Walrus Audio Fundamental Ambient review – is this the best budget reverb pedal on the market?
$129.99/£124.99, walrusaudio.com
Two opposing things can be true at once. Anyone who’s read my reviews or watched my videos will know that I love a high-quality reverb pedal. At the same time, however, I find myself constantly wincing at the price of high-quality big-box reverbs – it’s a huge barrier of entry for people who want to create lush ambient textures.
READ MORE: Strymon BigSky MX review – what’s changed? Should you upgrade? And is it still the world’s best reverb pedal?
This isn’t a new problem, but it’s one that’s become increasingly evident in the last few years – a Meris MercuryX or a Strymon BigSky MX is an incredible piece of kit, but when you’re talking about $600-$700 for a pedal… that is, intentionally so, not designed for everyone.
Walrus Audio is another name known for producing innovative high-quality ambient effects, but the Oklahoma brand doesn’t just play at the top end of the market. Walrus has made waves in the last year with its Fundamental range – which brings boutique sounds to more affordable price points, and its latest entry might be its most intriguing yet.
The Fundamental Ambient
What is the Fundamental Ambient reverb?
The Fundamental Ambient is… well… you probably guessed already. It’s aiming to bring the lush sounds of a big-box ambient reverb pedal to a small box and a small price. It’s also a bit of a change of tack from the rest of the range, which has focused on classic archetypes – delay, fuzz etc – and this is a lot more focused. Perhaps it reflects how fundamental, ahem, ambient sounds have become to guitar players – you can decide.
Each pedal in the Fundamental Series typically features three algorithms, and the Fundamental Ambient is no exception. Deep is a dark ambient reverb with an added low octave. Lush, as the name implies, is a luscious reverb ideal for creating huge, sustaining pads. Finally, Haze is a textured, lo-fi reverb featuring distortion, sample rate reduction, and a resonant bandpass tone control, making it an experimental reverb.
As with the other pedals in the range, it eschews knobs for three sliders and they’re pretty simple – decay controls the reverb decay time, mix controls how much wet and dry signal you’re getting and tone is unique for each mode. For Haze, it controls the width of the resonant bandpass filter, and for Deep and Lush, it controls the cutoff for the lowpass filter.
But the question begs, is this the new ultimate entry-level soundscape pedal, or are you better off saving your pennies for the big blue box in the sky? Let’s find out…
Does the Walrus Audio Fundamental Ambient sound good?
Each of the three algorithms is distinct. Deep is indeed a darker-sounding reverb that shines with enough ebb and flow to feel cavernous and beautiful, perfect for channelling your inner Sigur Rós. The added low octave is neither subtle nor overbearing; it’s perfectly balanced.
Lush more than lives up to its name – big box or not, it’s one of the most expansive reverbs I’ve heard in quite some time, creating pad-style chords that are almost synth-like. If you’re already into the ambient game, this setting alone might be worth the low price of entry just to have fun with – even if you’re already well-stocked with high-end pedals.
The Haze mode is probably the most reserved ‘verb of the bunch, though that’s all relative – it’s still more dynamic than your average hall, plate, or room reverb. But don’t let the lo-fi aspects of this setting fool you – this is an incredibly big reverb that led me to experiment with more lo-fi ethereal textures, think Tunnel Blanket-era This Will Destroy You.
Is The Fundamental Ambient worth it?
We’ve seen some interesting entries into the world of compact ambient pedals in recent years – most notably the Strymon Cloudburst, which offers a similar proposition albeit for over twice the price.
The fact that Walrus has created a pedal that – while understandably more limited in scope – is capable of creating sounds that would not be out of place on a higher-priced flagship reverb is a remarkable feat, and one that we should all celebrate.
The current economic climate means that all of us are watching our wallets like never before, while things keep getting more and more expensive in every facet of our lives. With that in mind, this manages to be the most pleasant of surprises – a budget pedal that can compete with some of the best out there. It’s one of the best pedals of 2024, certainly the best affordable reverb pedal, and proof that the big boxes can have some small competition.
The Fundamental Ambient
Walrus Audio Fundamental Ambient alternatives
There’s an increasing band of fun and interesting compact ambience pedals out there, led by the pricey but magnificent Strymon Cloudburst ($279/£269). The Dark Star from Old Blood Noise Endeavours (£209) is a fantastic pad-style reverb, while the AC Noises AMA ($215/£269) is beloved by post-rock and shoegaze guitarists for a reason.
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