“Playing along to streamed music works a treat and,…

“Playing along to streamed music works a treat and, while a straight dry click might not be everyone’s favored choice, it’s a useful facility”: Walrus Audio Canvas Rehearsal review

Walrus Audio Canvas Rehearsal: the compact black utility pedal is photographed against a fawn-covered Vox tube amp combo.

What is it?

The latest of Walrus Audio’s rapidly expanding Canvas range of utility items is the Canvas Rehearsal, which the company is promoting as an all-in-one rehearsal tool.

Its basic remit is that it allows you to plug in and listen to your instrument through headphones or a connected sound system, playing along to its built-in metronome and/or any tracks you care to send into it through a mini-jack stereo input or wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Specs

PRICE: $/£249
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Stereo practice tool
FEATURES: Metronome with tap tempo, tempo range 40-250bpm, Bluetooth, MIDI
CONTROLS: HP output, Screen Control encoder, Guitar volume, Click volume, Aux volume,
Tap button, footswitch
CONNECTIONS: Standard inputs (Left/Mono, Right), standard outputs (Left/Mono, Right), TRS Stereo 3.5mm Aux input, TRS Stereo 3.5mm headphone output, MIDI in, MIDI thru, USB
POWER: 9V DC adaptor (not supplied) 300mA
DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x 122 (d) x 57mm (h)
CONTACT: Walrus Audio

Usability and sounds

While you can plug a guitar straight in, the natural place for the unit is at the end of a chain of effects pedals to give you a more inspiring sound, particularly so if there’s an amp-in-a-box pedal involved.

Walrus Audio sees the Canvas Rehearsal as the ideal companion for the guitarist with a pedalboard who wants to practise or work up new material.

The footswitch stops and starts the metronome, and you can set its tempo via the rotary encoder by using the Tap button that flashes at the set tempo or via the footswitch in tap tempo mode. The encoder can also deliver a choice of four time signatures, a range of divisions for the tap tempo, and turn on an accent at the beginning of each measure. There’s also control via MIDI.

Getting external music into the unit is as simple as pairing it with your streaming device via Bluetooth or running a mini-jack stereo cable in for a physical connection.

Three small knobs mix the guitar/metronome/music blend that you hear in your headphones – just set a mix that works for you and turn up the large HP knob to set the overall volume, which, incidentally, we needed to set quite high to get a reasonable vibe going through our particular ’phones.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★☆

Playing along to streamed music works a treat and, while a straight dry click would not necessarily be everyone’s favoured rhythmic practice choice, it’s a useful facility.

As a practical widget with a specific feature set that will have definite appeal to some players

And with various options available as to what you send out of the main outputs, it could be sent to a rehearsal room PA as an aid to band practice.

Guitar World verdict: There are various ways to take care of private practice needs, and Walrus Audio’s Canvas Rehearsal expands that range of options. As a practical widget with a specific feature set that will have definite appeal to some players, it could be a useful adjunct to your pedalboard.