Walrus Audio ships Highpoint Analog Optical Compressor at $349.99

April 21, 2026 · 5 sources

Walrus Audio is shipping the Highpoint Analog Optical Compressor, a pedal built around an optical detection circuit, with units going out April 21, 2026 at $349.99¹². The company places it in its "Monarch" series alongside the Meraki Analog Stereo Delay and Mantle Bass Preamp/DI¹².

The pedal has knobs for Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Output and Makeup Gain, plus a Blend control for parallel compression¹²³. A sidechain high-pass filter is intended to retain low-end definition, and a 10-LED VU meter shows Input, Output and Gain Reduction¹². MusicRadar reports the sidechain filter removes frequencies from 160Hz and below so they do not trigger the compressor⁴. Guitar Pedal X lists the controls as including a Dry>Wet Blend, an SC Sidechain HPF switch and a VU Mode, with the meter's colors given as green for input level, yellow for output level and red for gain reduction⁵. Gearnews notes there is no control for the knee³.

Walrus Audio describes the circuit's action this way:

Guitar Pedal X describes the Highpoint as a replacement for the discontinued Mira, an optical compressor with a similar feature set in a smaller enclosure, and reports the Highpoint costs $100 more than the Mira did⁵. The same outlet calls the enclosure larger than the Mira's and styled after the Mantle Bass Preamp in portrait format⁵. Gearnews lists the price as an MSRP of $349³; Premier Guitar and Bass Magazine give $349.99¹².

Guitar Pedal X reported on April 23, 2026 that the pedal should be available everywhere, including direct from Walrus, though it said the pedal was not yet listed at UK dealers⁵.