Hologram Microcosm User manual

1. Overview
2. Inputs & Outputs
3. Navigation & Controls
4.  Eects&SignalPath
5.  HoldSampler
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6.  PhraseLooper  
7.  SavingPresets 
8. MIDI
9.  GlobalConguration
10. Warranty

2
1 |OVERVIEW
• Envelope Shape Control
• Stereo Reverb
• Resonant Low-Pass Filter and Pitch Modulation
• Mappable Expression Input
• Reverse Loop Playback and/or Eect direction
• MIDI IN/Out/Thru (Firmware updates via MIDI)
• Stereo Input / Output
FEATURES
• 4 Separate Eect Styles
• 44 preset Variations
• 16 User Presets - Save Settings & Loops
• Tap Tempo
• 60 second Phrase Looper
• Multiple Looper Playback Speeds
• Hold Sampler
Microcosm rearranges and reinterprets your sound in new and exciting ways using a variety of granular
sampling, delay, and looping techniques. Cascading micro loops can be locked into tight tap-tempo
synced rhythms, diused into glacial ambient textures, woven into hypnotic drones, and much more.
11 groundbreaking eects (with a total of 44 preset variations) allow you to slice, stretch, rearrange,
and manipulate your playing in musical ways. Tweak the sound further using Microcosm’s built-in Pitch
Modulation, lush Stereo Reverb (with 4 selectable modes), and Resonant Low-pass Filter.
The pedal features Tap Tempo for synchronizing these rhythms with other musicians, and a “Hold”
Sampler section that captures notes or chords to allow for unique harmony and drone eects.
When you’ve found a sound you like, the built-in stereo Phrase Looper can capture up to 60 seconds of
your performance and even allows for layering phrases from dierent eects. All loops, overdubs, and
settings can be saved and recalled later using the pedal’s 16 user presets.
2|INPUTS & OUTPUTS
The pedal accepts a standard 9v, center-negative, 2.1mm DC barrel connector
power supply. For best results, use an isolated power supply.
9V POWER INPUT
9 volt
2.1 mm barrel connector, center negative
400 mA minimum
Mono/Stereo TRS Input, Output L, Output R, EXP IN, MIDI In, MIDI Out/Thru, 9vDC
CONNECTIONS
Using a switching power supply or daisy-chain from another pedal can add extra
unwanted noise. The power supply must be capable of providing a minimum of
400 mA to Microcosm.

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BYPASSOPTIONS:
Buered Bypass: Instrument input remains
buered when Microcosm is disengaged, oering
a more consistent dry tone and maintaining the
stereo image. Eects immediately stop upon
bypassing pedal.
Buered Bypass / Trails Mode: The eect and
loops will fade out naturally when bypassed, but
will not process any new audio until the eect is
engaged again.
True Bypass Switching: Microcosm uses two
electromechanical relays for the left and right
channels independently. These switch between
the buered signal (engaged) and unbuered
signal (disengaged). When bypassed, instrument
input will pass through unaected by Microcosm.
*Note: Trails Mode unavailable in true bypass mode
(see Global Conguration).
AUDIO INPUT /OUTPUT
Input: Mono / Stereo
Instrument Level or Line Level
Output: Mono / Stereo
Instrument Level or Line Level
OUTPUTCONFIGURATIONS:
Mono In/Out: Microcosm is ready to receive a
mono input by default (see Global Conguration).
Connect a standard instrument cable into the
MONO/STEREO TRS input jack, and a standard
instrument cable to OUTPUT L.
Mono In/Stereo Out: Connect a standard
instrument cable into MONO/STEREO TRS input
jack. Use standard instrument cables with both
output L & R for a stereo image of the mono
input.
Stereo In/ Stereo Out: First, select the stereo
input option in the Global Conguration menu
(see pg. 45) Connect a TRS stereo cable into the
MONO/STEREO TRS input jack. Use standard
instrument cables to connect from both OUTPUT
L & R to your output destination.
Stereo In/ Mono Out: When sending a stereo
signal into the stereo TRS Input, use only OUTPUT
L to sum to mono.
2|INPUTS & OUTPUTS CONT.
EXPRESSION PEDAL INPUT
If an Expression Pedal is plugged in to the 1/4” “EXP” jack while the pedal is powered on, Indicator Lights
will ash blue. While ashing, move the control to which you’d like to assign the Expression Pedal.
Tip: 0-3v input
Ring: 3v output
Sleeve: 0v output
Recommended pot resistance: >10 kOhm
Control Parameters: Activity, Shape, Filter, Mix,
Repeats, Space, or Loop Level
This Expression Pedal assignment will persist after cycling power; to skip this step on subsequent uses
of the pedal, plug in the Expression Pedal before powering on the pedal. To keep the same assignment,
don’t touch any controls while the Indicator Lights ash after plugging it in.

4
INDICATOR LIGHTS
As you turn the PresetSelector, an amber cursor
will indicate your location within the active eect
bank. Each eect contains 4 presets (A-D). Idle the
cursor over the desired preset slot to select. Upon
selection, the surrounding bars will animate.
A B C D
PRESET SELECTOR
*In this example, Tunnel C is selected.
The PresetSelector is Microcosm’s primary
navigation device. Use it to scroll back and
forth through various eects and menus. An
amber light indicates active eect. Preset
Selector
*The Selector can be congured to scroll
through the eects in a circle or down the two
rows in a list format (see Global Conguration).
The 4 lights found at the center of the pedal work as a
menu system for selecting eects and congurations.
Press & hold Preset Selector to copy current
settings and active loop (see Saving Presets).
PRESET SELECTOR FUNCTIONS
Reverse
(swipes left)
Forward
(swipes right)
*In Phrase Looper conguration and Global
Conguration modes, use the Preset Selector
to make selections.
Press down on the PresetSelector to reverse
eect playback. Indicator Lights animate to
reect playback direction.
FWD/REV
3|NAVIGATION & CONTROLS
SAVINGPRESETS

5
3 |NAVIGATION & CONTROLS CONT.
Controls the density of the eects.
Turn clockwise to add complexity
and variety. Activity function varies
preset to preset (see Eects).
ACTIVITY
Determines the eect duration or frequency.
Works in tandem with Activity knob. Repeats
function varies preset to preset (see Eects).
REPEATS
Secondary Control: sets Pitch Modulation
depth.
Activity + Repeats: the Activity and Repeats controls work together to provide a wide variety of tonal
options for each preset. In general, Activity gives you “more” or “less” of what each preset does,
and Repeats controls how long the eect goes on for. But rather than controlling any one specic
parameter, Repeats and Activity are both sophisticated macro controls that encompass many
dierent parameters to help you control each eect.
For example, in the Tunnel bank of eects, Activity controls the depth of the sample and lter
manipulation, while Repeats adjusts the amount of time it takes for the drone to decay.
Controls either the Time Subdivision or Global Tempo.
SUBDIV: Determines the musical subdivision of the eect.
TEMPO: Time knob sets the overall global tempo. This mode oers a
manual alternative to Tap Tempo and allows for smooth acceleration/
deceleration of the tempo. In this mode, the eect subdivision is always
set to quarter notes.
*Note: Tap Tempo will still work while Tempo Mode is active.
Tapping this button will toggle the function of the Timeknob between
Subdivisions or Global Tempo. The corresponding light beneath the
button indicates the active setting.
When held, this button functions as a Shift
control, allowing access to a knob’s Secondary
Control. Secondary Controls are labeled in gray
text beneath the corresponding knob.
TIME
SELECT (tap) /SHIFT (hold)
PhraseLooper: Hold shift and turn Time
knob to change looper playback speed
(see Phrase Looper).

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FOOTSWITCHES
TAPTEMPO: Tap the left
footswitch to set the eect
tempo. Microcosm smoothly
matches the tempo to the
timing of quarter note taps.
BYPASS: Engages or
disengages Microcosm.
HOLDSAMPLER: Press the
right footswitch to freeze a
recent piece of your playing
into a continuous playback
cycle (see Hold Sampler)
REC/PLAY/DUB:Press to
record, play, and overdub
loops. Hold to erase Overdub
Layer (see Phrase Looper)*Activate Phrase Looper to
change footswitch functionality.
STOP/ERASE:Press to stop
loop playback. Hold to erase
loop (see Phrase Looper)
Applies a contour to the volume or lter
characteristics of the eect.
SHAPE
Sets the Pitch Modulation rate.
Cuts high frequencies with the Low-pass lter.
FILTER Adjusts the lter resonance.
Adjusts the eect master volume.
Sets the balance between input
signal and eect.
MIX
Selects 1 of 4 reverb modes. These reverb
options vary in length and character.
Mixes in reverberation and delay. When fully
clockwise, mix is 100% wet.
SPACE
Sets the loop fade time (see Global
Conguration to set fade direction)
Sets the playback volume of Phrase Looper.
LOOP LEVEL
Secondary Controls
3 |NAVIGATION & CONTROLS CONT.

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4 |EFFECTS & SIGNAL PATH
MICRO LOOP
Layers of short loops, played back at
various speeds, combine to form new
rhythmic phrases and tonal colors.
GRANULES
Fragments of sound create giant
atmospheres and subtle textural eects.
GLITCH
Real-time rearrangements of your
incoming signal play back at random or
controlled intervals.
MULTIDELAY
A delay line with a selectable number of
taps creates a wide variety of rhythmic
and textural eects.
Microcosm oers 11 distinct eects organized into 4 categories:
Activity: determines the number of active loopers
Micro loops play back at normal and double speed for octave up harmonies
Loops play back at normal and half speed for an eect one octave below your input
All loops play back at double speed
Loops play back at half, normal, double, and quad speed. Sounds range
from one octave below your input to 2 octaves higher.
MOSAIC : Overlapping loops play back at multiple speeds.
A
B
C
D

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4 |EFFECTS & SIGNAL PATH CONT.
Live samples are ltered and shued into random rhythms
Activity: introduces lter variations
Sequenced samples alternate between normal and half speed playback
Activity: determines bounce between the two playback speeds. A sustainer layer is introduced
when the knob is fully clockwise, allowing for soft pads to sit under the sequence
Overlapping layers of samples with lter sweeps
Activity: adds layers of samples
Interlocking layers of rhythmic samples and bit-crushing
Activity: adds layers of rhythmic elements. Bit-crushed sub-octave samples are introduced
when the knob is fully clockwise
SEQ : Short looping samples are rearranged into newrhythmicsequences.
A
B
C
D
GLIDE : Short overlapping loops shift in pitch over time.
Shape: determines the shape of the Glide patternActivity: controls the rate of pitch-shifting
Glides between half speed and normal speed
Glides between double speed and half speed
Glides between normal speed and double speed
Overlapping samples glide in both directions at the same time
A
B
C
D

9
4 |EFFECTS & SIGNAL PATH CONT.
HAZE : Clusters of grains create a wash of sound.
Activity: controls grain density and spread
Short, diused eect created from stretching overlapping samples
Many simultaneous randomized grains create diused textural eects
A mixture of normal speed and double speed grains creates a diused texture
A mixture of normal speed and half speed grains creates a diused texture
A
B
C
D
TUNNEL : Cyclical micro-loops generate hypnotic drones with unique modiers.
Activity: determines the depth of each modier
Drone sample length compresses and lengthens
Sub-octave drone with lter sweeps
Drone samples have resonant bandpass lters
Envelope-triggered compressing and lengthening of drone sample length
A
B
C
D

10
4 |EFFECTS & SIGNAL PATH CONT.
STRUM : Rhythmic chains of recent note onsets create pointillistic textures
Activity: controls density of pattern
Repeats the most recent note continuously
Many copies of the most recent note onset overlap to create phasing eects
Cascading chains of recent note onsets
Cascading chains of recent note onsets and double speed grains
A
B
C
D
BLOCKS : Incoming audio triggers predictable glitches or random bursts of notes.
Activity: controls the amount of variation and sample manipulation
Rearranges your playing and adds bursts of sequenced runs of recent notes
Rearranges and pitch-shifts incoming signal
Filtered samples overlap and fade out resulting in a softer, less angular glitch sound
Rearranges the incoming signal using pitch-shifts and bit-crushing
A
B
C
D