Align Session Acoustic Saturation/Compressor/EQ Pedal Review

Instant magic

I didn't know what to expect from this pedal. All I can say is WOW! I wanted to get more presence in my tone and that's exactly what this delivers. It's placed first in the signal chain. I used it for a solo gig and it really made the guitar shine (D-18 Modern Deluxe w/ a Fishman Matrix Infinity). Looking forward to hearing what it does with my Trio this afternoon.

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It’s always on.

I already had the venue by LR Baggs which is a great EQ pedal. But adding the session was a game changer it definitely helps smooth everything out and the saturation is a great bonus too. It is on from start to finish of every set I play plugged up. Next will be the delay pedal.

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A Better Sound

This device is easy to use. I was able to dial it in to the signal chain for an improved sound on my Martin acoustic. This device is used for every live performance.

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Improve your acoustic pickup sound!

The LR Baggs Align Session was the missing piece of the puzzle for my live acoustic rig. Although my acoustic pickups (K&K) sounded good going through the pa (Fishman SA330X, see my review), I wanted a bit more warmth and something to even out slight output differences from different strings. I tried several pedals that use digital processing to correct for the pickups, but that's… read more not what I needed. The Baggs Align is all analog and, according to the product info, was developed with Nashville sound engineers specifically for acoustic instruments. The end result is that now my live setup sounds much more natural and evens out the playing, especially when switching between multiple guitars. It's as close as you can get (provided you have good pickups) to studio sound in a live performance, with the convenience of not using mics on stage. I use this and a DI between the guitar and pa, that's it. I get many compliments on my sound and it makes for a better performance when you know you're sounding good. I consider this a must have for live acoustic guitar!

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A great, little tone enhancer!

I really like this pedal. To me, it firmly falls in the camp of a 'tone-enhancing' pedal (as opposed to a 'tone-shaping' pedal). If you already like the sound of your acoustic pickup and you're just looking to enhance things further, then it's a great match for your rig. But if you're unhappy with the sound of your guitar pickup, this doesn't have the dramatic tone-shaping capabilities… read more that something like a dedicated EQ or preamp will have. So for me, that's really where this pedal shines—using it as an enhancement alongside a good preamp. I've linked to a video review below where I chat more about what this pedal does, listen to it in action, and cover some of the general recommendations for setting it up. I hope you find it helpful. Thanks ; )

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