“Explore a unique and wild sonic landscape”: Walrus Audio recruits tube expert Jim Hagerman for the Silt – a two-in-one harmonic fuzz pedal that has an actual preamp tube inside
Walrus Audio might not be at NAMM 2024, but that hasn’t stopped it from contributing to the ongoing gear hype by releasing an all-new fuzz pedal, the Silt.
Dubbed a two-in-one harmonic fuzz unit that will let players “explore a unique and wild sonic landscape”, the Silt – available in two different colorways – was created with the help of tube expert Jim Hagerman.
Yes, that’s the same Jim Hagerman who is behind Hagerman Amplification – a brand that not only specializes in boutique tube amps but also tube-loaded effects pedals. Indeed, Hagerman’s catalog includes the Reactivator Overdrive, One Watter, and Overdrive and Boost units, all of which recruit an actual tube.
As such, Walrus has tapped Hagerman’s valve expertise for its latest project, which also makes use of a genuine preamp tube in a bid to add distinctive warmth to the palette.
Specifically, the 12AU7 valve results in a “bone-rattling fuzz with amber warmth, grit, growl and harmonic complexity unique to tube-driven fuzz”.
The tube is situated in the center of a pedal that otherwise recruits a fairly generous control set. As mentioned, the Silt is a twofer pedal, meaning it has an additional Harmonic mode that can be engaged by the secondary footswitch.
Harmonic mode, Walrus states, adds additional harmonic overtones to your signal before it reaches the tube, creating “crispy octave-like sounds” for a wholly unique tone.
The Harmonic footswitch lines up alongside a standard Bypass footswitch, with some more sound-sculpting controls arriving in the form of a Contour switch – which toggles between high pass, flat and low pass curves in the pre-tube EQ stage – and a standard three-pronged parameter attack comprising Volume, Tone and Gain.
All of this, according to Walrus, results in a pedal designed for players “seeking a harmonically rich fuzz journey” that’s capable of everything from “subtle, distortion-like crunch to full-throttle fuzz”.
For some handy housekeeping benefits, the Silt also offers top-mounted jacks for squeezing onto particularly tight pedalboards.
As mentioned, two cosmetic variations of the Silt are available – a standard red version with a neat dino skeleton design and a more muted matte black alternative.
Both weigh in with the same price tag: $299/£289.
Head over to Walrus Audio to find out more.
