Cognate Hologram Manual — Cognate Audio


Category	Modulation & Pitch
Channels	Stereo in / stereo out (sum-to-mono on Anagram — see note)
Version	1.01 (06/04/2026)

Overview

Cognate Hologram is a stereo spatialiser built specifically for bass. It takes a mono signal and gives it width and movement without losing the low-end solidity that makes bass sit in a mix. Four classic mono-to-stereo methods cover a range of characters, from subtle studio shimmer to lush synth-style unison; Low Mono anchors fundamentals in the centre so nothing wanders, and every mode collapses cleanly to mono with no phase cancellation or disappearing frequencies. Go beyond chorus. Still bass.

Use cases

Studio-double thickness. Micropitch for the classic doubled-bass sound used on a thousand records.
Synth-lead density. Hyper for a dense unison stack when bass is carrying the top line.
Room-filling solo tones. Dimension or Doubler to turn a clean DI into a wide, 3D sound without flange artefacts.
Chorus-replacement. Where a traditional chorus would wash out the fundamental, Hologram keeps the low end anchored.
Live stereo rig. Drive a stereo backline or in-ear mix with genuine stereo bass without losing punch.
Final shine on a preset. Low Depth, low Modulation, a touch of Width — a subtle wide-and-alive finish that doesn't announce itself.

Parameters

Full panel layout

Bypass

Type: Toggle in the centre of the top bar

Turns off the spatialiser and passes your bass straight through mono. Use it to A/B the effect against the dry signal, or to silence the processing between songs without removing Hologram from your preset.

Type

Options: Micropitch, Dimension, Hyper, Doubler

Selects the underlying mono-to-stereo algorithm. Each one has a distinct character — start here and use Depth and Modulation to tune the flavour.

Micropitch — Fine pitch shifting combined with short delays. The classic studio-doubling sound: thick, solid, vintage.
Dimension — Homage to the Roland SDD-320 Dimension D. Lush, stable stereo spread without obvious wobble. The most "mixed-record" sound in the plugin.
Hyper — Stacked unison voices in the style of a modern Serum-style supersaw. Dense and synth-like.
Doubler — Flanger-derived doubling inspired by the MXR Model 126. Organic and BBD-coloured, with a slight analogue width movement.

Depth

Range: 0 to 100 %
Default: 50 %

How much of the effect you're hearing. At low settings it's a gentle wideness around the dry signal; at the top it's the effect in full. Every mode stays usable across the full range — crank it without worrying about phase-wrecking the low end.

Modulation

Range: 0 to 100 %
Default: 50 %

Controls how much internal movement the effect has — the amount of slow pitch or delay modulation inside the selected Type. Low settings are still and glassy; higher settings add organic motion and depth. Sweet spot is usually around the default; beyond that you start to hear the modulation as obvious wobble, which is sometimes the point.

Width

Range: 0 to 100 %
Default: 0 %

A carefully tuned mid/side enhancer applied after the main effect, for when you need the stereo image to go further than the algorithm alone provides. At 0% the image is what the selected Type produces natively; as you increase, the side information is boosted relative to the mid, exaggerating the spread. Still mono-compatible at any setting.

Low Mono

Range: 50 to 500 Hz
Default: 90 Hz

Frequencies below this point are kept mono — they aren't widened, modulated, or stereo-enhanced. This is the trick that makes Hologram usable on bass: the fundamentals and body of every note stay rock-solid in the centre of the image, while only the harmonics get the stereo treatment. The default sits just above a typical low-B fundamental. Move it higher if the effect is still affecting the feel of your low end; move it lower for more wideness on deep notes at the cost of some image stability.

Level

Range: -40 to 12 dB
Default: 0 dB

Output trim. Most of the Type + Depth combinations don't shift perceived loudness much, but turning Depth up can add a small amount of output energy — use Level to match the bypassed and engaged volumes.