Walrus Audio Combines 3-way Reverb with Distortion for its Melee Wall of Sound Ultimate Shoegaze Style Pedal

So Walrus Audio bring back the Janus TremFuzz’s Joystick controller for their new Distortion-Reverb Wall of Sound Shoegaze style pedal. It immediately brings to mind Old Blood Noise Endeavor’s recent Chvrches Screen Violence collaboration which does similar things but in Stereo. The Melee is both lesser and greater than that pedal - where the Screen Violence is full Stereo, but the Melee benefits from 3 different Reverb Modes / Algorithms - vs the Screen Violence’s variable Modulation / Delay / Reverb control. Each has somewhat different controls, while both allow you to set the stacking order for the Reverb and Distortion. Overall I would say the Screen Violence was slightly more granular, while the Melees is somewhat more expansive in certain ways.

Somewhat gimmicky and definitely aimed at the table-top crowd is the dual-axis Joystick - which controls Reverb Mix [X Axis] in tandem with Distortion Level [Y Axis]. This kind of control can’t really be easily manipulated via big toe dexterity - so you really need this within easy handsy reach to be able to work it properly - so not really suitable for floor-based / classic stompbox duties.

Controls - Volume, Tone : Normal / Dark / Bright, Decay : Minimum / Medium / Maximum (Hold Bypass for Alt Decay Modulation Control : None 0 / Slight 33 RPM / High 45 RMP, Order : D > R | R > D, Bypass Footswitch / Alt / Secondary Decay, Sustain / Freeze Footswitch / Hold for Trail Ramping, Press-Hold Bypass + Sustain to change Reverb Mode - Ambient Reverb (Pink LED) / Octave Down Reverb (Yellow LED) / Reverse Reverb with Feedback (Blue LED).

Ambient Reverb (Pink LED): Huge reverb capable of massive trails and engulfing your chords into an angry wash of sound. Great for soaring melodic lines or shoegaze-driven chord progressions

Octave Down Reverb (Yellow LED): Similar to the Dark mode in Walrus Audio’s popular Slö reveb pedal, you’ll find an eerie lower octave hovering in the reverb trail for an engulfing atmospheric touch

Reverse Reverb with Feedback (Blue LED): Add reversed reverb trails back into your signal, create gentle melodies, or push into reverse feedback overload. Big, slow, and sad chords love to hang out here!

There’s much to like about this pedal - while the OBNE Screen Violence is more to my preferences. Surely for a full wall of sound you need the spatial dimension of Stereo. Also - I’m principally a stompbox guy - looking for floor effects units. While this Melee plays much more into the table-top and synth crowd.

It’s a slightly smaller unit than the OBNE Screen Violence - but somewhat dearer at $299 vs $279. I feel that players will be fairly evenly split across the two units. The Melee is more of a hand’s on performance instrument - because of its Joystick controller, while the Screen Violence has a different set of advantages - including the full Stereo ins and outs.

Both are undeniably clever pedals and well conceived. The Screen Violence is just a touch more to my own preferences.

How about you readers? Which of those two devices do you have a preference for. Does anyone have or is thinking of acquiring either of those choices?