“Because vast ambient sounds shouldn’t just be for larger pedals with vast price points”: Walrus Audio democratizes atmospheric reverb tones with the affordable Fundamental Ambient

Walrus Audio has announced a new addition to its popular Fundamental Series, in the shape of an atmospheric reverb pedal, the Fundamental Ambient.

The arrival of the Fundamentals caused much chatter in the pedal community last year. The idea of the series was to offer a genuinely affordable line of basic, US-made builds that could continue to earn their keep on your pedalboard far beyond the beginner stages of your playing journey.

All of the Fundamentals were priced between $99 and $129 at launch and were notable for their minimal but stylish aesthetics and slider-equipped control layouts. 

The eight-strong launch range included all of the usual suspects – including Delay, Reverb, Chorus, Drive, Distortion etc. – albeit with the build quality and tonal know-how of one of the leading boutique brands.

All of which brings us to the new arrival, the Fundamental Ambient: intended to offer an affordable alternative to the luxurious line of bells and whistles ambient boxes that have been de rigeur since the arrival of the Strymon Cloudburst. 

Or, as Walrus puts it: “Because vast ambient sounds shouldn’t just be for larger pedals with vast price points.” 

The pedal offers a choice of three expansive reverb modes: Deep, Lush and Haze. Deep immediately sounds like fun – described as a “dark ambient reverb with an added low octave” – while Lush is “breathy” with a significantly extended sustain and Haze adds a bit of filtering, to create a distorted, reduced-sample rate sound.

Then, on top of the Mode mini-switch, there are three sliders to tailor Decay, Tone and Mix levels, accordingly.   

Price point aside, part of the Fundamental line’s appeal for established players has also been its ability to offer great tones in simplified formats and, while no one doubts the tonal credentials of the likes of the Cloudburst or Walrus’ own Slö unit, they can be fairly complex beasts.

This is where we suspect the Ambient is best pitched: at players who want a grab-it-and-go box of shoegaze and post-rock reverbs, without the actual shoegazing. 

At $129, the Fundamental Ambient also shaves a sizeable chunk off the typical price tags of the high-end ambient offerings – including the firm’s own $219 Slö Multi Texture Reverb. 

Walrus, however, is clearly confident that there is a market for both options and we suspect it’s right in its convictions.

For more information on the Fundamental Ambient, head to Walrus Audio.

For more on the rest of the lineup, check out Guitarist’s review of the Walrus Audio Fundamental Series.