A full overview of the mini wonder El Garatge Tripl3X 3-in-1 Passive Experimental Expression Controller

First Experiment with CTC Cyclone was only partially successful!

There are 4 elements you can control on the surface of the pedal - the central Manual Expression / Calibration knob, the Red-Push-Button - Return to Minimum values function, a 3-way Mode toggle-switch, and top-left Static Expression Port / Antenna.

The 3 modes of operation are as follows :

UP : Dragged / Drift Expression Mode - when adjusting the central Expression Knob - there is a slow-down in the onset of the new settings - which can take up to 7 seconds to apply. So moving the knob allows you to gently 'Drift' between setting for a really cool slightly woozy impact!

CENTRE : Standard Manual Mode - You adjust the Expression wholly manually and direct via the core central knob. You also use this to calibrate Heel & Toe Sweep values on each respective pedal.

DOWN : Static Antenna Mode (actually works best without Antenna inserted!) - here you control the Tripl3X via a statically charged object. Something made of Acrylic / Plexiglass is the best material for this - and includes something like a clear classic Bic Biro also - which has an acrylic construction - but more of that later!

And the Red Button works as follows :

RED Push Button : You press this to Return the Expression to the Minimum Value. Note that this button really only works properly for those pedals where you can set Toe and Heel positions for the Expression Sweep! (Returning you to the Lowest / Heel setting / value).

For the very first pedal I tried this device on - the CTC Cyclone Phaser - I had mixed results. The Dragged and Manual Modes worked immediately and perfectly, while I could not get the Static Mode to work on that, nor the Red Button.

It turns out also that my household is very anti-static in nature and weirdly had no suitable materials that I could think of then to impact the Static Mode. I tried various plastics, and bits of fabric even - but was unable to get anything out of the Static Expression Mode initially - early on this was in part also due to the relative unsuitability of the circuit / pedal I paired with - but also that I really didn't have any optimal static material objects in the house! Or so I thought!

You really need something made from Acrylic / Plexiglass - so a Bic Biro is perfect - I was sure there had to be at least one somewhere in the house - but there were none to be found - and so I had to order in a job lot of Bics, where I also found some 250mm x 8mm x 8mm solid Acrylic Rods on Amazon that I could use as Expression Controller Wands - the best thing really for this purpose in theory.

Oriol recommended using a cheap comb - but material is important - and it needs to be cheap nylon or acrylic as those plastics really carry static charges. All the combs in my house seem to be pro-grade anti-static hairdresser ones - so none of those were any good.

And then, when dusting down my pedals with my Nomad Tool - I thought I should try the fat end of that - and hey presto! That was the best 'Wand' of all. I think surface area really matters here for maximum static impact - where my Arcylic Rods and Bic Biros were actually about equal - but way out in front was the Nomad Tool! I did not need to charge up the Nomad Tool at all - it worked right from the start - while I needed to charge the Bic and Acrylic Rod by rubbing then on a coarse wool blanket!

Tripl3X + CBA Automatone Preamp - note El Garatge Magnetic Dust Cover too!

The real Eureka moment for me was pairing the Tripl3X with my Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp - that really is the perfect partner for this device for several reasons. Including how easy it is to set up the Toe and Heel sweep on that device - as well as the visual feedback you get from the moving sliders as you engage the Tripl3X Static Expression in particular.

The classic expression setting for the Automatone Preamp is to just have the 'Mids Frequency' slider applied for expression - and you can easily see that react on the Static Expression Mode - and the Red Button Return to Minimum (Value) works beautifully too on this pedal.

It looks to a degree that Oriol must have a stake in Chase Bliss (which he absolutely does not!) as his various Expression Devices mostly pair the best with that family of pedals - both Compacts and Automatones. You get the most impactful and satisfying results typically with Chase Bliss pedals - I tried it on the Lossy, Mood II, and Reverse Model C - all to great effect too - Expression is a little more fiddly to set up on those than on the Automatone - and involves adjusting the various dip-switches on the top edge of said pedals.

Generally you will get mixed results across different brands and individual pedals within those - depending on the device you pair with - some work beautifully, brilliantly and completely (Chase Bliss and Strymon in particular) while for others the Tripl3X only works partially. As exemplified by only the Dragged and Manual Modes working on the CTC Cyclone.

Tripl3X + Strymon Sunset works beautifully!

Back in the early days of El Garatge - Oriol and I experimented with a vast range of pedals - including from Boss, Chase Bliss, Cooper FX, Empress FX, Eventide, GFI System, Hologram Electronics, Meris, Red Panda Lab, Strymon, and Walrus Audio and some others. The simple El Garatge 'Expression Knob' works brilliantly with all of those (those of which of course that have TRS Expression capabilities), while the nature of the Tripl3X means that it will work slightly more selectively - and just partially at times - as I encountered with the CTC Cyclone.

Dragged and Manual modes should work on pretty much everything with a TRS Expression capability, while the Red Button really requires you to be able to set Min and Max (Toe/Heel) Sweep Ranges (per my own experience), and the Static Expression Mode is incredibly sensitive - and relies on you having the right sort of 'Wand' (including Bic Biro / Nomad Tool!) as well as the paired pedal providing sufficient interior current to enable that Static Expression function - remember that the Tripl3X does draw on a tiny bit of current from its host pedal, and seemingly needs a certain tiny amount more for the Static Mode to work - again per my own experience! I literally spent half a day or more testing the CTC Cyclone - and compared to all the other pedals I tried - this is the only one I had a partial response on.

The Tripl3X is obviously very much a 'tabletop' device - and best suited to those who have their pedals on some sort of raised platform and within easy reach of their hands - so not really a floor-based solution. Additionall when using Static Mode - you really need some form of Wand too - which makes it tricky with your Picking Hand and Fretting Hand already preoccupied!

As a take anywhere pocket device - this thing is superb - and it works fantastically well with those Chase Bliss and Strymon pedals in particular. Oriol and I are still testing various pedal pairings - but we've a long way still to go to fully identify a target list of all pedals that are 100% compatible with all of the Tripl3X's functions. I've listed several suitable ones here.

Tripl3X + Boss SL-2 Slicer also works brilliantly!

If you are lucky enough to own one of Chase Bliss's Automatone Pedals (Preamp or CXM Reverb) - I suggest you start there - and make sure you have a clear Bic Biro handy or similar - and some wool fabric / sock / blanket / rug - to rub and charge up that Biro with! Rubbing acrylic on your hair can work fine too!

I went through the full range of emotions here - as I was initially frustrated with some of my earlier pedal choices in getting all the Tripl3X features to work. The Chase Bliss experience immediately elevated my mood - in particular using the Automatone Preamp - seeing the Mid Frequency slider shift for the Static Mode was a real delight! The sensitive with the Automatone is so great that you can get away with using your hand as a 'Wand' - it's not nearly as strong as the other methods - but you should still see the Frequency slider move - even if just very slightly!

Remember that the Tripl3X is an experimental device - and it's up to you to experiment and find interesting combinations and uses for it - it's priced exceptionally well - to empower you to be fully experimental in your (self-) Expression!

The Tripl3X is available right now from the El Garatge Webstore - for just €65 (c $70 USD / £55 GBP) - and it is exceedingly good value. Weirdly the Static Mode works best without the Arial / Antenna attached - but you do need to have something acrylic to hand - like a Bic Biro!

Oriol for me is most definitely the King of Smart Miniature Expression Devices - and if you're not familiar with the El Garatge brand - it's most definitely time you got properly acquainted. Each of those devices is ingenious - and all are exceptionally fairly priced - and wholly handmade in Barcelona - where Oriol 3D prints his own casings / enclosures.

If you were ever looking for take-anywhere pocket expression devices - then El Garatge has a whole line of them with truly smart features. Particularly useful for tabletop-based Musicians. And if you own any Chase Bliss pedal - these pair exceptionally well for them - and properly lift the Expression experience - I would say these are pretty much essential for any Chase Bliss owner!