At long last, the Slöer Ambient Reverb introduces what players have been waiting for – along with a host of other upgrades
(Image credit: Walrus Audio)
Walrus Audio has expanded its family of reverb pedals with the Slöer Ambient Reverb stompbox – an updated take on the brand’s popular Slö unit that finally offers stereo functionality.
The Slöer was first teased by the stompbox specialist last week, with many commenters correctly deducing the not-so-cryptic “A new moon rises” tag was hinting at the imminent arrival of a stereo Slö.
It becomes the third addition to Walrus's Slö selection following the flagship Slö and upgraded Slötvå – which introduced presets – though is notably the first of the trio to offer stereo functionality, something players have long been waiting for.
As such, it is this stereo compatibility that headlines the Slöer’s spec sheet, which has also been bolstered to include two new reverb algorithms, two additional modulation wave shapes and reverb sample rate controls.
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(Image credit: Walrus Audio)
(Image credit: Walrus Audio)
In terms of tone, Light and Rain reverb algorithms have been drafted alongside the returning Dream, Dark and Rise sounds. While the former is described as a “bright reverb with an octave up shimmer”, the latter is said to deliver a unique effect that creates “an echo like effect within your reverb”.
Whereas before a toggle switch was tasked with navigating the modes, a new Mode control knob has been favored this time around.
However, as was the case with the previous Slös, the Mode selector still serves a secondary function to choose modulation waveshapes. Again, there are two new ones here to explore – Square and Random – which are available alongside Sine, Warp and Sink.
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Other updates on the expanded control face include a Width toggle switch – used to determine Wide, Medium or Narrow stereo width – and two sliders for X and Stretch parameters.
In operation, Stretch lowers the sample rate of the onboard DSP chip in an effort to throw up unique effects, while X is a multi-faceted control that serves different purposes for each reverb algorithm.
These range from setting the depth of vibrato in Dream mode to altering the time it takes for the reverb to swell after a note is played while in Rise mode.
Standard Decay, Filter, Depth and Mix controls line up alongside bypass and sustain footswitches – which also offer neat Trail and temporary trigger functions – to complete the spec sheet.
As for connectivity, two input and two output jacks mean the Slöer can be run Mono In/Mono Out, Mono In/Stereo Out and Stereo In/Stereo Out setups.
This alone will no doubt be enough to please the majority of Slö loyalists, who have been patiently waiting for a stereo version of the highly popular ambient reverb pedal ever since the first Slö arrived.
The Slöer – which has been introduced in semi-transparent Midnight Blue and Flat Black colorways – is available now for $349.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
