Walrus Audio Emissary Parallel Boost

The Walrus Audio Emissary Parallel Boost is a boost pedal that puts two independent boost circuits in one box, running in parallel so they can be used together¹. Made by Walrus Audio, it was released on 18 June 2018² and is now discontinued and no longer available¹. Walrus Audio pitched it as a tool "to help make leads stand out, slides sing, finger picking come to life"¹.

The idea is simple: instead of one boost voice, you get two, and because the circuits run in parallel you can dial in both at once. One is a clean, high-headroom JFET boost with a slight emphasis on higher frequencies; the other is a mid boost that targets a specific frequency, either 1kHz or 800Hz, chosen with a toggle switch¹.

Two JFET boosts running in parallel

The Emissary's core is its parallel layout: two independent boost circuits that "work together" rather than being switched between¹. Gearnews described one of the two as "based in a clean, high-headroom JFET boost circuit"⁵, which is the bright path. JFET stands for junction gate field-effect transistor, a transistor type often used in boost and overdrive circuits because it behaves in some ways like a tube.

The two circuits are voiced differently:

• Bright boost: a clean, high-headroom JFET boost with a slight emphasis on higher frequencies, which Walrus Audio says livens up your tone¹.
• Mid boost: a circuit with a targeted boost at either 1kHz or 800Hz, selected by the toggle switch¹.

For a player, the practical difference is what each boost does to an amp. A clean full-range-ish boost with treble emphasis is the classic tool for pushing a tube amp harder, while a mid-focused boost at 1kHz or 800Hz helps a solo cut through a band mix or an already driven lead channel. Having both in parallel means you can blend a touch of top-end sparkle with a mid push in one stomp.

The controls

The control set is minimal: two knobs, one toggle, and one footswitch¹⁶.

Premier Guitar's reviewer described the layout the same way: "A bright knob dials in the former, a mid knob governs the latter"⁶.

The momentary switch

The bypass switch is a soft-relay, non-latching type with a bonus momentary function⁶. When the pedal is in the off position, press and hold the switch to temporarily activate the effect; releasing the switch turns the effect off¹. A quick click gives you normal stomp-on and stomp-off behavior⁶.

This is a useful trick for swells and accents: hold the switch for as long as you want the boost, let go and it is gone. You do not have to commit to tapping twice¹⁶.

Power and enclosure

The Emissary runs on 9VDC with a minimum of 100mA¹. Premier Guitar's review noted that Walrus Audio recommends an isolated power supply rather than a daisy-chained solution⁶.

The pedal comes in a "Silk Satin Black" finish with light blue and white ink, in a die-cast enclosure measuring 4.77" x 2.6" x 1.39"¹. The artwork, by illustrator Adam Forster, is an x-ray of a patient's skull showing the Emissary and other vital veins running through the head¹⁴.

Where it came from

Walrus Audio announced the Emissary Parallel Boost in June 2018, with a retail price of $169 at walrusaudio.com and authorized dealers⁴. MusicRadar reported the same $169 preorder price and a release date of 18 June 2018². Premier Guitar's later review listed its street price as $169⁶.

The name comes from anatomy. As gearnews explained it, emissary veins are veins that pass through the skull and connect the venous sinuses inside with the veins outside⁵, which is also what the skull x-ray artwork refers to¹.

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar reviewed the Emissary using a Gibson 1958 Les Paul reissue, a Novo Serus J with P-90s, a tweed Deluxe-style combo, and a Friedman Small Box head with a 2x12 cab⁶. The reviewer's overall verdict:

That verdict lines up with what the parallel design promises on paper: one clean boost for pushing an amp, one mid boost for cutting through, both available at once⁶¹.

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