Review: L.R. Baggs Acoustic Pedal Suite

Venerable acoustic-instrument electronics manufacturer L.R. Baggs had the Winter NAMM Show abuzz over its new Align Series pedal suite aimed specifically at acoustic-electric guitarists. We’re thrilled that they promptly sent review units ready for testing—and all together too, as a performance/recording system. The four distinctly acoustic-looking pedals featuring stained-wood graphics fit perfectly and snugly affixed to a MONO Pedalboard Lite Plus ($129 street), all powered by a Truetone 1 Spot AC adaptor and Multi Plug 5 Cable ($29.90 street for both). To simulate a gig situation, Baggs also sent along its new Synapse Personal P.A. ($1,999 street; review coming soon).

ALIGN SERIES SESSION

Essentially a compressor and gain pedal rolled into one, the Session ($179 street) is designed to add oomph and richness for a studio-quality tone. Volume and Gain controls accommodate active or passive pickups. The magic here is in the combination of analog saturation that brings a welcome balminess to cold piezo pickup signals, and multiband compression that evens out any rough sonic edges. The saturation effect isn’t like typical overdrive or distortion—it’s refined, and adds girth to an acoustic tone without being overbearing. And the compression isn’t squashy, or even overt. It’s a dynamically sensitive 3-band compressor that conducts subtle searches for problematic frequencies to smooth out. I got hooked on the fullness it provided, and after playing with the Session a while, playing without it was a real letdown. If you simply want a bigger, better acoustic sound onstage or in the studio, audition the Session. It passed mine with flying colors, and receives an Editors’ Pick Award.

Kudos Makes everything sound better in a beautifully subtle way.
Concerns None.

ALIGN SERIES EQUALIZER

Combining an FET gain stage with oodles of highly specified EQ tools in order to bolster and