Kosmos Multi Phaser User Manual
1Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Kosmos Multi Phaser from Keystone Musical Instruments.
Kosmos is built for deep, musical phase movement, stereo modulation and performance-friendly control. It can emulate nearly any phaser, plus some that don't exist until you dial them in. Whether you want classic swirl, wide stereo sweeps, subtle texture or synchronized movement for modern pedalboard and studio setups, Kosmos gives your signal a spacious, animated character while keeping the controls immediate and expressive.
2Product Overview
- Multi-stage phaser for classic, wide and modern modulation sounds
- Selectable 2 to 8 poles, from subtle movement to deep, pronounced sweeps
- Mono, stereo and wide output modes for immersive spatial movement
- Tempo sync with note divisions, plus a quick speed selector
- MIDI sync and control for switchers, controllers, studio rigs and live systems
- APEX expression control for assignable, hands-free parameter movement
- 128 onboard presets
- For guitar, bass, keyboards, synths and studio use
- Free lifetime firmware updates
3Quick Start
- Connect your instrument or previous pedal to Kosmos's input.
- Connect Kosmos'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 sweep, then Depth for the amount of modulation.
- Choose the No. of Poles, then shape the sound with Center Freq, Feedback and Mix.
- Use Tap or MIDI timing to lock the phaser to the song, or Free for unsynced manual movement.
- Save favorite settings as presets for quick recall during performance.
4Controls
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| RatePOT 1 | Speed of the phaser movement. Lower for slow, evolving sweeps; higher for fast, rotary-like shimmer, pulse and animated modulation. |
| DepthPOT 2 | How strongly the sweep moves through the signal. Lower adds gentle motion and width; higher creates deeper, more obvious phase movement. |
| MixPOT 3 | Blends phased and dry signal, from 0 to 100% wet. Lower for subtle texture, middle for classic phaser balance, higher for a stronger, wetter effect. |
| FeedbackPOT 4 | Emphasizes the phaser peaks. Lower keeps the movement smooth and classic; higher makes it more vocal, resonant and dramatic. |
| No. of PolesPOT 5 | Number of phaser stages, 2 to 8. Fewer stages sound lighter and more vintage; more stages create deeper, more complex, more pronounced movement, even doubling. |
| Center FreqPOT 6 | The tonal center of the sweep. Lower keeps it darker and rounder; higher brings it forward with more brightness, edge and presence. |
| FS1Bypass | Engages or bypasses Kosmos. |
| FS2Tap | Tap in time with the song to lock the phaser sweep to the performance. |
| SWITCH 1Note Div | In Tap or MIDI mode: the tempo-synced rate, 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 note. In Free mode: the stereo mode (see section 5). |
| SWITCH 2Speed | Quick selector for phasing speed: slow, medium or fast. |
| SWITCH 3Tempo | Timing mode. MIDI follows external clock or MIDI control, Tap follows FS2, and Free is unsynced manual movement. |
5Stereo Modes
SWITCH 1 has two jobs. With SWITCH 3 on Free, it sets the stereo mode, which then stays locked in. To change the stereo mode while you're using Tap or MIDI timing, move SWITCH 3 to Free, set SWITCH 1, then return SWITCH 3 to Tap or MIDI.
| SWITCH 1 | Stereo mode | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Down | Mono | Same phaser on left and right |
| Center | Stereo | Independent left and right phasers |
| Up | Wide | Cross-mixed left and right for maximum width |
With SWITCH 3 on Tap or MIDI, SWITCH 1 selects the note division instead.
6Footswitches and Performance
- FS1, Bypass: engage or bypass Kosmos to add phaser movement for a chorus, bridge, transition, solo or featured texture.
- FS2, Tap: tap in time with the song to set the modulation rate. In Tap mode, the sweep follows the tapped tempo for repeatable rhythmic phrasing.
- Speed: use SWITCH 2 to change the phasing speed on the fly.
- Timing mode: use SWITCH 3 for MIDI, Tap or Free. MIDI locks Kosmos to an external clock, Tap follows FS2, and Free moves independently of tempo.
- Stereo and width: use Stereo or Wide for spacious pads, synths, keys and ambient guitar. Use Mono when the phaser needs to stay focused in a dense mix.
- Stacking: place Kosmos before delay and reverb for wide moving ambience, before drive for classic phase coloration, or after drive for more dramatic sweep definition.
7APEX Expression Control
APEX (Assignable Programmable Expression) is Keystone's expression-control system. Use it for hands-free phase sweeps, speed ramps, stereo movement and animated transitions that make Kosmos feel like a playable instrument.
- Unplug 9V power.
- Hold FS1 while you plug power back in.
- LED 1 (the left LED) blinks rapidly to confirm Kosmos is in expression setting mode.
- Move the supported control you want to assign.
- Turn it 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.
- Kosmos 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.
- 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.
8Keystone Control Center
Keystone Control Center is the free Mac and Windows companion app for Keystone pedals. Connect over USB to configure audio mode and device settings, manage presets, back up APEX assignments and install free lifetime firmware updates. Download it at keystonemusical.com/pages/keystone-control-center.
9MIDI, Presets and Firmware
Kosmos has MIDI In/Thru and MIDI CC control for switchers, controllers, studio rigs and preset-based workflows. Its 128 presets save rate, depth, mix, feedback, pole count, center frequency, timing mode, stereo routing, APEX assignments and other performance settings. Firmware updates are free for life and install over Micro-USB with Keystone Control Center.
Kosmos uses the MIDI Type-A TRS standard for MIDI In and MIDI Thru. MIDI Thru repeats everything arriving at MIDI In, so one connection on the first pedal can carry tempo, CC and PC messages down the whole board over inexpensive TRS cables instead of bulkier 5-pin MIDI cables.
10MIDI CC Mappings
Continuous parameters
| CC | Parameter | Pot | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | LFO Rate | POT 1 | 0.1 Hz – 10 Hz |
| 71 | LFO Depth | POT 2 | 0–100% |
| 72 | Mix | POT 3 | 0–100% |
| 73 | Feedback | POT 4 | 0–95% |
| 74 | Poles | POT 5 | 2–8 |
| 75 | Center Frequency | POT 6 | 100 Hz – 2 kHz |
Three-position switches
| CC | Parameter | Position 1 (0–42) | Position 2 (43–84) | Position 3 (85–127) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Stereo / DivisionSWITCH 1 | Mono / 1/16 | Stereo / 1/8 | Wide / 1/4 |
| 77 | ModifierSWITCH 2 | Dotted | Normal | Triplet |
| 78 | Timing ModeSWITCH 3 | Tap Tempo | Free | MIDI Sync |
MIDI Clock sync is available when Timing Mode is set to MIDI. Start and Stop are supported. Keystone's CC numbering skips CC 59–69 to avoid conflicts with standard controllers such as Sustain and Portamento.
11Suggested Sounds
| Sound | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Classic swirl | Moderate Rate, medium Depth, lower Feedback and a balanced Mix for a smooth vintage-style phaser. |
| Slow space sweep | Slow Rate, deeper Depth, Wide stereo mode and more poles for broad, evolving movement that pairs well with delay and reverb. |
| Funk pulse | Faster Rate, moderate Depth, a focused Center Freq and medium Mix so muted rhythms and chord stabs move with energy. |
| Resonant sweep | Raise Feedback and Depth, then adjust Center Freq to focus the peak for a vocal, expressive sound. |
| Stereo motion | Stereo or Wide mode with a moderate Rate to spread the movement across the stereo field. |
| MIDI-synced texture | Timing on MIDI, synced to an external clock, with tempo-aware rates for repeatable rhythmic movement live or in the studio. |
12LED Color Standards
Kosmos's signature color is teal . Universal colors are the same on every Keystone pedal and mark configuration modes and special states.
| State | Color | When used |
|---|---|---|
| I/O Mode Config | White | Boot mode: selecting audio routing |
| APEX Mode | Magenta | Boot mode: expression pedal assignment |
| MIDI Sync | Bright green-cyan | Synced to MIDI clock |
| Tap Tempo | Cyan | Tap tempo learning mode |
| Save Confirm | Bright green | Settings saved successfully |
| Clear/Delete | Amber | Clearing assignments or settings |
13Troubleshooting
| Problem | Try this |
|---|---|
| No sound | Check the input, output, amp or interface, bypass status, cables and power supply. |
| Effect is too subtle | Raise Depth, Feedback or Mix, or add poles, and make sure the pedal is engaged. |
| Movement doesn't feel locked to the song | Set the timing mode to Tap and tap FS2 steadily in time. With MIDI timing, make sure Kosmos is receiving the right external clock. |
| Too narrow or too wide | Change the stereo mode between Mono, Stereo and Wide to suit your rig. |
| Too dark or too bright | Move the tonal focus with Center Freq, then use Feedback and Mix to set how pronounced the phaser 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. |
14Specifications
| Product | Kosmos Multi Phaser |
| Firmware | 1.4 |
| Effect type | Multi-stage phaser |
| Primary uses | Classic phaser movement, stereo sweeps, tempo-synced modulation and animated textures |
| Controls | Rate, Depth, Mix, Feedback, No. of Poles and Center Freq; Note Div, Speed and Tempo switches |
| Phaser stages | 2 to 8 poles |
| Audio | Mono, stereo and wide routing |
| MIDI | Type-A TRS In and Thru; clock sync, CC control, Start/Stop |
| Presets | 128 onboard presets, including supported APEX settings |
| Expression | APEX expression control |
| Compatibility | Guitar, bass, keyboards, synths and studio signal chains |
| Power | 9V DC center-negative regulated supply |
| Warranty | One year from the original purchase date |
15Care 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.
16Warranty and Support
Keystone Musical Instruments warrants the Kosmos Multi Phaser 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.
