Intellijel Metropolix: Mod Lane Gates & Trigs in the Wild

With the 1.6.2.3 beta firmware, Intellijel’s Metropolix sequencer gets a notable upgrade: the ability to derive triggers and gates straight from its eight modulation lanes. This means modulation steps aren’t just for internal parameter wiggling anymore—they’re now directly available as rhythmic or event sources, opening up a new layer of sequencing options.

The video immediately highlights that this isn’t just an incremental tweak, but a rethink of how mod lanes can serve as sources for both triggers and gates. The potential for more complex and interactive patterns is baked right in, especially for those who like to extract more than just CV from their modulation streams.

Intellijel keeps things flexible by letting users route these mod-derived gates and triggers to various outputs. Whether you want them on the A & B Mod Outputs, via the Gx or Qx Expander, or piped out through MIDI, the firmware supports it all. This versatility is exactly what modular users crave—being able to integrate new sources wherever they fit best in a patch or external setup.

For those with larger rigs or hybrid workflows, this development means Metropolix can now act as a more central rhythmic hub, sending out clocked events and modulation data to anywhere in the system, or even out to MIDI devices. As ever, it’s all about patching freedom.

The setup process is classic Intellijel: hold ALT, pick your output (A, B, or MX for expanders), and assign either a mod trig or gate. From there, you select which mod lane acts as the source, making it simple to tie the output to any of the eight available lanes. The workflow is designed for quick assignment but also flexible enough for more complex setups.

MIDI configuration is handled from the setup menu, allowing mod lanes to output fixed notes or CC values, and letting users pick the appropriate MIDI channel. The video walks through these screens step-by-step, showing how easy it is to integrate Metropolix with external gear or DAWs, all without menu-diving overload.

The real win here is the creative potential: mod lanes that once simply shaped parameters can now sequence events, gates, and triggers, freeing up other modules for more musical roles. For users with large, interconnected setups, this makes Metropolix an even more powerful sequencing brain.

Seamless integration of triggers, gates, and modulation means you can push multi-layered patches further—routing events wherever you need, using gates not just for notes, but for effect switching, sample triggering, or even controlling other sequencers. The update feels like a proper expansion of Metropolix’s creative DNA.