By Michael Saracino
L . R . Baggs Align Series Acoustic Pedals
ROAD TEST
Simplicity and tonality are king when it comes to the L . R . Baggs Align Series pedals , developed exclusively for acoustic instruments .
As an acoustic guitarist and vocalist playing over 400 shows per year , I ’ d been waiting on pedals like these for quite some time . The layouts are simple , the design and form factor attractive , and the resulting sounds are wonderful . In my experience , they tastefully add to my sound without subtracting from the solid tone of my Gibson J45 with the L . R . Baggs Anthem pickup system installed . Prior to this review , I ’ d often use delays , reverbs , compressors , and EQs that were designed with the voicing of an electric guitar in mind , and as such , that sometimes meant compromising on tone .
I tried out three of the available six Align Series pedals – Reverb , Delay , and Equalizer – with and without my Boss RC-300 Loopstation .
Reverb The Reverb has four rotary controls : Volume , Reverb , Tone , and Decay , along with an Engage switch that features a fair-sized LED indicator directly above . The reverb itself sat well in the mix and augmenting the decay and tone knobs gave me a fairly wide palette of sonic options . My favourite aspect was actually having a volume control independent of the reverb amount . Placing it in-line before a loop pedal gives the performer the ability to create a loop , and then engage the reverb and incorporate a slight ( or , if you prefer , massive ) volume boost and any amount of reverb desired in order to perform a lead line . This adds tremendous value through functionality at a gig . This pedal would make a welcome addition to even a barebones acoustic instrumentalist pedalboard .
Delay The Delay pedal also has four rotary controls : Delay , Repeat , Tone , and Time , along with a button labelled “ Div ,” which sets delay to the dotted eighth-note of the current tempo , and Tap , which is a tap tempo function . There is also an Engage switch , again with an LED indicator to let the player know when it ’ s on or off . Though not labelled directly on the pedal , there is also an input at the top for an external foot switch to control the tap tempo functionality . I ended up using this right away , as I find it a must on
any delay I use live to keep things fluid and not end up hunched over the pedal making adjustments between songs . Although you won ’ t find a plethora of wild delay options ( think reverse , ping pong , gated , etc .) and it isn ’ t a stereo pedal , what it does bring to the table is solid sonic performance designed for an acoustic instrument – and this is something I had found to be missing altogether prior to its launch . Its simple controls , ability to control tempo externally and incorporate a dotted eighth-note feel , and its excellent sonic results make this pedal an allaround winner in my eyes .
Equalizer The Equalizer pedal has two large rotary controls at the top : Volume and Notch . Beneath these are six smaller rotary controls for boosting or decreasing the six prefixed frequency ranges ( 85 Hz , 350 Hz , 750 Hz , 1.6 kHz , 4.8 kHz , and 10 kHz ), and beneath these are a selectable high pass filter ( 40 Hz , 80 Hz , or 120 Hz ), Phase Reverse button , and a Gain Cut / Boost switch (+/ -6dB ). There is also an Engage switch with an LED indicator directly above . This is a lot of functionality , especially when accounting for the size of the pedal ; however , I would have loved a few bands ( or at least one ) of selectable / sweepable parametric EQ control in the midrange .
That being said , the preset frequencies are well thought out and allow a powerful amount of tone sculpting . The Notch Filter is sweepable up to 300 Hz and can really help control lowend feedback associated with acoustic pickups , especially when performing close to the main loudspeakers or using stage monitors as opposed to an in-ear system . The selectable high pass filter lends itself well to multiple instruments . You might want to remove below 40 Hz for a jumbo body , 80 Hz for a parlour , and 120 Hz on something like a banjo or baritone ukulele . Although I like the sound and tonal blending options on my L . R . Baggs Anthem pickup without much equalization , I have to admit that this pedal surprised me with how good it is at making subtle enhancements . It ’ s also great for engaging in tandem with a loop pedal to boost and EQ a lead guitar line .
Summary I had been waiting for one of the major pedal manufacturers to step up and make a series of effects aimed at the acoustic musician for quite some time , and personally know about a dozen steadily gigging musicians in my area alone that use an amplified acoustic instrument as a staple of performance . At last , it ’ s fitting that the maker of my favourite acoustic pickup systems stepped up to the plate and delivered the Align Series . L . R . Baggs has a created a beautifully designed , sonically pleasing lineup of pedals that deliver on their intentions and most acoustic musicians could find a reason to add at least a few of them to their rig .
Michael Saracino is musician and music producer based in Ontario ’ s Niagara Region who performs over 400 times annually . He ’ s had the good fortune of performing across four different continents , including a year in Australia , with three different music agencies . Now back in Canada , he performs consistently in Niagara and Toronto and is building a recording facility on his property .
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