The Vanguard Dual Phase is a phaser pedal from Walrus Audio that puts two phasers in your signal path at once. Guitar Interactive Magazine's Jonathan Graham described it as "a series phaser system - two phasers working together," and the pedal was designed, in his words, "to create evolving beds of sound; from thick and sweeping harmonics to symphonic tidal waves."1
Two phasers in series
The core idea is a series phaser system: your signal passes through a single 10-stage phaser, with the option to pass through a second phaser after it. The user has three selectable modes to shape that series phaser.4
The second phaser's character is set by a toggle switch offering three different voicings41:
| Voicing | Stages | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10-stage | with regeneration |
| 2 | 6-stage | with pitch bend |
| 3 | 4-stage | with filter |
There is also a way to hear just one phaser at a time. Each of the four phasers on the Vanguard (one main phaser with the top controls and three selectable phaser voicings on the bottom row) can be used alone by setting the undesired phaser's controls to zero.4
Controls, presets and expression
The expression pedal control works with most on-the-shelf expression pedals, and it allows setting high and low parameters for any control and fading between them.4
For presets, the pedal has a Remote input: presets can be saved via the Remote input with an auxiliary momentary switch, which can both switch the pedal on and off and save presets.4 Pedal of the Day's Mike B described the practical use of the Preset footswitch: "use the Preset footswitch to preemptively set 3 separate tones you want, then select them on the fly during a show" or in the studio.5
Power and connections
The Vanguard is a digital pedal, and Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that "As on most modern digital effects, battery power is not an option." The reviewer's guidance: "Vanguard runs on any 9V power supply rated at 150 milliamps or higher."2
Because the pedal draws 150 milliamps or higher at 9V, a battery cannot power it, and a low-current output on a daisy-chain supply may not be sufficient.2
Connections are one input and two outputs. The single input accepts a stereo signal with a TRS-Y cable.4
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up the pedal's strengths as: "Many cool and unusual tones. Remote control option. Powerful real-time control. Quality build."2
Where it sits in Walrus Audio's range
The Vanguard Dual Phase was announced as available for preorder in November 2015.4 Walrus Audio has since released other phasers, including the analog Lillian, so players choosing between the two are weighing a digital dual-phaser design against a single analog circuit. For more on the effect type itself, see Phaser Pedals.
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Questions
Is the Walrus Audio Vanguard Dual Phase analog or digital?
It is digital. Premier Guitar's reviewer put it plainly: instead of an analog circuit, the Vanguard is, in the reviewer's words, an unapologetically digital effect. That matters for power too, since the pedal needs a 9V supply rated at 150 milliamps or higher and cannot run on a battery.
Can the Vanguard Dual Phase run on a battery?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes that, as on most modern digital effects, battery power is not an option. The pedal runs on any 9V power supply rated at 150 milliamps or higher, so a standard low-current daisy-chain output may not be enough.
Does the Vanguard Dual Phase work in stereo?
Yes, with a TRS-Y cable. The pedal has one input, which can accept a stereo signal when you use a TRS-Y cable, and it has two outputs, so a stereo rig is possible.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Vanguard?
Yes. The expression pedal control works with most on-the-shelf expression pedals, and it lets you set high and low parameters for any control and fade between them with your foot.
How do you save presets on the Vanguard Dual Phase?
Presets can be saved via the Remote input using an auxiliary momentary switch, which can also switch the pedal on and off. The Preset footswitch lets you set three separate tones in advance and select them on the fly during a show or in the studio.
What are the three voicings on the second phaser?
A toggle switch selects between three different phaser voicings on the second phaser: a 10-stage phaser with regeneration, a 6-stage phaser with pitch bend, and a 4-stage phaser with a filter.
Sources (5)
- Walrus Audio Announce Release of the Vanguard Dual Phase, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2015-11-04
- Walrus Audio Vanguard Dual Phase Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-07-28
- Walrus Audio Vanguard Dual Phase, Pedal of the Day, 2016-01-28
- Walrus Audio Introduces the Vanguard Dual Phase, Premier Guitar, 2015-11-04
- Walrus Audio Vanguard Dual Phase, Pedal of the Day, 2016-01-31
