The Walrus Audio Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2 Obsidian Edition is a tremolo pedal from Walrus Audio that does two kinds of tremolo in one box: standard tremolo, which raises and lowers the volume of the whole signal, and harmonic tremolo, which splits the signal into a low-pass and a high-pass version and modulates them 180 degrees out of phase for a smoother, more complex pulse. Walrus Audio describes the harmonic mode as harking back to vintage tones inspired by Fender Brownface amps, with a warm, almost "chewy" character1.
The V2 was announced on March 18, 2019 as an upgraded and downsized version of the original Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo, at a retail price of $1992. The Obsidian Edition was a finish variant of the V2; Walrus Audio also sold blemished Obsidian Edition units, which are now sold out3.
The bypass switch has a momentary function: when the pedal is off, press and hold the switch to temporarily activate the effect, and release it to turn it off again1. The V2 comes in a diecast enclosure measuring 4.77 x 2.9 x 2.3 inches1.
Harmonic and standard tremolo with tap tempo
A standard tremolo turns the volume up and down in a repeating cycle. Harmonic tremolo, the mode associated with vintage Fender Brownface amps, instead crossfades between a bass-heavy and a treble-heavy version of the signal, which are modulated 180 degrees out of phase. The Monument V2 offers both, selected from the same control set586.
Tempo can be set three ways: with the Rate knob, by tapping the bypass switch in time with the music, or from an external tap switch connected to the side jack. The Division knob sets how the taps relate to the pulse, with quarter, triplet, eighth and sixteenth note settings1. Premier Guitar's announcement noted the V2 supports external tempo, with four tap divisions10.
The controls
The control panel is built around Rate, Depth and Volume, plus the Shape and Division knobs18.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the speed of the tremolo |
| Depth | Sets how deep the volume modulation goes; at 0 with volume above unity the pedal acts as a clean boost1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level |
| Shape | Moves between Sine, Square, Ramp, Lumps and Monument Mode, a random shape1 |
| Division | Sets the tap division: quarter, triplet, eighth or sixteenth1 |
The bypass switch does more than turn the pedal on and off. When the pedal is on, press and hold the switch to ramp the tremolo rate up; release it and the rate ramps back down to the previously set tempo. When the pedal is off, press and hold to momentarily activate the effect for a burst of texture, and release to switch it off again1.
The side jack is assignable on the fly. It can take an external tempo source, or an expression pedal controlling Rate, Depth, Shape or Tap Multiplier1. Delicious Audio noted that consolidating the expression and tap inputs into one jack, with improved assignment of what the expression pedal controls, was one of the V2's key changes over the original8.
Power
The Monument V2 runs on 9V DC, center negative, with a 100mA minimum current draw1. That is a modest draw by modern standards, though the original Monument's spec was higher, at 9V DC with a 250mA minimum11. As a center-negative pedal it suits standard pedalboard power supplies.
History and versions
The original Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo appeared in 2017, offering the same harmonic and standard tremolo pairing in a larger enclosure with separate jack sockets for expression and auxiliary tap switches11. The V2, announced March 18, 2019, kept the core concept but reworked the package98122.
Walrus Audio lists the V2 changes as:
- Converted to a smaller enclosure5
- Expanded side jack capability: external tempo or assignable expression control over Rate, Depth, Shape or Tap Multiplier1
- Improved tremolo response across all rates5
- Top mounted jacks3
Pedal of the Day's review summed up the change: the V2 "builds on the original model, simplifying and shrinking everything, but giving you more options in a smaller enclosure"12. On That Pedal Show, Walrus Audio's representatives put it more bluntly:
"this is all the same builders just squeezed them"
Walrus Audio representatives on That Pedal Show13
The V2 reorganized the control layout compared to the original Monument and added a momentary speed ramping function8. Walrus Audio lists improved tremolo response across all rates among the V2's features51.
The Obsidian Edition was a later finish of the V2, and Walrus Audio also offered blemished units of it. A blemish is cosmetic only, such as scratches or dents in the finish of the pedal1. Those blemished units are sold out3.
What came after
The V2's bypass switch carries a momentary function: with the pedal off, press and hold to temporarily activate the effect for a moment of texture, and release to switch it back off1. The pedal is built into a diecast enclosure measuring 4.77 x 2.9 x 2.3 inches1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Walrus Audio Monument V2 true bypass?
Yes. Walrus Audio lists the Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, including the Obsidian Edition, as true bypass. The bypass switch also has a momentary function: with the pedal off, press and hold to temporarily activate the effect for a moment of texture, and release to turn it off again.
What is the difference between the Monument V1 and V2?
The V2 moved to a smaller enclosure with top mounted jacks, expanded the side jack so it supports external tempo or assignable expression control over Rate, Depth, Shape or Tap Multiplier, and improved the tremolo response across all rates. The expression and tap inputs, which were separate sockets on the original, were consolidated into one jack.
Can the Monument V2 be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Walrus Audio says that setting the depth knob at 0 and the volume knob above unity creates a clean boost, so the pedal can sit on a board as a level boost even when no tremolo is applied.
What does a blemished Obsidian Edition unit mean?
A blemished unit is a pedal with cosmetic flaws only, such as scratches or dents in the finish. Walrus Audio states the blemish does not go beyond the finish. The Obsidian Edition blemished units are sold out.
Is the Monument V2 discontinued?
Yes. Walrus Audio's product page states the Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2 is discontinued and no longer available. The Obsidian Edition blemished units are also marked sold out.
What replaced the Walrus Audio Monument V2?
The Monumental Harmonic Stereo Tremolo, announced in April 2024, builds on the Monument V2 with stereo operation, a Pan control, three presets, expression control and a momentary ramp function.
Sources (13)
- Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, Walrus Audio
- Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2019-03-20
- Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, Walrus Audio
- Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, Walrus Audio
- Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, Walrus Audio
- Walrus Audio Monument Harmonic Tap Tempo Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2017-11-09
- Review: Walrus Audio Monument V2, Guitar.com, 2019-03-18
- Walrus Audio Monument V2 Harmonic Tap Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2019-03-18
- Walrus Audio Monumental Harmonic Stereo Tremolo, gearnews.com, 2024-04-23
- Walrus Audio Launches Monument V2 Harmonic Tremolo, Premier Guitar, 2019-03-18
- Walrus Audio Unveils the Monument Harmonic Tremolo, Premier Guitar, 2017-04-11
- Walrus Audio Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo V2, Pedal of the Day, 2019-04-03
- Walrus Audio At That Pedal Show Interview, Slö Pedal Demo, EB-10, Harmonic Trem & More, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2019-10-04
