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Pros:
- Viable blend knob
- Natural sound
- Even rhythm
- Gives extra boost to your leads
Cons:
- It does not display if compression is taking place or not (which is not that big of a deal after all)
There is one thing we, as musicians, tend to neglect: more often than not we forget the story behind the brands and simply look at their products. That is a mistake in my personal opinion since the background impacts the end result a great deal. That is exactly what lured me into exploring the pedals from Walrus Audio. As I was surfing the net, I came across their website and started researching its history and development. And what I found inspired me and forced me to go out there and try out one of their effects. The dedication and passion, constant experimentation and strive towards improvement is what lies behind the Walrus Audio team.
This group of intelligent engineers, musicians, and artists bases each product on past experiences, modern touches and newer approaches. That is something I appreciate a lot, but that is not the whole reason why I like this brand so much. Their effects pedals are outstanding. Today I am going to single out their Deep Six Compressor – one of the renowned members of the family – and let its features represent the quality of the whole collection. Shall we get started?
Features
Walrus Audio Deep Six Compressor might seem to be a one-trick pony, but that is definitely not the case. This bad boy has numerous features that make up the sound it delivers and offers usable properties that aid you in the process of creating different pieces. But before we get to the important stuff, I have to mention the design of this pedal. Just like its siblings, this one also has unique artwork on the surface. Light green shell is covered with red paint that gives a modern touch to the unit and, thus, makes it very unique.
As you mount it on your pedalboard, you will have the desire to brag about it to everybody just like a child who wants to show off all of his favorite toys. More importantly, Deep Six is hand-built with quality material and attention to detail, which means both insides and outsides will last you for a long time. It is an OTA type compressor (with analog circuitry) based on Universal Audio 1176 and mixed with the simplicity of other legendary pedals.
One of the cool features of this bad boy is that it can be powered with a 9V battery or an adapter, but it has the ability to double the voltage internally and enhance the headroom to 18V. And all this without affecting the current draw and keeping its powering options low-budget. It works wonderfully with humbuckers and single-coils, making this pedal not only versatile but also tailored to the variety of your instruments. The only downside here is that Deep Six does not display whether the compression is taking place, but I think that only matters if we are being picky. Otherwise, it is not that of a big deal.
Controls
As advertised, Deep Six should be very simple to use and it is indeed. It has four knobs that give you the control over your sound. They not only tweak the properties of compression itself, but provide you with the ability to merge the effect with your sound seamlessly and make it as organic as possible. I am sure you are familiar with this bundle of encoders from past experiences, but I always prefer to get specific and spend some time discussing their functionalities. After all, all brands have their own peculiarities.
The interface starts with Level, which sets the volume of the output and makes it possible to balance it out according to the rest of the chain. At higher settings it also allows you to boost your signal and drive the amplifier harder. Sustain enables you to add sweetness to your sound and incorporate various styles into your performance. It can act as a tone shaper as well.
Blend mixes together with your original and compressed signals and allows you to utilize high output pickups (e.g. humbuckers) without having to deal with distortion and noise. Attack modifies the speed at which the compressor starts to take place. You can set it depending on your preferences and create punchy or smooth rhythms. Last but not least, there is a true bypass footswitch that activates the pedal or turns it of when it is not needed anymore.
Walrus Audio Deep Six Sound
All those nice perks would make absolutely no sense if this pedal had crappy sound. And they would not even be there if the brand was lazy to make an effort and equip its product with decent sonic capabilities. Walrus Audio is definitely not like that. Deep Six might blow your mind with its tone or at least satisfy your ears with its transparence. The ability to modify the amount of compression makes it possible to take a full control over dynamics but blend just a tiny bit with the original signal.
Or you can take it to the extreme and experiment with fast, rhythmic slaps that diversify your sound a great deal. Deep Six can add texture and richness, thicken up everything and enhance the overall qualities of your sound even further. This pedal can create smooth compression, aggressive dynamics control or just perfect balance of everything. Many find it usable with bass as well, which makes it even more convenient. I do not know what else to say other than Deep Six is a magnificent beast that brings studio control tone-shaping right to your feet.
Conclusion
On the whole, the team of Walrus Audio did a fantastic job while creating Deep Six Compressor. Their meticulousness and professionalism shine through all the details of this pedal. And as you listen to its sound, you get the feeling that you visualize all the effort that was put in its development. It inspires you to get better at playing, become more creative and experiment with all the possibilities that compressors expose you to. If you are intrigued, you can listen to numerous demos and check out its sound and features with your ears. Good luck!
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