Soma Laboratory brings Robert Fripp’s and Brian Eno’s Frippertronics tape loop method into the modern with Cosmos, a pedal for meditative, evolving soundscapes
Vlad Kreimer from Soma Laboratory regularly causes a stir with his unique products. The Lyra-8, a very organic-sounding Synthesizer delight drone friends all over the world. The Pulsar-23, a patchable drum machine/Synthesizer from another time that turns every classic beat producer workflow upside down, or the Soma Pipe, a wind instrument that creates huge synthetic sounds. Everything that VK designs explore new and exciting paths that inspire musicians.
Soma Laboratory is showing a new effects processor called COSMOS for the Thomann Keys and Frequencies online event. Cosmos is Vlad Kreimer’s interpretation of a unique drifting, cosmic texture effect processor.
Soma Laboratory COSMOS
The name is not a coincidence. The effect takes your sounds, whether guitar, synthesizer, voice … into a distant galaxy. COSMOS is inspired by the Frippertronics tape looping method invented by Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and Brian Eno. In 1972, they used several Revox Tape decks to create endless loops by routing one record head to the playback head on the second deck, which then ran back to the first deck. Vlad Kreimer took over this innovative idea and adopted it to the modern times of 2021.
Soma Laboratory describes COSMOS as a drifting memory station that created evolving meditative soundscapes. COSMOS doesn’t make a sound by itself. To do this, the user has to record the sounds live (3 modes) via the stereo input, these are then looped in various ways and finally, they can be mangled further. Then, you have additional high & lowpass functions via food-switches with fixed steps and a reverse mode. Plus, you have classic controls like feedback and others.
The pedal has a sample rate of 48kHz with 24-bit resolution and 32-bit floating-point internal digital processing that gives you high-quality sound input/output.
COSMOS
The looped sound material then flows into the real heart of COSMOS that offers 4 algorithms with 3 variations each. Each type of algorithm has its own unique method of mixing and shifting sounds. Available is a two-line delay, four-line delay, giant lush-sounding reverb, and a granular delay with up to 24 grains. Interesting there is no clocking or syncing option. This is because it’s not a classic looper but more a textured soundscape generator for ambient music.
There are also parameter modulators (blur, drift, drive, sub/com, fb) onboard that expand the sonic range of the pedal once more. Blur for example adds cross-feedback delay lines in the delay algorithm or in granular, it modulates the position of the grains with a noise signal. All tools with which you can give the engines an organic touch.
The feature set allows you can endless new layers on top of existing sounds. Perfect for complex textures. Vlad Kreimer says:
COSMOS generates rich, fluid and evolving soundscapes perfect for ambient music. Using COSMOS, you can play an entire meditative solo concert while being in a spontaneous flow and without using studio-prepared sequences, backing tracks and other things that can’t be a reflection of the “here and now”.
Cosmos operates in stereo thus it has stereo inputs/outputs as well as an SD card slot on the back. The latter is primarily used to update the firmware and you can use it for adding new algorithms that will be published in the future.
Thomann Keys & Frequencies Online Event Discount
Currently (Saturday afternoon EU Time) the Thomann Keys and Frequency Event is running, an online event with product presentations, talks and performances. During this event, you can save 8% on all SOMA products except on the Pulsar 32 with the code KEYSANDFREQSOMA2021 on Thomann.
Vlad Kreimer did it again. Cosmos is yet another fantastic development. At first glance a super interesting tool to complex drones, soundscapes, and other deep layered sounds. A must for ambient and experimental musicians.
Soma Laboratory Cosmos is available in several months for 480€ net price without VAT, shipping….. To pre-order, drop a mail at somasynthsEU@gmail.com with the subject “COSMOS preorder” and your name, location/country, and a phone number for courier delivery.
More information here: Soma Laboratory
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