DigiTech Trio

The DigiTech TRIO (model TRIO-V-01, not the TRIO+) is a guitar stompbox that learns chord progressions from the guitar and plays generated bass and drum parts in selectable styles.

What it is

The TRIO is a guitar pedal that listens to chords you play, learns up to three song parts, and then plays back generated bass and drum accompaniment in the style you select. The owner's manual describes teaching the pedal by pressing the footswitch, then pressing it again to play along with the generated band. It offers seven genres with 12 styles each, selectable with the Style knob, in 3/4 or 4/4 time. What distinguishes the original TRIO from the TRIO+ is the absence of a looper, microSD storage, extra genres, and additional song parts on the original. Several sources identify the TRIO+ as the model with a built-in looper, so the owner's description of a looper may refer to that model. Some listings omit the plus sign, which contributes to confusion. The TRIO was released around 2015. Published reviews from that period, including MusicRadar and Sound On Sound, focus on the original and describe it as an accompaniment tool for practice and songwriting rather than a looper or drum machine.

Specifications

Controls: Genre, Style, Tempo, Bass, Drums and Headphone Volume knobs; Guitar FX, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Alt Time buttons; pedal on/off footswitch
Genres: 7 (Blues, Pop, Alternative Rock, Rock, Country, R&B, Jazz), 12 styles per genre
Song parts: 3
Time signatures: 3/4 and 4/4
Guitar input: 1 MΩ impedance
Control input: 1/4 inch TRS, for FS3X footswitch
Amp output: 1/4 inch TS, 1 kΩ
Mixer output: 1/4 inch TS, 1 kΩ
Headphone output: 1/8 inch stereo, with level control
Audio: 24-bit, 44.1 kHz; 110 dB SNR (A-weighted); frequency response 25 Hz to 20 kHz
Effects: Built-in guitar effects that vary with genre; true hardwire bypass when effects are off, per effects database listing
Power: 9 VDC external supply; 500 mA draw per manual; supply output 9 VDC 1.3 A per Amazon and B&H listings
Dimensions: 2.5 x 5.4 x 3.25 in (63.5 x 137.2 x 82.6 mm)
Weight: 1.1 lb per manual; listings conflict
Finish: Black
Included: Power supply; FS3X footswitch sold separately
Year listed: 2015 (some listings give 2015 to 2019)

How it's used

Musicians use the TRIO for solo practice with an accompanying bass and drum part, for demoing and songwriting by building verse, chorus and bridge sections, and for backing in solo performance, often with the FS3X for hands-free part switching. The mixer and headphone outputs allow it to feed a mixer, recording setup or PA. It sits in the guitar signal chain as a stompbox, with its audio outputs going to an amp or mixer.

Suggested usage

Teach it cleanly
Sound On Sound advises playing cleanly and precisely while teaching. The reviewer found it learns best with major, minor and seventh chords, no more than one chord per quarter note, and no syncopation.
Keep parts short
Parts can run over a minute, but longer parts leave more room for errors. Sound On Sound recommends keeping each part as short as possible.
Use Tempo and Alt Time
The manual notes that the Alt Time button and Tempo knob can produce half-time or double-time feels, and that the TRIO sounds best between about 100 and 200 BPM.
Map sections to parts
Sound On Sound notes that the intensity of the generated parts is set by part: Part 1 as verse, Part 2 as chorus and Part 3 as bridge.
Balance with Bass and Drums knobs
The manual describes these knobs as setting the bass and drum levels relative to the guitar.
Expect one progression per part
Sound On Sound reports that the TRIO remembers only the last progression taught to each part.
Start and stop on the beat
MusicRadar notes that the footswitch should be pressed on the beat when starting and ending playback, a timing requirement it describes as easy once learned.
Use the FS3X for hands-free control
The FS3X is needed for hands-free switching between parts and styles.

What reviewers said

MusicRadar
The 2015 reviewer praised the range of backing styles and the handling of complex chord sequences, liked section-by-section learning, and saw it as suitable for practice and songwriting from beginner to advanced players.
Sound On Sound
The reviewer found the TRIO easy to use and praised the bass and drum sounds and the variety across styles and intensities. He described it as an accompanying bassist and drummer rather than a drum machine, looper or Band-in-a-Box replacement.
Guitar Interactive Magazine
The reviewer said the manual is needed to understand the pedal's full range, but that its operation is straightforward even for less technical users.

What it is

Specifications

How it's used

Suggested usage

Teach it cleanly

Keep parts short

Use Tempo and Alt Time

Map sections to parts

Balance with Bass and Drums knobs

Expect one progression per part

Start and stop on the beat

Use the FS3X for hands-free control

What reviewers said

Sources