Kliptor Tremolo / Filter User Manual
1Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Kliptor Tremolo / Filter from Keystone Musical Instruments.
Kliptor is built for tempo-synced tremolo and filter movement: pulsing swells, rhythmic tone shaping and animated performance textures. Whether you want subtle motion, synchronized filter movement or dramatic rhythmic effects, Kliptor gives your signal a controlled sense of movement while staying focused on musical performance.
What's new in firmware 1.4 LED brightness adjustments and leveling fixes. There are no changes to controls or functions, so everything in this manual applies to firmware 1.4. Updates are free through Keystone Control Center.
2Product Overview
- Tremolo / filter pedal for rhythmic amplitude and tone movement
- Designed for tempo-synced swell and filter effects
- From subtle pulsing to rhythmic movement and animated filter textures
- Square, envelope and ambient tremolo shapes
- Performance-friendly for guitar, bass, keyboards, synths and studio use
- Pairs well with other Keystone effects, including slice, echo, rotary and reverb pedals
- 128 onboard presets, MIDI control and APEX expression
- Free lifetime firmware updates
3Quick Start
- Connect your instrument or previous pedal to Kliptor's input.
- Connect Kliptor's output to your amp, pedalboard, mixer, interface or next device.
- Connect a 9V DC center-negative regulated power supply.
- Engage the pedal with FS1, the bypass footswitch.
- Set Rate for the speed of the pulse, then adjust Depth for how strongly the signal is cut.
- Choose a Pattern, then shape the tone with Sweep, Cutoff and Resonance.
- Use Kliptor on its own for pulsing motion, or combine it with other effects for more complex rhythmic textures.
4Controls
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| RatePOT 1 · Gate Rate | Speed of the gating movement. Lower for slow, pulsing swells; higher for fast rhythmic chopping, flutter and tremolo-like motion. |
| DepthPOT 2 · Gate Depth | How deeply Kliptor cuts the signal on each pulse. Lower keeps the movement gentle and open; higher creates a tighter, more dramatic gate with sharper rhythmic definition. |
| SweepPOT 3 · Filter Sweep | How far the filter travels as the effect moves. Subtle settings add a slight change in color; higher settings make each pulse feel like it's opening and closing. |
| CutoffPOT 4 · Filter Cutoff | The tonal center of the filter. Lower is darker and rounder; higher brings the sweep forward with more brightness, edge and presence. |
| ResonancePOT 5 · Filter Resonance | Emphasizes the filter peak. Lower keeps the filter smooth and natural; higher makes the sweep more vocal, focused and expressive. |
| PatternPOT 6 | The rhythmic shape of the gate, from simple even pulses to syncopated, chopped, pattern-based motion. |
| FS1Effect On/Off | Engages or bypasses Kliptor. |
| FS2Tap Tempo | Tap in time with the song to lock the gate and filter motion to the performance. |
| SWITCH 1Shape | Tremolo shape: square, envelope or ambient. |
| SWITCH 2Expression Mode | What the expression pedal controls. Down: Filter Only. Center: Both filter and rate. Up: Rate Only. |
| SWITCH 3Timing Mode | Timing source: MIDI for external clock or MIDI control, Tap for tempo set with FS2, or Free for unsynced manual movement. |
5Footswitches and Performance
- FS1, Effect On/Off: engage or bypass Kliptor to drop rhythmic motion into a chorus, bridge, transition or featured texture.
- FS2, Tap Tempo: tap in time with the song to set the pulse. In Tap timing mode, the gate and filter follow the tapped tempo for repeatable rhythmic phrasing.
- Expression Mode: use SWITCH 2 to choose on the fly what an expression pedal controls: Filter Only, Both, or Rate Only. Pick tonal sweeps, speed changes or combined movement from one pedal.
- Timing Mode: use SWITCH 3 for MIDI, Tap or Free. MIDI locks Kliptor to an external clock, Tap follows FS2, and Free moves independently of tempo.
- Stacking: place Kliptor before delay, reverb or slice-style effects for pulsing ambience, or after drive and modulation for stronger rhythmic shaping.
6APEX Expression Control
APEX (Assignable Programmable Expression) is Keystone's expression-control system. On Kliptor, the Expression Mode switch shapes what expression does: Down assigns it to filter movement, Center to both filter and rate, and Up to rate. Use APEX for hands-free sweeps, tempo pushes and animated transitions that make Kliptor feel like a playable instrument.
- Unplug 9V power.
- Hold FS1 (right footswitch) while you plug power back in.
- LED 1 (the left LED) blinks rapidly to confirm Kliptor is in expression setting mode.
- Use SWITCH 2 to choose whether expression controls Filter Only, Both, or Rate Only.
- Turn the supported control in the direction you want it mapped: up for up, down for down.
- To set a range instead of the full sweep, hold FS2 while turning the control to set two points, a minimum and a maximum.
- Kliptor confirms each point with two blinks. Set the first value, wait for the blinks, then set the second.
- For direct mapping, set the minimum first, then the maximum. For inverse mapping, set the maximum first, then the minimum.
- After both values are confirmed, release FS2.
- To clear all assignments, flip SWITCH 1 (left). To clear only the most recent one, flip SWITCH 2 (right).
- Press FS1 to exit. The LED blinks once for each parameter linked to the expression pedal.
- APEX settings stay on the pedal and can be backed up with Keystone Control Center.
7Keystone Control Center
Keystone Control Center is the free Mac and Windows companion app for Keystone pedals. Connect over USB to configure device settings, manage presets, back up APEX assignments and install free lifetime firmware updates. Download it at keystonemusical.com/pages/keystone-control-center.
8MIDI, Presets and Firmware
Kliptor works with pedalboard switchers, controllers, studio rigs and live performance systems. It stores 128 presets, including effect settings and APEX assignments. Firmware updates are free for life and install over USB with Keystone Control Center.
9MIDI CC Mappings
Continuous parameters
| CC | Parameter | Pot | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Gate Rate | POT 1 | 0.1 Hz – 20 Hz |
| 33 | Gate Depth | POT 2 | 0–100% |
| 34 | Filter Sweep | POT 3 | 0–100% |
| 35 | Filter Cutoff | POT 4 | 20 Hz – 20 kHz |
| 36 | Filter Resonance | POT 5 | 0–100% |
| 37 | Sequencer Variations (Pattern) | POT 6 | 0–100% |
Three-position switches
| CC | Parameter | Position 1 (0–42) | Position 2 (43–84) | Position 3 (85–127) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Gate ShapeSWITCH 1 | Square | Envelope | Ambient |
| 39 | Expression ModeSWITCH 2 | Filter Only | Custom/Both | Rate Only |
| 40 | Timing ModeSWITCH 3 | MIDI Sync | Free | Tap Tempo |
MIDI Clock sync is available when Timing Mode is set to MIDI Sync.
10LED Color Standards
Kliptor's signature color is orange . Universal colors are the same on every Keystone pedal and mark configuration modes and special states.
| State | Color | RGB | When used |
|---|---|---|---|
| I/O Mode Config | White | 255, 255, 255 | Boot mode: selecting audio routing |
| APEX Mode | Magenta | 255, 0, 255 | Boot mode: expression pedal assignment |
| MIDI Sync | Bright green-cyan | 0, 255, 100 | Synced to MIDI clock |
| Tap Tempo | Cyan | 0, 200, 255 | Tap tempo learning mode |
| Save Confirm | Bright green | 0, 255, 0 | Settings saved successfully |
| Clear/Delete | Amber | 255, 100, 0 | Clearing assignments or settings |
11Suggested Sounds
| Sound | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Tempo-synced swell | Slower Rate, moderate Depth and a smooth Pattern so the sound rises and falls with the song tempo. |
| Filtered pulse | Raise Sweep so each pulse changes both level and tone, then use Cutoff and Resonance to focus the movement. |
| Subtle motion | Keep the effect restrained so the part gains movement without sounding heavily processed. |
| Rhythmic texture | Raise Depth and pick a more active Pattern, then play short phrases or sustained chords against the pulse. |
| Stacked glitch texture | Run Kliptor with a slice-style or repeat effect for chopped, tempo-aware rhythmic patterns. |
12Troubleshooting
| Problem | Try this |
|---|---|
| No sound | Check the input, output, amp or interface, bypass status, cables and power supply. |
| Effect is too subtle | Raise Depth, Sweep or Resonance, and make sure the pedal is engaged and the Pattern suits the part. |
| Movement doesn't feel locked to the song | Set SWITCH 3 to Tap and tap FS2 steadily in time. With MIDI timing, make sure Kliptor is receiving the right external clock. |
| Too dark or too bright | Move the tonal center with Cutoff, then use Resonance to set how pronounced or vocal the sweep feels. |
| MIDI control doesn't respond | Check the MIDI channel, cable direction, controller mapping and CC numbers. |
| Expression pedal doesn't respond | Use a compatible expression pedal and cable, reconnect it, then reassign the control in APEX mode. |
| Firmware update fails | Restart the update, try a known-good USB cable, and make sure the updater and firmware files come from Keystone Musical Instruments. |
13Specifications
| Product | Kliptor Tremolo / Filter |
| Firmware | 1.4 |
| Effect type | Tremolo and filter movement |
| Primary use | Tempo-synced swell, tremolo and filter textures |
| Controls | Rate, Depth, Sweep, Cutoff, Resonance and Pattern; Shape, Expression Mode and Timing Mode switches |
| MIDI | MIDI timing and CC control of supported parameters |
| Presets | 128 onboard presets, including supported APEX settings |
| Expression | APEX, with SWITCH 2 modes Filter Only, Both or Rate Only |
| Compatibility | Guitar, bass, keyboards, synths and studio signal chains |
| Power | 9V DC center-negative regulated supply |
| Warranty | One year from the original purchase date |
14Care and Safety
- Use only the recommended power supply.
- Keep the pedal dry and away from extreme heat, cold, dust and moisture.
- Disconnect power and cables before cleaning.
- Clean the enclosure with a dry, soft cloth. Don't use solvents or abrasive cleaners.
- Don't open the enclosure unless instructed by qualified service personnel.
15Warranty and Support
Keystone Musical Instruments warrants the Kliptor Tremolo / Filter against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the original purchase date. The warranty doesn't cover damage from misuse, unauthorized modification, accident, improper power supply, liquid exposure or normal wear. For service, registration, firmware updates and support documents, visit keystonemusical.com.
