Electro-Harmonix unveils unusual Pico Atomic Cluster Spectral Decomposer - which for me is a Sonic De-Rezzer and Atomic Frequencies Oscillator

EHX’s latest Mini / Pico pedal is he fairly unique Atomic Cluster - which with Speed and Atoms knobs fully clockwise gives you a full resolution rendering of your Dry Signal - but lower the output resolution when you crank both this knobs counter clockwise. Essentially lowering the output frequency resolution!

The right-hand Atoms knobs breaks the signal frequencies down into lower resolution oscillations - where you get a fairly acute ’mangling’ counter clockwise - with the signal’s frequencies broken down into lower resolution frequency oscillations - which fully Clockwise are wholly full-resolution - which you then lower as you wind that knob down.

The Speed knob controls the frequency of Oscillation Refreshes - where manipulating those 2 core knobs give you a variety of intriguing tones - including Lo-Fi Rhythmic Glitches, Auto-Arpeggiation, and Ambient Synthetic Pads. I see it kind of as the agitation and de-rezzing of the constituent sonic ’Atomic Frequencies’ or kind of lower order Oscillations.

The Mode push-button gives you two different styles of Oscillation transition - Red : Sharp, and Green : Smooth. Blend is the Dry > Wet Mix, and the Volume is the level of output. You then have Tap Tempo also on the single Footswitch - which is triggered by at least a couple of presses in relatively quick succession. You can disable the Tap Tempo also if you wish - courtesy of some Power-Up Settings.

Controls - Mode : Red Sharp Mode / Green Smooth Mode (Oscillation Transitions), Output Level, Dry > Wet Mix, Speed / Rate of Oscillation Refresg, Atoms - Number of Oscillations (full resolution CW). Tap Tempo on single footswitch via at least 2 presses in relatively quick succession.

Ports - TS In, 9V DC [-] 100mA, TS Out.

This pedal seems to be kind of adjacent to granular / glitch pedals - with those core ’agitation’ effects de-rezzing the constituent frequency oscillations.

EHX are delivering some of the most intriguing and innovative Mini / Pico pedals these days - and this is another fairly attractive candidate for me - that I definitely want to check out.

As I’m already kind of winding down the acquisitions for the year - and starting to concentrate on the end of year stuff - I feel this one is a relatively unlikely acquisition before year-end. I typically don’t acquire any new pedals in December  - so it’s a question of - if this will be one of the last to enter the collection in November! I guess it depends also when it reaches these shores!

The Pico Atomic Cluster goes for $129 and equivalent on the EHX Webstore - and there is usually a couple of weeks or few interval for those pedals to reach these shores.

I will certainly acquire one of these - while I don’t know whether it will happen in November, or possibly more likely - January!