Walrus Audio Mantle

The Mantle is a premium preamp and DI for electric bass, created in close collaboration with Ian Martin Allison. Designed to give your bass guitar an impeccable sonic foundation, the Mantle brings studio-grade refinement to any environment. Whether you’re stepping onstage, tracking in the studio, or shaping your sound at home.

At the heart of the circuit are custom-wound Sapphire Transformers, engineered to deliver the authoritative low-end and midrange push similar to a classic Neve circuit, paired with an airy, articulate top end inspired by revered API preamp architecture. Together, they provide a harmonically rich canvas that elevates your playing while preserving every nuance of your instrument.

The Mantle empowers you to sculpt your signal with intention, offering musical gain, smartly tuned EQ, tremendous headroom, and transformer-balanced outputs. Every component and stage of the signal path is built to ensure whatever comes next (amp, interface, or mixer) receives your bass in its most confident, fully realized form.

Key Features:

• Premium preamp and DI for electric bass, created in close collaboration with Ian Martin Allison.
• Designed to give your instrument an impeccable sonic foundation for live, studio, or home use.
• Built around proprietary, custom-wound Sapphire transformers, developed through extensive research.
• Delivers authoritative low-end and midrange push reminiscent of a classic Neve circuit.
• Airy, articulate top end inspired by revered API preamp architecture.
• Provides a harmonically rich canvas that elevates your playing.
• Preserves every nuance and detail of your instrument.
• High-impedance JFET input buffer for articulate, touch-sensitive response and exceptional clarity.
• Transformer-based gain offers up to +23 dB of amplification.
• Delivers clean headroom to magnetic, harmonically rich drive.
• Custom-tailored Bass and Treble EQ co-designed with Ian Martin Allison.
• Utilizes a sophisticated blend of shelving, bandpass, and selectable LPF/HPF behaviors.
• Transformer-balanced XLR output ensures expansive headroom and uncompressed dynamics.
• Delivers commanding low-frequency extension for studio and live use.
• Balanced XLR DI out and unbalanced 1/4" output for flexible routing.
• Run an amp and FOH or recording interface simultaneously.
• Active/Passive pad and Ground Lift switches for enhanced compatibility.
• Reduces noise and increases headroom when using active basses.
• High headroom +24V internal power supply for clean dynamics and effortless low-end.
• Power Requirements: 9VDC, 500mA, Center-Negative, 2.1mm. Power supply not included.
• The use of an isolated power supply is recommended for powering all Walrus Audio pedals. Daisy chain power supplies are not recommended!
• Designed and assembled in the USA
  
  

Technical Specifications:

• Input Impedance: 1MΩ
• Output Impedance: 150 Balanced, 150 Unbalanced
• Noise floor: Balanced -101dBV, Unbalanced -94dBV
• THD @ 1kHz 1Vrms: 0.04%
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Gain Range: -6dB → +23dB
• EQ Boost Range: 0dB → +15dB
• Size: 155mm x 120mm x 58mm