I am so over fighting with pedals to get them to work how I want with line level sources like synths. I sold everything and went ITB (with a midi fighter twister) for effects and I couldn’t be happier. Everything you could ever dream of with higher quality algorithms and with better converters (unless you have a really bad interface). Rack effects and stuff like real tape delays is a slightly different story, but I don’t miss pedals AT ALL.
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I guess for myself and a lot of people here the problem is knowing where to start.
What are you using software wise?
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Starsky Carr does a very informative overview of the Microcosm.
Might help with getting an idea of which sounds work well with certain algos.
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Glad I finally have the confirmation I am not doing something wrong or have a faulty unit. The midi clock issue has not got enough attention in the first place I think. Before buying it, there were tons of videos and opinions around but I do not remember one that clearly mentions the messed up midi clock behaviour. None of my pedals does have this problem and on the MC a good midi clock is certainly needed if you want accurate, reliable results in a session, or recording setting.
My personal solution that seems to work for me so far:
I mostly need to start my ER-M midi clock several times until the MC is in sync with the rest of my hardware. Microcosm just does not start correctly to midi clock transport all the time, it is more good luck thing.
To find out if finally in sync or not, I turn on the little speaker with the clock signal of my Keystep Pro and watch if the light of the microcosm is finally in sync. Once in sync mine seems to keep sync and does not drift, but I would have to investigate further to be 100% sure about this.
yes, the midi clock drives me crazy when using it as an aux effect with any DAW. I’ve hooked it up to Live, Logic, Reason, FL, you name it, and it acts that way with all of them. I still love it though, especially pairing it with a Red Panda Tensor. You can really get crazy with those two playing off of each other. Guitar>fuzz pedal>microcosm>tensor.
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yes it becomes a game of constant stopping and restarting Ableton to make it lock into the timing. Once its in time it stays there.
Interesting - I will look into the Tensor. Many people recommend the Particle 2 as well.
Well after much play with the Microcosm as a studio tool, I can conclude it’s going on eBay:
Why?
- It’s midi sync is lousy and needs firmware work
- You can do better in Ableton with stock effects like Beat Repeat > Expression > LFO > Reverb
- The nature of having continually randomised patterns in a studio context is fatiguing.
- it wants to dominate your mix, making it hard to place alongside other instruments or effects
- low pass filter only adds for even more sonic mess unless you some way of HP filtering it.
- editing is is a drag
- four main lights want your retinas to burn
Glad I did it and spent the time with it, but it doesn’t work. I’d wish I’d bought a second hand Kaoss Pad 3+ as I’m sure it would have been more fun as an Aux effect.
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It’s one of the highest quantity items I follow on Reverb, so you must not be alone.
The most genius thing about the microcosm was the marketing.
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I am surprised reading the comments here. I recently jumped on a SE Microcosm and I haven’t had issues. For setting it up as an external audio effect in a DAW, this tutorial video is accurate (key points being make sure you are set for stereo line level input, configure channels in a way you won’t have loopback, and adjust your hardware latency accordingly):
Haven’t encountered issues with clock sync but I see a lot of folks mention this. Is the tempo blinking visibly delayed? I have clocked from DAW, but also did inline tests with the Microcosm taking clock from my Elektrons. They definitely blink at the same rate.
As to Microcosm itself; I wouldn’t really describe the presets as plug & play in most cases, and that certainly wasn’t my expectation before purchase. FX volume can be controlled with the shift button - I don’t see a lot of people mention the shift functions but I highly recommend looking into those if you aren’t familiar with them. There is manual adjustment needed depending on the source, it’s not a one size fits all type of pedal, otherwise the end result is samey. And speaking of source, I run a single dry signal into it. Running multiple Digitone tracks for example already loaded with reverb and delay into the Microcosm produced a mess.
There is a distinct flavor of the Microcosm sound and I tend to avoid that by not going “all in” with the pedal. It works best in my uses thus far with subtle values. I saw a lot of demos before purchase and a lot of them go into the territory of that overbearing sound where the pedal overtakes the original composition and makes it indiscernible. Less is more holds true here in my experience.
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I appreciate all that. I’ll watch the video.
It’s the fact that the unit may or may not start with the Transport Start command which means stopping and starting the DAW sequence to get it in sync. Some times it’ll be fine, other times not. I have an Eventide H9 and a Space running flawlessly with Midi Clock, but the Microcosm is luck of the draw. I’m using quality Kenton Midi Thru and an ERM Multiclock.
Everything it does can be replicated with far better precision and consistency with Ableton stock plugins when you spend enough time with it, understand what it’s doing and transpose it into an effects rack.
Totally get the point about subtlety, but I’m back to the point about a very expensive pedal vs plug-ins again.
I think the pedal appeals to those beat repeat addicts (like myself!) but it’s so erratic and the Midi start stop so annoying, I can’t make it work.
It’s just not for me. I’ve been at this for over a month. I turn it on, I search and search for the gold and in 10mins I roll my eyes and switch it off. I keep repeating the same pattern over and over - it’s going.
I’ve noticed more and more cropping up for sale on eBay UK, (there was 5 this week) which I didn’t expect (as it’s not available without import duties etc)
I do wonder if the type of music you make & the sort of results you expect are the key here…?
I love my Microcosm : I make often fairly glacial ambient & I love the slightly unpredictable nature of what I’m going to get each time. I probably use all but about 4 of the algo’s… And dialling up different settings on the 'Cosm forms a key part of my live sound , with either my little modular or an Easel Command running into the pedal.
The reverb saves me having to take another pedal, & finally whilst the start/stop nature of the MIDI sync for the looper is weird, for ambient it doesn’t really matter : I still get tempo-related loops that I can then pitch up or down with musical relation to what I’m playing - I’ve not had another looper that will do that.
The 'Cosm still delivers random moments of jaw dropping beauty for me, 2 years into ownership & along with the CB Mood & Eventide SPACE remains one of my pedals I can’t see me ever parting company with.
But I totally get this is a case of horses for courses…
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For me the microcosm is a jamming and idea generating tool like the soma cosmos…
I usually record what I am doing with it and use those samples as a starting point for further mangling in the Digitakt or Octatrack.
So, for me it is a keeper.
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You also need to dug for sweet spots. The fact it has presets is a big + for me and Midi controls allow for more variations.
Sure it’s full of bugs and Hologram seems more efficient on the marketing department than on the firmware development.
Try the Warp 1, square wave, 8x, full activity on Drums with 0 repeats😉
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I use it in two directions: one is to get background glitches to make the overall sound more lively.
Other is to “play” the Microcosm by sticking to a preset, send different instruments as inputs and see what I get from it…
I like a Chase Bliss GenLoss2 right after to give some character to the glitches. Makes interesting textures.
And Polymoon right before to thicken the input.
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How is everyone dealing with clicks? I really liked the pedal, unpredictable nature was at time a bit too chaotic, but the clicks were the thing that made me sell the pedal.
Sold mine too but never had any issues with clicks.
Never had issue with clicks either.
As sound engineers say: shit in, shit out 
I ran a bunch a stuff through and it was clicking quite often. You guys are cruel, how shitty can my sounds be? 
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