Walrus Audio Lillian Settings Guide
The Walrus Audio Lillian is an analog multi-stage phaser with Rate, Depth, Feedback, and a three-way D-P-V (Dry/Phase/Vibrato) mode switch, plus a Stages selector (4 or 6 phase stages). A 4-stage phaser produces the tight, punchy Phase 45 character; a 6-stage phaser produces the richer, deeper Phase 90 / MXR Small Stone character. The Lillian is analog throughout, using BBD chips for the phase shift stages.
The best Walrus Audio Lillian settings start with: Rate at 3/10, Depth at 5/10, Feedback at 4/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Classic Rock (6-stage): Rate 3/10, Depth 6/10, Feedback 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 3/10 | Slow → Fast |
| Depth | 5/10 | Subtle → Deep |
| Feedback | 4/10 | None → Heavy |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Six stages selected, D-P-V in D mode — the deep, lush Phase 90 character. Feedback 5 adds resonance to the sweep. Rate 3 is the classic slow phasing used in classic rock (EVH "Eruption" intro, Led Zeppelin "Houses of the Holy"). Depth 6 produces obvious but musical phasing.
Four stages, faster Rate — the tighter Phase 45 character used in funk and R&B. Rate 5 produces a faster, snappier sweep that reinforces the rhythmic character of funk rhythm guitar.
D-P-V in V (Vibrato) mode, slow Rate — pitch vibrato effect without the dry signal. Depth 7 produces dramatic pitch modulation. Used for slow, expressive vibrato on sustained notes and swells.
D-P-V in P (phase-only) mode removes the dry signal entirely, producing a more extreme, fully-wet phasing character than the standard D mode blend, suited to dramatic psychedelic textures.
Low Depth and Feedback keep the phasing as gentle background movement rather than an obvious sweep, adding dimension to blues-rock rhythm and lead tones without announcing the effect.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The 4-stage vs 6-stage selector changes the fundamental character of this pedal significantly — 4 stages produce a tighter, more transparent phase that sits well in a busy mix; 6 stages produce a deeper, more immersive sweep that is more prominent in a clean arrangement. Try both before committing to settings.
- The D-P-V mode switch is a bigger tonal decision than Rate or Depth — D blends phase with the dry signal for a conventional phaser sound, P removes the dry signal for a more extreme fully-wet phase, and V shifts to pitch vibrato entirely.
- Feedback (resonance) interacts with stage count — a given Feedback setting sounds more intense on 6 stages than on 4, so revisit Feedback after switching stage count rather than assuming the same value translates directly.
- This pedal responds well to being placed before, rather than after, a fuzz or overdrive — modulating the signal before gain stages tends to produce a more predictable, musical result than modulating an already-saturated signal.
- For players comparing this against a classic MXR-style phaser, the 4-stage/6-stage and D-P-V mode combination gives access to a wider range of classic phaser voicings than a single fixed-stage design can reach.
FAQ
Walrus Audio Lillian — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Walrus Audio Lillian: Rate at 3/10, Depth at 5/10, Feedback at 4/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Classic Rock (6-stage): Rate 3/10, Depth 6/10, Feedback 5/10. Six stages selected, D-P-V in D mode — the deep, lush Phase 90 character. Feedback 5 adds resonance to the sweep. Rate 3 is the classic slow phasing used in classic rock (EVH "Eruption" intro, Led Zeppelin "Houses of the Holy"). Depth 6 produces obvious but musical phasing.
For Funk (4-stage): Rate 5/10, Depth 5/10, Feedback 3/10. Four stages, faster Rate — the tighter Phase 45 character used in funk and R&B. Rate 5 produces a faster, snappier sweep that reinforces the rhythmic character of funk rhythm guitar.
Rate: LFO speed. (Slow to Fast). Depth: Phase depth / LFO modulation amount. (Subtle to Deep). Feedback: Phase stage feedback — adds resonance and character to the sweep. (None to Heavy). D-P-V: Mode: D (dry+phase blend), P (phase only), V (vibrato pitch modulation). (Dry to Vibrato)
The 4-stage vs 6-stage selector changes the fundamental character of this pedal significantly — 4 stages produce a tighter, more transparent phase that sits well in a busy mix; 6 stages produce a deeper, more immersive sweep that is more prominent in a clean arrangement. Try both before committing to settings. The D-P-V mode switch is a bigger tonal decision than Rate or Depth — D blends phase with the dry signal for a conventional phaser sound, P removes the dry signal for a more extreme fully-wet phase, and V shifts to pitch vibrato entirely. Feedback (resonance) interacts with stage count — a given Feedback setting sounds more intense on 6 stages than on 4, so revisit Feedback after switching stage count rather than assuming the same value translates directly. This pedal responds well to being placed before, rather than after, a fuzz or overdrive — modulating the signal before gain stages tends to produce a more predictable, musical result than modulating an already-saturated signal. For players comparing this against a classic MXR-style phaser, the 4-stage/6-stage and D-P-V mode combination gives access to a wider range of classic phaser voicings than a single fixed-stage design can reach.
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