Walrus Audio has released the Mako Series MKII, the second generation of its flagship stereo pedals with major new features, including OLED displays.
I have tested some Walrus Audio pedals with synths in the past. While many were mono-only pedals (Lore, ARP-87, SLÖ), the recent Slöer reverb gave me the stereo reverb awesomeness I missed.
Walrus Audio also has other stereo pedals in its portfolio. These are the flagship pedals of the Mako series, which have now received a big update.
Walrus Audio Mako Series MKII
The Mako Series MKII are the successors of the initial Mako stereo pedals. The selection remains the same: ACS1 stomp modeler, M1 modulation, D1 delay, and R1 reverb.
All four new Mako Series MKII pedals benefit from major new features. The first significance can be seen in the user interface, which now bears an OLED display underneath the six controls.
Since the pedals are feature-rich, the display is an excellent addition. However, it needs to be tested to see how effective it is in practice. According to Walrus Audio, they also increased the headroom and lowered the noise floor on all four pedals, so you can play into each pedal even more dynamically.
Besides this, each Mako MKII pedal now offers 128 preset slots in the hardware instead of nine, allowing you to store more custom settings for your next gig. On the algorithm side, they also optimized the codes with the help of feedback from the community.
Ok, it’s time for a deeper dive into the new algorithms.
Walrus Audio Mako Series MKII Algorithm News
Let’s start with the Mako ACS1 MKII, perhaps the least interesting pedal for synth heads. It’s a stomp modeler and offers all the algorithms of the previous version.
The new MKII adds three new amp emulations, giving you in total six: Peavey 5150 for high-gain sounds, an Orange Rockerverb emulation, and a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. It also ships with six additional cabs based on impulse responses created by Justin York of York Audio.
You can also load your own IRs via the USB-C port, plus it comes with a new noise gate. There is also news for the three others.
The Mako M1 MKII has six fine-tuned modulation algorithms: chorus, phaser, tremolo, vibrato, rotary, and filter. On top of that, you can explore a new flanger in the chorus algorithms.
Furthermore, the Mako D1 MKII stereo delay now features an intriguing grain delay mode, modulation on the delay trails via a multi-wave LFO, and better BPM sync. If you use MIDI, the BPM can also be set and changed on the new display.
Lastly, Walrus Audio reprogrammed all six reverb modes in the Mako R MKII stereo reverb. Each mode now features a new ducking/swelling feature, size, diffuse controls, and a feedback EQ.
First Impression
Looks like an excellent, comprehensive update for the popular stereo pedals. And in case the MKII series too high priced for your budget, the MKI versions are currently available at a good discount.
Walrus Audio Mako Series MKII is available now for pre-order for $399,99 – $449,99 or 449€ – 499€. Shipping starts in mid October 2024.
More information here: Walrus Audio
Available at my partners for pre-order
Great. But I do prefer all I/O on the rear of the pedal. (I’m loving the SLöer)
Nice improvement over the previous iterations. Was considering the D1 earlier this year so I’ll keep an eye on this one.
Tried looking for MIDI documentation on the MKII page but didn’t see it: Is it just for switching presets or can CC# change parameters?