The Matthews Effects Cosmonaut V2 is a reverb and delay pedal, an update to the maker's original Cosmonaut reverb pedal, announced in October 2018 at a US retail price of $199.991. It carries three reverb/delay algorithms named after Soviet space missions, and its distinguishing feature is what Matthews Effects calls alt control: two complete rows of three knobs, so you can set up two different sounds and jump between them with a footswitch231. The dry signal path is analog while the wet signal is digital3.
As of October 2026 the maker's product page lists the pedal as sold out, with a sale price of £154.00 shown2.
The three algorithms: Sputnik, Luna 2 and Vostok 1
The pedal's three voices are selected with toggle switches at the top of the enclosure, and each is a different take on ambience1.
| Algorithm | What it is |
|---|---|
| Sputnik | Haunting modulation dialed into a reflective plate reverb, from ambient deep sounds to short reflective light verbs; carried over from the original Cosmonaut circuit13 |
| Luna 2 | A dark, haunting modulated reverb, usable as a dark warm reverb with long ambient tails or a tight modulated room verb13 |
| Vostok 1 | A warm tape analog delay, from short slapback to much longer decay times153 |
Guitar.com described the Sputnik as coming from the original circuit, with the Luna 2 as "a dark modulated reverb ideal for layering on ambient textures" and the Vostok 1 as "a warm tape analog delay"1. In Sweetwater's demo video, sales engineer Casey Gerlach called the Luna "a dark delay" and the Vast "a kind of warmer tape style delay," and noted that on the Sputnik voice "you can get kind of that short slapback you can also do a much longer Decay time"5.
The controls and footswitches
The control surface is built around the alt control idea. There are three knobs on the top row, duplicated on the bottom row, giving you two different sounds to jump between. Two toggle switches at the top of the pedal, one for each row of knobs, select which algorithm each row controls, so you can jump between different settings on the same reverb or between two different reverbs entirely63.
The knobs themselves:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuel | The mix of the pedal; starts at a low point, and turning right dials out dry signal while turning up the wet reverb signal, up to 100% wet53 |
| Anomaly | The modulation control5 |
| Row toggles | Select between the three algorithms for each row of knobs1 |
Effects are engaged and toggled via two dedicated soft-touch footswitches2. A separate Alt Control footswitch toggles between the two sets of controls1, which Gerlach framed as "two pedals really in one that you can switch between"5.
The pedal also has advanced inputs: a 1/4" expression input for hands-free decay control, and an alternate TRS input for remote switching access2. Jacks are top-mounted for pedalboard setups2.
Bypass mode
The Cosmonaut V2 can run in a tails mode or a hard-cut bypass mode. To switch into bypass mode, which cuts the reverb signal as soon as the pedal is turned off, hold both footswitches for 10 seconds until the bypass LED flashes3.
The 100mA current draw is half the power requirement of the previous version, which Matthews Effects said makes it easier to find a place on your power supply3. MusicRadar likewise noted the pedal "will exert less of a strain on your power supply" than the original4.
Where it came from
Matthews Effects released the Cosmonaut V2 as an update to its original reverb pedal1. The maker's product page also lists a Users Guide and a MIDI Manual for the pedal2.
Matthews Effects has since gone on to other delay designs, including the Surgeon Delay and the Technician multi-effects pedal.
What reviewers said
Coverage at launch was factual and largely favorable in tone. MusicRadar highlighted the 100% wet mix control, the analog dry signal path and what it called "cunningly, alt control: three identical knobs" duplicated across two rows4. Guitar World noted the same feature set, including the 100mA power draw and the tail or hard-cut bypass modes6.
Sweetwater published a demo video in April 2019 in which Casey Gerlach walks through the three voices, playing a Jackson Juggernaut guitar into a Deluxe Reverb amp5. He describes the Fuel knob as the mix, the Anomaly as the modulation, and the alternate bypass as a way to treat the pedal as two pedals in one5.
For more on the effect types this pedal covers, see the delay pedals and reverb pedals pages.
Videos
MatthewsEffects
60 Cycle Hum
Questions
Is the Cosmonaut V2 analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. The dry signal path is kept completely analog, while the wet reverb and delay signal is digital and mixed in with it. Delicious Audio described this as giving the best of both worlds when the pedal was shown at NAMM 2019.
How do you put the Cosmonaut V2 into 100% wet mode?
Turn the Fuel knob, which is the pedal's mix control, to the right. The mix starts at a low point, and as you turn right you dial out the dry signal while turning up the wet reverb signal, up to a fully wet 100% mix.
Does the Cosmonaut V2 have MIDI?
The maker's product page lists both a Users Guide and a MIDI Manual for the Cosmonaut V2, so MIDI documentation exists for the pedal. The page does not detail the MIDI implementation itself.
How much current does the Cosmonaut V2 draw?
The pedal draws 100mA, which is half the power requirement of the previous version. MusicRadar noted this puts less strain on your power supply than the original Cosmonaut.
Is the Matthews Effects Cosmonaut V2 discontinued?
As of October 2026 the maker's product page shows the pedal as sold out, with a sale price of £154.00 listed. The page does not say whether it will return, only that it is currently unavailable.
Sources (6)
- The Matthews Effects Cosmonaut V2 takes flight, Guitar.com, 2018-10-10
- The Cosmonaut V2, Matthews Effects
- Matthews Effects Cosmonaut V2 Reverb/Delay, Delicious Audio, 2019-06-13
- Matthews Effects unveils The Cosmonaut V2 Void Reverb/Delay pedal, MusicRadar, 2018-10-09
- Matthews Effects Cosmonaut V2 Delay/Reverb Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2019-04-19
- Matthews Effects Announces The Cosmonaut V2 Void Reverb/Delay Pedal, Guitar World, 2018-10-09
