Pedals & FX, Setup & Signal Chain

How to Set Up the NUX Trident With Your PC (No Interface)

Written By :Andrew Siemon

While I personally don’t recommend it because I find there is a bit of latency, you can set up the Trident with your computer with just a USB-C cable. It’s a simple process.

Connecting PC to NUX Trident.jpg
To connect your NUX Trident to your PC and use it as an audio interface and amplifier simulator, you’ll need to supply it with power with a 9VDC 500mA power supply.

Connect it to your PC with the USB-C cable, turn on the Trident, and set your DAW’s input device to the Trident.

Let me walk you through my complete set up for the sake of being thorough.

1) Connect the Trident to Your PC with the USB-C Cable

Connecting USB-C to the NUX Trident
I recommend using a proper USB-C cable. The ones from Apple are usually a safe bet.

2) Connect Your Guitar to the Trident’s Input

3) Connect Your Guitar to the Trident's Input  - 1
Connect your guitar to the input like so. And then connect the other end to your guitar.

3) Connect the 9VDC 500mA Adapter and Turn it On

4) Power the Trident with 9VDC (500mA)  - 1
In the image caption, I say that you can use the included charger, however, it’s kind of cheap and the cable isn’t long enough in my opinion. A standard BOSS PSA adapter is a lot better.

It takes a moment for the Trident to turn on once you’ve hit the POWER button. Keep in mind you may need to update the software at some point, although, I haven’t ran into this yet.

4) Open Your DAW & Set the “NME-5-Trident” as the Input Device

Connecting USB-C to the NUX Trident
Set your Input Device to the NUX NME-5.

You may need to re-set the settings more than once in some cases. In GarageBand, for example, you may have to go down and set the Input in the Smart Controls as well.

3 Tips for Getting the Ideal Connection

1) Be Careful When Using USB Adapters

USB-to-USB-C-Adapter-How-To-Connect-A-Guitar-To-Your-AudioBox-EASY-
This is something I’ve never heard anyone else discuss.

I find that adapters can be problematic sometimes when connecting music production gear. Even some cables can cause problems, but adapters, especially.

The first time I connected my Trident to my computer, it worked for 5 minutes until it finally made a terrible sound and my DAW (GarageBand) crashed. It was a really weird digital sound.

In simple terms, if you’re running into issues, it is possible that your adapter could be causing problems (or it’s about to).

2) Set Your PC’s Settings Input to the Trident

Setting up the Input in the PC's Settings

As I mentioned earlier, I found that I ran into latency when I tried to go direct. But going into the System Preferences (system settings) and setting the Input to the Trident helped a bit.

It still wasn’t as good as using an audio interface with the Trident though.

3) Try Changing the Buffering Settings

If you’re using a more professional DAW like Logic Pro or FL Studio, these are settings that you can easily adjust in the Menu.

I use GarageBand a lot because I love the simplicity. Unfortunately, however, there are no buffering settings.

You can change the dynamic range in the Settings to 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit float, but there is no direct sampling rate or buffering settings.

Why I Prefer Using An Audio Interface

Ultimately, I found that using a Scarlett 2i2 (audio interface) between the Trident and my PC is what worked the best. No latency. No issues. And it sounds great.

I don’t get latency at all when I do it like that (my guide on setting this up). I also explained that I had latency when I tried to go direct and I was eviscerated in the comments, but that’s ok.

I Can't Believe I Didn't Know THIS About Amp Modelers..

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Andrew Siemon is the principal creator for TravelingGuitarist.com, a website entirely devoted to all things guitar. From repairs, music theory, chords, and improvisation, to recording at home. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've got another 50 in me.

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