Thoughts on Hologram Microcosm Pedal?

[SoftwareGuy]

It doesn’t have to be sleepy dopey new age drivel. Use your imagination

Hologram Microcosm: Tunnel C Guitar Groove - YouTube

Absolutely

[NSJ]

Here it is on a Taylor flat top acoustic guitar.

[NSJ]

Another acoustic flat top guitar, some sort of boutique guitar that cost him “an arm and a leg”

Another acoustic guitar “ensemble”

[NSJ]

This s an interesting review: he only has it for 2 days and wants to make a video because he’s so excited about it, even though he’s barely scratched the surface of its possibilities. He says it’s like nothing he’s worked with, everything is instantly musical, and it seems like one is having a 2nd instrument play simultaneously in a conversational way, like a feed back loop. The pedal responds your playing and spits back the notes in a warped and weird way, causing you to react accordingly to the pedal.

[Spook410]

.. it ain’t music that stands on its own!

I know! Ever since Leo Fender and Charlie Christian it's been one thing after another. Off in the woods somewhere. Banjo. Now *that's* music.

[Tricky Fish]

For your interest, this is the most comprehensive review i’ve seen of the microcosm:

i havent bought one because its not my thing, but i appreciate what it can do.

[NSJ]

Here’s 40 minutes of various tones and settings for guitar

[xuoham]

I got one and sold it quickly after realizing that (IMO) it kind of makes people sound a bit the same. It's basically a granular reshuffler with pitch shift, bit redux, delay and reverb. It sounds very surprising in the beginning but with all those stereotyped "nostalgic" chords demos flooding the web, i thought that everybody sounded a bit the same.

Good idea to make such a post because i'm sure some more advanced guitarists would make it shine more. Like Jonathan Kreisberg on this would be surely interesting. (But even so, i might preferJonathan on his own). The problem is that most of the time it's more appealing to people who already got bored with their playing (for lack of perseverance or whatever ..)
A kind of steroid shot.

Well that's how i see it, you can flame me (cleverly).

Instead i got Poly Beebo and Empress Zoia ! They both have a learning curve (Zoia especially) but it's much more rewarding as you can really taylorthe pedale to make your own environment. Microcosm sure has many options but it has limits. A beast like Zoia or Beebo is potentially limit less as it's a modular environment, not a preset one.


I made a little video, the fist after i managed to make some patching that i liked. Basically Beebo for looped delays and Zoia for processing the loops, + a few goodies.

For what it's worth :

[NSJ]

So, dumb question: if this is stereo out, does that mean you can plug it into two separate amps? Or can you use one amp with two speakers? What does that mean?

[xuoham]

I also tried Mood by Chase Bliss Audio and sold it for the same reasons. But you might like it over Microcosm.

[NSJ]

I also tried Mood by Chase Bliss Audio and sold it for the same reasons. But you might like it over Microcosm.

I don’t plan on dumbing down my playing (ie, not changing what I fundamentally do), to create some sleepy New Age music. I want to create intros and outros and a kind of orchestral cushion, especially for ballads. I have ideas to create a BIG sound that can be lush, and also hopefully small and mobile and lyrical, that incorporates using glass slides, Indian raga type of ornamentations and slides, which being able to improvise counter point and crate various ways of accompaniment for solo guitar.

[xuoham]

.... and also hopefully small and mobile and lyrical, that incorporates using glass slides, Indian raga type of ornamentations and slides, which being able to improvise counter point and crate various ways of accompaniment for solo guitar.

Sounds interesting !

Actually it's a bit what i'm doing on the video above, except that it's a brass slide.

I would love to hear you doing it.

[DawgBone]

So, dumb question: if this is stereo out, does that mean you can plug it into two separate amps? Or can you use one amp with two speakers? What does that mean?

Yes, stereo outs to two amps. I don't think it'll work correctly plugged into one amp/two speakers unless that amp has dedicated L/R channels but I am not an expert. Note that the input is a single input but the outs are stereo. You'd need a TRS cable to maintain the stereo imaging if you are hooking up multiple boxes that use stereo. Since a lot of them only have one input, like your microcosm, you need to run L/R outs into something like this:

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Which you would then run into the next stereo pedal TRS input, assuming the next pedal has only one input jack.

I don't know why pedal makers can't just make proper dual L/R ins and outs especially since some of these pedals are big money and designed for big stereo sound. Turns a board into a convoluted looking mess without it. I warned you, this can be a hassle and gets kind of expensive on the cabling end pretty quickly though it won't really matter if the microcosm is the only stereo pedal you are using. Combined with a preset switcher box (uses TRS I think) and a midi you can see how quickly this setup grows in size and cabling complexity just for one pedal like the microcosm.

I hope that helps. If I'm wrong someone please correct me and my apologies as it's been about two years since I fooled with this. It was a project during covid down time for a pedal and lap steel guitar and that's what I recall doing. Good luck Navdeep keep me posted brother.

[DawgBone]

So Navdeep, did you get the pedal and get lost in the microcosmos? What's the word?

[SoftwareGuy]

One thing I forgot to mention...the super bright LEDs on the pedal. There are four rectangular LEDs in the center of the pedal. They kind of flash or strobe in different ways that relate to how the sound sample is being moved down the delay line. They also show other functions and have to be observed for a while to get a feeling of what they show.

However they are super bright. In a dark room or dark stage they can be clearly visible for some distance. There is no way to turn them off or lower the brightness.

When I practice in a room with low lights they, at times, are kind of annoying. It would be cool to have some way to just turn them down.

[NSJ]

So Navdeep, did you get the pedal and get lost in the microcosmos? What's the word?

I just got it in the mail today. Worked a 10 hour day and 10 hours tomorrow. Will try to set it up tomorrow and play around with it. Guitar- pedal-amp set up. I presume we can just use regular instrument cables and the sequence is Guitar-pedal-amp. Yes I am intimidated by technology, clearly, but am aways interested. I bought a Kemper, an AxeFx 2 and and Axe Fx3. They are all gone and sold.


This simple set up should be ok for me, though.

[Eck]

One thing I forgot to mention...the super bright LEDs on the pedal. There are four rectangular LEDs in the center of the pedal. They kind of flash or strobe in different ways that relate to how the sound sample is being moved down the delay line. They also show other functions and have to be observed for a while to get a feeling of what they show.

However they are super bright. In a dark room or dark stage they can be clearly visible for some distance. There is no way to turn them off or lower the brightness.

When I practice in a room with low lights they, at times, are kind of annoying. It would be cool to have some way to just turn them down.

Piece of textile?


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[st.bede]

It doesn’t have to be sleepy dopey new age drivel. Use your imagination

Hologram Microcosm: Tunnel C Guitar Groove - YouTube

… over all, I agree with you.

However, there is also how a tool will shape its’ use. That creates a relationship between a person, the process, and the tool. That relationship creates a push to move in certain directions.

I can sometimes use a screw driver to hammer some nails… but the results are less controllable and it is more work. Best to grab a hammer.

Art has different ends then home repair, and that allows for the re-interpretation of a tool, but typical I find that to be awkward, takes more gear to work, and takes more time.

Given those facts, and that the results are less predictable, there is always the question, “ is it really worth the effort”. The answer to that question is about how much I value the journey, or how fast do I need results.

[Eck]

Hmm yes that Tunnel C groove wouldn’t convince me to buy a Caline (cheap reliable Chinese brand)


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[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

How about something a little more complex?

[mr. beaumont]

Back in my ambient/experimental electronic days, we had to string 15 pedals together and I spent a fortune on 9v batteries each month. And we liked it!


This looks really cool. I occasionally get the itch to get more electronic in my sound again...but then I usually just reach for an acoustic

[JWWarren]

I have been using the Microcosm for nearly two years. It’s definitely opened up some doors, musically. I use it in live performances and just recently moved to a stereo setup with two Henriksen Bud Amps.

here is the Microcosm on a piece I recorded. I would not call this ambient. The Microcosm mainly comes in at the end of the piece where I improvise a bit.