Walrus Audio updates Mako D1 delay to MkII with OLED screen and Grain algorithm

December 31, 2024 · 3 sources

Walrus Audio has updated its Mako D1 delay to a MkII version, the company's product page shows. The original D1 was released in 2020 as Walrus Audio's first Mako pedal, a compact stereo in/out multi-function delay with five programs¹. Guitar World reported the MkII series on September 25, 2024, saying the D1 MkII and the R1 MkII and M1 MkII were available to preorder for $399². The D1 MkII product page lists $399.99³.

The D1 MkII is a stereo delay with six algorithms: Digital, Mod, Vintage, Dual, Reverse and Grain³. Walrus Audio describes the Grain program as able to be "as smooth, choppy, glitchy, or flowy as you want it to be"³; Delicious Audio describes it as a granular delay that "chops up your repeats and reorganizes them randomly"¹. The left encoder controls Depth, Rate, Shape, Age, Tone and Spread on all programs, and the right encoder adjusts BPM, Swell and Tap Division, with BPM also settable by tap tempo switch or MIDI³. Delicious Audio reports that the Swell effect can now act as a side-chain effect, a detail it says was mentioned in a Sweetwater video and "remains rather mysterious"¹.

Walrus Audio lists a redesigned Dual mode that allows unique tap divisions on each channel, six modulation wave shapes (sine, square, triangle, ramp, reverse ramp, random), a navigation menu screen, and BPM readout on screen³. The screen is a 2in OLED measuring 128x32 pixels³. The pedal holds up to 128 presets; presets 0-9 are split across Banks A, B and C, and presets 10-128 are reached by manual selection or MIDI³.

Guitar World reports universal MkII changes across the Mako line, including increased headroom and a lowered noise floor, and says programs were "rebuilt and fine tuned" based on user feedback². The enclosure measures 4.9" x 2.52" x 2.64" with knobs, runs on 9VDC at 300mA minimum, and offers true, hybrid or buffered bypass³. Walrus Audio recommends an isolated power supply and says one is not included³. The finish is anodized silver with black, dark green, red, orange and purple ink³.