Trifold

Trifold splits the sound into lows, mids and highs, then in each band turns the loud parts down and the quiet parts up. The result is dense, detailed and loud: the 'everything louder' sound of modern electronic music. Depth takes it from subtle glue to extreme, and its crossovers sum back flat when Depth is at zero.

The controls

Low / Mid

Where the lows end and the mids begin.

Mid / High

Where the mids end and the highs begin.

Depth

The master amount: everything below follows it.

Downward

How hard the loud parts are turned down.

Upward

How hard the quiet parts are brought up. This is where the detail and the 'air' come from.

Time

From fast and aggressive to slow and smooth.

Low, Mid, High

Each band's level after compression.

Mix

Blend with the original: 20 to 40% is often all a full mix needs.

Output

Level out.

Best for

• Synths and pads: bring out detail and movement
• Drum bus: density and snap
• Vocals in electronic music: up-front and present
• Master: gentle glue at low Depth and Mix

Starting points

Load Trifold, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.

Hints and tips

• Upward compression brings up noise too: on noisy material keep Upward low.
• Use the band levels to rebalance after compressing: Trifold often lifts the highs most.
• Mix is your friend on full mixes: a little goes a long way.

Chains it works best in

Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.

• Trifold then Kerb then Lintel: loud, modern masters
• Brazier then Trifold: grit, then everything brought forward
• Trifold then Nave: dense pads into a big space

Watch out for

• Full Depth on a whole mix: it flattens the dynamics and lifts the noise floor.
• Stacking it with other heavy compression: there's nothing left to breathe.