability as a keyboard player and musician is what really sets you apart from other KZbinrs rather than just the gear reviews themselves.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks very much!

[@tubthump]

Having seemingly limitless resources to keep acquiring vintage kit also sets him apart

[@irtnyc]

Nah there are plenty of great keyboard players and musicians in the YT (and the ilk) synth/electronic music ecosystem. What makes this channel apecial is he isn't trying to sell us cheap new kit he got for free, but rather, is actually using his mostly-old gear for fun and profit. Unlike 99% of YT gear reviewers and social media "influencers" he does this for the joy and lolz not the money. Because hes making a living doing what he loves not trying to slang us synth carbs.

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

Definitely. This and a humorous and simply different way of presenting historically important gear and imparting knowledge.

[@kylew706]

Honestly NOTHING better than getting outta work and having a new Alex Ball video to enjoy on the ride home. Thank you Sir!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Most kind, thank you!

[@mastercylinder1939]

Vintage synths just sound so alive.

[@reallivebluescat]

Yeah. I would describe as them sounding like they are in the room

[@dyscotopia]

I alas, no longer own any vintage synths and at the time was young and didn't appreciate them. After all, the digital gear I had could produce so many more voices and on multiple channels. I was young and hadn't developed taste.. When I recently began building out a studio, I remember plugging in my first new analogue synth (a behringer model d) and just being blown away at the presence it had... I know the older ones where less corners were cut and the boards weren't so simplified have even more character but as a pleb, I am more than happy there is new analogue gear produced with fairly decent midi support and not requiring constant servicing

[@AlexBallMusic]

1:46 I almost cried when that came out of it. 😍

[@zaremol2779]

something to do with them being analog therefore having the sounds they produce being much closer to nature

[@nik_elektrik]

1982. Hamburg. Steinway&Sons had their own store in the city, selling not only their pianos but all kinds of instruments. And they had a „Synthesizer Studio“ that opened at 14:00. It was like a church. And boy, did I go there to pray. They got a Trident, which I loved, and everything MS by Korg. But also a Jupiter 8, Yamaha CS-70m, Kawai and Teisco stuff. I never forgave my parents for not being rich.

[@everpuremusic]

Ah, those where the days. And later on, we all pilgrimaged to Amptown in Wandsbek...

[@nik_elektrik]

@@everpuremusicTrue. Good times.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I'd sign up to that religion. 😂

[@Curfew2007]

oh yeah good ole Stineinway in Colonaden... those where the days...

[@kadiummusic]

Wow, I'd totally forgotten about Teisco! 😎

[@x10dc90]

Its so refreshing to hear someone actually playing their vintage synths instead of letting them gather dust.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, I hope they're still being used after I'm long gone.

[@TheOriginalCoda]

@@AlexBallMusic If I owned a CS-80 I think I'd wanna be buried with it, just in case lol

[@Mind_Idiot]

@@TheOriginalCodagonna show up with a shovel sorry my man.

[@Fl4ppers]

Mum, is that you?

[@crolodon8024]

Who assumes that vintage synths are gathering dust? I play mine all the time and assume others do too!

[@cortical1]

I had an opportunity to buy a Trident in the early 80s at a really reasonable price (for a poor teenage busboy). What did I do, you ask? What anyone in their right mind in the early 80s would have done. I bought a Fiat X19 convertible.

[@occipitalknot]

Yessss! I cut my synthesizer teeth on this instrument back in the mid 80’s! It’s a beastly and heavy board to lug around in the back of a Chevy Chevette…

[@AlexBallMusic]

Oooph. Yeah, can't imagine dragging one of these around on the road! You must have developed some muscle doing that!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

My dad used to gig with one of these. I would regularly lug a Trident, Rhodes 73 Suitcase and an ARP Axxe. Did my back in once moving the Trident on and off the Rhodes - was on painkillers (and my back) for a week afterwards. But, it was built like an absolute tank!

[@Hainbach]

That Brass feature is so odd, love it!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep! The PS-3100 has an envelope generator for modulation with a 1 - 5 trigger select. Also odd, but more useful for nerds like us.

[@kadiummusic]

Agreed, I hope Cherry Audio got hold of one to emulate. Maybe you could reach out to them Alex?

[@thaJeztah]

They started with 1, 3, 5, 7, which was too odd, even for them

[@celebutante]

@@kadiummusic When we did the PS-3300, we had the same reaction as Alex... "How would this ever be useful?!?," but we did replicate it exactly. :) And to answer your question, we had full access to the PS-3300 at EMEAPP in Philadelphia.

[@rozzgrey801]

Foist! When I saw the thumbnail I was Poseiden myself with excitement!

[@Mouxbar]

I'm kraken up! 😁

[@AlexBallMusic]

That's an apollo-ing dad joke.

[@zmix]

If at foist you don't succeed, Tri-Trident again..!

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@zmix Take a bow.

[@himalayanvoices2158]

Thanks! There is a fine free software version available from Full Bucket.

[@geertvanschlanger8057]

Three at a time you schay? 😏

[@dionysiaex5538]

Disappointing Korg never thought to give it a NepTUNE button.

[@SisterRose]

that's Roland's wheelhouse :)

[@mynameisbobandilikebananas]

The best kind of dad joke.

[@christofferainek]

The best esoteric nerd on the entire Internet ❤️🤟 - You’re cooking with absolute fire in this one!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Not many places offer short trigger discos.

[@jdiz3374]

Loved that part 😂

[@jriceblue]

I have to admit: when you were dancing, I was thinking "Gads! don't break another synth!"

[@AlexBallMusic]

My days of silly studio dancing are over. Maybe.

[@andywatts8654]

We’re clubbing together to get you a more padded room 😉

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Trident! Get in! One synth I wish I’d kept! Your demos demonstrate just what a powerhouse these beasts were! I did my one and only album with an M1, mk1 Rhodes 88, ARP Axxe and a mk1 Trident - worked well.

[@culttelevision]

It sounds so very 1980. It's Buck Rogers. It's mid-season CHiPs, it's Dr David Banner. It's Multi-coloured Swap Swap. It's Take Hart. It's Morph, It's Jim'll.........Okay you get the picture :)

[@DoctorNemmo]

Beedee beedee beede ! You are right, Buck !

[@culttelevision]

@@DoctorNemmocome on Twiki , look at Colonel Deering’s Spandex jump suit 😅

[@motoroverflow]

Wait, was that a reference to A Room With A View? (10:14)?

[@AudioPilz]

Beautiful!!! The Trident is nice too!!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

🫵

[@kierenmoore3236]

“… not that there’s anything wrong with that …” 👀😏👀😏

[@SisterRose]

yooooo can't wait for Exclusively the flanger to end up on Bad Gear

[@LADY_JEMIMA_FORTESCUE]

Thumb up if you want to see Alex do 'Only Fans'

[@gary0078]

This was one of Rick Wakeman's favourite synths

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep. Seen concert footage of him blasting away on it. Keith Emerson too.

[@Robin-gy2ew]

The Trident is featured quite prominently on the KINKS 1983 album: State of Confusion. Especially on: Come Dancing. And on their next album: Word of Mouth(1984) Do it Again, & the Sopranos soundtrack song: Livin' on a Thin Line are also excellent examples of how good this synth is. All these songs are on KZbin for your reference.🙂

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks, that's ace. I'll check those out.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Brilliant - I didn’t see many bands using these - I think OMD used them on record?

[@mightyV444]

@Robin - Yeah I couldn't believe it when Alex was saying this synth hadn't been very popular among well-known bands, as its sounds seem so familiar to me, reminding me of songs like 'Mr Roboto' by Styx 😀

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

0:50 That sound at the end is a preset Reason Studios copied about 17 years ago, I remember them using that sound in the Reason 2.0 demo song.

[@jennoscura2381]

Behringer needs to clone this. A trident with Eurorack compatible expression inputs and MID; n the standard Behringer desktop synth format, would be awesome.

[@DrNIx123]

I had owned a Trident MK 2 and it is one of these synths I'll miss for the rest of my life. Yet I was doing more soldering than playing and at one point I gave up on it.

[@AFuturePresentation]

Using the Full Bucket Tricent plugin is probably as close I'll ever get to the Korg Trident, unless Behringer puts it on their list of clones. Come on Behringer! People want this!

[@Hoophey]

I strongly suspect that Korg will be reissuing this classic soon.

[@andremcpherson1424]

Used extensively by the band Imagination, one of the most underated bands ever!!

[@MIDERA]

Stunning video and super helpful, thanks for doing it. I had the opportunity to buy one of these or buy a Prophet 10. I went Prophet 10 and am happy I did. That Silence Note trigger select baffles me - I was hoping you could demo it to show how its useful. Also - I maintain that the Yamaha SK-30 is by far a more interesting. Guessing no one will agree with me - but the fact that it has a monosynth engine that you can bring in and out with aftertouch, it has a paraphonic synth section, a 'string section', and an organ section. It's equally beautiful, although no patches (I think the Trident allows you to save patches, but I think you cannot edit patches once they're saved?). The Trident does sound gorgeous, but as a pure synthesizer, I just think I'd get bored of it without having any modulation capacity (no FM, AM, Crossmod, etc). I love that you actually talk about this at around 11:00, hahahaha, I just got there. BUT - the Yamaha SK-30 ALSO has some of these same features too, albeit, I think it's only for the monosynth engine. Admittedly, I really like what you did with those modulations though. That's some great stuff you did towards the end. And to be clear, anything below the SK30 (SK15, SK20) lack the monosynth engine, and anything above (SK50) is too big. You CAN modify the SK30 and I think it allows some more things like what you're doing. Just, if we're talking the device with no rear-jack modulation... I think the SK30 is better. Sigh... I dunno. Maybe I'm just making myself feel better for getting one over the other. I once sat in front of a Trident and it kind of did nothing for me - but again, it's easy to talk oneself out of a synth. I don't think you touch on the topic of presets, but that is, I figure, awkward on this thing. I hope some day you can pick up an SK-30. I just posted a video the other day (Yamaha SK30 soundscape - Dead soul mourning) which shows how that monosynth can really add to a performance. Again, love your videos because they're really in-depth, funny, and interesting. Appreciate your stuff.

[@thesequencer4971]

I hear some Tonto's Expanding Head Band at 14:44 😅

[@organfairy]

That 'Silence Note' makes completely sense to me. I actually wonder why I haven't seen it on any other organ or performance/arranger keyboards. I could imagine a lot of situations where you play a melody with single notes and then suddenly you harmonise which makes a brass section join in.

[@FuzzballRenakitty]

Polysics are a fantastic group named after the synth~ :)

[@silvertongues2]

I might need to buy an SQ1….. for the 4th time!

[@spryt-uk]

My first synth when I was 14 in 1981 was a Korg 700S that I bought off a nice old guy on my paper round. Seeing it accompanying the Trident in the intro brought a tear to my eye. Really regret selling it in the late 80’s. Tempted to buy one now even at the astronomical prices today. I remember the Trident in E&MM a magazine at the time (Electronics and Music Maker)

[@slipknotboy555]

You probably know, but Korg also has a modern clone, or reissue (or whatever) of the 700S - it's still pretty damn expensive, though, haha

[@AlexBallMusic]

They did some mad monos in the 70s. The 700S is such a quirky chap, especially when that top section is engaged. This one is modded with midi, which is neat.

[@VarionJimmy]

I love the 700S. Imagine if they made a sequel of it, around the same time as the Trident. With polyphony and probably some odd and wonderful features. Korg were really interesting in that aspect. They tried a lot of things, -and the company survived it. (Even though the experimental time is unfortunately over.)

[@slipknotboy555]

@@VarionJimmy It's so cool, isn't it? Never had one (as you'd expect, heh), but I love what I've seen/ heard. Those raw, buzzy, warm '70s (well, and early '80s, but ykwim) monosynths, man. Studio Electronics was going to put out a model of Boomstar with a filter based on the 700/s - not sure if they ever did. Unfortunately, I don't think so. Speaking of which, the Boomstars are such awesome modern monos. Never had one of them, either, but I've wanted one since around the time they came out, heh.

[@unclemick-synths]

If I'd spent less money on mags like E&MM and H&SR (and car and motorcycle magazines), I might have had more money for music gear! 🙄

[@MPPelli]

The leaking battery issue affects the Trident Mk 1 as well, as it also has a Ni-Cad battery for preset memory. And it *will* leak all over the innards if not replaced. I have a Trident Mk1 that had the battery leak on the voice board. It was mostly fixed when I got the instrument, but there were still missing footages on some voices due to corroded tracks on the PCB.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Is it not placed in a less fatal place? I'll have to double check, but I was told that the Mark I can still obviously have a leak but just nowhere near as bad. Doesn't sound like it after your experience!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

That it does - just managed to rescue mine - there used to be a synth tech (next door to Musical Exchanges in Brum for those who remember), who managed to change it for me in the nick of time.

[@moskva-kassiopeya]

Damn, Trident is really magical, one of a kind synthesizer.

[@preferredimage]

time to grab a drink and enjoy another Alex Ball Video! Fix the Juno yet BTW? (still a better kick than England in the euros!)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, fixed it within a couple of days. There's a short showing it being repaired. Euros - we're still in and that's what I'm telling myself. 😂

[@gumse666]

I have an old barn find. Misses a couple of knobs, looks like MS-20 knobs? The winter project perhaps?

[@AlexBallMusic]

Oh yes, get that fixed up! It's MS series knobs, yep.

[@fakshen1973]

It's one of those synths that I'd love to see Behringer do a keyboardless copy of with all of the patch points (and maybe more).

[@AFuturePresentation]

This is the one synth I've been hoping Behringer would clone. I use the Full Bucket Tricent plugin but I really am hoping for a hardware clone! Come on Behringer!!!!!

[@rolloutfr]

The Trident was used on Kavinsky's Nightcall for the bass and maybe brass ! Great video by the way like always ;)

[@tz64nk41]

It sounds like it should be played on spaceships. Also it's cute seeing the SQ1 there, it's like a kid conducting a band of its grandparents

[@AlexBallMusic]

SQ-1 is a nifty thing. Does look amusing up against its oversized relatives though. 😂

[@Eyepatchfilms]

Super easy to midi these as well without making it a permanent mod

[@bennyshambles]

The outro jam was like EBM John Carpenter, so sick. I’m a huge fan of stringers and this one is the best of both worlds (the other world being legit poly synths).

[@rickimarvel4080]

I LOVED the Trident when I tried it out years ago. I had an Arp Omni at the time and the Trident felt like a real synthesizer comparitively.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, the Omni was built for a purpose and with a market in mind, which it did perfectly, but it was basic. The Trident even outdoes the Quadra I think.

[@rickimarvel4080]

@@AlexBallMusic Hearing it here, these are some of my favorite sounds ever.

[@jehavelock]

Brilliant! As ever, but possibly more so. Firstly, thankyou for transporting me yet again to my warm fuzzy rose-tinted happy place (early/mid 70s-early 80s). Secondly, and why this particular video leaps out at me, the section on figuring out/creatively exploiting what the designers implemented (the interfacing) was a huge eye (ear??) opener. I’ve never read a review (I’m old enough to remember “Keyfax”…) or seen a demo that illustrates this so effectively. I would have liked a quick blast of the (mythical?) piano presets though 😉 Entertaining, instructive, very funny (for us dorks), and better “new” music than I generally hear in any given day. More power to your elbow sir!❤

[@jrodohio]

I would love to see a reissue of the Trident. Probably at the top of my classic synths wishlist.

[@robscalise]

Alex! Loved this one! Great Jams and you made me LOL a few times. Might be my fav of the year! Thanks so much! I owned a Korg Delta that I would put through a Multimoog’s filter and envelopes. We did have one in the 48th store back in the day for quite sometime for the reasons you mentioned but you make it sing! Cheers!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yo! Ah yes, the Delta. I'm told it's a turkey, but I've never played one. Was it ok, it was it naff? I tried the Lambda and didn't like it, but the Trident is a winner. Just need to try the PS synths now.

[@robscalise]

@@AlexBallMusic well for me working in a store back in the day, it was disappointing but we sold a lot, live players loved it for some reason lol. I also took home a Lamda and did some recordings with it and the multi Moog. That is what the Delta should have been but Trident came along is way more! A later we had a PS3200 poly synth, and then the Poly6 started coming in. Also owned a miniKorg in the 70’s loved seeing it! I can’t remember how much MS stuff we sold. Also, a lot!

[@1sostatic]

Hey -- STOP showing my favorite under-rated synth .... I had one of these along with polysix and monopoly back in 1990's -- sold for cheap ... and now I cant aford them .. I'm gutted. I did an article on this in Sound on Sound back then

[@AlexBallMusic]

So your name would be Alex too? Funnily enough, I'm doing a few retrospectives in Sound on Sound currently and had to pass over the Trident because they (you) had done it before. 😀

[@1sostatic]

@@AlexBallMusic Yeah welll -- they only allowed me 800 words ... so your video is way better 🤪 Okaaay - now you know who I am. If you ever need a synth fixing - get hold of me.

[@russ254]

SoS archives are such a delight - hats off to you!

[@3D6Space]

Wow! Never heard of the Trident, but thanks so much for that. Brilliant presentation, and thank goodness you didn't kick a few keys off of this thing just for fun. Save that for the Mark 2, eh!

[@AlexBallMusic]

No wild limbs were employed in the vicinity of the Trident.

[@JohnLloydDavis]

Real Blakes 7 vibes from that chord at 1:51. The stereo imaging is awesome too :)

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yep, got it rigged up with individual outs at all times. 😀

[@partymeeple5633]

You never fail to make me grin like an idiot. I'm off to Bandcamp to get some of your tunez. I'm sorry it's taken me so long.

[@AlexBallMusic]

😀

[@YotamPiano]

The stunning Alex ball playing a cool synthesizer and creating dope tracks as always

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you sir.

[@danjwalker]

2:22 Immediately had me singing "Can't help falling in love"... at least the first three chords. Took me a second to figure out what it was. I would have gone mad if I hadn't.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Haha, yeah can kind of hear that.

[@compucorder64]

Fork! I hate it when people demo the one that got away. Almost snagged one of these, back in the day. Think the seller was asking £200. Sounds lovely, has some of that rich Mono/Poly character. I like how they kind of look like a keyboard 808 too. Also, I hit 333 likes, which I think counts as a Trident in synth cricket. Do I win a Trident? The Trident, OB-Xa and Roland TR-808 are my birth year synths/drum machines. The Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo too.

[@AlexBallMusic]

£200?! Ouch. 😬 Yeah, part related to the PolySix and Mono/Poly and part related to 70s stringers. A real straddler. Sounds like you need to own one, which is convenient as I have a second that's being restored that I'm going to sell. Ever so slightly more than £200 though.

[@compucorder64]

​@@AlexBallMusic Yeah, mid 90s in Ireland, especially outside of Dublin, you'd get keyboard players in broke 'Country & Irish' bands sellings things like this to buy Korg M1s, SY85s or similar. There weren't enough electronic/dance artists to really push prices up like in the UK on more obscure synths. I was still only a teenager. But I did at least pickup a (slightly broken) Chroma Polaris, JX-8P & JX-3P. But Trident & Jupiter 4 were two near misses. And that Jupiter 4 sounded so gnarly. Now that I think about it, I remember travelling 5 hours on the train to go to Dublin, to pickup a mint Roland SH-101, and I do think it was £150. But later sold it for a really nice 90s 1969 reissue MIJ Strat in sunburst, and think that wasn't much more than £250. I guess that was when Ireland was still kinda poor.

[@SQueme]

Korg Trident : credited as the "bass" (and possibly more) for "music sound better with you", "nightcall" ... half daft-punk, half other french

[@robscalise]

This instrument along with the Lamda, Delta, and MS series monophonic synths was what I sold new out of the NYC 48th street store I worked at back in the day. Though I was very good at interfacing instruments and programmings sounds, I just wasn’t a good enough player to be hired as a product specialist for Korg which I very much wanted. Only ended up selling one before the Poly6 came along and most sales went that direction. I did end up owning both a Delta and a Lamda for a short time before I sold everything to purchase a Jupiter 6 and a MSQ Midi sequencer.

[@PoohBearsReasonChannel]

I was waiting for the disclaimer, "No Keys were harmed in the making of this video......"

[@electronictiger]

Excellent video Alex. I also love those old Korgs. They really don't make them like that anymore. With all sections engaged, I just find it to be overwhelming, in a good way. And that last part of what you did experiments with the rear jacks. Awesome sounds! Like robots talking but way more alive and expressive than you could reasonably expect from a bunch of capacitors and resistors. Lovely, lovely stuff!

[@Pablo668]

Oh studio tour, studio tour! Sorry, that song is stuck in my head. Great vid as always. Quite an interesting synth, until now I didn't know jack about them. It's odd how some synths go under that radar like that. I think the Summit might be one of those synths over time.

[@CommunityGuidelines]

"There are no famous Trident songs or Trident riffs that everybody knows" Sounds like your work is cut out for you, Maestro Ball.

[@JayKaufman]

My mate and studio partner who has loads of unobtanium had just got a Trident MKII in and an ARP Quadra. We put both through their paces. The Quadra promptly went up for sale.

[@KnapfordMaster98]

This would be the dream machine for low budget film scoring in the early 80s.

[@Lux-Voltaire]

15:22 Yay, yay, yay.....oww! 😂

[@MePeterNicholls]

I admire your multi musicianship. I never bothered to learn drums :(

[@jaggass]

The underdog of synths and i'm deciding whether to get the Korg ARP Odyssey or the orginal one

[@stumeek6825]

Great job Alex as always! Stunning synth the trident, would love one of these . Better get saving and put the wife up for hire⚡️Great channel man⚡️

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

14:45 C.V. input experiments with bonus face reviews for the win 😉

[@GrahamMilkdrop]

I really like the idea of the silence note function. I can imagine my younger self spending hours experimenting with all kinds of patterns in order to get a funky brass stab rhythm going! It's exactly the kind of functional limitation that would have inspired me to get creative!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Well this is easily replicated in software which where the widest range of young people have access to synths, it cant beat the real thing but still pretty dam good.

[@GrahamMilkdrop]

@@HOLLASOUNDS Of course yes. You're right.... a simple trigger and pulse count function would do the same thing. It's not so much the specific thing that I'm nostalgic for though but rather the feeling of getting a bit of kit with some brand new function that just happens to come with a quirky limitation! That kind of thing invited, no, demanded... creative use back in the day before DAWs when electronic instruments were actually unique objects with character that needed to be explored and discovered. Artificially constraining myself doesn't feel the same as just figuring something out as a matter of necessity. It's a similar thing to when people had to navigate their way around the original TB-303 sequencer. The way it worked and didn't work totally shaped the music they made.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@GrahamMilkdrop Ofcourse there is nothing like having real hardware but I will say that some software does give that same experimental experience of hardware such as Reason Rack, with is software mostly made to look and function like rack hardware. Plig stuff up in different ways experimenting, like Alex was doing here and see what sound comes out. Alex was using Reason before He got all his gear.

[@xnonsuchx]

I played with a used MkII in a music store once. There was a PPG Wave 2.3 next to it. I was more interested in the MkII. This was before the sudden price jump of synths and I think they only wanted US$650-700 for it. I later got a Memorymoog Plus w/ hard case for US$750 across the street.

[@SRDhain]

Some great music there, Alex, with good use/ integration of the other Korg instruments in the mix(es). I kept having flashes of early 80s public information films (I also did V.O. training many moons ago - whoppee, etc- so it came to mind) & the old BBC logos & Michael Wood et al presenting tomorrow's world type shows when I heard the sounds. I think it's those brassy stabs, dairlylea strings & the phased stuff. It's possible the Radiophonic Workshop might have had one too. I can also remember not buying one when they were dirt cheap. I suspect it's cause they were omnipresent at bric a brac & p/x sections of ye olde music shoppes, always looking very tired. The mk2 was definitely more common, IIRC. However, your section on the rear panel interfacing was an eye (and ear) opener. I don't think many people thought about that back then, other than any potential midi to c.v. connect/ useage.The resurgence of modular in all forms, shapes and sizes has literally opened our eyes an extra cm to 'have a go' interoperability. Once again, thank you for the 🎶

[@SisterRose]

There's a guy who guys buy Full Bucket who does VSTs of a lot of the less common synths and string machines(mostly Korg) I really wanna check out how accurate it is, this sounds massive. Maybe it'll make me finally get a 61 key MIDI controller so I can try out that thing with the Brass EDIT: It's the MKII so I guess I'll have to pick up some Alex samples down the road for the MKI ;)

[@captmcgravy2669]

FULL BUCKET deserves an honorable mention for the MK3 VST

[@howardscarr9518]

The GEM PK4900 has a similar counter so that the brass (or whatever) is only triggered after the 3rd note. Or something (can't remember!)

[@Curfew2007]

how come you have all that great gear Alex ?? My budget in the early 80's stretched to a Polysix... ;-) (still wroking well though)

[@francoisbasquin6974]

I've got s MK2 (with battery replaced soon enough). A bit weird instrument. I use FcM inputs quite often, but I've never experimented external triggering . Nice trick, thanks Alex.

[@kadiummusic]

This synth had totally passed me by. As a former Jupiter 8 owner I have to say there are definitely a few similarities, I wonder if Roland took a few cues from the Trident? This would be a great synth for Cherry Music to emulate. 😎

[@anderswikholm957]

Wonderful. First demo I watch from someone who REALLY gets how to use the Trident. However the "bowing" effekt on the strings on your Trident is broken. It uses some bandpass:ish swept filtering to do a pretty cool paraphonic and very unrealistic bowing effect. I still use the first Trident imported to my country all over every song. Originally controlled from KPR-77/Ms-20 envelope 2 and S&H and later from DAW->Kenton Midi/CV boxes. "Ultravox-Triggering" but with some envelope from Ms-20.

[@nicolaskavvadias8488]

Great video Alex! (again :) ) Korg released a cheaper alternative to the Trident : the Korg DL 50 known as the Delta. I own both, and I must admit I could not sell my Delta when I got the Trident. Has its own charm...definitely worth checking IMHO. Peace

[@Straessers]

12:44 This fill-in from the KR55. I still remember it very well. :)

[@jonathanhart5655]

Trident song for me is 1901 by Phoenix. Doesn't use the whole capability but sounds amazing.

[@muppetpaster]

That 700 worked perfectly on top of our Hammond back in the days(bought around 76 I think), bought it 'cause it has the frontal "knobage"....Which was ideal for use on top of the organ...So we wouldn't have to reach over the keyboard to change settings...Got rid of the Hammond, still got the Mini

[@rekindle]

Great video and great synth! - I could be wrong but I think it's a Trident on Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" and "Chequered Love"? Both perfect songs

[@JH-pe3ro]

I've only played with Full Bucket's Tricent and previous emulations but I always thought the Trident architecture is magnificient, just quite difficult to mix. It's too easy to end up with a heavily layered sound that overpowers everything. Good if you need a soundtrack-in-a-box though.

[@markmills586]

I’m as sure as I can be that The Cure used a Trident on the song Cold from their Pornography LP. The onboard flanger sounds glorious on the string section. SAD1024, innit.

[@JJukstratfan]

I have always been curious about the Korg Trident since I was in my mid-teens. At 12:08 into the film "Shaker Run" you see band on stage and the synth player has a Korg Trident MKII and a Korg Poly 800. Around the time I saw this my cousin gave me his Poly 800. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZnXn6tud6qqn5Y

[@wiseoldfool]

Yeah, you could get bored with the Trident. If you were Bowerick Wowbagger, and had succeeded in insulting everyone in the entire universe in alphabetical order. Twice.

[@leomekenkamp]

You even got it to speak it first Dutch word. Starting at 15:03 the Trident says ‘jij’ (‘you’ in English) in perfect accentless Dutch!

[@doubletriangle22]

Really good video. Sounds so good. I can hear Siriusmo one of my fav producers apparently uses a Korg Trident a lot

[@nabermusic]

The Trident actually was used heavily by Thomas Bangalter (and therefore probably Daft Punk too)! Weval also comes to mind when thinking about its users!

[@CopenhagenCollabo]

Alex your a great contact creator homeboy Copenhagen 🇩🇰supports

[@martinlund4510]

Amazing - haven't heard one since I got to fiddle with the MK 1 we had at Uni some 25 years ago. That string section is just the dog's b*ll*cks - the singular reason I've tried finding a proper vintage and affordable analog string machine, and keep on coming up short, as nothing beats the Trident in my mind... 🥰 Thank you for sharing! 😃

[@henryhurt8113]

I'm glad I bought mine long before this video ; ) I love mine and have just started hooking it up with my modular synth so I appreciate your tips with the cv inputs. I have made some videos myself but only filmed when I played on it. It's a synth that literally comes alive when you play it and use all its sections. Thanks for a nice video. I

[@briankehew579]

I grew up with vintage synthesizers. Aside from a bit of nostalgia, it's the lowest period as far as synthesizer quality. We actually have much better instruments now, and they are often very reasonably priced.

[@808music3]

The bells are quite remarkable. Low pass filters are dry with an ambient noise feedback .Not bad

[@bijoucassell4587]

Sounds like the designer of the equalization module loved the 80's metal V eq setting so much he programmed it down to the resisters for it's base setting. Not my cup of tea. Much prefer the Roland low mid-range or the Moog phat sound.

[@MrArtrock]

Always loved this synth and have always wanted one, turned down a private deal on a mark1 early 90's here in Sweden as I deemed the price to high at the time = 400 €...do you know if there are some decent sounds from it in a VST instrument etc perhaps?

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

From what little I know about the Trident, I imagine it is an attempt made by Korg to bridge the gap between the polyphonic synthesizer and the divide-down version. It sort of sits halfway between the two.

[@JayKaufman]

Short Trigger Disco were huge with their minor hit 'Cut Your Hair, Cut The Rug' at the Barnet Ritzy's in 1978.

[@SisterRose]

i was super interested in a Korg Trident but now I'm worried it'll be somehow transphobic when I try to look at the back

[@JuanUys]

5:03 might be achievable with Blokas MidiHub, but maybe not necessarily on the same synth?