Hologram Microcosm

[D.o.S.]

Doesn't look like it made it to ILF but I believe worra had some better success with a different type of synth after making that post, so maybe he'll chime in for updates?

[cbm]

My Microcosm showed up a couple days ago, and I've been having pretty much fun with it.

Here are the first three things I recorded with it.They're all long and exploratory, I'm just figuring it out. The signal path for my setup is sort of interesting. I split the signal out of the guitar, and one side goes to my "normal" fuzz-overkill system. Before hitting the Microcosm, the parallel side goes through a Compressor -> light OD -> and its own Volume pedal. The Microcosm is set to 100% wet, and both sides come together in a mixer. The dominant fuzz guitar is not what the Microcosm "sees," instead it gets a more "polite" signal.

The second volume pedal, acting as a send means I can "gate" the input to the Microcosm with the volume pedal acting as a Send. One of the ramifications of this is that I can be selective about what input the Microcosm sees. It doesn't have to see every note. I can back the input off and have the Microcosm just hang there, acting as a pedal tone / drone.

This first one is with one of the granular modes.
https://soundcloud.com/cbm/drone-shadow

This one is with Interrupt C
https://soundcloud.com/cbm/interruptions-m01

This one was with one of the Arpeggiators
https://soundcloud.com/cbm/arpy-bongos

[manymanyhaha]

This thing is awesome! Just hooked mine up yesterday and so far, it is everything I have been looking for in this type of pedal. I've had the Tensor, Fabrikat and still have Mood and Ottobit which are all pedals that have some overlap and this is my favorite by far. It knocked Mood off, will be selling that. May sell the Ottobit too now and do something else with that slot. I only really use that thing for the stutter and had a great time with it in 2017 but it has lost its luster.

Yay!

Edit: Did this a couple hours ago, quick and dirty fun stuff.



Edited again: How to do soundcloud?

https://soundcloud.com/manymanyhaha/mix-2020-06-13a-2

[thewarnextdoor]

I’ve been planning on buying a Mood but you’ve got me rethinking that plan. Can you share more about the overlap between the Microcosm and Mood and why you feel the Microcosm is the better choice? Thanks in advance!

This thing is awesome! Just hooked mine up yesterday and so far, it is everything I have been looking for in this type of pedal. I've had the Tensor, Fabrikat and still have Mood and Ottobit which are all pedals that have some overlap and this is my favorite by far. It knocked Mood off, will be selling that. May sell the Ottobit too now and do something else with that slot. I only really use that thing for the stutter and had a great time with it in 2017 but it has lost its luster.

Yay!

Edit: Did this a couple hours ago, quick and dirty fun stuff.



Edited again: How to do soundcloud?

https://soundcloud.com/manymanyhaha/mix-2020-06-13a-2

[manymanyhaha]

Actually, my opinion is starting to change and I'm understanding some of the aforementioned frustrations. Some times it triggers immediately, other times after a measure and you never know which it is going to do. It was triggering fine on Friday but this afternoon, it is not predictable at all. Some modes, one input will trigger fine without the other input and other times, both inputs have to be on for it to trigger.

It's a shame because there are so many great sounds in this thing and yet, you can't control any of it, it's all random. Why would Hologram do that? At least have a random mode and a predictable mode. When I hit a note, I should have the opportunity to understand what will happen next. Grrrrr.....

[Blood_mountain]

Actually, my opinion is starting to change and I'm understanding some of the aforementioned frustrations. Some times it triggers immediately, other times after a measure and you never know which it is going to do. It was triggering fine on Friday but this afternoon, it is not predictable at all. Some modes, one input will trigger fine without the other input and other times, both inputs have to be on for it to trigger.

It's a shame because there are so many great sounds in this thing and yet, you can't control any of it, it's all random. Why would Hologram do that? At least have a random mode and a predictable mode. When I hit a note, I should have the opportunity to understand what will happen next. Grrrrr.....

Crazy. You would think that would be the type of thing that would have been worked out prior to release. Are there any secondary functions that allow you to adjust the trigger sensitivity or anything?

[manymanyhaha]

Crazy. You would think that would be the type of thing that would have been worked out prior to release. Are there any secondary functions that allow you to adjust the trigger sensitivity or anything?

Not as far as I can tell. I don't get this.

[oldangelmidnight]

I spent a bit of time with the Microcosm trying to figure out how to use the effects without verb or mod or looper and I think I’ve settled on the feeling that I just don’t like the way it works on guitar.
The effects sound good but there’s a volume drop in some of them and a perceived drop in most of the rest.
The worst thing, though, is the way the effects trigger and repeat. You can get it to trigger okay playing individual notes up the neck but almost never when strumming chords or playing in first position. And when it triggers, it repeats based on the repeats knob rather than playing dynamics. I guess that’s obvious but I want something more responsive.
Altogether, I was hoping for something more immediate and dynamic. I wanted a better sounding Fabrikat with some extra bells and whistles but it’s more like a Superego that doesn’t respond as well and has a glitch effect in the loop.
I’ve noticed that the repeats control seems to work a bit differently in different modes but I couldn’t be sure if that was just my imagination. The interaction with the shape knob and Activity complicates things. I wish there was some explanation of all that. The trigger thing is consistent across the modes.

Maybe if I was to approach it as a looper with some effects I’d like it better. That’s just not really what I want.

I wonder if Hologram is responsive to user feedback and if these things could be changed.

I made a little video when I was getting annoyed. The mix is at full so the dry sound is the phone mic picking up the strings.
https://youtu.be/oNNU68l_s-Y

[whoismarykelly]

I agree that the triggering can be frustrating. I have so many glitch pedals on my board that I've kinda just been going with the flow of what Microcosm does and letting it speak to me and change the way I play. Its not a pedal I turn on when I want precise and predictable results. That's always a Pladask or Hexe pedal.

IMO they would have been better off having at least one mode out of 4 on every engine function as an "always running" effect that doesn't look for an envelope to trigger the effect. This is how most glitch genre pedals work and I've yet to play one with envelope detection that works consistently and effectively.

[Blood_mountain]

I really want to like and want a Microcosm, but the more I hear about it, the less I think I'll enjoy it. Probably not something I'll take a chance on at this point and at that price.

[Jwar]

I didn't even want to bother to be honest. Their last two pedals IMO just did not do what I wanted in any capacity, so I doubt this does either. They are fun, but I never found them useful.

[Blood_mountain]

I didn't even want to bother to be honest. Their last two pedals IMO just did not do what I wanted in any capacity, so I doubt this does either. They are fun, but I never found them useful.

I had the Infinite Jets very briefly. I loved the glitch settings and the ability to record the dimension knob movement, but the sound/tone was pretty bad and I couldn't justify keeping that pedal just for the glitch.

[oldangelmidnight]

If not for the volume drop, I might have kept it for the bitcrush sounds. I haven't played anything else that does this kind of random sample rate modulation. It sounds good, just too quiet.

[Blood_mountain]

If not for the volume drop, I might have kept it for the bitcrush sounds. I haven't played anything else that does this kind of random sample rate modulation. It sounds good, just too quiet.

I'm still somewhat interested, tho I'm going to wait for prices to drop in the used market I think.

[gila_crisis]

I didn't even want to bother to be honest. Their last two pedals IMO just did not do what I wanted in any capacity, so I doubt this does either. They are fun, but I never found them useful.

I had the Infinite Jets very briefly. I loved the glitch settings and the ability to record the dimension knob movement, but the sound/tone was pretty bad and I couldn't justify keeping that pedal just for the glitch.

Once I almost considered getting an Infinite Jets, since I had found one second hand. But after watching some demo videos, I decided the Superego I already have, does what I need and better.
It's a shame to see and read how sometimes pedals are designed in such horrorfull ways. It makes me think, these guitar pedal makers don't play guitar (or have any knowhow to play whatever instrument) and don't understand the needs a musican and such pedals/tools shall have!