NAMM 2025: Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer is a new multi-FX pedal with chorus, delay, and granular in collaboration with artist Yvette Young.
Walrus Audio has become one of the most popular effect pedal manufacturers in recent years. I have tested four pedals from their growing portfolio in the last two years; in 2024, the beautiful Slöer stereo ambient reverb which harmonizes very well with synths.
Until now, the focus was on individual creative effects. For NAMM 2025, Walrus Audio is introducing the Qi Etherealizer, a multi-FX pedal powered by a new DSP hardware architecture.
Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer
The Qi Etherealizer (pronounced “chee ethereal-izer”) is a new stereo multi-FX processor pedal in collaboration with artist Yvette Young and the first pedal with its new proprietary digital processing platform, MDSP.
At the core of MDSP is the powerful ARM-based Cortex M7 processor that allows the developer to push the boundaries of audio processing by developing more advanced algorithms than before.
The MDSP platform also boasts a superior audio codec, supporting faster sample rates, increased bit depth, greater headroom, and an exceptional signal-to-noise ratio.
The Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer is not a classic multi-FX pedal with an absurdly large number of algorithms. There are only four, but they harmonize perfectly: a chorus, delay, granular effects, and reverb. You can run them in series or parallel.
In series, the effects will feed into each other in the order of chorus > delay > grain > output, while parallel sums all effects outputs together and do not feed into each other. With the push of a button, you can change the routing and achieve different results.
The Qi Etherealizer Effects
There are four stereo effects, three of which offer more in-depth controls. Let’s start with the granular effects processor.
It offers two operating flavors: Grain Cloud for glitchy textures and Phrase Sample for rhythmical results. It also has five different playback modes: normal, double speed and +1 octave, half speed and -1 octave, reverse playback, and randomized versions of the previous modes.
For live performances, Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer also has some momentary goodness for the granular engine, including the grain freeze and grain + max reverb freeze.
Then, you can work with a clean digital delay with repeats up to two seconds. You can control it with classic delay, time, and feedback parameters. Various subdivisions, as well as tap tempo, are also onboard. The delay can also self-oscillate, giving you wilder timbres.
The built-in chorus offers two modes: a lush, multi-dimensional three-voice Tri Chorus or a classic Stereo Chorus with modulation.
In addition, you can add reverb by moving the space knob that modifies the mix and decay of the reverb at the same time. It ranges from small rooms to a huge, diffused ambient reverb at maximum settings. Plus, it hosts find a synth-style resonant lowpass filter tweakable with the tone knob parameter.
And all these parameters can be saved in three on-board color-coded presets (red, green, blue) plus a live mode (white).
Connectivity
Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer has on the backside full stereo I/O, TRS MIDI ⅛” in and thru ports for MIDI control, a power supply input, and a USB-C port for future firmware updates.
First Impression
An exciting new multi-FX pedal from Walrus Audio for NAMM 2025. I’m pleased they’ve created a new platform for this that also supports MIDI. This is missing from many Walrus pedals so far. What you hear in the first demo sounds very tempting. I’m excited to hear how it sounds with synths.
Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer is available now for pre-order for $449,99 and starts shipping at the beginning of March 2025.
More information here: Walrus Audio
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