The Walrus Audio Lillian is a true bypass, all-analog multi-stage phaser pedal that Walrus Audio describes as drawing inspiration from its cousin, the Julia chorus/vibrato pedal1. It debuted at NAMM in January 20192 with a recommended retail price of $1993, and it is now discontinued and no longer available from the maker1.
What sets the Lillian apart from most phasers is its Stages switch, which selects between 4 and 6 phase stages, and its D-P-V blend knob, which lets you mix dry, phase shifted, and vibrato sounds4. Walrus Audio says the 4-stage setting gives warm and tight phasing while 6 stages gives a more complex filtered sound1.
The Lillian is discontinued. Walrus Audio lists it as no longer available1, and the blemished variant the maker offered has also sold out4. Remaining units are on the secondhand market.
Controls and the Stages switch
The Lillian carries four knobs: Rate, Width, Feedback, and D-P-V blend4. Rate sets the speed of the phasing5, while Width and Feedback shape the sweep and the intensity of the effect5.
The Stages switch is the pedal's signature control. Walrus Audio says it "allows the user to select 4 or 6 stages which alters the overall voice of the effect from warm and tight phasing with 4 stages to a more complex filtered sound with 6"1. Gearnews heard the difference in similar terms, finding "the 6-stage setting is warmer and tighter whilst the 4-stage sound is more complex phase"3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the rate of the phaser5 |
| Width | Width control for the sweep5 |
| Feedback | Feedback control for effect intensity5 |
| D-P-V | Blends between dry, phase shifted, and vibrato sounds4 |
| Stages switch | Selects 4 or 6 stages, changing the overall voice of the effect1 |
The D-P-V blend and the Julia connection
The D-P-V knob lets you blend between dry, phase shifted, and vibrato sounds, which Walrus Audio says allows "a wide range of control over the intensity and type of effect"4. Pedal of the Day notes the knob is "as seen on Walrus' famous Julia Chorus/Vibrato pedal"6.
The family resemblance goes deeper than one knob. Delicious Audio describes the Lillian as "based on the same concept and sharing the same number of controls" as the Julia Analog Chorus/Vibrato, with the D-P-V blend borrowed from it5. The difference is the effect itself: the Julia is a chorus and vibrato pedal, while the Lillian applies that control layout to analog phase shifting. Gearnews called the Lillian "a (sort of) cousin to its popular Julia pedal"3.
Power and connections
The Lillian requires a 9V DC power supply to run, and one is not supplied with the pedal3. The input, output, and power jacks are all top-mounted, which Gearnews and Walrus Audio both note makes the pedal fit well on a pedalboard, since no cables stick out of the sides13. The footswitch uses soft switch relay bypassing5.
Where it came from and how it was received
Walrus Audio launched the Lillian with an RRP of USD 1993. It is built into a blue enclosure5, and its controls include a mode blend between Dry, Phase Shifted and Vibrato, labeled d-p-v on the panel63.
The Lillian's d-p-v blend sets it apart from simpler phasers: rather than switching between fixed modes, the player can dial in any point between dry, phase shifted and vibrato sounds4. It runs on a 9V DC power supply, which is not supplied with the pedal3.
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Questions
What does the D-P-V control do on the Lillian?
The D-P-V knob blends between dry, phase shifted, and vibrato sounds, giving you control over both the intensity and the type of effect. It is the same blend concept as the D-P-V knob on Walrus Audio's Julia Chorus/Vibrato pedal, so you can dial in subtle phase on top of your dry tone or push toward full vibrato.
Does the Walrus Audio Lillian come with a power supply?
No. The Lillian requires a 9V DC power supply to run, and one is not supplied with the pedal. Power connects through a top-mounted jack, alongside the top-mounted input and output jacks, which keeps the sides of the pedal clear on a board.
Is the Walrus Audio Lillian discontinued?
Yes. Walrus Audio lists the Lillian as discontinued and no longer available, and a blemished variant the maker offered has also sold out. It debuted at NAMM in January 2019 with a recommended retail price of $199, so remaining units are limited to the secondhand market.
Is the Walrus Audio Lillian true bypass?
Yes. Walrus Audio specifies the Lillian as true bypass, with soft switch relay bypassing on the footswitch. When the pedal is off, your signal passes through without the phaser circuit coloring it.
How is the Lillian different from the Walrus Audio Julia?
The Julia is a chorus and vibrato pedal, while the Lillian is a phaser. The Lillian draws inspiration from the Julia and shares the same concept and number of controls, including the D-P-V blend knob, but it applies them to analog phase shifting with a 4 or 6 stage switch instead of chorus.
Sources (6)
- Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser, Walrus Audio
- NAMM 2019: Walrus Audio debuts the Lillian Multi-stage Analog Phaser, Guitar.com, 2019-01-26
- NAMM 2019: Walrus Audio debuts Lillian Analog Multi-Stage Phaser, gearnews.com, 2019-01-21
- Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser, Walrus Audio
- Walrus Audio Lillian Analog Phaser, Delicious Audio, 2019-02-28
- Walrus Audio Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser, Pedal of the Day, 2019-04-04
