A typically esoteric offering from Soma Labs warps the idea of a looper into something more experimental. Greg Scarth checks it out.
Moscow’s Soma Labs do things differently. From ‘organismic’ analogue synths and drum machines through to 8-bit grooveboxes with lo-fi crunch. The Soma Laboratory Cosmos is another esoteric offering, this time a ‘drifting memory station’ based around multiple digital delay lines. Primarily intended to generate ambient soundscapes based on an incoming signal, it’s loosely inspired by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno’s tape loop ‘Frippertronics’ technique, first developed in the 1970s.
The Cosmos is a weighty, solidly built unit with a tough steel chassis and a chunky feel. There’s no doubt that it’s designed to be rugged enough to stand up to use on stage and the rigours of touring. The control setup is generally simple and easy to understand, but the most notable thing which distinguishes it from a conventional looper is that there’s no control for tempo or loop length. Instead, the looping is based around multiple delay stages with uneven lengths, which record and replay loops simultaneously, overlapping and evolving to create the ‘drifting’ effect. There are four algorithm types – two delay lines, four delay lines, giant reverb and granular delay – each of which has three settings. For the delay lines, the settings control (approximate) total delay times, for the reverb algorithm, the settings change the size of the hall (from ‘huge’ to ‘insanely-super-huge’), while for the granular algorithm, they change grain size and delay time.
In terms of basic operation, the Cosmos revolves around the idea of recording loops then allowing them to morph over time, creating complex, ever-changing soundscapes. This effectively happens automatically, meaning it’s quick to get started. Beginning with guitar in an effort to channel the spirit of Fripp, setting the unit to a delay mode and arming it to record, you quickly build up washes of overlapping notes. You’ll discover that the Cosmos responds differently depending on how you play into it: picking short notes from a held chord adds up to bouncing, chaotic arpeggios; holding sustained notes allows you to create harmonies which evolve over time; partial chords can be sustained and then played over as they modulate against each other. Switching to synths, similar principles apply, although here you’re able to take advantage of the more complex modulation options inherent to synths. For best results, send a stereo signal in with plenty of modulation, then let the Cosmos modulate it even further to create new textures and timbres.
The Cosmos is a digital effect, but that’s certainly not to say it’s a pristine, characterless looper. Soma have built character into the unit at every stage. The inherent movement of the uneven-length delays in the Cosmos really defines the unit’s character, but you can also take plenty of hands-on control by tweaking the sound in real time. The Blur control adds cross-feedback in delay mode, or modulates the grain position in the granular mode. Drift modulates the delay lines or grain positions based on an unsynced LFO signal. (Neither one of these controls affects the reverb mode.) Drive adds subtle distortion to the sound, while over on the right-hand side you’ve got control of delay feedback, wet/dry mix and the multi-purpose Sup/Com compressor section, which can be used to compress conventionally or suppress playback when a new signal hits the input. Down on the foot switches, you can engage a range of high-pass and low-pass filter settings or instantly reverse the playback. If all of this sounds complex, the reality of using the Cosmos is quite different. Part of the joy of the effect is experimenting and creating surprising results, rather than necessarily aiming to achieve a specific sound. It’s a device which celebrates and rewards experimentation, particularly in the way that the controls are all designed to crossfade smoothly between settings, avoiding sudden clicks or glitches when switching algorithms, for example.
An unusual feature of the Cosmos is that it’s specifically designed to be used in different ways by loading alternative firmware. A USB socket on the back panel allows you to insert a flash drive holding files which you can download from Soma’s website. In addition to the standard firmware, currently available options include a firmware version for quadraphonic performance using two Cosmos units and a version which converts the Drive function to lo-fi pitch shift. There’s also a version designed for rhythmic performances (the difference from the standard firmware being so big that it merits an entirely separate manual) and a variation which includes pitch shifting. The depth which these alternative firmwares add is significant, and the rhythmic firmware in particular changes the character of the Cosmos substantially, allowing you to work with a fixed tempo rather than the (deliberately) more vague drones of the standard firmware.
The only question mark about the Cosmos is whether it’s really meant to be a pedal or a desktop module. The chunky metal switches are clearly solid enough and spaced widely enough apart to be operated by foot, but holding one switch while tapping another to change filter settings is easier said than done using your feet. That’s not to mention the fact that you miss out on the ability to tweak the knobs and adjust parameters in real time (there’s no provision for an expression pedal, which could have made that possible by foot). As such, we can’t help concluding that the Cosmos is probably best on a desktop or even mounted on a keyboard rack next to a synth, giving you the option to play sounds through it and tweak on the fly, the best of both worlds. All in all, the Cosmos is a unique effect which defies most expectations of loopers, leaning into a much more experimental approach to sound design which proves endearingly chaotic.
Greg Scarth
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