Wampler Catacombs

The Wampler Catacombs is a programmable all-in-one delay and reverb pedal from Wampler, announced in November 2024. It packs six delay algorithms and five reverb algorithms into one mid-size stereo workstation, with eight onboard presets, tap tempo, MIDI and an expression pedal input¹². Chief designer Brian Wampler told Guitar World he "designed the pedal out of pure selfishness"³.

It is the third pedal in Brian Wampler's workstation series, following the Terraform multi-modulator and the Metaverse multi-delay, and it follows the same mid-size stereo format as those two². Guitar Pedal X described it as Wampler's take on a Source Audio Collider style EchoVerb pedal, noting that where the Collider was stronger on the reverb side, the Catacombs leans more into the delays⁴.

The delay and reverb algorithms

The Catacombs offers six delay programs and five reverb programs, and the two effects can be run in series or parallel⁶. The delay side covers a range of classic echo styles, and the reverb side covers the standard spaces.

²⁶

Two of the delay programs are modeled on specific classics. Delicious Audio reports that the "analog" setting is based around a Boss DM-2 delay, while the Bucket Brigade setting is based around an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man⁶. The Digital program is inspired by TC Electronic's 2290, which Guitar World describes as an interpretation rather than a clone³. Wampler also sells standalone versions of some of these echo styles, including the Faux Tape Echo V2 and the Ethereal reverb and delay.

On the reverb side, gearnews highlighted two modes: the Shimmer reverb (SHMR), which "adds a magical texture, especially when used with an expression pedal," and the Room setting, whose "intimate atmosphere... makes for the perfect studio reverb"⁷.

The controls and the Alt functions

The pedal's front panel keeps things compact by giving each knob a second layer. The main controls cover time, feedback, modulation and level, with alt functions for each effect⁷. Holding down the left (Bypass/Alt) footswitch gives access to the Alt function for each knob, which controls the reverb's parameters⁶.

The full control set:

• Bypass [Alt] footswitch: engages and bypasses the pedal; hold for Alt functions²
• Preset/Save button: selects and stores presets 1 to 8²
• Tap Tempo footswitch: sets delay time in time with your playing¹²
• Time, Feedback, Modulation and Level knobs: core delay controls, each with an Alt function for the reverb side⁷⁶

When using presets, four LEDs between the footswitches show whether any knob, when moved, is before or after the preset's saved setting, so you can see at a glance how far you have drifted from the stored sound⁶.

Power and connections

The Catacombs runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 130mA¹. That current draw rules out a battery, and it is worth checking that a small power supply can spare 130mA before daisy chaining it with other digital pedals.

Connections are generous for a mid-size pedal: Mono In, Stereo In, Mono Out, Stereo Out and an Expression port². The delay and reverb can run together in mono, stereo, parallel or series¹, and Guitar Pedal X notes you can do "all manner of clever things with this device, including the 4-cable method of wiring / cabling"².

MIDI and presets

The Catacombs responds to MIDI CC messages. By default the MIDI channel is set to Omni Mode, responding on all channels, but it can be set to a specific channel from 1 to 16⁸. Useful CC assignments include:

• CC 1 (Bypass State): value 0 turns off delay and reverb, values 1 to 127 turn them on⁸
• CC 100: emulates the expression pedal input⁸

Eight presets live onboard and are selected with the Preset/Save button¹², with expanded recall available over MIDI¹. Wampler also launched the Syntax, a companion multifunction remote switcher priced at $99, alongside the Catacombs².

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar's reviewer found the sounds themselves immediately usable: "Each of the six delay programs, and each of the five reverbs, were instantly useable and familiar," and the pedal offers "seven delay algorithms and five reverb options that sound great"⁹. Side by side with a Walrus Fathom and an EarthQuaker Avalanche Run, the plate, hall and spring reverb modes "held their own"⁹.

The same reviewer had reservations about the workflow, though:

Premier Guitar's overall verdict balanced the two: the pedal sounds excellent, immersive and inviting, but the reviewer was flustered more than once navigating its overall usability and sound⁹. Delicious Audio's take on the design philosophy was that "the emphasis is placed on the quality of the sounds rather than unusual features"⁶.

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