The Wampler Ethereal is a compact stompbox that combines reverb and delay in one enclosure, built around a specific idea: a plate-style reverb sitting underneath two layered delays. Wampler describes it as "A perfect powerful compact ambient Reverb and Delay," and it is aimed squarely at ambient and soundscape playing1. Both the reverb and the delay are digital: reviewers at Delicious Audio described it as a pedal that will "blend a simple, yet lush digital reverb, similar to a plate reverb, with a more complex digital delay"2.
What it does: plate reverb under two layered delays
The Ethereal's layout is built around layering. There is not one delay inside it but two: the first delay "constantly sits there like a heartbeat," in Delicious Audio's words, and a second delay is layered over the top of it3. Underneath both sits what the same reviewer called "that beautifully cavernous plate style reverb that is alive with character and shape"3.
The reverb level is its own control, and Wampler says it can be set "whether that be under your guitar, the same level - unity, or even considerably louder"1. That means the reverb can work as a subtle bed behind the delays or push forward as the main effect.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay | Sets the delay time, printed spec from 20ms (a slapback feel) to a full second, with a lamp to visualize the delay time5 |
| Feedback | Sets how many delay repeats build up |
| Tone | Shapes the tone of the repeats |
| Delay Mix | Sets the delay level in the mix |
| Reverb Mix | Sets the reverb level, from under the guitar to unity or considerably louder1 |
The five knobs are Feedback, Tone, Delay, Delay Mix and Reverb Mix. In a 2024 buying guide, Delicious Audio's Christopher Scapelliti wrote that they "give you everything you need to create luscious ambient drones"6.
The Delay Mode switch
A small toggle on top of the pedal chooses how the second delay is layered on top of the original, in three ways4. Wampler's product page says "that one can be put into a triplet pattern, or a dotted 8th"1. MusicPlayers.com's reviewer, Bruce Sokolovic, described the switch's behavior in more detail: "The Ethereal always has a quarter-note repeat. With this switch, you can select an additional eighth note, a triplet, or" a self-oscillating dotted eighth pattern5.
Trails
The Ethereal has a trails button, placed to the right of the stomp switch. When it is engaged, "the delay patterns and reverbs sing out after the pedal has been deactivated"13. For ambient playing, that means turning the pedal off does not cut the tail short: repeats and reverb continue to decay naturally.
Where it came from and what reviewers said
Brian Wampler's original idea, as Delicious Audio tells it, "was to create an ambient pedal that was luscious sounding and as straightforward as possible"3. MusicRadar covered the release in June 2017, billing it as "Dual delay and plate-style 'verb from a compact stompbox" with delay times up to one second4.
Reviewers have generally placed it in the ambient camp. Delicious Audio included it in their article on reverbs for ambient and shoegazer music3. In a 2018 review for MusicPlayers.com, Bruce Sokolovic reviewed the Ethereal5.
"a simple, yet lush digital reverb, similar to a plate reverb"
A demo video by Dennis Kayzer covering the Ethereal was posted in March 20223.
Where it sits in Wampler's delay and reverb range
The Ethereal is one of several delay and reverb pedals Wampler has made. Later pedals in the line expanded on the format: the Wampler Metaverse is a programmable multi-delay, the Wampler Catacombs is a stereo delay and reverb workstation, and the Wampler Faux Tape Echo V2 covers tape-style echoes. For other approaches to the same territory, see Delay Pedals and Reverb Pedals.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Pete Thorn
Sweetwater
Questions
Does the Wampler Ethereal have trails?
Yes. The Ethereal has a trails button, placed to the right of the stomp switch. When it is engaged, delay patterns and reverbs continue to ring out after the pedal has been deactivated, so repeats and reverb tails spill over naturally instead of cutting off when you turn the effect off.
Is the Wampler Ethereal analog or digital?
The Ethereal is a digital pedal. Reviewers at Delicious Audio described it as blending a simple, yet lush digital reverb, similar to a plate reverb, with a more complex digital delay. Both the reverb and the delay sections are digital processing in a compact stompbox format.
How long can the Ethereal's delay time go?
The maximum delay time is one second. The Delay knob's printed spec runs from 20ms, which gives a slapback feel, up to a full second of delay, and the knob has a lamp to help visualize the delay time as you turn it.
Can the Ethereal's second delay be set to dotted eighth notes?
Yes. The second delay can be put into a triplet pattern or a dotted 8th, and MusicPlayers.com's reviewer noted the switch can also select a self-oscillating dotted eighth pattern. The pedal always has a quarter-note repeat underneath, with the second delay layered on top.
Can the Ethereal run reverb and delay at the same time?
Yes. Wampler states the Ethereal allows you to use reverb and two delays simultaneously. The plate-style reverb sits underneath the delays and its level can be set under your guitar, at unity, or considerably louder, so the two effects work together rather than one replacing the other.
Sources (6)
- Ethereal, Wampler, 2026-09-07
- Pedal Reviews: Wampler Ethereal from Gearphoria, Delicious Audio, 2017-10-17
- Wampler Ethereal Reverb And Delay, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-18
- Wampler releases Ethereal reverb and delay pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-06-19
- Wampler Tumnus, Ethereal and The Paisley Deluxe, MusicPlayers.com, 2018-10-31
- The Best Ambient-Shoegaze Reverb Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-15
