Expand Your Kit’s Potential with Pedal-inspired Effects
Who says stompboxes are just for guitarists? The Walrus Audio DFX-1 Percussion Processing Unit was designed in collaboration with stage and studio veteran Aaron Sterling — John Mayer’s go-to drummer for more than a decade — as an all-encompassing pedalboard for drummers. Complete with a dedicated mic preamp with +48-volt phantom power, a -20dB pad, and an XLR combo jack, the DFX-1 allows you to drench your room/snare/overhead mic’s signal with effects tuned specifically to excel on drums. From ’80s-style gated reverb to punchy compression and dub-inspired echoes, each of the DFX-1’s three effect sections sports two distinct voices, with the utility-packed fourth section introducing a tilt EQ and tube-inspired saturation. What’s more, the DFX-1's trio of pads allows you to activate and modify effects with the press of a finger or the strike of a stick. You also get a robust I/O section to take on any setup, including MIDI In/Thru, USB-C, and an effects loop with customizable placement within the signal to integrate additional pedals. Whether you’re craving greater control over your sound before it hits FOH or you’re an adventurous percussionist with an experimental streak, the Walrus Audio DFX-1 dramatically expands the creative capabilities of your kit.
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Three flexible effect sections and versatile utility functions
Walrus Audio worked extensively with Aaron Sterling to devise a collection of effects that would cover all the standard needs of a stage and studio drummer, with each of the three main effect sections featuring two unique voices to build your sound upon.
- Compression: The DFX-1’s compression section starts with a VCA-style circuit that’s perfect for adding a touch of glue or punch to a signal. Prefer a grittier tone? Sweetwater’s studio pros recommend switching over to the FET side for a spot-on emulation of the mighty 1176.
- Delay: Whether you’re after clean, crisp digital repeats or character-packed analog echo, the DFX-1’s versatile delay section is happy to oblige.
- Reverb: Perfect for imparting a touch of space to a room mic or a dramatic splash to your snare, the DFX-1’s reverb section supplies you with both lively Spring sounds and the smoother character of a Plate reverb.
- Saturation/EQ: Finally, the DFX-1’s fourth section is composed of two distinct effects, including a rich saturation based on asymmetrical tube clipping and a multipurpose EQ knob that can be configured as a highpass filter, a lowpass filter, or a midrange cut. Moreover, this section also allows you to choose whether you wish to run the DFX-1’s effects in Forward (Saturation > Compression > Delay > Reverb) or Reverse (Saturation > Reverb > Delay > Compression).
Ample I/O to take on any rig
Whether you’re running a dynamic mic on your snare, a condenser for your mono overhead, or a ribbon to pick up room sound, the DFX-1 has you covered. This pedal’s onboard preamp includes all the standard-issue functions you’d find on a piece of studio kit, including an XLR combo jack with +48-volt phantom power, a -20dB pad to tame hot signals, and a Line/Instrument level switch. Next, the DFX-1’s onboard effects loop offers three different placement options within the pedal’s internal signal chain, allowing you to effortlessly optimize the sound of your outboard stompboxes. Finally, you also get a USB-C jack and 5-pin MIDI In/Thru jacks, allowing you to take in-depth remote control over the DFX-1’s myriad parameters and functions.
Walrus Audio: built by tone tweakers for tone tweakers
The artists, musicians, and engineers at Walrus Audio take pleasure in chasing sounds that inspire, like the perfect breakup of an overdrive, a beautifully thick distortion, an endlessly sustaining reverb, and a self-oscillating delay. Simply put, these guys love to play with sound. They design stompboxes that re-create the sonic textures that they hear in their heads. Built by tone tweakers for tone tweakers, Walrus Audio’s guitar pedals are as versatile as they are functional. Complete with eye-grabbing graphics, Walrus Audio’s pedals are the perfect tools for guitarists who want to sculpt their own unique sounds.
Walrus Audio DFX-1 Features:
- Dedicated percussion processing unit that allows drummers to incorporate guitar-pedal-style FX into their rig
- Designed in conjunction with star stage and studio drummer Aaron Sterling, whose resume includes the likes of John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Post Malone, and countless others
- Screen display and pedal-style controls allow for intuitive navigation and tone tweaking
- A, B, and C pads allow you to activate and modify effects with the tap of a finger or drumstick; pads can also be used for the delay's tap tempo function
- Onboard mic preamp sports an XLR combo in, a 3-pin XLR out, +48V phantom power, and a -20dB pad
- Puts 3 distinct FX sections at your command, with the Compression, Delay, and Reverb FX all boasting 2 distinct voices to explore
- Fourth section combines both a tube-style asymmetrical clipping circuit and a versatile EQ control (LPF, HPF, and midrange cut)
- 128 presets available via the display menu and through MIDI control
- Fourth section also gives you 2 different signal chain orders to choose between
- Built-in FX loop to integrate the rest of your pedal collection
- FX loop can be placed at several different positions within the signal chain to best suit your sound
- 5-pin MIDI In/Thru jacks to take in-depth remote control over sounds and parameters
- Convenient light-up monitoring makes it a breeze to set your mic signal to the proper level
