Cobalt Space Neo User Manual

Manual language: English
Product version: 0.9.0

1. Introduction

Cobalt Space Neo is a stereo reverb and spatial effect plugin designed for Progressive Trance, Melodic House, Deep Progressive, Modern Trance, and similar production styles. Version 0.9.0 supports the Windows 64-bit edition. Cobalt Space Neo aims to deliver wide, rich stereo ambience while keeping CPU load low. In addition to its core reverb processing, it includes EPIC ENGINE — a feature whose purpose is to intensify processing inside the feedback loop as you turn the control up, yielding more epic and sustained spatial feedback.

Main features

True Stereo design — independent left/right predelay and input diffusion preserve the original stereo image while generating ambience
Three reverb modes — Room / Hall / Cave
8-channel FDN — smooth, sustained late reverb
EPIC ENGINE — unified control of shimmer, saturation, and multi-phase modulation inside the feedback loop; turn it up for more epic spatial feedback
Central 3D visualizer — visual feedback of spatial spread and engine state
Preset banks — Factory presets and user saves

On startup, Init Space from the Factory bank is selected. Cobalt Space Neo can be used as an Insert or Send effect on its own, and within effect chains of other Cobalt-series products (such as Cobalt Drift Neo). Two editions are distributed: Demo Edition and Product Edition. See §2 and §13 for differences.

2. Demo Edition / Product Edition

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

Demo Edition

Evaluation build. Audio is muted after 900 seconds of real time from load, and some save features are unavailable (see §13)

Product Edition

Full product. Demo limitations above do not apply Neither edition guarantees full operation in every DAW, environment, or project. Back up important DAW project files before use.

The version number is available from Menu → About. About shows Version plus the version number (for example 0.9.0), followed by Demo Edition or Product Edition.

3. System Requirements

Supported OS

Windows 11 64-bit recommended
Windows 10 64-bit or later

Supported Formats

VST3
CLAP

Distribution formats are VST3 and CLAP only. The CLAP edition is an experimental distribution format. Behavior 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 Space Neo is distributed as a zip package. There is no installer. Extract the zip and place the plugin files manually.

Distribution file names

Cobalt Space Neo.vst3
Cobalt Space Neo.clap

VST3 install location

Place the plugin in one of the following folders:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3

For all users, the following folder is usually recommended:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

CLAP install location

Place the plugin in one of the following folders:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\CLAP

After placing the VST3 or CLAP file, restart your DAW or run a plugin rescan.

5. Screen Layout

The Cobalt Space Neo window is a single-screen layout based on 1120 × 680 pixels. The window can be resized from 75% to 200% with a fixed aspect ratio. Area Position Contents Preset bar

Top

Bank / Preset selection, SAVE / INIT, Undo / Redo, Menu, BYPASS, KILL SPACE

Left

Reverb mode and time/size parameters (TIME & SIZE) Visualizer Center 3D spatial display and engine status FILTER

Right

Tone and damping parameters (DAMP & TONE) EPIC ENGINE

Bottom

Input/output gain, modulation, MIX / OUT, level meters A clear workflow is to set mode and Decay in SPACE, shape tone in FILTER, then adjust spatial density and Mix in EPIC ENGINE.

Visualizer status display

The top of the center visualizer shows status text based on the EPIC ENGINE amount: EPIC ENGINE Display text Meaning 0% BYPASSED (PURE REVERB) EPIC ENGINE off. Pure FDN reverb 1–50% WARM MODULATION & GLOW Gentle modulation and glow 51–100% HYPERDRIVE (SHIMMER PORTAL) Strong shimmer and spatial expansion Raising EPIC ENGINE also strengthens the amber background glow to reflect engine activity.

6. Preset Bar

The top preset bar handles preset selection and saving, undo, bypass, and clearing the reverb state. Control Role Bank Select preset bank Preset Select preset < > Move to previous / next preset

SAVE

Save the current settings to a User bank (unavailable in Demo Edition)

INIT

Reset settings to defaults (confirmation dialog; also clears reverb state)

Control Role Undo / Redo Undo or redo edits Menu About, Import / Export / Rename / Delete Bank BYPASS / BYPASSED Plugin bypass ON / OFF

KILL

Immediately clear reverb buffers (cut the tail) BYPASS and KILL are different functions.

BYPASS — Outputs dry signal only while keeping settings. Host-automatable.
KILL — Resets delay-line and feedback internal state to stop ringing tails. Parameter values do not change.

INIT resets parameters to defaults and clears reverb buffers at the same time. See §12 and §13 for Demo Edition save and bank restrictions.

7. Quick Start

Using presets

Select Factory as the Bank
Choose a preset (for example Ethereal Cathedral or Vocal Plate Room)
Play audio and listen to the reverb
Balance level with MIX and OUT

Building a space from scratch

Select Init Space
Choose Room / Hall / Cave with REVERB MODE
Set timing with PREDELAY and DECAY
Adjust size and smoothness with SIZE and DIFFUSION
Clean mud and brightness with LOW CUT / HIGH CUT / DAMPING
Adjust stereo spread with WIDTH
Raise EPIC ENGINE as needed and shape motion with MOD RATE / MOD DEPTH
Set Dry / Wet balance with MIX

8. SPACE Panel (TIME & SIZE)

The left SPACE panel controls the reverb algorithm mode and basic time/space parameters. Reverb Mode Mode Typical use

Room

Compact, dense spaces. Vocals, plates, tight rooms

Mode Typical use

Hall

Medium to large smooth halls. Pads, synths, epic tails

Cave

Large irregular spaces. Deep caves, dramatic ambience Internal delay topology and character change with the mode. In Hall and Cave, an internal cap limits extreme EPIC ENGINE behavior. Parameters GUI label Host name Range Default Summary REVERB

MODE

Reverb Mode Room / Hall / Cave Room Reverb algorithm switch PREDELAY Predelay 0.0 – 200.0 ms 10.0 ms Delay before reverb onset DECAY Decay Time 0.5 – 30.0 s 1.8 s Approximate reverb decay time SIZE Space Size 10 – 150 % 100 % Overall delay-line scale DIFFUSION Diffusion 0 – 100 % 70 % Early-reflection diffusion / smoothness Raising PREDELAY creates space between the dry signal and the reverb, which helps separate vocals or kick. Higher DIFFUSION smooths the onset; lower values make early reflections slightly more audible.

9. FILTER Panel (DAMP & TONE)

The right FILTER panel shapes reverb tone and stereo width. GUI label Host name Range Default Summary LOW CUT Low Cut 20 – 1000 Hz 120 Hz Low-frequency cut on the reverb HIGH CUT High Cut 1000 – 20000 Hz 14000 Hz High-frequency cut on the reverb DAMPING Damping 0 – 100 % 30 % High-frequency damping inside the feedback loop WIDTH Stereo Width 0 – 150 % 100 % Stereo spread via M/S processing Use LOW CUT to reduce vocal mud or kick bleed, and HIGH CUT / DAMPING for darkness and air. Raising WIDTH widens the stereo image; too much can thin the center.

10. EPIC ENGINE Panel

The bottom EPIC ENGINE panel is the combined control for input/output, modulation, and Mix. It is split into three tiles (INPUT, EPIC ENGINE, OUTPUT / MASTER).

What EPIC ENGINE is

EPIC ENGINE is not only “more effect.” Its purpose is to produce more epic, sustained spatial expression through an intensified feedback loop. In Cobalt Space Neo, EPIC ENGINE sits inside the 8-channel FDN (Feedback Delay Network) feedback loop. While a typical reverb is closer to a one-way path (input → reverb → output), EPIC ENGINE changes the circulating loop

signal itself. Raising EPIC ENGINE therefore changes decay shape, modulation depth, and harmonic density together, so the space expands organically. At 0%, loop processing is effectively bypassed and the plugin behaves as a pure FDN reverb (the visualizer shows PURE REVERB).

Signal flow

Signal flow is roughly: [Input L/R] → [Independent L/R predelay] → [Input diffusion (4-stage allpass per side)] → [8ch FDN feedback loop] ■■ EPIC ENGINE (inside the loop) ■■ 8×8 Hadamard channel mixing ■■ Shimmer (octave pitch shift) ■■ Saturation (tanh nonlinear drive) ■■ Multi-phase modulation (delay-time motion) → [Low / High Cut filters] → [Stereo Width] → [Wet / Dry mix] → [Output L/R] One EPIC ENGINE knob scales several loop processes together. MOD RATE and MOD DEPTH further shape the modulation component independently. Three core processes

Shimmer

An octave pitch shifter inside the FDN feedback loop writes a one-octave-up component back into the loop. Raising EPIC ENGINE increases this shimmer blend, adding cloud-like glow and high-end spread. The pitch-shifter path includes a one-pole low-pass filter to keep harsh ultra highs under control while preserving scale. This is a core “sky-filling” texture for Cobalt-series trance / melodic sounds.

Saturation

A tanh-style nonlinear saturation is applied to the loop signal. Higher EPIC ENGINE values drive harder, thickening the reverb and reinforcing sustain so the feedback remains dense rather than thin. This is one of the acoustic pillars of EPIC ENGINE’s epic feedback character.

Multi-phase Modulation

Each of the eight delay times is modulated by a sine LFO phase-offset by 45 degrees. Distributed phases reduce cancellation between delays and add silky chorus and depth without obvious pitch warble. Effective modulation depth expands nonlinearly with EPIC ENGINE (up to about 3.5×). Combined with MOD RATE / MOD DEPTH, the space can move from static hall character to fluid motion. Impact on feedback and decay EPIC ENGINE also changes decay behavior itself:

Dynamic decay blend — Near 0%, tails tend to decay as set; near 100%, the curve becomes slower and more sustained
Effective Decay Time extension — EPIC ENGINE boost stretches the effective decay of the DECAY control. The same Decay setting becomes clearly longer and more epic when EPIC ENGINE is raised
Feedback gain ceiling — A feedback gain ceiling (0.9985) prevents runaway howl. EPIC ENGINE pushes sustain toward that safe limit In short, EPIC ENGINE does not only add an effect layer; it reshapes the reverb’s time structure and feedback character.

Interaction with reverb mode

EPIC ENGINE behavior also depends on REVERB MODE: Mode Relationship to EPIC ENGINE

Room

Compact FDN. EPIC ENGINE adds glow and density inside a tighter space

Hall

Smooth 8ch Hadamard FDN. Even at 100% UI, EPIC ENGINE is clamped to 80% internally to limit extreme saturation while keeping scale

Cave

Large delay topology. EPIC ENGINE is also clamped to 80%, but modulation is strengthened by 1.5× for more fluid, dramatic motion

Visualizer correspondence

EPIC ENGINE amount drives the center visualizer status text and background glow described in §5. INPUT GUI label Host name Range Default Summary IN Input Gain -12.0 – +12.0 dB 0.0 dB

Plugin input level

The IN meter uses a logarithmic scale from -40 dB to +6 dB, with a mark at 0 dB. Because EPIC ENGINE intensifies feedback, hot input increases both scale and saturation. Set IN first, then raise EPIC ENGINE for easier control. EPIC ENGINE (center tile) GUI label Host name Range Default Summary EPIC ENGINE EPIC ENGINE 0 – 100 % 0 % Combined loop shimmer, saturation, and modulation amount MOD RATE Mod Rate 0.1 – 5.0 Hz 0.5 Hz Delay-time modulation LFO speed MOD DEPTH Mod Depth 0 – 100 % 12 % Delay-time modulation LFO depth MOD RATE / MOD DEPTH further sculpt the multi-phase modulation from EPIC ENGINE. Keep EPIC ENGINE high and lower MOD RATE for slow undulation; raise MOD DEPTH for more fluid, organic tails. Factory presets Shimmering Portal and Deep Nebula Cave are strong starting points for EPIC ENGINE and modulation. OUTPUT / MASTER (right tile) GUI label Host name Range Default Summary MIX Mix 0 – 100 % 30 % Dry and wet blend OUT Output Gain -12.0 – +12.0 dB 0.0 dB

Final output level

The OUT meter uses the same dB scale as input. Above 0 dB the meter uses a warning color. Higher EPIC ENGINE often raises wet level, so watch OUT and the DAW track meters.

At MIX 0%, only dry is output. Usage guidelines Use EPIC ENGINE Notes Vocals / room 0–20% PURE REVERB to WARM. Light body without mud Pads / synth pads 30–60% WARM toward HYPERDRIVE. Balance spread and sustain Ambient / breakdown 70–100% HYPERDRIVE. Shimmer and long tails dominate the space Pre-drop build 80–100% + long DECAY Maximize feedback. Watch levels If previous tails linger after a musical change, press KILL to reset the loop state.

11. Factory Presets

The Factory bank includes: Preset Summary

Init Space

Startup default. Simple reverb starting point

Ethereal Cathedral

Large hall, high Diffusion, moderate EPIC ENGINE

Deep Nebula Cave

Cave mode, long Decay, strong EPIC ENGINE and modulation Vocal Plate Room Room mode, tight plate-like vocal space

Shimmering Portal

Hall, maximum EPIC ENGINE, shimmer-focused space Use presets as starting points and fine-tune MIX, LOW CUT, DECAY, and related controls for your track.

12. Preset Save and Management

Save location

User presets and bank files are stored in:

%APPDATA%\Synth Studio Neo\Cobalt Series\Cobalt Space Neo

Bank files use the .csnb extension. Individual preset export uses .csnp.

Operations

Operation Method Demo Edition Product Edition Save preset SAVE → enter name → save to User bank Unavailable Available Import bank Menu → Import Bank Available Available Export bank Menu → Export Bank Unavailable Available Rename bank Menu → Rename Bank Unavailable Available Delete bank Menu → Delete Bank Available

Available

Unavailable Demo Edition actions show an English notice (Feature Unavailable in Demo).

13. Demo Edition Limitations

The following limitations apply to Demo Edition only. They do not apply to Product Edition.

900 seconds (15 minutes) of real time after the plug-in is loaded, audio output fades out and then becomes silent
After mute, restart (reload) the plug-in to begin a new demo session
SAVE, Export Bank, and Rename Bank are unavailable
Import Bank remains available

A short Demo Edition summary is also shown in Menu → About.

14. Usage Notes

EPIC ENGINE and long DECAY lengthen tails; previous reverb may continue after material changes. Use KILL for a clean stop
High EPIC ENGINE or Input Gain can raise output level easily. Check the OUT meter and DAW track meters
High MIX can blur the dry signal. When using Send, balance send level and return MIX
If CPU load is a concern, lower DECAY, SIZE, EPIC ENGINE, and MOD DEPTH, or reduce instance count
If the CLAP edition is unstable, try the VST3 edition

15. Troubleshooting

Plugin does not appear in the DAW

Confirm the VST3 or CLAP file is in the correct folder
Run a plugin rescan in the DAW
Confirm you are using a 64-bit DAW

No sound / no reverb heard

Confirm audio is reaching the track
Check track monitor, mute, and level
Confirm MIX is not 0%
Confirm BYPASS is not ON
In Demo Edition, confirm audio has not been muted after 900 seconds from load. If muted, reload the plug-in

Reverb will not stop

Press KILL to clear internal state
Turn BYPASS ON to verify dry signal
If needed, reload the plugin instance

Too loud or distorted

Lower OUT
Lower IN and EPIC ENGINE amount
Check DAW track meters

High CPU usage

Lower DECAY and SIZE
Lower EPIC ENGINE and MOD DEPTH
Reduce instance count in the project
Increase DAW buffer size

16. Specifications and Credits

Item Details Product name Cobalt Space Neo Version 0.9.0

Supported OS

Windows 64-bit Formats VST3, CLAP Developer Synth Studio Neo Editions Demo Edition / Product Edition Cobalt Space Neo is developed using 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/ See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES in the distribution package for third-party license text. Version information is also available from Menu → About Cobalt Space Neo. © 2026 Synth Studio Neo. All rights reserved.