TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. OVERVIEW 06 11. FX SETUP 27

ENTERING FX SETUP
2. CALIBRATION 08 MODULE ROUTING
DUAL BYPASS
3. NAVIGATION & PRIMARY CONTROLS 10 CAPTURE ROUTING
CHANGING EFFECTS FILTER STYLES
BYPASSING EFFECTS EXPRESSION CONTROL MAPPING
CONTROLS
FOOT SWITCH CONTROLS 12. COPY/SAVE PRESETS 31
ENTERING THE COPY/SAVE MENU
4. CHARACTER MODULE 12 NAVIGATION
EFFECTS & CONTROLS
13. BROWSING PRESETS 34
ENTERING THE PRESET BROWSER
5. MOVEMENT MODULE 14 NAVIGATION
EFFECTS & CONTROLS
14. GLOBAL SETTINGS 36
ENTERING THE GLOBAL SETTINGS MENU
6. DIFFUSION MODULE 16 CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
EFFECTS & CONTROLS GLOBAL RESET
FACTORY RESET

7. TEXTURE MODULE 18 15. INPUTS & OUTPUTS 43

EFFECTS & CONTROLS CONNECTIONS
STEREO INPUTS/OUTPUTS
POWER SUPPLY
8. SECONDARY CONTROLS 20 EXPRESSION PEDAL INPUT
ENTERING THE SECONDARY CONTROL MENU MIDI & USB-C CONNECTION
EXIT/RESET SECONDARY CONTROLS
SENSITIVITY 16. MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 46
DRIFT
EFFECT VOL 17. WARRANTY 50
OUTPUT LEVEL

9. GESTURE 24
ENTERING GESTURE RECORDING
RECORDING KNOB MOVEMENTS
DELETING KNOB RECORDINGS

10. CAPTURE 26

2 3
 A NOTE FROM THE DESIGNERS:

Thank you for purchasing a Chroma Console!

In the pages that follow, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about what
Chroma Console does and how you can get the most out of it. But first, it might
be worth taking a moment to talk about why we made this pedal and what it’s
about.
If you’re like us, you may agree that some of the best moments throughout the
history of recorded music have something in common: the “limitations” of a
piece of gear or recording medium were exploited to create something vastly
more exciting than the thing it was meant to do in the first place.
Maybe it’s the preamp on a four-track cassette recorder cranked up so high
that an acoustic guitar sounds like a wobbly Marshall stack. Or it’s a kick drum
mic clipping the desk but nobody cares because the take was good. The
crunchy lo-fi converters on an old sampler, snarling filter on a vintage synth,
or maybe the analog delay that runs away into distorted oscillation just as
the song reaches its crescendo. Pieces of gear, when pushed to extremes,
can sometimes yield unexpectedly expressive results beyond what they were
originally intended to do.
Perhaps you’ve had the experience of sitting on the floor, surrounded by a pile
of mismatched gear, twisting knobs, plugging one thing into another just to see
what would happen when they interact. Then something unexpected happens,
and although you don’t know exactly how you got there, your musical intuition
takes over and you’re just interacting with the sound—you’re no longer thinking
about the devices at play, or equipment at all.
Chroma Console is our attempt to distill these happy accidents into something
you can use and enjoy every day. It’s not a studious emulation or tribute to any
specific piece of gear, although we’ve spent years carefully researching (and
exploiting) the most exciting “limitations” of beloved gear from many different
eras.
Instead, it’s a tribute to the sometimes messy, sometimes chaotic, but always
exciting things that can happen when you allow yourself to experiment.
Sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until you hear it, and we
hope this helps you find it.

Ryan Schaefer & Jason Campbell

4 5
 1 | OVERVIEW EFFECT MODULES MIX

Chroma Console consists of 4 Modules Blends between your input signal and
(Character, Movement, Diffusion, and effected signal. For the simplest signal
Texture), each containing 5 unique path, we recommend starting at 100%
Chroma Console is a flexible multi-effect pedal that takes inspiration from the eccentricity, effects. effected when creating a new sound—
grit, and lively instability of beloved vintage recording technology, combines it with brand blending in dry signal as necessary.
new sounds, and delivers it all through an intuitive user interface that puts wide-ranging
sonic experimentation at your fingertips.
You can easily re-order the effects and experiment with different signal chains—process
reverb through a fuzz, run a reverse delay into a pitch shifter, or run the evocative, gritty
sound of an aging cassette recorder into a stereo double-tracker. You can use one module
to overdrive another, and the entire signal chain can even be pushed into gentle soft
clipping when approaching the headroom limit.
BUTTONS
Before you get started, be sure to calibrate Chroma Console to your instrument so that
it can match the effects to your signal level and make experimentation easy. We suggest
Use the buttons to
starting with Mix at 100%, as that represents the simplest signal path through the effects change effects,
modules. Next, try tapping the buttons to advance through the different effects in each bypass Modules.
module. A C
Once you’ve found a signal chain you like, try using the GESTURE feature, a hands-on
sound design tool that lets you record and automate knob movements to quickly and
easily create complex, evolving textures with no additional programming or menu diving BUTTON MENUS
required.
Pressing buttons in
Then try creating ambient pads or layer looped phrases using CAPTURE, Chroma specific combinations
Console’s combination looper/sustainer. accesses deeper
menus and settings
When you’ve got something interesting happening, you can capture a snapshot and save
shown here.
up to 80 user presets for immediate recall. You can dive back into your collection of
experiments and happy accidents later, just as you remember them.

• 20 Vibrant Effects • Configurable Filter Effect (TILT, Lowpass,

• 4 Rearrangeable Effect Modules or Highpass)
• Stereo or Mono Input/Output • 80 User Presets TAP FOOT SWITCH INDICATOR LIGHTS BYPASS FOOT SWITCH
• Sophisticated Input Level Calibration • MIDI In/Out/Thru, clock synchronization
• Knob Recording with GESTURE feature • True Bypass Switching/Buffered - Tap Tempo Indicator Lights Bypass
• Sustain and loop audio with CAPTURE Bypassed with trails - CAPTURE (pg. 26) communicate various Hold to Access User Presets
- Preset Navigation functions, menus, and Preset Navigation
feature • Tap Tempo, which can sync time-based feature navigation.
• BYPASS Foot Switch Customization effects and modulation effects

6 7
 2 | CALIBRATION AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION

To automatically calibrate, simply begin playing your instrument after

Because Chroma Console’s effects are designed to color, overdrive, and entering the calibration menu. The indicator lights will change color, and
interact with each other, they are at their most exciting when calibrated to the pedal will listen to your instrument and place it into one of four input
match the input level of your instrument. headroom levels automatically.
Calibration automatically sets the compression and saturation thresholds, as If you’re using a guitar, simply strumming an open chord a few times
well as many other effect parameters, to the right level for your instrument so at your normal playing volume should do the trick. For synths, line level
that you can focus on experimentation and having fun—not endlessly fussing sources, or any other instruments, play a few notes or chords to give
with volume controls. Chroma Console an idea of the level of signal it should expect to hear
You can choose one of 4 headroom levels (Low, Medium, High, or Very High) most of the time. This measurement doesn’t have to be super precise—it
selected either automatically or manually. Automatic calibration will pick the just needs to get the general level.
level that the pedal deems most appropriate for the input material it samples,
but feel free to experiment and see which category suits your instrument best.
For cleaner and louder effects, select a higher input level.
For less headroom and earlier saturation, select a lower input level. You can
use the SENSITIVITY and EFFECT VOL secondary controls to further tweak the
MANUAL CALIBRATION
saturation sensitivity and effect output levels later if you wish.
Chroma Console will always remember the most recent calibration setting To manually choose a different input headroom level, tap one of the four
(even through power cycles) and will be applied to all presets. We recommend buttons to select your desired category.
re-calibrating when changing between instruments with distinctly different
output levels.

Many lower output Many guitars or Hot output guitars High output line level
guitars or basses, basses (humbuckers, (high/overwound/ signals, modular, etc.
instrument level stacked pickups), active pickups), most
synths, other low electric piano, some line level instruments.
output instruments. synths

To enter the Calibration Menu, press and hold both footswitches

simultaneously until you see the indicator lights display a purple animation.

8 9
 3 | NAVIGATION & PRIMARY CONTROLS 3 | NAVIGATION & PRIMARY CONTROLS

CHANGING EFFECTS FOOT SWITCH CONTROLS

Press a button once to descend through effects. The module button will
illuminate with the corresponding effect color to indicate selection.

Single press Tap Tempo for Vibrato, Phaser, Tremolo, Cascade,

TAP foot switch Reels, Collage, and Reverse.

Long press CAPTURE Recording. See CAPTURE section (pg.

TAP foot switch 26) for more information.
BYPASSING EFFECTS
Press and hold a button to bypass the selected effect. Single press Bypass/Engage pedal or modules.
BYPASS foot switch

Long press Enter PRESET BROWSER mode. See BROWSING

CONTROLS BYPASS foot switch PRESETS (pg. 34).

Each knob on Chroma Console has two functions: Bypass pedal when using DUAL BYPASS. See DUAL
Double tap
PRIMARY and SECONDARY controls. PRIMARY controls BYPASS foot switch BYPASS section for more information (pg. 28).
are listed in bold lettering below each knob.

SECONDARY controls are listed in gray lettering

underneath the primary. These controls are accessed
via the SECONDARY menu. For more on accessing
these controls, see the SECONDARY CONTROLS
section (pg. 20).

10 11
 4 | CHARACTER MODULE EFFECTS

DRIVE: Tube-like drive with nothing but sweet spots, ranging from warm
preamp to full overdrive.
CHARACTER AMOUNT adjusts intensity of overdrive.

Shape and articulate your sound with overdrive, compression,

fuzz, and swell effects. Inspired by a collection of analog gear, SWEETEN: A pleasant preamp that adds EQ, compression, and gentle
these effects offer dynamic response and a wide range of tones. saturation as you increase AMOUNT. Perfect for subtly sweetening your
basic instrument sound or lightly overdriving the effects that follow it.
The red TILT & AMOUNT knobs control the selected effect.
AMOUNT adjusts compression and saturation.

FUZZ: Dynamic vintage-voiced fuzz tones ranging from smooth and

CONTROLS rounded to brash blown-speaker sounds. Use the TILT control to change
not only the tone, but also the transient and bias characteristics of the
fuzz for varied sounds across the dial.
LESS MORE
DISTORTED DISTORTED AMOUNT adjusts intensity of the FUZZ effect.

HOWL: Resonant filter fuzz with a lot of personality. Howl can create
smooth sustaining tones or synth-like stabs that cut through the mix,
depending on the position of the TILT control.
AMOUNT adjusts intensity of the HOWL effect.
TILT controls the tone of the effect. SENSITIVITY is a secondary control
At center, the EQ is set to neutral, that fine-tunes the headroom that SWELL: Expressive envelope-triggered volume swells. As you get a feel for
with minimal processing. Turning to you set in Calibration, allowing you playing the effect, you’ll find that allowing more or less separation between
the right makes the effect brighter, to dial in your preferred breakup notes allows you to precisely control when the swells trigger.
and turning to the left will make point for the drive effects.
AMOUNT adjusts the attack and decay times of the SWELL effect.
the effect darker. In addition to EQ
adjustments, TILT also interacts with When set to SWELL, sensitivity
the parameters of the saturation allows you to adjust the triggering
effects, so experiment and find the threshold, making the effect more or EFFECT VOL adjusts the output volume of the Character module.
sound that suits you best. less responsive to your playing.

12 13
 5 | MOVEMENT MODULE PHASER: Vintage-voiced classic phaser effects that range from swirling
hypnotic sweeps to pulsing vibrato-like undulation.
RATE: sets the phase-shifting frequency.
AMOUNT: adjusts the modulation intensity and introduces additional phase
MOVEMENT shifting stages (ranging from 2-stage to 12-stage). This allows for many
different phase shifting styles across the travel of the knob, so experiment
Warp and expand your sound with modulation effects inspired to find the sound you like the best.
by classic studio recording gear and techniques, ranging from DRIFT: adds randomness to the phase-shifting waveform.
subtle to pronounced, steady to wobbly.

The yellow RATE & AMOUNT knobs control the selected effect. TREMOLO: Colorful, pulsing, amplitude modulation that can go from a
classic guitar amp shimmer to a hard, square-wave chop.
RATE: sets the amplitude modulation frequency.
AMOUNT: sets the tremolo depth, from soft flutter to choppy rhythm.
EFFECTS
DRIFT: introduces randomness, variation, and instability into the tremolo
effect as DRIFT increases.
DOUBLER: Stereo double tracking effect that reproduces the sound of
overdubbing a part multiple times. Sounds range from tight doubling to
short slap-back delay. PITCH: Pitch shifting from -1 octave to +1 octave. Use DRIFT to add a
colorfully expressive lo-fi grit, or try automating the sweep or the pitch with
RATE: sets the doubling time range from short to long. GESTURE for maximum enjoyment.
AMOUNT: mixes in more doubling as it is increased. RATE: determines pitch of effect. No pitch shifting is applied in the center,
DRIFT: introduces and increases intensity of random momentary pitch -1 Octave when fully left, and +1 Octave when fully right—with gliding travel
shifts. through the pitch range in between.
AMOUNT: determines the mix of the pitch-shifted signal; 100% wet signal
when fully clockwise.
VIBRATO: Lush pitch modulation that can range from classic sine wave
vibrato to tapelike random warbles. DRIFT: lowers the resolution of the pitch shifter in a pleasing, lo-fi manner.
Adds instability as DRIFT increases. Can be used in the center position,
RATE: sets the frequency of the pitch modulation.
even if no pitch shifting is applied, to add a little extra personality to your
AMOUNT: adjusts the modulation depth. signal.
DRIFT: increases the stereo width of the effect and introduces a random
modulation waveform that evokes tape warble and instability. EFFECT VOL adjusts the output volume of the Movement module.

14 15
 6 | DIFFUSION MODULE SPACE: A versatile reverberation effect that seamlessly blends between 5 different
reverb sounds, ranging from tight recording echo chambers to massive sustaining
clouds of notes.
TIME: sets the reverb size and tonality. Reverb size increases as you turn clockwise.

DIFFUSION AMOUNT: sets the wet/dry mix of the reverb; 100% wet when fully clockwise.

Diffusion’s time-based effects are equal parts vintage gear appreciation DRIFT: introduces pitch modulation to the reverb.
and the weirdness you’ve come to expect from Hologram. Each effect
has its own unique character when moving the TIME parameter, which
can be exploited to great creative effect by automating it with a
COLLAGE: Wild, spontaneous looping delay. Collage destructively edits the
GESTURE.
delay line as you move the TIME knob, so quick knob movements or recorded
The green TIME & AMOUNT knobs control the selected effect. GESTURES create pitch bends, double speed/half speed loops, and all kinds
of pleasing manipulations that repeat and fold in on themselves as feedback
increases.
EFFECTS TIME: sets the delay subdivision, ranging from short, granular samples to longer
looplike phrases.
CASCADE: Influenced by the classic sound of a bucket-brigade style analog
delay, but heightened. Dime the AMOUNT, twist the TIME knob, it does the thing. AMOUNT: introduces additional repeats and feedback, resulting in evolving
Darker in tonality, subtle modulation that increases with DRIFT. oscillation at the maximum setting.

TIME: sets the delay time, ranging from short slapback to quarter-note taps. When DRIFT: introduces random double-speed loops into the mix and increases pitch
using tap-tempo, delay times will be quantized subdivisions of the tempo you tap. modulation.

AMOUNT: increases repeats and feedback until it begins to self-oscillate, distort,

and pleasingly explode at maximum.
REVERSE: Reverse delay with variable playback speed/pitch (-1 Octave to +1
DRIFT: increases intensity of pitch modulation and adds more instability and Octave) for real-time “backwards tape” effects and haunting ambience.
signal degradation to the repeats for added character.
TIME: sets the speed/pitch of the delay. At center, it plays back at normal speed,
halfspeed (-1 Octave) at left, and double-speed (+1 Octave) at right.
REELS: Inspired by the expressive sound of a well-worn tape echo, this one is full
AMOUNT: sets the wet/dry mix of the delay; 100% wet when fully clockwise.
of grit and bright, lively, slightly wonky echoes that are constantly evolving. Add
DRIFT to further degrade the tape medium and see what happens. DRIFT: adds pitch modulation to the repeats.
TIME: sets the delay time, ranging from short slapback to quarter-note taps.
AMOUNT: increases repeats and feedback; lively self-oscillation at 100% for
maximum creative effect. EFFECT VOL secondary control adjusts only the DIFFUSION wet effect volume.
In this way, you can use EFFECT VOL to set the volume of the delay taps, reverb,
DRIFT: adds instability and degradation to the tape playback, repeats disintegrate loops, etc. to your preferred level in relation to the dry signal.
as they get recycled into feedback and then fade away.

16 17
 7 | TEXTURE MODULE SQUASH: A heavy-handed compressor and overdrive that can rein in loud
chains of effects, provide subtle polish, or add a pleasing grit to a signal
depending on the position of the AMOUNT knob.
AMOUNT: introduces more compression and begins to overdrive as the
knob approaches 100% clockwise.
TEXTURE
Sculpt, squash, and break your signal with a collection of textural
effects. Use FILTER or SQUASH to add a subtle polish to your
effect chain, or sand it down with your preferred level of grit CASSETTE: A celebration of all the weird things that cassette tape
by using Broken, Cassette, or Interference to add expressive recorders can do. Wow, flutter, warble, tape degradation, and pitch artifacts
dimension to your instrument. can add a profound nostalgic quality to even the simplest of sounds.
The blue AMOUNT knob controls the selected effect. AMOUNT: tape saturation, compression, filtering, and artifacts all increase
in intensity as the knob moves clockwise. There are many different flavors
of tape coloration present across the range of the knob, so experiment to
find the sound you like best.
EFFECTS

FILTER: Multi-mode filter effect. By default, the active filter style is TILT, but
it can be configured as a standalone low-pass filter (LPF) or high-pass filter BROKEN: Periodic pitch drops combine with amplitude and frequency
(HPF). See FX SETUP (pg. 27) for more info. modulation to mangle your input with the sounds of motorized audio
AMOUNT: sets the cutoff frequency of the filter. equipment in need of service.
AMOUNT: increases breakdown, reaching maximum intensity when fully
clockwise.

INTERFERENCE: Adds a dissolving layer of musical disturbance to your

signal, inspired by telecom network glitches, radio static, and interference
of all kinds.
AMOUNT: moves through various flavors of interference, increasing in
LOW-PASS FILTER TILT FILTER HIGH-PASS FILTER intensity as you turn clockwise.
EQ is set to neutral when EQ is set to neutral at EQ is set to neutral when
fully clockwise; turn left center. Turn left to cut fully counter-clockwise;
to cut highs. highs; turn right to cut turn right to cut lows.
lows. EFFECT VOL adjusts the output volume of the Texture Module.

18 19
 8 | SECONDARY CONTROLS 8 | SECONDARY CONTROLS

DRIFT
ENTERING THE SECONDARY CONTROLS MENU
Both MOVEMENT and DIFFUSION modules are equipped with DRIFT controls.
To enter the SECONDARY CONTROLS MENU, press the A and B buttons DRIFT parameters are inspired by the captivating eccentricities of vintage
simultaneously and release. Lights will animate teal. musical equipment and the charming musical applications of instability and
unpredictability.
Each DRIFT parameter is different, and each was carefully designed to bring
a wide range of expressive, musical malfunctions under your control. You can
take the baseline sound of each effect and then use DRIFT to dial in the amount
of randomness, chaos, or nostalgic warble that your composition requires.

0% 50% 100%

For example, increasing DRIFT when the VIBRATO effect is selected will
gradually change the modulating wave form from a sine wave to a random
While in this mode, each knob will adjust the Secondary Control of each wave shape while simultaneously altering the stereo spread.
respective knob (listed in gray lettering underneath each knob).
DOUBLER random momentary pitch shifts
VIBRATO random modulation waveform that evokes tape warble and instability
PHASER adds instability to the phase-shifting waveform
EXIT SECONDARY RESET SECONDARY TREMOLO introduces variation to the amplitude and frequency modulation
To exit this menu at any time, To reset all secondary controls PITCH lowers the fidelity of the pitch shifter and adds instability
press A and B again and to the default values, press and CASCADE increases pitch modulation, adds signal degradation to repeats
release. This returns the knob hold A and B until a pulsing
REELS increases pitch instability and adds tape degradation
functions to their primary teal animation displays. This
controls. Alternatively, press the indicates that all secondary SPACE introduces pitch modulation at various stages in the reverb
BYPASS foot switch once to exit. controls have been reset to the COLLAGE introduces random double-speed loops and increases pitch modulation
default values.
REVERSE adds pitch modulation to the repeats

20 21
 8 | SECONDARY CONTROLS 8 | SECONDARY CONTROLS

SENSITIVITY EFFECT VOL

SENSITIVITY fine-tunes the headroom that you set in Calibration for the Each Module has an EFFECT VOL secondary control. This secondary control
Character module, allowing you to dial in the your preferred breakup point for adjusts the output volume of its respective module. This control is helpful to
the drive effects. adjust the internal balance of the modules within the signal chain.
NEUTRAL
Indicator lights illuminate green. NEUTRAL
Indicator lights illuminate green.

LESS SENSITIVITY MORE SENSITIVITY

Clean, less distortion Increase distortion
and reactivity. and reactivity. ATTENUATE BOOST
OUTPUT SIGNAL OUTPUT SIGNAL

OUTPUT LEVEL
This secondary control can attenuate or boost the output volume of Chroma
Console’s FX output. For the DIFFUSION module, EFFECT VOL boosts/attenuates only the wet
output signal of the diffusion effects.
NEUTRAL
Indicator lights illuminate green.

ATTENUATE FX BOOST FX
OUTPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL

22 23
 9 | GESTURE 9 | GESTURE

Gesture recording is an exciting feature that allows you to record and loop RECORDING KNOB MOVEMENTS CONT.
knob movements of Chroma Console’s Primary Controls. This allows the user
to build up complex, evolving sounds easily with simple motions of the knobs. While playing back a gesture recording, Module LEDs will oscillate between the
color of the selected effect and white, giving indication that knob recording is
present within the corresponding Module.

ENTERING GESTURE RECORDING More knob recordings can be created by re-entering GESTURE and repeating
the above steps for a different knob. Moving a knob that has been previously
To enter the GESTURE RECORDING mode and begin recording knob
recorded will overwrite the original loop and create a new loop.
movements, press the C and D buttons simultaneously and release. The
lights will animate white to indicate that the Gesture menu is active.
Once you’ve recorded a gesture, you can use tap tempo (or external MIDI
clock) to speed these gestures up or down relative to the tempo they were
originally recorded at. For example, recording a gesture at a slow speed and
then speeding up the tempo is an interesting way to create complex motions
and patterns that move faster than one can physically move the knobs.

DELETING KNOB RECORDINGS

To individually delete a knob’s recording, simply move the knob while in
live effect mode.

To delete all present knob recordings, press and hold C and D until a
RECORDING KNOB MOVEMENTS pulsing white animation displays. This indicates that all recorded knob
Begin turning the knob or knobs of your choice. Button LEDs will change from movements have been deleted.
white to red to indicate that a knob in that column is being recorded.

To end the knob recording cycle, press C and D once more or hit the BYPASS
footswitch. Either action will exit the GESTURE menu.

24 25
 10 | CAPTURE 11 | FX SETUP

CAPTURE is an ephemeral sustainer and looper with up to 30 seconds of Chroma Console’s presets can be customized further in the FX SETUP menu.
record time. Immediately create soft droning pads or musical looped phrases In the FX SETUP menu, the following settings can be adjusted:
with the press of a single footswitch.
1. Module Routing
2. Dual Bypass
3. Capture Routing
4. Filter Style
5. Expression Control Mapping

While the TAP foot switch is held down, the CAPTURE mode is initiated, and
a short loop will begin recording. As soon as the foot switch is released, the ENTERING FX SETUP
the loop will stop recording and the CAPTURE mode will enter into playback To enter the FX SETUP menu, press & release the A and D buttons
mode. This step can be repeated to simultaneously clear the original and simultaneously.
start recording a new loop.

MODULE ROUTING
When entering the FX SETUP menu, the buttons will animate in sequence to indicate
the current module order of the preset. The default module order is as follows:
When recording very short loops, the With longer material, CAPTURE will
audio playback will have soft fading act as a traditional looper, allowing
edges that overlap, creating a seamless you to capture and play a musical
ambient pad in a short moment. The phrase. The indicator lights will
indicator lights will animate blue when animate green when playing
playing sustainer loops. looped phrases.
After the animation displays, the four buttons will begin blinking blue, at which
The CAPTURE feature can be configured in POST-FX (default) or PRE-FX in point you can tap the buttons in your desired routing sequence to reorder the
the FX SETUP menu. This CAPTURE ROUTING is saved on a per-preset basis. modules. Once modules have been reordered, the pedal will exit the FX SETUP
menu and return to live effect mode.
To stop/delete CAPTURE recordings, press the TAP foot switch once.
To cancel the module routing process and exit the menu, you can either press
CAPTURE recordings are not saved within user presets. the BYPASS foot switch or press A and D.

26 27
 11 | FX SETUP 11 | FX SETUP

DUAL BYPASS CAPTURE ROUTING

Chroma Console’s BYPASS foot switch can be configured to bypass and Chroma Console’s CAPTURE recordings can be routed POST-FX (default) or
engage specific Modules, as opposed to bypassing the entire pedal. PRE-FX. From the FX SETUP menu, turn the MIX knob to make your selection.
An orange menu will indicate that you’ve entered the CAPTURE routing menu.
In a blank or default preset, Chroma Console’s BYPASS foot switch is configured
to bypass/engage all Modules at once.

From the FX SETUP main menu (blinking lights, awaiting module routing), press
and hold the BYPASS foot switch.

While the BYPASS foot switch is being held down, the four buttons will be
illuminated either in SOLID YELLOW or BLINKING YELLOW. While the foot
switch is being held, you can press the buttons to toggle between SOLID or
BLINKING Buttons. PRE-FX: Turning MIX left of center will POST-FX (default): Turning MIX right
route CAPTURE before the effects. of center will put CAPTURE after the
effects.

A white button light will indicate your selection. After 3 seconds of inactivity,
Chroma Console will return to the FX SETUP main menu.
BLINKING YELLOW SOLID YELLOW

If a Button is BLINKING YELLOW, If a Button is SOLID YELLOW,

Chroma Console’s BYPASS foot Chroma Console’s BYPASS EXPRESSION CONTROL MAPPING
switch will bypass/engage that foot switch will not bypass From the main FX SETUP menu, move the expression pedal—this will open
particular module. that particular Module. the expression mapping menu.
Next, move the corresponding knob of the control you’d like to map to the
Releasing the BYPASS foot switch at any moment will return you to the FX expression pedal. After 3 seconds of inactivity, the expression mapping menu
SETUP main menu (blinking lights, awaiting module routing). will time-out and return to the FX SETUP main menu.
The expression mapping menu also automatically opens when you connect
When using DUAL BYPASS, double tap the BYPASS foot switch to disengage an expression pedal to the EXP jack, or when you move an expression pedal
the entire pedal. after assignment was cancelled.

28 29
 11 | FX SETUP 12 | COPY / SAVE PRESETS

FILTER STYLE Chroma Console is capable of storing up to 80 user presets.

These user presets save:
Chroma Console has 3 distinct filter styles that can be configured on a per-
preset basis. • Effects & Module Routing
• All primary control settings
TILT FILTER - turn left to cut high frequencies; turn right to cut low frequencies • All secondary control settings
LOW-PASS FILTER - turn left to cut high frequencies • All Gesture recordings
• Filter Style
HIGH-PASS FILTER - turn right to cut low frequencies • Dual Bypass Settings
• Capture Routing
TILT FILTER • Expression control mapping
To change the style of Filter effect, • Tapped tempo
move the TEXTURE AMOUNT knob
while in the FX SETUP menu.
LOW-PASS HIGH-PASS
After 3 seconds of inactivity, Chro- FILTER FILTER
ma Console will return to the FX ENTERING THE COPY/SAVE MENU
SETUP main menu.
To enter the COPY/SAVE menu, press the B and C buttons simultaneously.
This will copy the active preset and prepare it for saving.

The Buttons indicate which The 4 LED bars will indicate which
EXIT / RESET FX SETUP preset bank you are in. specific preset slot you are in.
To exit this menu at anytime, press A and D again and release. Alternatively,
press the BYPASS foot switch once to exit. BANK A PRESETS 1-4
To reset all changes made in FX SETUP, press and hold A and D until PRESETS 5-8
BANK B
a pulsing blue animation displays. This indicates that all FX SETUP PRESETS 9-12
parameters have been reset. BANK C
PRESETS 13-16
BANK D PRESETS 17-20

30 31
 12 | COPY / SAVE PRESETS 12 | COPY / SAVE PRESETS

NAVIGATION SAVE/OVERWRITE
In this example,
To save or overwrite your copied preset into the desired slot, press both the B
BANK A, USER PRESET 3 & C buttons again. A teal animation will be displayed as the pedal saves your
is selected. preset. Chroma Console will return to normal operation once the process is
complete.

To cancel the saving process and exit the COPY/SAVE menu, press and
hold the BYPASS foot switch. The lights will animate red to indicate that the
process has been stopped. The copied settings will be restored.

You can navigate through the presets and banks two different ways. Use either
the AMOUNT knobs or foot switches to scroll to the desired saving location.

If a preset slot is empty, the buttons will briefly illuminate white as the cursor
hovers over the slot.
If there is already a preset saved within a slot, the buttons will illuminate with
corresponding effect colors. Any saved preset will become active as you scroll
through the banks, allowing you to audition the sound before overwriting it.

32 33
 13 | BROWSING PRESETS 13 | BROWSING PRESETS

NAVIGATION
You can navigate through the presets and banks two different ways.
1. Turn any module AMOUNT knob to scroll through its corresponding 20
available presets.
2. Tap either foot switch to move the cursor to the desired saving location. A
single tap of the left or right foot switch will move the cursor one slot to the left
or right, respectively.
3. To load a preset, press & hold the BYPASS or the TAP foot switch while the
desired preset is selected.

By default, presets will be auditioned while navigating through the browser.

Preset Browser Audition can be turned off in the GLOBAL SETTINGS menu (see
ENTERING THE PRESET BROWSER MENU pg. 36 for more information).
You can load and audition presets from the PRESET BROWSER. To enter
In this example,
the PRESET BROWSER menu, press and hold the BYPASS foot switch. BANK A, USER PRESET 3
A wiping button animation will indicate that you’ve entered the browser. is selected.

The Buttons indicate which preset bank you are in.

A Button illuminated: Bank A

B Button illuminated: Bank B
C Button illuminated: Bank C
D Button illuminated: Bank D

The 4 LED bars will indicate which specific preset slot you are in, using a
white cursor and color coded menus.

Controls and Button Functions are disabled while browsing presets.

34 35
 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS

The GLOBAL SETTINGS MENU lets you change the default behavior of Chroma CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
Console to suit your needs.
1. MIDI CHANNEL (TILT KNOB)
This setting configures which
ENTERING THE GLOBAL SETTINGS MENU Channels 1-4 channel Chroma Console will
To enter Chroma Console’s GLOBAL SETTINGS MENU, press all buttons listen to incoming MIDI messages
(A, B, C, and D) simultaneously and release. Channels 5-8 on. By default, Chroma Console is
set to MIDI Channel 1.
Channels 9-12

CONFIGURATION OPTIONS Channels 13-16

Once in the GLOBAL SETTINGS MENU, Chroma Consoles knobs are used
to make changes to the global settings. Below is a table that illustrates the
settings each knob can alter.
2. MIDI ROUTING (RATE KNOB)
KNOB CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
TILT MIDI CHANNEL 1-16 In Global Settings, you can
Interface mode choose how Chroma Console
Interface mode, Interface without internal
RATE MIDI ROUTING clock, Thru mode, Thru without internal routes MIDI messages from other
clock Interface without devices and whether it sends its
AUTO, USB MIDI, DIN MIDI, Internal clock internal clock own internal clock messages.
TIME MIDI CLOCK SOURCE
only
MIX N/A N/A Thru mode
AMOUNT (CHARACTER) LED BRIGHTNESS Min-Max
Thru without internal
PRESET BROWSER Enable Preset Browser Audition clock
AMOUNT (MOVEMENT)
AUDITION Disable Preset Browser Audition
Buffered Bypass, Buffered Bypass with
AMOUNT (DIFFUSION) BYPASS MODE
trails, True Bypass
AMOUNT (TEXTURE) N/A N/A

36 37
 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS

MIDI USB FROM COMPUTER

2. MIDI ROUTING (RATE KNOB) MIDI FROM EXTERNAL DEVICE 2. MIDI ROUTING (RATE KNOB)
CHROMA CONSOLE INTERNAL CLOCK
Thru without internal clock: This setting func-
tions the same as Thru Mode, but Chroma
Interface Mode (Default): Chroma Console Console will not send out its own internal clock
works like a USB MIDI interface. If you send messages. MIDI clock messages sent to the
a message from a computer to the Chroma DIN IN port will be forwarded to the DIN OUT
Console over USB, it will be forwarded to the port.
DIN MIDI OUT port. If you send a message to
the DIN MIDI IN port, it will be forwarded to the
computer over USB. Chroma Console’s clock
signals will be output to both DIN and USB
When Chroma Console is synced to External Clock sources, its Internal Clock,
MIDI.
as it is referred to here, is equivalent to the External Clock BPM. See MIDI
CLOCK SOURCE for more.
Interface without internal clock: This setting
functions the same way as Interface Mode, but
Chroma Console does not send out its own
internal clock messages. MIDI clock messages 3 - MIDI CLOCK SOURCE (TIME KNOB)
from the computer are forwarded along with
all other MIDI messages. Chroma Console has two hardware
AUTO interfaces – USB MIDI and standard
5-PIN DIN MIDI. Chroma Console will
USB MIDI sync the following effects to external
MIDI clock:
Thru Mode: Chroma Console forwards incom-
DIN MIDI Vibrato, Phaser, Tremolo, Cascade,
ing messages from the DIN MIDI IN port to the
DIN MIDI out port. Clock signals will be output Reels, Collage, and Reverse.
Internal Only
to both DIN and USB MIDI. In Global Settings, you can configure
Chroma Console to listen for clock
messages from different external
MIDI sources.

38 39
 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS

3 - MIDI CLOCK SOURCE (TIME KNOB) 5 - PRESET BROWSER AUDITION (MOVEMENT AMOUNT KNOB)

Auto (Default): In this mode, Chroma Console listens for clock on both USB
and DIN MIDI and automatically switches between them. Incoming USB clock Audition Silent
messages take priority over messages received on the MIDI DIN input.
USB MIDI: Chroma Console listens for MIDI clock over USB and ignores DIN By default, presets are auditioned while navigating through both the PRESET
MIDI clock messages. BROWSER and the COPY/SAVE menu. This global setting lets you disable preset
audition, allowing you to navigate through presets without hearing their effects.
DIN MIDI: Chroma Console listens for clock on the MIDI DIN input, and ignores When audition is disabled, the currently-active preset will persist until a new
it on USB preset is loaded. Disabling this setting can be useful for live performance.
Internal clock only: Chroma Console ignores all external clock messages and
always uses its internal clock.
6 - BYPASS MODE (DIFFUSION AMOUNT KNOB)
After receiving clock, you can switch back to Chroma Console’s internal clock This setting configures the bypass mode of the pedal.
by sending a Stop message from the external MIDI clock source. If Chroma
Console stops receiving clock messages, it will switch to its internal clock.
Buffered Bypass: Instrument input
Buffered Bypass remains buffered when Chroma Con-
sole is disengaged, offering a more
Buffered Bypass trails consistent dry tone and maintaining
4 - LED BRIGHTNESS (CHARACTER AMOUNT KNOB) the stereo image when a mono input
True Bypass source is used. Effects immediately
stop upon bypassing pedal.
Min-Max
Buffered Bypass with trails: The DIFFUSION effects will fade out naturally when
This setting allows you to reduce the brightness of the LEDs for use in different bypassed but will not process any new audio until the effect is engaged again.
lighting conditions. By default, LEDs are at 100% brightness—turn knob True Bypass: Chroma Console uses two relays for stereo true bypass. When
counter-clockwise to decrease brightness. bypassed, the outputs are connected directly to the corresponding inputs. The
pedal is electrically isolated from the input and output signals.
When Chroma Console is set to True Bypass, the automatic mono-to-stereo
and stereo-to-mono routings do not apply.

40 41
 14 | GLOBAL SETTINGS 15 | INPUTS & OUTPUTS

GLOBAL SETTINGS RESET

If you want to reset all global settings back to the original factory settings,
hold the A, B, C and D buttons until a pulsing orange animation displays.

FACTORY RESET
A factory reset will clear all User preset banks and reset the global
parameters back to the default settings.
1. Enter the GLOBAL SETTINGS menu.
2. Simultaneously hold buttons A and D while also pressing/holding both
foot switches.
3. Indicator lights will display a warning animation. Continue holding to CONNECTIONS
proceed with factory reset.
4. After 5 seconds, the pedal will reboot and display the startup LABEL CONNECTIONS
animation. This indicates that the factory reset is complete. INPUT L / INPUT R Left and right 1/4” audio inputs

OUTPUT L / OUTPUT R Left and right 1/4” audio outputs

EXP Expression pedal connection (see FX SETUP pg. 27)
MIDI IN / MIDI OUT 5-pin DIN MIDI connectors
USB USB-C MIDI connector
9VDC 9 Volt DC power input

42 43
 15 | INPUTS & OUTPUTS 15 | INPUTS & OUTPUTS

STEREO INPUTS & OUTPUTS EXPRESSION PEDAL INPUT

Chroma Console detects which inputs are connected and routes the signal
automatically: Polarity: TRS
Recommended pot resistance: >10k Ohm
Mono to Stereo: Connect either input and both outputs. Parameters: Assign an expression pedal to any single primary control (TILT,
RATE, TIME, MIX, or AMOUNT).
Stereo to Mono: Connect both inputs and either output.

When Chroma Console is set to True Bypass (see GLOBAL SETTINGS section For more information on how to configure expression, see the FX SETUP
pg. 36), the automatic mono-to-stereo and stereo-to-mono do not apply when section (pg. 27).
the pedal is bypassed.

Audio Technical Specifications:

MIDI IN / MIDI OUT & USB CONNECTION
Max audio input level: +8dBu
Chroma Console has a standard 5-pin DIN MIDI in/out connection and a
AD/DA: 24-bit 48kHz USB-C port. The USB-C port can be used to send MIDI commands to Chroma
Input impedence: 1 MΩ Console directly from a computer. For MIDI configuration options, see GLOBAL
SETTINGS (pg. 36).
Output impedence: less than 1kΩ

POWER SUPPLY

Chroma Console requires a 9 volt DC power supply that can provide at least
500mA continuous current. The pedal uses a standard center negative 2.1mm
connection.

Use of a power supply that does not meet these specifications could result in
damage to Chroma Console or the power supply.

44 45
 16 | MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 16 | MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART

PRIMARY CONTROLS MESSAGE RANGE MODULE CONTROLS MESSAGE RANGE

TILT CC# 64 0-127 DRIVE (0-21)
RATE CC# 66 0-127 SWEETEN (22-43)
FUZZ (44-65)
TIME CC# 68 0-127 CHARACTER MODULE CC# 16
HOWL (66-87)
MIX CC# 70 0-127 SWELL (88-109)
AMOUNT (CHARACTER) CC# 65 0-127 OFF (110-127)

AMOUNT (MOVEMENT) CC# 67 0-127 DOUBLER (0-21)

VIBRATO (22-43)
AMOUNT (DIFFUSION) CC# 69 0-127
PHASER (44-65)
AMOUNT (TEXTURE) CC# 71 0-127 MOVEMENT MODULE CC# 17
TREMOLO (66-87)
PITCH (88-109)
OFF (110-127)
CASCADE (0-21)
SECONDARY CONTROLS MESSAGE RANGE REELS (22-43)
SENSITIVITY CC# 72 0-127 SPACE (44-65)
DIFFUSION MODULE CC# 18
COLLAGE (66-87)
DRIFT (MOVEMENT) CC# 74 0-127
REVERSE (88-109)
DRIFT (DIFFUSION) CC# 76 0-127 OFF (110-127)
OUTPUT LEVEL CC# 78 0-127 FILTER (0-21)
EFFECT VOL (CHARACTER) CC# 73 0-127 SQUASH (22-43)
CASSETTE (44-65)
EFFECT VOL (MOVEMENT) CC# 75 0-127 TEXTURE MODULE CC# 19
BROKEN (66-87)
EFFECT VOL (DIFFUSION) CC# 77 0-127 INTERFERENCE (88-109)
EFFECT VOL (TEXTURE) CC# 79 0-127 OFF (110-127)

46 47
 16 | MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 16 | MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART

BYPASS CONTROLS MESSAGE RANGE USER PRESETS PROGRAM CHANGE

BANK A, 1-4 PC# 0-3

BYPASS (0-63)
STANDARD BYPASS CC# 91
ENGAGE (64-127) BANK A, 5-8 PC# 4-7

TOTAL BYPASS (0-31) BANK A, 9-12 PC# 8-11

DUAL BYPASS CONTROLS CC# 92 DUAL BYPASS (32-64)
BANK A, 13-16 PC# 12-15
TOTAL ENGAGE (65-127)
BANK A, 17-20 PC# 16-19

BANK B, 1-4 PC# 20-23

OTHER FUNCTIONS MESSAGE RANGE BANK B, 5-8 PC# 24-27

PLAY (0-63) BANK B, 9-12 PC# 28-31
GESTURE PLAY/REC CC# 80
RECORD (64-127)
BANK B, 13-16 PC# 32-35
GESTURE STOP/ERASE CC# 81 0-127
STOP/CLEAR (0-43) BANK B, 17-20 PC# 36-39
CAPTURE CC# 82 PLAY (44-87) BANK C, 1-4 PC# 40-43
RECORD (88-127)
BANK C, 5-8 PC# 44-47
POST-FX (0-63)
CAPTURE ROUTING CC# 83
PRE-FX (64-127) BANK C, 9-12 PC# 48-51
TAP TEMPO CC# 93 0-127 BANK C, 13-16 PC# 52-55
LPF (0-43)
BANK C, 17-20 PC# 56-59
FILTER MODE CC# 84 TILT (44-87)
HPF (88-127) BANK D, 1-4 PC# 60-63
LOW (0-31)
BANK D, 5-8 PC# 64-67
MEDIUM (32-63)
CALIBRATION LEVEL CC# 94
HIGH (64-95) BANK D, 9-12 PC# 68-71
VERY HIGH (96-127)
BANK D, 13-16 PC# 72-75
EXIT (0-63)
CALIBRATION MENU (ENTER) CC# 95
ENTER (64-127) BANK D, 17-20 PC# 76-79

48 49
 17 | WARRANTY

Hologram Electronics warrants your product to be free from physical defects in

material and workmanship for a period of 2 years from the date of the original
retail purchase. If you discover a defect covered by this warranty, we will repair
or replace the product.

Not Covered by this Warranty:

This warranty covers manufacturing defects that arise from the correct use
of this device. It is limited to defects in materials or workmanship and does
not cover damage caused by unauthorized modification, abuse, lightning or
power surge damage. The warranty does not cover the normal wear and tear
of graphics, knobs, or enclosures.

For support, please visit our support page at hologramelectronics.com/support

or scan below:

50 51
52