Walrus | MAKO Series R1 | High-Fidelity Stereo Reverb Pedal Walrus Audio

Boasting a feature set unlike any other stompbox-sized reverb, the Walrus Audio R1 is a new addition to the company’s groundbreaking Mako series. It provides users with six studio-grade programs — all tuned to provide a premium sound. No matter what sort of reverb you’re looking for, the R1 has it in spades. From subtle springs to climactic, cavernous creations, it’s all there. And with its five control knobs and a trio of 3-way toggles, the R1 gives you the tools to experiment and dial in the perfect reverb for any occasion. Store custom patches within the nine onboard preset slots or use MIDI control to cycle through the 128 factory presets. Whether it’s part of your guitar pedalboard, or you use it with a synth, keyboard, or another source, the Mako Series R1 is guaranteed to fuel your creativity with its inspiring sonic potential.

Six customized programs give you unlimited reverb options

The R1 comes with six built-in programs: Spring, Hall, Plate, BFR, Refract, and Air. The 3-way Tweak toggle switch opens the door for even more textures. Spring injects Southern California-like spring reverb into your signal. Hall instantly transports you into concert halls and arenas. Plate emulates a smooth analog sound inspired by an iconic ’60s plate reverb unit. BFR — short for Big F@$%*!# Reverb — is described by Walrus as a “no-holds-barred” arena reverb in a “vast cavern filled with choirs of angels.” The Refract program provides glitchy sounds and diffused reverbs. Finally, Air is a low-building shimmer that gives your signal some more “air.” The Tune control offers greater control and a super-useful “X” control.

The X-factor

Set the Tune switch to X, and it will control a unique parameter for each program. Here’s how the X setting factors into the sound shaping possibilities.

• Spring: Adds extra warmth and grittiness to the decay
• Hall: Adjusts the size of the room; crank it up to increase the size
• Plate: Customizes front-end gain for driving hot signals
• BFR: Controls the amount of diffusion in multi-tap delays; the higher you set it, the smoother and more ambient it sounds
• Refract: Shapes the glitch effect’s tone from a lo-fi tape sound to bright and pristine
• Air: Controls the volume and amount of wind and shimmer elements

128 MIDI-switchable presets

The Walrus Audio R1 includes nine onboard preset slots. What’s more, up to 128 presets are accessible via MIDI, making this digital delay stompbox an excellent choice for complex, pro-level live rigs. The onboard presets are readily accessible with the bank switch, and you can cycle between them by pressing Bypass and Tap simultaneously. The pedal’s Tap LED gives you at-a-glance confirmation of which preset you’ve selected — changing from red to green to blue. And any adjustments you make will change the LED to purple to show that you’ve edited the preset. This extensive preset management makes the R1 a truly gig-worthy effects pedal.

Multiple bypass modes give you more flexibility

The R1 reverb comes with three different bypass modes for how your reverb tails fade away. True-bypass switching safeguards your tone from coloration when the pedal isn’t in operation. DSP+True Bypass preserves the trails when the effect is disengaged. Finally, you get a DSP Bypass setting for further control. You also get momentary functions in the form of the Sustain/Latch switch. Press and hold the switch for momentary sustain while you play through the same reverb. Click the switch, and you’ll lock the reverb into place for extended improvisation.

• High-fidelity digital reverb pedal with unlimited creative potential
• 6 studio-quality programs: Spring, Hall, Plate, BFR, Refract, and Air
• 3-way Tweak toggle unlocks an exciting array of textures: Rate, Depth, and Pre-delay
• Decay, Swell, and Mix controls oversee your reverb decay, attack, and wet/dry mix
• 9 onboard presets are readily accessible with the bank switch and footswitches
• Up to 128 presets are accessible via MIDI for complex, pro-level live rigs
• SuS/Latch switch holds onto tails until you let go
• 3 different bypass modes enable you to specify how your repeats fade
• Tune knob helps perfect the sound
• Tweak control helps you customize your programs