Walrus Audio's Badwater is a bass tone magnification device sonically highlighting what makes bass so crucial to music. The all-in-one bass pre-amp and DI features optical compression, overdrive and a four-band EQ section. Enhance your bass rig’s capabilities and dial in everything from warm cleans, gritty chords, punchy drive, or bright and crisp slap sounds.

The Badwater gets its name from the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California, which is the lowest point in the states below sea level. Like the basin it’s named after, the Badwater holds the foundation for the lowest frequencies and saltiest licks in song creation.

Sustain
The Badwater features an internal optical compressor. It’s first in the signal path and is always on, though its strength is adjustable. Use the Sustain knob to add compression for long sustained notes and chords while smoothing out your transients. At a minimum, you will have a minimal effect, but as you increase the knob, you will hear more extended notes and squashed transients.

Drive Control
Give your sound some teeth by adding a subtle breakup or a tastefully driven distortion. Use the Voice toggle to select one of three options for how much low- and high-frequency content is allowed into the drive section, then use the Blend knob to blend between your fully clean and fully distorted signal. Blend your clean and driven signal to taste for increased note clarity as the clean and dirty channels run parallel. The drive control also features a separate Level knob to boost or cut the drive signal.

Shaping and EQ.
Cover just about any musical genre needs with the extensive EQ options from the Badwater. Dial in your base tone with boost/cut low, mid and high frequencies, then zero in on your perfect tone by sweeping between 500Hz to 2.4kHz with the Low Mid Frequency knob (LMF) or 3.5kHz to 7.5kHz on the High Mid Frequency knobs (HMF).

XLR Out
Badwater features both 1/4" and XLR out options, so you’re always ready with a usable bass rig. Use the XLR to connect directly to the front-of-house or use the 1/4" out to run to and amp. Both outputs can be run simultaneously for direct and live amp stage monitoring. The Badwater Does not accept power from phantom power. Phantom power will be blocked out and not damage the Badwater, but it is best to avoid turning on phantom power when the unit is connected.