Exploring Anti-Looping with the Soma Labs Cosmos

It may be built on a foundation of live looping, but the Cosmos is explicitly designed to take audio and play it back in ways that are deliberately altered, unpredictable, and non-repetitive. In this first look, we explore the "main" and "granular" modes of operation, as well as some general functionality. Some of these features are steeped in live looping tradition, while others are exceedingly unusual and distinctive. (Creating a volume increase during a fadeout, with no extra input signal or overdubs added?!?! Stay tuned...)

0:00 Billions and billions
0:20 Non-repetitive looping?
1:05 Different algorithms, and previewing the two-delay and granular modes
1:51 Stereo scenarios
2:34 Cosmos 101: two simultaneous loops, and sending the live input to either or both of them
3:33 Signal flow display and reverse
4:14 Expanding the loop length (and mangling the memory) with the second algorithm
4:41 Returning to the first algorithm, and windowing through a smaller section of the loop
5:00 Expanding the loop length in the third algorithm
5:22 Windowing down the loop in the first algorithm
5:44 Eroding high frequency content with the lowpass filter
6:25 Highpass filtering and “scrubbing” across a section of the loop
6:49 Comparing selective filtering across different algorithm windows
7:42 Feedback rules all with a mighty fist
8:35 First granular algorithm, and scanning the loop with the Drift knob
9:20 Creating “jitter and spray” with Blur
9:43 New overdubs in granular mode
10:13 Entering the second granular algorithm
10:39 The third granular mode, and its secondary (mono) audio signal
11:33 Bathing in the granular streams
13:24 The quasi-secret half-speed hack
14:30 Exiting half speed, and surfing through different algorithms
15:35 Reduced Feedback and selective signal sends
16:28 Shortening the loop length to speed up the rate of decay
17:26 Creating a volume swell during a fade-out with the compressor

Deep thanks to the following Patreon supporters for helping to finance this tutorial:

(in alphabetical order)

Randolf Arriola
Richard Atkinson
Steve Ball and Tiny Orchestral Moments
Dan Burke
Steven Clements
Phil Clevenger
Laurence Cramp
Hal Dean
Tony Douglas
Rejyna Douglass-Whitman
Jeff Evans
Christopher Evans
Shawn Farley
Christopher Fedak
Jason Fink
Jens-Christian Fischer
Pepe Flores
Gaetano Fontanazza
Ross Garren
Joel Gilardini
Randy Greene
Anthony Hancock
Phil Heiliger
Louis Hesselt van Dinter
Philipp Hirtler
Bob Holub
Fedor Indutny
Ted Killian
Zak Kramer
Todd Lainhart
Jeff Larson
Rebecca Lee
Ken Luke
Dino Meneghin
Jesse Nason
Michael Peters
Matt Pogue
Matt Rowe
Gene Schwartz
Keith Spicknell
Darin Stewart
Chris Stromquist
Nik Tembe
Nakarin Teerapenun
Bernhard Wagner
Paul Weber
Frank Welte

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