The Amazing COSMOS by SOMA Laboratory (review and examples)

Cosmos is another incredible device from SOMA Laboratory, a company at the forefront of innovative approaches to synthesis and audio processing. Several years ago I wrote about the LYRA-8 Organismic Synthesizer and the PIPE, and was able to interview the developer, Vlad Kreimer. Since then, they have introduced a variety of fantastic devices including COSMOS, billed as a drifting memory station. The name fits it well, as it excels at creating droning and complex rhythmic soundscapes that evolve and mutate over time.

The developers acknowledge the work of Robert Fripp and Brian Eno as having a profound influence on the approach and describe their device as a “further development of these ideas” offering new possibilities for meditative and fluid soundscapes. I ran the device through its paces using a variety of content as input to explore the capabilities of this remarkable box.

COSMOS INNARDS

The guts of COSMOS, housed in a beefy metal enclosure, revolve around an array of long delay lines which undergo “constant recombinations, spontaneously generating an ever-changing soundscape”. Delay lengths are based on prime numbers and modulated by an LFO and a slowly changing chaotic signal.

The design strongly encourages spontaneous creation as opposed to using prepared material, sequences, or loops. This is consistent with most instruments from SOMA, where the intention is to create the potential for improvisation, tinged with a certain amount of unpredictability that allows for (and requires) the performer to experience and react to the sound in the here and now.

COSMOS has a combination of digital and analog components. According to the developer, “It uses top-class Cirrus Logic audio converters and Burr-Brown’s famous operational amplifiers that are highly regarded in the audiophile community”. There is a Flash drive input for changing firmware configurations. Rather than just providing a means to update the device, you can radically change the way it operates depending on the firmware to install. While the default firmware is what has been described above, other versions can change COSMOS into a more rhythmic looping device for tempo-based rhythmic contexts (which has a completely different manual), a quad version for combining two devices for 4-channel diffusion, and alternate versions that add a pitch function.

COSMOS CONTROLS

The functionality of the controls for COSMOS varies depending on the algorithm selected and the firmware installed as mentioned above. Below are the four main types of algorithms used with the Main firmware installed:

• Two Delay Lines with settings of 2.5, 9.5, and 22 seconds
• Four Delay Lines with settings of 2.5, 8.5, and 11.5 seconds
• Giant Reverb with huge hall, super-huge hall and insanely-super-huge hall settings
• Granular Delay which features an asynchronous stereo-delay with small, medium, and large size delay and grains (the large adds a central grain delay as well)

In the default firmware state, the delay lines constantly shift in relation to each other helping to create evolving soundscapes that defy precise rhythmic control.

A Sound Level Indicator monitors the cumulative level generated by the delay lines. According to the developers, a red signal will not indicate harsh digital clipping. Instead, “you will hear a soft overdrive as on tape recorders. This is due to the built-in limiter, which prevents hard clipping and distortion. You can use delay overload as an artistic effect without fear of harsh digital distortion or clipping”. This is an exceptional circuit design that resists the tendency for delay lines to explode over time as with other delay-based devices.

That said, you should avoid red in the Input Control LED, as that will indicate overload and digital clipping that cannot be corrected further down the signal chain.

• BLUR – is used for the Two and Four Delay line settings and controls cross-feedback between delays to creating blurring effects. When set to Granular, it controls grain position via anoise signal.
• DRIFT – modulates panning via an asynchronous LFO whose rate is determined by a slow chaotic signal.
• DRIVE – is a gentle distortion control
• SUP|COM – is a dual control that can either impose the suppression of incoming sounds or compress the resulting sound
• FB – controls the level of feedback where 1.0 reintroduces the processes signal back into the system at the same level (recommended setting is slightly less than 1.0)
• MIX – a simple Wet/Dry control
• INPUT/OUTPUT – adjusts levels enetring and leaving the device

NOTE: Blur and Drift controls have no effect when the Giant Reverb algorithm is selected.

There are two adjustable filter controls:

• HPF – is a high pass filter with three settings (minimum, medium, and maximum frequency cut-offs)
• LPF – is a low pass filter with three settings (minimum, medium, and maximum frequency cut-offs)
• ERASE and RECORD controls are similar to what you’d find on any looper an do what they say. The record function as alternative settings that define to which delay lines new input will be recorded. You can also change the playback speed by holding the Record button for more than 5 seconds.
• REVERSE – changes the playback direction as you might expect, but also acts as a select switch for the filter controls mentioned above.

In addition to the controls mentioned above, there is a builtin Noise Gate that allows for long performances without introducing unwanted artifacts. The sensitivity can be adjusted if desired using a combination of buttons (refer to manual). This feature makes the device ideal for live improvisation.

As mentioned previously, other firmware versions will radically alter the effects of the controls mentioned above, so referring to the manual is crucial to understanding the differences and getting the most out of COSMOS.

COSMOS REAR PANEL

COSMOS features balanced stereo inputs and outputs, a headphone jack, USB port for uploading firmware updates and alternative versions, 12 Volt DC input for the included multi-plug adaptor.

RHYTHMIC LOOPER FIRMWARE EXAMPLES

Although this firmware version includes regular looping controls, it is by no means a traditional looper. I was able to get complex polyrhythmic textures by supplying a single transient as an input. There are two main iterations of the firmware:

• COSMOS_R1.51.smf
• COSMOS_PR1.61.smf (which adds a Lo-Fi pitch control in place of the Drive knob)

As mentioned earlier, this firmware version requires its own manual because it drastically changes the functionality of the algorithm settings in COSMOS. Below is a description of the 12 programs accessible:

• Program 1 – operates like a standard looper – press the record button to start and again to define the loop.
• Program 2 – creates an 8:7 ratio between the length of the right and left channels while maintaining the BPM
• Program 3 – creates a 4:3 ratio between the length of the right and left channels while maintaining the BPM
• Program 4 – random mangler based on divisions of 8
• Program 5 – random mangler based on divisions of 6
• Program 6 – random mangler based on divisions of 5
• Program 7 – crazy random mangler based on division of 8 (“It randomly produces different glitches and sound effects, creating cool rhythms and patterns from the buffers’ content.“)
• Program 8 – same as Program 7 but based on divisions of 6
• Program 9 – fractal rhythmic pitch shifter
• Program 10 – short 4-tap delay (same as the Main firmware version)
• Program 11 – short mid-size reverb (same as the Main firmware version)
• Program 12 – advanced three-stage granular delay (same as the Main firmware version)

The Blur and Drift knobs will have various functionality depending on the program (consult the manual for details). Other knobs remain the same.

EXAMPLES

Below are some examples I generated with various types of content and settings. If it is not already obvious, users should not assume repeatability when using COSMOS. Successfully using the device in performance requires intimate familiarity with its capabilities, so that performers can reflect and react (or simply listen) as serendipitous sonic textures emerge and the process unfolds.

If your intention is to make a recording, I highly recommend recording everything as you experiment with COSMOS. You can’t predict what might happen with this device and you will never get the same result twice. With this in mind, I used an application called Rewind by Monkeyc, which conveniently records every sound you make, even without a DAW.

For the first few examples I used a single kick sample as the input to try and isolate some of the effects possible with COSMOS.  For the last example, I tried to breathe new life into an orchestral piece I wrote for my Masters thesis some 30 years ago called Ochlokratia. While the process unfolded I manipulated the algorithm settings and other parameters on-the-fly. No other processing was used.

Kick 1

Kick 2

Kick 3

Kick 4

Ochlokratia – processed (excerpt)

VIDEOS

Below are a few exceptional videos that demonstrate the capabilities of COSMOS beautifully – using a guitar and synth as the input.

Exploring Anti-Looping with COSMOS by Andre LaFosse

Rhythmic Looper Firmware Demo by Andre LaFosse

Using COSMOS with a Synth by Matt Johnson Jamiroquai

See more video demos here.

CONCLUSIONS

I cannot speak highly enough about COSMOS! It is another hardware jewel from SOMA, a company that continues to innovate beyond expected and traditional paradigms. The company’s philosophy of spontaneous composition in the “here and now” is apparent in all their devices and this one is no different. In addition to being a great desktop effects box, the foot controls allow for hands-off control for guitarists and other instrumentalists as well. The various firmware versions make this a versatile device suitable for a variety of musical applications including ambient and tempo-based contexts. COSMOS is perfect for performers of experimental music, electronic music producers, sound designers, or film and game composers looking for new and unusual textures. An incredible box!