Walrus Audio Lillian Analog Phaser

The Walrus Audio Lillian is a true bypass, all analog, multi-stage phaser that Walrus Audio says draws inspiration from its cousin, the Julia chorus/vibrato pedal¹. It debuted at NAMM in January 2019 at a list price of $199², and it is now discontinued and no longer available from the maker¹.

What set the Lillian apart from a basic four-knob phaser was its blend control and its stage switch. The D-P-V knob blends dry, phase shifted and vibrato signal, and the Stages switch changes the circuit between 4 and 6 phasing stages, which alters the overall voice of the effect³.

The controls

The Lillian carries four knobs and a switch, the same number of controls as the Julia it is based on³.

The D-P-V knob is the control that does the most work. It changes the ratio of dry to wet signal sent to the output: at minimum you hear no effect, at noon you get equal parts dry and wet, and at maximum the signal is 100% wet, which produces pitch vibrato³. That makes the Lillian three pedals in one box: a subtle mixed phaser, a full-strength phaser, and a vibrato.

The Stages switch changes the character of the phasing itself. With 4 stages, Guitar.com describes the voice as warm and tight; with 6 stages, Delicious Audio reports a more complex, filtered sound²³. Gearnews noted the switch simply as a choice of 4- or 6-stage phasing⁵.

Power and connections

The Lillian has top mounted input, output and power jacks, which Walrus Audio says helps it fit well on a pedalboard¹. Press coverage adds that the jacks sit on top along with soft switch relay bypassing, so the footswitch engages the true bypass with a soft relay action rather than a hard click³⁵.

History: a phaser built on the Julia

Walrus Audio announced the Lillian at NAMM 2019, and Delicious Audio framed it as the phaser-ish sister to the Julia Analog Chorus/Vibrato, following that pedal's success³. Guitar.com made the same connection: the control layout looks familiar because it is inspired by the brand's popular analog chorus/vibrato unit². Gearnews called it a sort of cousin to the Julia⁵.

The name has a story behind it. Pedal of the Day reported that the pedal is inspired by Lillian Yonally, a female pilot who flew as a member of the W.A.S.P. program during World War II⁶.

What reviewers said

Reviews of the Lillian were positive about its sound and flexibility.

• Pedal of the Day called it "mesmerizing, ambitious and intense all at once, and adds a great flavor to any rig"⁶.
• MusicRadar's phaser buying guide found it very warm and natural sounding, with the D-P-V control adding extra flexibility, though it warned that the vibrato setting can leave you feeling seasick⁷.
• Delicious Audio described the effect as leaving "nothing behind but clean, puffy white trails of whirling, pulsating and whooshing analog Phase effect"³.

Guitar World's reviewer found the Lillian mesmerizing, ambitious and intense all at once, and said it adds a great flavor to any rig⁶. The same review called it a gorgeous-sounding, pulsating, whirling effect⁶.

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