Kuttor Slice Shaper User Manual

Kuttor Slice Shaper pedal

Slice Shaper · Firmware 1.4

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Power requirement: 9V DC, center-negative, at least 300 mA from an isolated output for each pedal.Not recommended: daisy chains, any voltage other than 9V, or a supply that gives a pedal less than 300 mA.

1Welcome

Thank you for choosing the Kuttor Slice Shaper from Keystone Musical Instruments.

Kuttor is built for creative slicing, beat-repeat performance, pitch-shaped playback and expressive rhythmic transformation. Whether you want tight stutters, tempo-synced slice movement, pitch-based patterns, glitch textures or programmable performance control, Kuttor gives your signal a flexible rhythmic voice while keeping the controls immediate and musical.

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.

What is Kuttor and how does it work?

Kuttor is a beat-repeat and slicing pedal. It listens to what you play, saves a short piece of it (the loop), and plays that piece back again and again while you reshape it. Your dry signal always passes straight through, so you can keep playing on top while the repeats move underneath.

Think of it as three steps:

  1. Capture. Press a footswitch. Kuttor records exactly one loop length of what you play. You choose that length with the Slice Length knob, in bars at the current tempo (1/16 bar up to 4 bars). When the recording is full, playback starts on its own.
  2. Slice. The loop is cut into equal slices (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32). Slice Playback decides how the slices are played: in order, doubled (Stutter), in a shuffled order (Random) or each one backwards (Reverse).
  3. Shape. Playback Speed changes the pitch to notes of a musical scale. The Cycle switch decides how: one pitch for the whole loop (Pulsar), a tempo-synced arpeggio (Quasar) or a random scatter of scale notes (Magnetar). Feedback lets the loop fade a little on each pass, and Mix blends the loop with your dry signal.

Everything is measured in bars, so the loop stays in time. The Tempo switch picks where the tempo comes from: a fixed tempo (Free), your foot (Tap) or an external MIDI clock.

2Product Overview

  • Beat capture and looping from 1/16 bar to 4 bars
  • Slice engine with 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 slices
  • Slice playback modes: Normal, Stutter, Random and Reverse
  • Scale-quantized pitch control using 10 musical scales
  • Pulsar, Quasar and Magnetar pitch modes for global transposition, tempo-synced arpeggios and generative random scatter
  • Feedback/decay control for loop degradation
  • Forward and reverse playback, with slicing on or off
  • Tempo sync with Free, Tap and MIDI timing
  • MIDI sync with quantized captures, tempo-updated slice boundaries, transport control and phase-locked Quasar arpeggios
  • APEX expression control for assignable, hands-free parameter movement
  • Mono, mono-to-stereo and stereo I/O with buffered bypass
  • 128 presets, recalled with MIDI Program Change
  • Free lifetime firmware updates

How the signal flows

Your input splits in two. The dry signal goes straight to the Mix stage and is never delayed or stopped. At the same time the input is written into a capture buffer whenever a capture is running. During playback, the loop is read back through the slice engine and the pitch/speed stage, then through the feedback decay (or, in Quasar, a note gate), and finally blended with the dry signal by the Mix knob.

Signal flow: input splits into a dry path and a captured loop that is sliced, pitched, decayed or gated, then mixed with the dry signal at the output Input your instrument Mono in / Stereo out only right copy delayed about 10 ms Dry signal passes through untouched 1 Capture buffer records one loop length when you start a capture 2 Slice engine Slice Division, Slice Playback, Direction switch 3 Pitch and speed Playback Speed + scale, Cycle switch 4 Decay or gate Feedback knob: loop decay (Quasar: note gate) Mix dry + wet blend Output
Signal flow from input to output
Pitch works like tape speed. Playback Speed changes how fast the captured audio is read back. Lower notes read slower and higher notes read faster, so a lower pitch also stretches the loop and a higher pitch squeezes it. In MIDI mode Kuttor pulls the loop back to its start at every loop-length boundary of the clock, so pitch changes cannot drift off the grid for more than one pass.

In mono-in/stereo-out mode the right channel is a copy of the input delayed by about 10 ms, so the captured loop is a true stereo pair. See section 8 for I/O setup.

3Quick Start

  1. Connect your instrument or previous pedal to Kuttor's input.
  2. Connect Kuttor's output to your amp, pedalboard, mixer, interface or next device.
  3. Connect a 9V DC center-negative regulated power supply. At power-up both LEDs blink once to three times to show the I/O mode (section 8).
  4. Set the Tempo switch to Free (bottom) to start. Kuttor runs at 120 BPM until you set a tempo in Tap or MIDI mode.
  5. Set the Cycle switch to Pulsar (center) and the Direction switch to Down (forward with slicing).
  6. Set Slice Length (POT 1) to the loop length you want, from 1/16 bar to 4 bars. At 120 BPM, 1/4 bar is half a second.
  7. Press the Latch footswitch (FS1, right) and play. The loop LED blinks red while Kuttor records one loop length, then turns solid light blue as playback begins.
  8. Turn Slice Division (POT 2) and Slice Playback (POT 3) to chop and reorder the loop, and Playback Speed (POT 4) to move the pitch through the scale.
  9. Set Mix (POT 6) for the dry/wet blend. Press Latch again to stop.
  10. Hold the Momentary/Repeat footswitch (FS2, left) for a repeat that lasts only while your foot is down.
  11. Use MIDI, presets or APEX expression control for repeatable settings, external timing or hands-free changes.

4Controls

Kuttor Slice Shaper panel with every control, switch, footswitch and jack labeled
Panel at a glance

Slice Length and Mix are global. Slice Division, Slice Playback, Playback Speed and Feedback change role depending on the pitch mode selected with the Cycle switch. The printed panel names stay the same; the table shows what each one does in each mode.

Control Range Function
Slice LengthPOT 1 1/16 bar to 4 bars Sets the captured loop length in tempo-synced divisions: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2 or 4 bars.
Slice DivisionPOT 2 Mode-dependent Pulsar and Magnetar: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 slices. Quasar: arpeggio rate (1/2, 1/4, dotted 1/8, 1/4T, 1/8, dotted 1/16, 1/8T, 1/16, 1/16T, 1/32).
Slice PlaybackPOT 3 Mode-dependent Pulsar and Magnetar: slice playback (Normal, Stutter, Random, Reverse). Quasar: arpeggio pattern (Straight, Swing, Triplet, Gallop, Dotted).
Playback SpeedPOT 4 Scale-quantized pitch Pulsar: transposes the whole loop to the selected scale note. Quasar: sets the arpeggio starting note. Magnetar: sets how many scale notes the random scatter can use. In the scale menu (hold FS1): selects the scale.
FeedbackPOT 5 Pulsar/Magnetar 0-100%
Quasar gate 10-100%		 Pulsar and Magnetar: feedback. Fully clockwise = loop does not decay; lower settings let the loop fade on each pass. Quasar: note gate length, from staccato to legato.
MixPOT 6 0% dry to 100% wet Sets the dry/wet blend. At 0% you hear only your dry signal.
LatchFS1 · right Toggle Starts a capture, then plays the loop. Press again to stop. Hold for about 0.8 s from idle to open the scale menu.
Momentary/RepeatFS2 · left Hold Captures and repeats while held; release to stop. In Tap mode, taps the tempo once tap-set is active.
Directionfwd slice · clean · rev slice Down / Center / Up Down: forward with slicing. Center: forward clean loop (slicing off). Up: reverse with slicing.
Cyclemagnetar · pulsar · quasar Down / Center / Up Down: Magnetar (random scatter). Center: Pulsar (global pitch). Up: Quasar (tempo-synced arpeggio).
Tempofree · tap · midi Down / Center / Up Down: Free (fixed tempo). Center: Tap (tap tempo). Up: MIDI clock sync.

Switch positions at a glance

Switch position map for the Direction, Cycle and Tempo toggles as read by the firmware Direction UP Reverse + slice CENTER Clean loop DOWN Forward + slice Cycle UP Quasar CENTER Pulsar DOWN Magnetar Tempo UP MIDI CENTER Tap DOWN Free
Switch positions as read by the firmware (UP, CENTER, DOWN)

What each control does, and why you would turn it

Slice Length (POT 1)

This is the size of the piece Kuttor grabs and loops. Short settings (1/16 to 1/4 bar) give tight stutters and glitches. Long settings (1 to 4 bars) capture whole phrases that you can then slice up. The knob snaps to seven lengths. Turn it before you capture to choose how much is recorded.

Bar chart of the seven Slice Length settings and their durations at 120 beats per minute Slice Length: loop time at 120 BPM (Free default) 1/16 0% 0.125 s 1/8 17% 0.25 s 1/4 33% 0.5 s 1/2 50% 1 s 1 bar 67% 2 s 2 bars 83% 4 s 4 bars 100% 8 s Percent = knob position (0 = fully counterclockwise). Bars are drawn to scale.
Slice Length settings and their durations at 120 BPM

You can also turn Slice Length while a loop plays. A shorter setting truncates the loop so it wraps sooner. A longer setting than you captured stays at the captured length, because Kuttor cannot play audio it did not record. The LEDs show the length while you turn the knob (section 6). Lengths are measured against the tempo at the moment of capture, so changing the tempo later does not re-time audio that is already recorded.

Slice Division (POT 2)

In Pulsar and Magnetar this cuts the loop into 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 equal slices. More slices means shorter, busier pieces. At 1 slice the loop plays as a single piece. Slice Division only has an audible effect when the Direction switch is in a slicing position. In Quasar, slicing is turned off and this knob sets how fast the arpeggio steps.

Slice Playback (POT 3)

In Pulsar and Magnetar this decides the order the slices play in:

  • Normal: the loop plays straight through.
  • Stutter: each slice plays twice before moving on.
  • Random: after each slice, Kuttor jumps to a different slice, never the same one twice in a row.
  • Reverse: each slice plays backwards. With the Direction switch set to reverse, the two reversals cancel inside each slice.
Timing diagram showing how Normal, Stutter, Reverse and Random slice playback step through four slices Example: 1 bar loop, 4 slices Loop 1 2 3 4 Normal 1 2 3 4 Stutter 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 Reverse ◀ 1 ◀ 2 ◀ 3 ◀ 4 Random 3 1 4 2 Stutter plays each slice twice, so one pass takes two loop lengths (drawn compressed here). Random order is an example. Kuttor picks a new slice each time, never the same one twice in a row.
How the four slice playback modes step through four slices

In Quasar this knob picks the arpeggio rhythm instead: Straight (even notes), Swing, Triplet, Gallop (short, short, long) or Dotted (long, short). The rhythm patterns shape the note timing in Free and Tap modes. In MIDI mode the arpeggio steps from the clock at the rate you chose.

Playback Speed (POT 4)

This knob moves through the notes of the selected scale (section 7), from the lowest note at the left to the highest at the right. Because it works like tape speed, the lowest notes also play the loop more slowly. Notes range from one octave down to about 5 semitones up. The default scale is Major Triad.

  • Pulsar: the whole loop plays at the note you pick. When the knob lands on the note that plays at the original pitch, the tempo LED flashes green briefly, so you can find unity without listening.
  • Quasar: the knob picks the note the arpeggio starts on. Changing it restarts the arpeggio.
  • Magnetar: the knob sets how many scale notes are in play, counting up from the lowest. All the way left, the scatter uses only the lowest note; all the way right, it uses the whole scale.

Feedback (POT 5)

In Pulsar and Magnetar, fully clockwise means the loop never decays. Turn it down and every pass through the loop is a little quieter than the last, so the repeats fade away. Fully counterclockwise is the fastest fade. In Quasar this knob becomes the note gate: low settings give short, plucked notes (10% of each step) and high settings give smooth, connected notes (100%).

Mix (POT 6)

At 0% you hear only your dry signal. At 100% you hear only the loop. Somewhere in the middle, the dry signal lets you play over the repeats. Kuttor is always active, so Mix is the only way to bring the loop in and out of the blend.

Direction switch

Down plays the loop forward and keeps slicing on. Center plays a clean forward loop with slicing off: Slice Division and Slice Playback have no effect, and in Magnetar the loop plays one random note per pass. Up plays in reverse with slicing on, starting from the end of the loop.

Cycle switch

Pulsar (center) is the simple one: one pitch for the whole loop. Quasar (up) turns the loop into a melody by stepping through the scale notes on the beat grid. Magnetar (down) picks a random scale note for every slice, and the pattern changes on each pass (under a running MIDI clock, it follows the song bar, so rewinding your DAW replays the same pattern).

Tempo switch

Free (down) holds a fixed tempo: 120 BPM, or the tempo you were using when you switched over from Tap or MIDI. Tap (center) uses a tempo you tap with your foot (section 5). MIDI (up) follows an external MIDI clock and quantizes captures to the bar.

5Footswitches, Performance and Recipes

The two footswitches

  • Latch (FS1, right footswitch): press to capture. Kuttor records one loop length (the loop LED blinks red) and then plays the loop (the loop LED is solid light blue). Press again to stop. Every new press captures fresh audio.
  • Momentary/Repeat (FS2, left footswitch): press and hold. Kuttor captures, then repeats the loop for as long as your foot stays down. Release to stop. If you release before the capture is complete, the capture is cancelled.
  • Stopping: pressing Latch during a capture cancels it. Releasing Momentary always stops at once.
  • FS2 while the loop plays: while FS2 is held, the loop LED stays dark and, in Free and Tap modes, the tempo LED lights light blue.
Footswitch state diagram: idle, recording, playing and tap set Idle loop LED off Recording loop LED slow red Playing loop LED solid blue Tap set tempo LED green FS1 or FS2 press loop length is filled FS1 press or FS2 release hold both 300 ms (Tap mode) While recording: FS1 press or FS2 release cancels the capture. MIDI mode with clock running: FS1 or FS2 press waits for the next bar, and FS1 during playback queues the stop for the next bar.
Footswitch states

What changes with the Tempo switch

  • Free and Tap: a footswitch press starts recording immediately.
  • MIDI with a clock running: a footswitch press arms the capture, and recording starts on the next bar line. The loop LED blinks red quickly while it waits. If Kuttor is not receiving a clock, a press starts recording immediately.
  • Stopping on the bar: in MIDI mode with the clock running, pressing Latch while the loop plays queues the stop for the next bar (the loop LED blinks light blue quickly). Press Latch again to stop immediately. Cancelling a recording, or releasing Momentary, is always immediate.
  • Transport: MIDI Start restarts the loop from its beginning, MIDI Stop halts playback but keeps the loop, and MIDI Continue resumes where it stopped. Start and Continue only relaunch a loop that you started with a footswitch and did not stop yourself.

Tap tempo

Set the Tempo switch to Tap (center). Tap tempo uses this gesture:

Four step tap tempo gesture 1 Set the Tempo switch to Tap 2 Hold both footswitches for 300 ms 3 Tap FS2 on every beat (at least twice) 4 Press FS1 to finish (or wait 5 s)
Tap tempo gesture
  1. Hold both footswitches for about 300 ms. Any loop that was playing is cleared. The tempo LED turns green and pulses.
  2. Tap FS2 (left) on each beat. The first tap starts the clock and the second sets a tempo. Taps must be between 100 ms and 3 seconds apart, and Kuttor averages the last four.
  3. Press FS1 (right) to finish. This press only exits tap mode; it does not start a loop. If you stop tapping for 5 seconds, tap mode exits on its own.
  4. The tempo LED now pulses white at your tempo. Press FS1 to capture at that tempo.

Tap tempo is kept when you switch to Free, so you can tap a tempo and then run Free at that speed.

Playing the three pitch modes

  • Pulsar (Cycle center): global pitch. The whole loop follows the selected scale note. This is the best place to start.
  • Quasar (Cycle up): tempo-synced arpeggios. Slice Division sets how fast it steps, Slice Playback sets the rhythm, Playback Speed sets the starting note and Feedback sets the gate. Slicing is off in Quasar.
  • Magnetar (Cycle down): generative random scatter. Each slice picks a random note from the lowest notes of the scale, and the Playback Speed knob decides how many notes are available.
  • Stacking: put Kuttor before delay or reverb for sliced ambience, after drive for aggressive glitch, or before modulation for moving patterns.

Recipes

Knob positions are given as a percentage of knob travel, where 0% is fully counterclockwise and 100% is fully clockwise. Slice Length snaps to 7 lengths, Slice Division to 6 values and Slice Playback to 4 modes, so the percentages are the center of each zone. Examples use Free at its 120 BPM default, where 1 bar is 2 seconds.

1. Tight stutter

Control Setting
Tempo / Cycle / Direction Free · Pulsar · forward with slicing
Slice Length 33% (1/4 bar, 0.5 s)
Slice Division 60% (8 slices of about 62 ms)
Slice Playback 37% (Stutter)
Playback Speed 67% (original pitch in Major Triad)
Feedback / Mix 100% / 70%
  1. Press Latch and play a chord or a hit for half a second. The loop LED blinks red, then turns solid light blue.
  2. The loop repeats as doubled 62 ms slices.
  3. Turn Slice Division down to 4 slices (40%) for longer repeats, or up to 32 (100%) for a buzz.
  4. Press Latch to stop.

2. Reverse swell

Control Setting
Tempo / Cycle / Direction Free · Pulsar · reverse with slicing
Slice Length 67% (1 bar, 2 s)
Slice Division 0% (1 slice: the whole loop in one piece)
Playback Speed 33% (lower pitch, slower loop)
Feedback / Mix 30% / 60%
  1. Play a chord and hold Momentary (FS2) for two seconds.
  2. The loop plays backwards, starting from its end, so the end of your phrase leads the swell.
  3. Release FS2 to stop.

3. Quasar arpeggio from a held chord

Control Setting
Tempo / Cycle / Direction Free · Quasar · clean (center)
Slice Length 67% (1 bar)
Slice Division (arp rate) 45% (1/8 notes)
Slice Playback (pattern) 10% (Straight)
Playback Speed (start note) 0% (lowest note)
Feedback (gate) / Mix 50% (notes at 55% of their step) / 100%
  1. Press Latch and hold a chord for 2 seconds.
  2. The loop steps up through the notes of the scale at 8th-note speed, wrapping around.
  3. Move Slice Playback to 30% for Swing or 70% for Gallop. Raise Feedback to 100% for connected notes.

4. Random scatter

Control Setting
Tempo / Cycle / Direction Free · Magnetar · forward with slicing
Slice Length 67% (1 bar)
Slice Division 80% (16 slices of 125 ms)
Slice Playback 62% (Random)
Playback Speed (range) 67%
Feedback / Mix 100% / 60%
  1. Press Latch and play for 2 seconds.
  2. Each slice is a random slice at a random scale note, and the pattern changes on every pass.
  3. Turn Playback Speed down to keep the scatter on a few low notes, or up to open the full scale.

5. Lock to a DAW or drum machine

  1. Set the Tempo switch to MIDI (top) and connect MIDI In. Send a clock and a Start message.
  2. The tempo LED pulses: light blue on beat 1, white on beats 2 to 4.
  3. Press Latch. The loop LED blinks red quickly until the next bar line, then records one loop length.
  4. The loop plays in time. Press Latch to queue a stop on the next bar, or press it twice to stop at once.
  5. Stop from the DAW halts the loop. Start from the DAW relaunches it from the beginning.

6. Clean loop for ambience

  1. Set Direction to center (clean), Cycle to Pulsar, Slice Length to 83% (2 bars, 4 s) and Mix to 50%.
  2. Set Playback Speed to 67% for the original pitch, or 33% for a lower, slower layer.
  3. Press Latch and play a 4 second phrase. Turn Feedback down slightly so the loop slowly fades.

6Reading the LEDs

Kuttor has two RGB LEDs. LED 2 shows the loop: capture, recording and playback. LED 1 shows the tempo and FS2. In MIDI mode with the clock running, a capture starts on the next bar, so you can see "the 1" on the tempo LED.

LED state legend with the real LED colors for the loop LED and the tempo LED Loop LED (LED 2) Off Idle, or FS2 is held Fast red blink Capture is waiting for the next bar (MIDI) Slow red blink Recording the loop Solid light blue Loop is playing Fast light blue blink Stop is queued for the next bar (MIDI) Tempo LED (LED 1) Pulse, blue on beat 1 MIDI clock running: blue on the 1, white on 2, 3 and 4 Dim white MIDI mode, no clock running White pulse Tap mode, tempo set (pulses at the tapped tempo) Green pulse Tap mode, tap-set is active (tap FS2) Solid light blue FS2 is held (Free and Tap modes) Off Free mode, nothing held
LED states and colors

Loop LED (LED 2)

State LED 2 What it means
Idle No loop is playing. LED 2 is also dark while FS2 is held.
Waiting for the 1 Fast red blink. MIDI mode with clock running: capture starts on the next bar.
Recording Slow red blink. Kuttor is recording one loop length.
Playing Solid light blue. The loop is playing.
Stop queued Fast light blue blink. MIDI mode: the loop stops on the next bar.

Tempo LED (LED 1)

Timing mode LED 1 What it means
MIDI, clock running Smooth pulse on every beat: light blue on beat 1 of the bar, white on beats 2, 3 and 4.
MIDI, Start received Solid white flash for half a second.
MIDI, Stop received Red flash for half a second.
MIDI, no clock Dim white.
Tap, setting tempo Green pulse at the tapped tempo.
Tap, tempo set White pulse at the tapped tempo.
Free, nothing held Off.
Free or Tap, FS2 held Solid light blue while FS2 is down.

Temporary LED displays

  • Slice Length feedback: while you turn Slice Length (and you are not recording), both LEDs show the length for about 1.5 seconds. Lengths under a bar show on LED 2: cyan 1/16, green 1/8, yellow 1/4, orange 1/2. Whole bars show on LED 1: light blue 1 bar, green 2 bars, orange 4 bars. The other LED is dark. If you ask for more than you captured, the LEDs show the length you actually get and blink twice.
  • Original pitch: in Pulsar, LED 1 flashes green for a quarter second when Playback Speed lands on the original-pitch note.
  • Scale menu: both LEDs breathe together; see section 7.
  • Scale saved: LED 1 flashes green when you leave the scale menu.
  • Power-up: both LEDs blink 1, 2 or 3 times in the I/O mode colors; see section 8.

Kuttor's signature color is light blue . Universal colors shared by all Keystone pedals are listed in section 13.

7Scale Selection

The scale decides which pitches Playback Speed can reach, which notes Quasar arpeggios step through, and which notes Magnetar scatters across. Pick a scale with Playback Speed, then play. It opens from idle by holding FS1, so FS2 always stays free for instant momentary control.

Choose a scale

  1. From idle (no loop playing or recording), hold FS1 alone for about 800 ms to open the scale menu. Any capture started by that press is undone. Both LEDs show the current scale.
  2. Keep holding FS1 while you browse. The menu stays open only while FS1 is held. It works in every Tempo switch position.
  3. Turn Playback Speed (POT 4) to choose a scale. Kuttor uses catch pickup: both LEDs stay steady and dim until the knob passes the current setting, then they brighten and breathe and follow your choice.
  4. Release FS1 to save. LED 1 flashes green to confirm and the scale is remembered after power-off.
After you leave the menu: Playback Speed keeps its previous pitch until you move the knob a little, so the pitch does not jump to wherever the knob was left.

Read the colors

LED 2 shows the family and LED 1 shows the position within it, using the same four colors: cyan 1st, amber 2nd, white 3rd, magenta 4th. Every scale has its own pair. The scales are grouped by mood, roughly from sparse to dense. This order is for display only; stored scale numbers, presets and MIDI mappings are unchanged. The last column lists each scale's notes in knob order, as semitones from the original pitch.

# Scale Notes Family LEDs (1 · 2) Read as Pitches (semitones, left to right)
1 Octaves 2 Intervals Cyan family, 1st -12.0, 0
2 Octaves + Fifths 3 Intervals Cyan family, 2nd -12.0, -5.0, 0
8 Circle of 5ths 3 Intervals Cyan family, 3rd -12.0, -5.0, +2.0
3 Major Triad (default) 4 Triads/7ths Amber family, 1st -8.1, -5.0, 0, +3.9
7 Maj7 3rd Inversion 5 Triads/7ths Amber family, 2nd -10.0, -5.0, -8.8, -5.0, 0
4 Minor Triad 4 Triads/7ths Amber family, 3rd -8.8, -5.0, 0, +3.2
5 Minor Triad+ 6 Triads/7ths Amber family, 4th -8.8, -7.0, -5.0, 0, +3.2, +5.0
6 Bluesy 1 6 Bluesy White family, 1st -8.8, -7.0, -5.0, -3.0, 0, +3.2
9 Bluesy 2 6 Bluesy White family, 2nd -8.8, -7.0, -5.0, -3.0, 0, +3.0
10 Semitones 18 Chromatic Magenta family, 1st -12 to +5, in steps of 1

Reading rule: LED 2 gets you to the family, and LED 1 picks the scale within that family. Pitch values are rounded to one decimal. The Maj7 3rd Inversion scale repeats a note and is not in rising order.

8Mono/Stereo Setup

Kuttor can run stereo in/stereo out, mono in/stereo out, or fully mono. You can set the mode on the pedal in about 30 seconds, or from Keystone Control Center.

Cables: use TS (tip/sleeve) cables for mono-only connections. Use TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) cables for stereo connections; TRS also works for mono.
  1. Unplug 9V power. Hold FS2 (left footswitch) while you plug power back in.
  2. Release FS2. Both LEDs flash white briefly to show you are in setup.
  3. Set the Tempo switch (the bottom toggle, nearest the footswitches) to the mode you want. The LEDs show your choice right away.
  4. Press FS2 to save and exit. Both LEDs flash green three times.
I/O setup LED colors for stereo, mono in stereo out, and mono modes I/O setup LEDs: LED 1 = output, LED 2 = input Stereo in / Stereo out Tempo switch UP · 3 blinks at power-up Mono in / Stereo out Tempo switch CENTER · 2 blinks at power-up Mono in / Mono out Tempo switch DOWN · 1 blink at power-up Red = mono, blue = stereo. Saving flashes both LEDs green three times.
I/O setup LED colors
Tempo switch Mode LEDs (1 · 2) Blinks at every power-up
Up Stereo in / Stereo out (default) 3 blue blinks
Middle Mono in / Stereo out 2 blinks, LED 1 blue and LED 2 red
Down Mono in / Mono out 1 red blink

LED 1 shows the output type and LED 2 shows the input type: red means mono and blue means stereo. In mono mode the signal is on the left output only, and the right output is silent.

The setting is saved. At every power-up both LEDs blink the same pattern (1, 2 or 3 blinks), so you can always see which mode Kuttor is in.

9APEX Expression Control

APEX (Assignable Programmable Expression) is Keystone's expression-control system. Use it to sweep any of the six knobs hands-free: glitch builds, rhythmic transitions, pitch sweeps, repeat intensity and smooth moves between subtle slicing and dramatic effects. Plug an expression pedal into the EXP (APEX Mode) jack. A knob that is assigned follows the pedal while the pedal is connected, and follows its own knob when the pedal is unplugged. From the factory, the expression pedal controls Mix over its full range.

Assign a control

  1. Unplug 9V power.
  2. Hold FS1 (right footswitch) while you plug power back in, then release it.
  3. LED 2 blinks rapidly in magenta to confirm Kuttor is in expression setting mode.
  4. Move the knob you want to assign. It must travel at least 5% from where it started.
  5. Turn it up for normal direction (more pedal gives a higher value) or down for inverse. The full range is assigned and LED 1 blinks green once.
  6. To set a range instead of the full sweep, hold FS2 while turning the knob. Let it rest for a moment, and LED 1 blinks yellow once for the first point.
  7. Turn the knob a further 5% or more and let it rest. LED 1 blinks cyan twice for the second point.
  8. For direct mapping, set the lower point first, then the higher. For inverse mapping, set the higher first, then the lower. Kuttor stores how far the control travels (the distance between your two points) and the direction.
  9. Release FS2.
  10. To clear all assignments, flip SWITCH 1 (Direction); both LEDs flash red three times. To clear one, flip SWITCH 2 (Cycle): it clears the highest-numbered assigned knob (POT 6 first, then POT 5, and so on) and LED 1 flashes red once.
  11. Press FS1 to save and exit. LED 1 blinks magenta once for each knob linked to the expression pedal, then both LEDs flash green three times.
  12. APEX settings stay on the pedal, are stored in presets and can be backed up with Keystone Control Center.

10Keystone 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. While connected, the app follows your knob and switch moves live. Download it at keystonemusical.com/pages/keystone-control-center.

11MIDI, Presets and Firmware

Kuttor works with pedalboard switchers, MIDI controllers, studio rigs and live performance systems. With the Tempo switch set to MIDI:

  • Captures are quantized to MIDI bar boundaries while a clock is running.
  • Loop lengths from Slice Length are calculated from the MIDI BPM.
  • Slice boundaries update automatically when the tempo changes.
  • Quasar arpeggios lock to MIDI clock for phase-synced melodies.
  • Transport is supported: Start restarts the loop from its beginning, Stop stops playback immediately and keeps the loop, and Continue resumes from the current position. Start and Continue only relaunch a loop you started with a footswitch.

Kuttor 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.

MIDI control and your knobs

Kuttor responds to its CC messages on any MIDI channel. When a CC arrives, MIDI takes over that control. The hardware knob takes it back as soon as you move it a little (about half a percent of its travel). A switch takes control back when you move the switch itself. Preset recalls behave the same way.

Presets

Kuttor stores 128 presets. A MIDI Program Change from 0 to 127 recalls a preset: knob positions, switch positions and APEX settings. Presets 0 to 9 are factory presets written when a new unit first starts, and presets 10 to 127 are for your own saves from Keystone Control Center. Factory presets as shipped:

# Name Direction Cycle Tempo Slice Length Mix
0 MIDI Stutter Forward + slicing Pulsar MIDI 1/2 bar 79%
1 MIDI Arpeggio Clean loop Quasar MIDI 1 bar 79%
2 Random Chaos Forward + slicing Magnetar MIDI 1/4 bar 71%
3 Reverse Stutter Reverse + slicing Pulsar MIDI 1/2 bar 79%
4 Clean Loop Clean loop Pulsar MIDI 1 bar 79%
5 Tap Stutter Forward + slicing Pulsar Tap 1/4 bar 63%
6 Granular Texture Forward + slicing Magnetar Free 1/4 bar 50%
7 Reverse Ambient Reverse + slicing Pulsar Tap 2 bars 57%
8 Fast Arpeggio Clean loop Quasar MIDI 1/2 bar 79%
9 Ambient Pad Clean loop Pulsar Free 2 bars 38%

Factory presets can be overwritten with Keystone Control Center. Firmware updates are free for life and install over USB with Keystone Control Center.

12MIDI CC Mappings

MIDI continuous controller chart for CC 88 to 96 with panel control names and switch value zones MIDI CC map 88 Slice Length POT 1 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum 89 Slice Division / Arp Rate POT 2 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum 90 Slice Playback / Arp Pattern POT 3 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum 91 Playback Speed (scale degree) POT 4 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum 92 Feedback / Gate POT 5 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum 93 Mix POT 6 · value 0 to 127 = knob minimum to maximum Switch CCs (send 0, 64 or 127) 94 Direction Forward Clean Reverse 95 Cycle Magnetar Pulsar Quasar 96 Tempo Tap Free MIDI Zones: 0 to 40, 45 to 82, 86 to 127. Values between zones keep the previous position.
MIDI CC chart

Continuous parameters

CC Parameter Pot Range Notes
88 Slice Length POT 1 1/16 bar - 4 bars (7 snapped divisions) Tempo-synced
89 Slice Division / Arp Rate POT 2 1-32 slices (6 values) or 10 arpeggio rates Mode-dependent
90 Slice Playback / Arp Pattern POT 3 4 playback modes or 5 patterns Mode-dependent
91 Playback Speed (scale degree) POT 4 Quantized pitch Based on selected scale
92 Feedback / Gate POT 5 0-100% feedback; 10-100% gate Mode-dependent
93 Mix POT 6 0-100% Dry/wet

Three-position switches

CC Parameter Position 1 (0-40) Position 2 (45-82) Position 3 (86-127)
94 DirectionDirection switch Forward + slicing Forward (clean) Reverse + slicing
95 CycleCycle switch Magnetar (random) Pulsar (global) Quasar (arpeggio)
96 TempoTempo switch Tap tempo Free MIDI sync

Send 0, 64 or 127 for the three positions. Values in the gaps between zones keep the previous position. Also supported: MIDI Clock sync (Tempo = MIDI), MIDI Start/Stop/Continue, and quantized capture on bar boundaries in MIDI mode.

13LED Color Standards

Universal colors are the same on every Keystone pedal and mark configuration modes and special states.

State Color When used
I/O Config Mode White Boot mode: selecting audio routing (mono shows red, stereo shows blue)
APEX Mode Magenta Boot mode: expression pedal assignment
MIDI Sync White Synced to MIDI clock (beat 1 is light blue on Kuttor)
Tap Tempo Green, then white Kuttor: green while setting the tempo, white once it is set
Save Confirm Bright green Settings saved successfully
Clear/Delete Red Clearing assignments or settings
Range point 1 Yellow APEX: first range point captured
Range point 2 Cyan APEX: second range point captured

See keystonemusical.com/pages/keystone-pedals-led-color-guide for every Keystone pedal's colors.

14Troubleshooting

Problem Try this
No sound Check the input, output, amp or interface, cables, power supply and Mix setting. In mono mode the signal is on the left output only. Make sure the I/O mode matches your cables (section 8).
I only hear my dry signal Raise Mix (POT 6). Check that a loop is playing (loop LED solid light blue). Press Latch to capture.
Loop doesn't capture Press Latch or Momentary from idle. In Tap mode, holding both footswitches enters tap tempo instead of capturing. In MIDI mode with a clock running, the capture waits for the next bar (loop LED blinks red quickly).
Capture starts late in MIDI mode This is quantizing: capture begins on the next bar line. Stop the clock to capture immediately.
Loop is shorter than the Slice Length knob A loop cannot be longer than what you captured. Stop and capture again with the longer setting. The LEDs blink twice when the knob asks for more than was recorded.
Slice Length changed but the recording didn't The recording length is fixed when the capture starts. Turn the knob before you press, or use it afterward to shorten the loop.
Pitch changes also change the loop speed This is expected. Playback Speed works like tape speed, so lower pitches play the loop slower and higher pitches play it faster. In MIDI mode the loop returns to its start at each loop-length boundary of the clock.
Effect is too subtle Raise Mix, pick a more active Slice Playback mode, use more slices, turn Feedback down in Pulsar or Magnetar so the loop changes over time, or choose a stronger Playback Speed note or Quasar pattern.
Effect overwhelms the dry signal Lower Mix, raise Feedback so the loop stays steady, choose a simpler Slice Division or playback mode, or use Pulsar instead of Magnetar or Quasar.
Slice Division or Slice Playback does nothing Check the Direction switch: the center position (clean loop) turns slicing off. In Quasar, slicing is off and these knobs control the arpeggio.
Arpeggio pattern doesn't change the rhythm In MIDI mode, Quasar steps from the clock at the rate you chose, and the Slice Playback pattern shapes the timing in Free and Tap modes.
Timing doesn't feel locked Check the Tempo switch, the tapped tempo, the MIDI clock input, the loop length, the slice division and the arpeggio rate. Free runs at a fixed tempo (120 BPM unless inherited from Tap or MIDI).
Tap tempo doesn't start The Tempo switch must be in the middle (Tap) position. Hold both footswitches for about 300 ms. Tap FS2 at least twice with 100 ms to 3 seconds between taps. Tap mode exits after 5 seconds without a tap.
Pressing FS1 after tapping didn't start a loop The first FS1 press only exits tap mode. Press it again to capture.
Scale menu won't open Start from idle: stop any loop, then hold FS1 alone for about 0.8 seconds. Holding FS1 during playback only stops the loop.
Playback Speed doesn't respond after I changed the scale or loaded a preset MIDI or the scale menu holds the control. Move the knob a little to take it back. Switches take control back when you move the switch.
MIDI sync doesn't respond Check MIDI cable direction, that your controller or DAW is sending clock, and that the Tempo switch is set to MIDI. The tempo LED pulses with the incoming tempo.
MIDI transport doesn't respond Make sure the sending device transmits Start, Stop or Continue and that Kuttor is connected to the right MIDI output. Start and Continue relaunch only a loop you started with a footswitch.
A CC changes the wrong control Check the CC number against section 12 and send 0, 64 or 127 for the switches. Program Change also recalls all switch positions.
Expression pedal doesn't respond Use a compatible expression pedal and cable, reconnect it, then assign the knob in APEX mode (section 9). An assigned knob ignores its own control while the pedal is connected.
Wrong I/O mode Check the blink pattern at power-up (1 mono, 2 mono in/stereo out, 3 stereo) and set it again with FS2 held at power-up.
Firmware update fails Restart the update, try a known-good USB cable, and make sure the updater and firmware files come from Keystone.

15Specifications

Product Kuttor Slice Shaper
Firmware 1.4
Effect type Beat capture, looping, slice shaping, scale-quantized pitch and arpeggio, rhythmic performance
Primary uses Beat repeat, tempo-synced slicing, loop capture, pitch-shaped playback, arpeggiated textures, generative scatter, glitch effects
Loop length 1/16 bar to 4 bars in 7 tempo-synced divisions
Slice engine 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 slices; Normal, Stutter, Random and Reverse playback
Pitch 10 scales; pitch range about -12 to +5 semitones for a natural sound
Timing Free (fixed tempo, 120 BPM default), Tap and MIDI; loop lengths and arpeggio rates are measured in bars in all three
MIDI Type-A TRS In and Thru; clock sync with bar-quantized capture, BPM-based loop lengths, live slice-boundary updates, phase-locked Quasar arpeggios; Start, Stop, Continue; CC 88-96; Program Change 0-127
Footswitches FS1 Latch (loop capture/playback toggle); FS2 Momentary (hold to capture/repeat)
LEDs LED 1: tempo (MIDI beat, tap tempo), FS2 held. LED 2: loop status (fast red waiting for the 1, slow red recording, solid light blue playback, off when idle). Scale menu: see section 7.
Audio Mono, mono-to-stereo and stereo I/O with buffered bypass
Presets 128 onboard presets, including supported APEX settings
Expression APEX, assignable to any of the six knobs
Compatibility Guitar, bass, keyboards, synths and studio signal chains
Power 9V DC center-negative regulated supply
Warranty One year from the original purchase date

16Care 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.

17Warranty and Support

Keystone warrants the Kuttor Slice Shaper 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.

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