i
TRIMODE DRIVE AND LEVEL CONTROLS
Think of the Trimode as a two channel amplifier. There are two
input drive controls and two output levels that work very much
like the preamp and power-amp stages of a guitar amp. On
the Trimode, this is supplemented with a 3 position overall drive
range control that allows you to set the input level from the guitar
from slight overdrive, to moderate or full on distortion.
The LOW position is great for replicating the sound of older
amps that do not have a master volume for those ‘clean’ but
slightly crackling tones from the early days of rock & roll. The
MED (medium position) lets you get into the crunchy rhythm
tones and bluesy lead tones and truly shines when used in
conjunction with the volume control on your guitar for added
dynamics. The HIGH position gives you maximum saturation
for metal and power.
Start by setting the Trimode to the MED position as this will give
you the most range. With channel-1 drive at 9 o’clock and the
channel-2 drive at 3 o’clock, you will immediately get a sense
of how these can be set to work together. Then set your rhythm
and lead channel output levels to suit.
For added control, we have introduced an intermediate drive
on the rhythm channel that is factory set at 12 o’clock. This
control lets you fine-tune the amount of distortion produced
by the rhythm channel-1. It is accessed through a small hole
on the side of the Trimode. Use a small “tweaker” screwdriver
to adjust the intermediate drive gain of channel-1. This control
is factory set at 50%. Turn the control counter-clockwise for a
“cleaner” rhythm channel-1. Turn the control clockwise for more
distortion.
Note: If you find you are consistently placing the DRIVE-
1 control at the 1 o’clock position or higher, consider
increasing the channel-1 INTERMEDIATE DRIVE by
turning it clockwise. This will increase the range of
DRIVE-1 control by allowing you to set it at a lower
position. If you find that rhythm channel-1 is not quite
clean enough even with the DRIVE-1 control set low,
consider decreasing the channel-1 INTERMEDIATE
DRIVE control by turning it counter-clockwise.
4
5
True to the Music
True to the Music
Radial Engineering
Radial Engineering
Classic Trimode
Classic Trimode
MAKING CONNECTIONS
As with any pedal, make sure your amp is off and the volume
turned down before making connections. Connect your guitar to
the input of the Trimode and the output of the Trimode to your
amplifier. There is no power switch on the Trimode. Connecting
the 15VDC power supply automatically activates the Trimode.
The Trimode is designed to stay on for long periods and leav-
ing it on will exert very little wear and tear on the tube. Like a
tube amplifier, the Classic Trimode should be allowed to warm
up for a few minutes so the tube can reach a stable operating
temperature.
USING THE TRIMODE
The Trimode is now ready for operation. Turn on your amp and
bring up the volume slowly to ensure proper connections have
been made. To start, set your amp to a clean sound so you can
hear how each of the Trimode functions work.
Footswitches
The Trimode features two footswitches. The first footswitch is
labeled TRUE-BYPASS and selects the clean sound of your
amp. When in true-bypass mode, the bypass LED will illuminate,
signaling the Trimode is switched 'OUT' of your signal chain. The
second footswitch, labeled TOGGLE, selects between the two
Trimode distortion channels. Each channel has its own LED to
indicate the Trimode’s channel status. The cool thing about true-
bypass mode is you can still toggle between the rhythm and lead
channels to prepare for the next sound. Try it! Activate the true-
bypass footswitch. Now switch between the Trimode channels
by stepping on the channel TOGGLE footswitch. The channel
LEDs will alternately light up but the Trimode will remain in by-
pass mode until the true-bypass footswitch is depressed again.
Control Panel
The Trimode is extremely versatile and easy to use. To get
started, we recommend setting the Trimode up as follows:
Note the tone controls (HIGH, LOW and FILTER) are set at
12 o’clock in what is commonly known as ‘flat’. Begin by set-
ting the DRIVE GAIN switch to the MEDIUM position and set
the DRIVE-1 control to 9 o’clock and the DRIVE-2 control to 3
o’clock. Now, adjust the output LEVEL controls for each channel
to your desired listening level. With these settings, the rhythm
and solo channels will sound quite different. You are now ready
to start experimenting.
