Cobalt Feedback Neo User Manual

Manual language: English
Manual revision: 2026-07-14
Product version: 0.9.0

1. Introduction

Cobalt Feedback Neo is a tempo-synced delay plugin built to deliver epic spatial feedback, designed for Progressive Trance, Melodic House, Deep Progressive, Modern Trance, and similar production styles. 0.9.0 supports the Windows 64-bit edition. Cobalt Feedback Neo is based on tempo-synced delay processing and includes EPIC ENGINE and FEEDBACK ENGINE. EPIC ENGINE adds an independent late tail without directly driving the main delay feedback loop into runaway behaviour, for more epic and sustained spatial feedback. FEEDBACK ENGINE switches strong feedback-loop behaviour driven by Bloom / Density / Smear on or off.

Main features

4 Delay Types — Cobalt Sync / Neon Ping / Diffusion Cloud / Gravity Bloom
Tempo-synced delay — Note values, Dot, and Triplet rhythm control
Epic Engine — Epic spatial feedback through independent late-tail addition
Feedback Engine — Strong Bloom / Density / Smear feedback-loop behaviour (ON/OFF)
Mix controls — Duck, Low Cut / High Cut, Damping, Width
Presets and Expansions — Factory / User banks, .cfnp / .cfnb

On startup, Factory Init from the Factory bank is selected. Cobalt Feedback Neo can be used as an Insert or Send effect on its own, and within effect chains of other Cobalt-series products. Two editions are distributed: Demo Edition and Product Edition. See §2 and §17 for differences.

2. Demo Edition / Product Edition

Cobalt Feedback Neo 0.9.0 is available in two editions: Edition Summary

Demo Edition

Evaluation build. Audio becomes silent after 900 real-time seconds (15 minutes), and some save features are unavailable (see §17)

Product Edition

Full product build without the demo limitations above Neither edition guarantees full operation in every DAW, environment, or project. Back up important DAW project files before use. Check the version under MENU → About Cobalt Feedback Neo. About shows Version 0.9.0, and Demo Edition adds Demo (for example Version 0.9.0 Demo). Product Edition shows the version number only.

3. System Requirements

Supported OS

Windows 11 64-bit recommended

Supported Formats

VST3
CLAP

Distribution formats are VST3 and CLAP only. The CLAP edition is an experimental distribution format. Behaviour may vary depending on the host environment. If stability is your priority, we recommend starting with the VST3 edition.

Supported Hosts

64-bit DAWs that support VST3 or CLAP
Stereo audio tracks or effect buses

4. Installation and Launch

Cobalt Feedback Neo is distributed as a zip package. There is no installer. Extract the zip and place the plugin files manually.

Distribution file names

Cobalt Feedback Neo.vst3
Cobalt Feedback Neo.clap

VST3 install location

Place the file in one of the following folders:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3

For most users, the shared all-users location is recommended:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

CLAP install location

Place the file in one of the following folders:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\CLAP

After placing VST3 or CLAP, restart the DAW or rescan plugins.

5. Understanding the UI

The Cobalt Feedback Neo window uses a 980 × 640 pixel reference layout. The window can be resized within 860×560 to 1600×1040. Area Position Contents Preset bar

Top

Bank / Preset, SAVE / LOAD / INIT, Undo / Redo, BYPASS / KILL, MENU Left panel

Left

Delay Type, Stereo Mode, Drive, Low Cut / High Cut, Input meters Feedback Engine

Centre top

Bloom, Density, Smear, KILL, Feedback Engine ON/OFF Main controls

Centre

Epic Engine, Repeat, Note / SYNC, FREEZE / THROW / PANIC SPACE / SAFETY / MIX Centre bottom Width, Diffuse, Low Guard, Damping, Mix Right panel Right Tail, Duck, Output, Output meters A practical starting flow is: set rhythm with Delay Type and Note, shape length with Repeat and Tail, then fit the mix with Mix and Duck.

6. Preset Bar

The top preset bar handles preset selection and save, undo, bypass, and clearing the tail. Control Role Bank Select Factory or User (Expansion name) Preset Select a preset < > Step to previous / next preset

SAVE

Save the current settings to the User bank (Factory is read-only; unavailable in Demo Edition)

LOAD

Import a single .cfnp preset into the User bank

INIT

Reset parameters to Factory Init (parameters only; does not clear the tail buffer) Undo / Redo Undo or redo edits

KILL

Immediately clear delay / feedback internal state (stops ringing tails) BYPASS and KILL are different:

BYPASS — Outputs dry only while keeping settings. Host-automatable.
KILL — Resets internal buffers and stops ringing delay tails. Parameter values are unchanged.

The KILL button inside the Feedback Engine tile and the lower PANIC button clear internal state the same way as the header KILL. Demo Edition save and bank limits are described in §16 and §17.

7. Quick Start

Building a delay from scratch

Select Factory Init
Choose a Delay Type for the role
Enable Sync and set Note (and Dot / Tri if needed)
Set length and body with Repeat and Tail
Add spread with Diffusion, and Epic Engine if needed
Turn Feedback Engine ON and shape space with Bloom / Density / Smear (best with Diffusion Cloud / Gravity Bloom)
Fit the mix with Duck, Low Cut / High Cut, and Damping
Balance dry / wet with Mix

8. Delay Type and Stereo Mode

Delay Type Type Typical use

Cobalt Sync

A tight tempo-synced delay that keeps rhythmic edges clear. Good for leads, vocal throws, synth stabs, drum fills, and anything that must read on the note grid.

Neon Ping

A warm stereo feedback delay with clear left-right motion. Good for 1/8D leads, plucks, FX throws, and bouncing rhythmic repeats.

Diffusion Cloud

A dense echoverb-style delay. Good for epic lead space, pads, and break FX with large expanding tails. The reference type for the current DSP.

Gravity Bloom

The largest and darkest late-tail expansion type. Good for build-ups, impact tails, long sends, and dramatic dark space. Changing Delay Type applies these defaults automatically (you can override them manually): Delay Type Stereo Mode (auto) Feedback Engine (auto) Cobalt Sync Straight off Neon Ping Ping off Diffusion Cloud Cross on Gravity Bloom Cross on Diffusion Cloud / Gravity Bloom with Epic Engine and Feedback Engine Selecting Diffusion Cloud or Gravity Bloom turns Feedback Engine ON automatically. On these two types, the roles of Epic Engine and Feedback Engine are clearest. Engine Diffusion Cloud Gravity Bloom

Feedback Engine

When ON, Bloom / Density / Smear enable dense diffusion space inside the feedback loop. All-pass Diffusion is the base; density and smear fill between repeats. Same family as Diffusion Cloud, with stronger late-tail expansion and darker internal tuning. Bloom / Density / Smear feel more dramatic.

Epic Engine

Adds an independent late tail outside the main delay feedback loop. Off at 0%. Higher values layer darker, wider sustained spatial feedback. Adjustable independently of Feedback Engine strength. Same independent late-tail addition, with a larger / darker late-tail expansion curve intended for Gravity Bloom. On Cobalt Sync and Neon Ping, Feedback Engine defaults to OFF. Keeping Epic Engine modest helps preserve early-repeat rhythm.

Stereo Mode Mode Summary

Straight

Independent L/R stereo delay. Prioritises rhythmic clarity Cross Cross-feedback style stereo motion Ping Ping-pong style left-right bounce

9. Tempo Sync and Delay Time

Sync mode (default)

With SYNC on, delay time follows host BPM and the selected note value.
Notes range from 1/1 to 1/32.
Dot / Tri checkboxes apply dotted and triplet values (shown only in Sync mode).
Host BPM is displayed near the top of the UI.

MS mode

Switching to MS uses free-time delay in milliseconds (1 to 8000 ms).
For club production, prefer Sync mode; use MS for special cases or off-tempo material.

10. Main Controls

GUI label Host name Range Factory Init Summary MIX Mix 0–100 % 40 % Dry / wet blend REPEAT Repeat 1–32 8 Repeat count / practical tail length TAIL Tail 0–100 % 50 % Later-tail spread and decay feel DUCK Duck 0–100 % 0 % Lowers wet while dry input is active WIDTH Width 0–150 % 150 % Stereo width of the wet signal OUT Output -24 to +12 dB 0 dB

Final output level

Even with a moderate Mix, high Repeat / Epic Engine / Feedback Engine settings can raise output. Watch Output and the DAW meters together.

11. Tone and Feedback Path

Tone GUI label Host name Range Default Summary DRIVE Drive 0–100 % 0 % Warm saturation LOW CUT Low Cut 20–1000 Hz 20 Hz Low cut in the feedback path HIGH CUT High Cut 1000–20000 Hz 20000 Hz High cut in the feedback path LOW GUARD Low Cut 20–1000 Hz 20 Hz Same parameter as left Low Cut (values stay linked)

GUI label Host name Range Default Summary DAMPING Damping 1000–20000 Hz 20000 Hz High-frequency damping on the later tail Low Cut (left panel) and Low Guard (centre bottom) both map to host Low Cut and stay linked. Use whichever control is easier to reach. Signal flow (overview) Input → Tempo-synced / MS Delay Core → Feedback Loop (Low/High Cut, Diffusion, Density, Smear, Drive, safety) → Ducking → Wet/Dry Mix → Output Gain ↑ Epic Engine (independent late-tail add; off at 0%) Internal Feedback amount is fixed. Audible tail length and character are shaped with Repeat, Tail, Diffusion, Epic Engine, and Feedback Engine macros.

12. Epic Engine

Epic Engine is a one-knob spatial control that adds an independent late-tail component without directly driving the main delay feedback loop into runaway behaviour. GUI label Host name Range Default Summary EPIC ENGINE Epic Engine 0–100 % 0 % Amount of dark, wide late-tail addition At 0% the Epic path is effectively off. Higher values increase late-tail sustain and spread. It is a separate path from Feedback Engine and can be used together.

13. Feedback Engine and Space Macros

Feedback Engine GUI label Host name Range Default Summary FEEDBACK ENGINE Feedback Engine on / off off Strong feedback-loop behaviour ON/OFF When OFF, Bloom / Density / Smear do not strongly drive the feedback loop. When ON, classic strong feedback space is enabled. Clearest on Diffusion Cloud and Gravity Bloom. Space macros GUI label Host name Range Default Summary DIFFUSE Diffusion 0–100 % 50 % All-pass style diffusion amount BLOOM Bloom 0–100 % 0 % Later-tail size and spread (Feedback Engine ON) DENSITY Density 0–100 % 0 % Density between repeats (Feedback Engine ON) SMEAR Smear 0–100 % 0 % Later-repeat smear (Feedback Engine ON)

14. Performance and Safety

Control Summary

FREEZE

Stops injecting new input and holds the current tail

THROW

Performance control for a temporarily larger delay gesture KILL / PANIC Safety controls to stop excessive feedback or leftover tails BYPASS Dry only; settings retained When trying long repeats, high diffusion, or Throw, start with a moderate monitor level.

15. Factory Presets

The Factory bank currently includes: Preset Summary

Factory Init

Startup preset. Cobalt Sync, Straight, Sync 1/8D, balanced starting point

16. Saving and Managing Presets

Save location

User presets and Expansions (banks) are stored here:

%APPDATA%\Cobalt Feedback Neo\UserBank.cfnb

Single-preset import uses .cfnp. Bank files use .cfnb and appear in the menu as Expansion.

Operations

Operation Method Demo Edition Product Edition Save preset SAVE → edit bank / preset name → save to User Unavailable Available Import single preset LOAD → select .cfnp Available Available Import Expansion MENU → Import Expansion (.cfnb)... Available Available Export Expansion MENU → Export Expansion (.cfnb)... Unavailable Available Rename Expansion MENU → Rename Expansion... Unavailable Available Delete Expansion MENU → Delete Expansion... Available

Available

Import and Delete Expansion show an English Yes / No confirmation.

17. Demo Edition Limitations

Demo Edition has the following limits. They do not apply to Product Edition.

After 900 real-time seconds (15 minutes) from plugin launch, audio fades out safely and then becomes silent
Timing uses a steady clock, so Windows clock changes or sample-rate switches do not reset the timer
After the limit, reload the plugin instance or session to continue
SAVE, Export Expansion, and Rename Expansion are unavailable
LOAD (single .cfnp import) and Import Expansion remain available

You can also confirm the edition from MENU → About Cobalt Feedback Neo (Demo appears only on Demo Edition).

18. Usage Notes

High Repeat, Epic Engine, or Feedback Engine settings can leave tails audible after source changes. Use KILL when switching sounds for a clean stop
Raising Output too far can clip in the DAW. On sends, watch both send level and return Mix
Higher Duck keeps the dry source forward but can soften tail bloom
If CLAP is unstable, try the VST3 build

19. Troubleshooting

Plugin does not appear in the DAW

Confirm VST3 or CLAP files are in the correct folders
Rescan plugins in the DAW
Confirm a 64-bit DAW is in use

No sound / no delay audible

Confirm audio is reaching the track
Check monitor, mute, and level settings
Confirm Mix is not 0%
Confirm BYPASS is not on
On Demo Edition, check whether 900 seconds have elapsed and silence has engaged; reload the plugin if so

Tail will not stop

Press KILL or PANIC
Enable BYPASS to hear dry only
Reload the plugin instance if needed

Too loud or distorted

Lower Output
Reduce Epic Engine and Feedback Engine macros
Check DAW track meters

High CPU load

Lower Diffusion, Epic Engine, and Feedback Engine
Reduce instance count
Increase the DAW buffer size

20. Specifications and Credits

Item Value Product Cobalt Feedback Neo Version 0.9.0 OS Windows 11 64-bit (recommended) Formats VST3, CLAP Developer Synth Studio Neo Editions Demo Edition / Product Edition Cobalt Feedback Neo is built with the JUCE framework. This product uses JUCE under a commercial JUCE licence held by the developer. JUCE is provided "as is" and without warranty. JUCE and the JUCE logo are trademarks of Raw Material Software Limited. JUCE licence information: https://juce.com/legal/juce-8-licence/ https://juce.com/juce-legal/ Version information is also available from MENU → About Cobalt Feedback Neo. © 2026 Synth Studio Neo. All rights reserved.