The Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator is an ambient pedal from Walrus Audio that combines delay and reverb in one box, built around reversed repeats. Walrus Audio describes it as "an ambient creation machine built around reverse delay and reverbs," made up of five different programs, each using different combinations of delay and reverb that feed into each other1. Where a conventional delay pedal plays your notes back after you play them, a reverse delay swells them up from silence, so repeats rise toward you instead of fading away, a sound ambient players have long used for pads and textures.
The pedal runs on two DSP chips in series, each with its own analog feedback path1. It shipped in the United States from June 23, 2022 at $2992, with UK pricing at £2853. Walrus Audio's product page now states the pedal is discontinued and no longer available1.
The original Lore is discontinued. In October 2026 Walrus Audio announced a Lore MkII, a rebuilt stereo version in its Storybook Series at $349.99, with five rebuilt algorithms, MIDI presets and USB-C. This page covers the original 2022 mono pedal.
Reverse delays and reverbs for ambient sounds
Reverse delay records each repeat and plays it backward, so instead of a note decaying it grows from quiet to full, like a tape played in reverse. Reverse reverb does the same thing to a reverb tail, producing a swell that leads into or blooms around a note rather than trailing it. The Lore builds an entire pedal around these reversed sounds, an ambient creation machine built around reverse delay and reverbs, with programs that combine delay and reverb that feed into each other13.
MusicRadar described the pedal as a place where "the worlds of delay and reverb collide together"4. Inside, the two DSP chips run in series, each with its own analog feedback path, which is what lets the delay and reverb stages interact and regenerate in ways a single-chip design would not1. Guitar World's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, noted the same architecture, calling it "a pedal that has two DSP chips running in series, each with its own analogue feedback path"3.
Tap tempo is available for all the delay programs, and time-stretching is available for the reverb in Program 43.
The five programs and their controls
The pedal's core is its five numbered programs, each a different routing of reverse delay and reverb3. Guitar World lists them as: reverse delay into reverse reverb; reverse delay into octave-up reverb; reverse delay into octave-down reverb; reverse reverb into forward reverb; and pitch delay into pitch delay3.
| Program | What it is | Notable controls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reverse delay into reverse reverb, with organically interacting feedback paths | X knob sets how reversed the delay trails are, left for least reversed, right for fully reversed1 |
| 2 | A "light reverb" combining octave-up harmonic feedback with an expansive, airy reverb tank for a breathy, spacious ambiance | Regen knob adds a playful shimmer to the reverb decay1 |
| 3 | A "dark reverb" combining octave-down harmonic feedback with heavy filtering and harmonic distortion for a thick, rich, murky sound | Regen knob brings a lower octave into the reverb decay1 |
| 4 | Dual reverb: reverse reverb into forward reverb, with dual harmonic feedback paths for octave up and octave down, plus time stretching for the size and character of the space | X knob controls the decay of the forward reverb; Feedback knob adds a lower octave to the reverse reverb1 |
| 5 | Two "dueling" pitch delays shifting the signal up and down in complementary or opposing directions, for intricate harmonic patterns in the feedback network | Behaves like a sequencer at higher delay times and like a harmonizer at lower delay times1 |
The X knob changes job from program to program, so learning the pedal means learning what it does in each mode. Program 5 is the outlier: with two pitch delays fighting in the feedback network, it can generate shifting harmonic patterns rather than straightforward repeats, and Walrus Audio says it behaves like a sequencer at higher delay times and like a harmonizer at lower delay times1.
Dive and Rise
Alongside the programs, the tap tempo switch carries a momentary pitch effect. Holding it down shifts the pedal's clock rate down or up and holds it there for as long as the switch is pressed, throwing in a quick pitch shift13. Pressing bypass and tap simultaneously flips the direction of the dive, and LEDs over the tap switch show which way is set: green for rise, blue for dive1.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Trevor Curwen reviewed the pedal in September 2022 and found it a distinctive ambient tool, with clear caveats about what it leaves out. His verdict35:
"If the lack of memory, stereo operation and expression pedal capability is not an issue for you in a pedal at this price"
What the press coverage around the Lore's launch centered on was its architecture and price rather than any verdict on shortcomings: the pedal runs two DSP chips in series, each with its own analog feedback path, and its Tap/Dive/Rise footswitch lets you hold the switch to momentarily shift the clock rate down or up with a quick pitch shift, all at a list price of $2993.
Where it sits in the Walrus Audio line
The Lore sits in Walrus Audio's line of soundscape pedals, and it was released only a few months before the Fable Granular Soundscape Generator, which a reviewer noted arrived while the Lore was still new to players3. Where the Lore builds its soundscapes from reversed delay trails, octave-shifted harmonic feedback and dueling pitch delays in a feedback network, the two pedals take different routes to ambient textures, and players comparing them will find the Lore's five programs each pair a reverse delay with a distinct reverb or pitch-shifted treatment.
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Questions
Is the Walrus Audio Lore stereo?
No. The original Lore is mono only, with a standard input and a standard output. Guitar World's review listed the lack of stereo operation among its limitations at the price. Walrus Audio has since announced a Lore MkII with true stereo processing, but that is a separate, updated version of the pedal.
Is the Walrus Lore discontinued?
Yes. Walrus Audio's product page states the Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator is discontinued and no longer available. In October 2026 the company announced a Lore MkII in its Storybook Series, a rebuilt stereo version at $349.99, as the successor.
Does the Walrus Lore have presets?
No. The original Lore has no preset storage, so every knob position is live and settings cannot be saved. Guitar World's reviewer counted the lack of memory among the trade-offs to weigh at its $299 price. The MkII version adds MIDI presets.
Does the Lore take an expression pedal?
No. The original Lore has no expression pedal facility, which Guitar World's reviewer flagged as a limitation. Players who want external control would need to look at the MkII version, which adds an expression input alongside MIDI and USB-C.
What does the Dive and Rise feature do on the Lore?
Holding the tap tempo switch momentarily shifts the pedal's clock rate down or up and holds it there for as long as the switch is pressed, giving a quick pitch dive or rise. Pressing bypass and tap together flips the direction, and LEDs over the tap switch show which is set: green for rise, blue for dive.
Sources (5)
- Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator, Walrus Audio
- NAMM 2022: Walrus Audio's new Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator is post-rock in a pedal, Guitar World, 2022-06-02
- Walrus Audio Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator review, Guitar World, 2022-09-15
- NAMM 2022: Walrus Audio reveals with new ways to bring delay and reverb together with the LORE Reverse Soundscape Generator pedal, MusicRadar, 2022-06-02
- Walrus Audio Fable review | Guitar World, Guitar World, 2023-06-15
