Electro‑Harmonix already build a few ‘out there’ pedals, but you’d need the James Webb telescope to see just how far out there the new Atomic Cluster pedal is! It comes in the familiar Pico enclosure and includes an EHX power supply (there’s no battery power option for these diminutive pedals).
The way this pedal works is explained as a process that breaks down the input signal into “resonant oscillations”, then reconstructs them rhythmically, producing sounds that are sometimes glitchy or rhythmic, and at other times more like wayward ambient synth pads. Fortunately, there are relatively few controls, so it doesn’t take long to find your way around the pedal. The Atoms and Speed knobs are where most of the magic happens, with the other two knobs looking after Volume and Blend. A button switches between green and red modes: green smooths out the transitions between added sounds, while red keeps them sharp and abrupt.
Atoms controls how frequently resonant oscillations are generated, essentially setting the density, and at maximum the output spectrum gets closer to the original input sound as so many oscillations are being generated that they track the spectral content of the input fairly accurately. Back it off, though, and the effect becomes more fractured, generating single‑note fragments or ghostly reflections of the original sound. These lower settings impose a less predictable, more synth‑like character on proceedings.
Speed controls how quickly the pedal refreshes the oscillations, and at slower settings the effect can sound almost like a synth’s sample & hold filter. At higher speed settings, the refresh happens more quickly generating chaotic, random‑sounding textures that feel like unhinged arpeggios. Speed can also be set by tap tempo, using the footswitch. Vol sets the overall output level while Blend balances the dry direct and processed signals. To get the effected sound to sit behind the dry sound, the Blend control has to be set to almost all the way down, but there’s also fun to be had by exploring the wet‑only sounds.
Putting distortion before the Atomic Cluster really livens things up, as does using a guitar’s bridge pickup.
In my review tests, I obtained the most predictable‑sounding results by playing guitar chords rather than single notes, and the process works best with a fairly bright sound source — so putting distortion before the Atomic Cluster really livens things up, as does using a guitar’s bridge pickup. And if you don’t play guitar, you could try it as part of a modular synth system, where it could add some useful sonic complexity.
Play single notes and you can get really interesting results, where the chaotic nature of the effect invites exploration. The process feels quite touch‑sensitive, and combining higher Atoms settings with a slow to medium Speed adds arpeggio‑like patterns of pitched chaos that follow your chords. Low settings of both Speed and Atoms can get nicely glitchy, especially if using the red ‘sharp’ mode.
Whether you’re after glitchy experimental sounds, rhythmic spectral sweeps or resonant ambient washes, the Atomic Cluster’s small control set accesses a wide range of effects. It will appeal more to those looking for inspirational glitchiness and less to those who prefer polite and predictable pedals... but we’ve had enough of polite and predictable, right?
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£129.99.
$129
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