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Walrus Audio releases the Mako ACS1, a feature-packed stereo amp and cab simulator for guitar
With fully configurable stereo amp rig capabilities.
All images: Walrus Mako
Walrus Audio has announced the Mako ACS1, an amplifier and cab simulator and the third entry into the Mako series.
The pedal retains the core structure of the other entries into the Mako series: a stepped enclosure with two LEDs, two footswitches and two rows of three controls, as well as three mini toggle switches. Connections are similarly fully-fledged, with mono/stereo quarter-inch jacks for audio, as well as a headphone output and midi connection.
The controls allow for adjustment of the amp simulation’s volume, gain, bass, midrange and treble, as well as the amount of in-built room reverb present, ranging from a spacious and airy studio to a more close-mic’d feeling.
The rightmost toggle switch selects which amp mode you’re using. Three are available, each named after the location that inspired their tone: Fullerton, a Fender Deluxe Reverb-styled amplifier, with boundless headroom and clear clean tones, London, a Marshall Bluesbreaker-style amplifier, with harmonically saturated valve overdrive, and Dartford, a Vox AC-30-style amplifier, with lots of high-end jangle and bite.
The ACS1 comes loaded with six cabinet impulse responses – accessed by the leftmost toggle switch (the second three are accessed by moving the switch while the bypass switch is held down). You can also load in your own IRs via the pedal’s USB connection and Walrus’ configurator at walrusaudio.io.
The central toggle switch controls how extensive your stereo usage of the pedal is – with this toggle in the neutral position, editing parameters applies to both left and right channels. However, you can move the toggle to the L or R position to edit amp and cabinet settings on just that channel – and then move across to the other side to edit the opposite channel, meaning you can create a stereo blend of two sounds.
The pedal also has extensive preset support: you can save up to three presets by pressing and holding the bypass and boost switch simultaneously, and cycle through these by pressing and releasing bypass and boost simultaneously. The pedal will cycle through the three onboard presets (displaying red, green, and blue as it does so). When power is removed from the pedal, it will boot up in the last used preset. You can also expand this much further with midi, the use of which allows up to 128 presets to be saved and recalled.
The Mako ACS1 lists for €419 / £365. Find out more at walrusaudio.com. For more gear news, click here.