LR Baggs Align Delay

The LR Baggs Align Delay is a delay pedal made for acoustic players. LR Baggs describes it as bringing "a classic effect to acoustic musicians by optimizing the signal for high-fidelity instruments"¹. Where most delay pedals are voiced for electric guitar into an amp, this one is tuned for the wider frequency range and higher fidelity of a pickup-equipped acoustic, sitting in a signal chain built around the company's Align Series of acoustic pedals.

Inside, it is a hybrid. LR Baggs says it has "combined the most desirable qualities of both analog and digital circuitry to create the best possible sound"¹, and Guitar.com reported that its analog and digital delay options are "specifically tuned to the acoustic guitar"². Acoustic Guitar's review listed it as an "Analog/digital hybrid, true bypass" pedal³. It shipped in February 2019 at $179⁴, alongside the Align Chorus at the same price.

A delay built for acoustic pickups

The Align Delay is one of the two newest members of the Align Series, joining the original Session, Equalizer, Reverb and Active DI pedals⁵. The Chorus and Delay became available from February 2019, each at $179⁴. The idea behind the series is a matched chain: LR Baggs recommends running the Delay's output into other Align pedals, DI boxes, or the company's Synapse Personal PA System¹.

The maker's own description of what the pedal does for your sound: RockBoard's PedalPedia entry, drawing on LR Baggs's materials, says the Align Delay "gives you the feeling of a larger tonal dimension while improving the sound, both when playing rhythm and melody"⁷.

For context, it is not the only delay aimed at acoustic players; Fishman's AFX line includes the Fishman AFX EchoBack Mini. The Align Delay's distinguishing features are its combination of analog and digital circuitry, its tap button with an input for an optional external tap, and its place in the Align Series pedal suite alongside the Session, Equalizer, Reverb and Active DI¹⁵⁶.

The controls

The pedal keeps the control set small. The Tone control is the one that lets you choose between clear, digital-like repeats and warm, analog-like repeats, altering the tone of the delay itself rather than the instrument¹.

The Tone control is worth a closer look for anyone comparing this to a straight analog or straight digital delay. Because it shapes only the repeats and not your dry signal, you can dial the echoes from bright and precise to dark and warm without changing the sound of the guitar itself¹.

Acoustic Guitar's reviewer, Jamie Stillway, tested the pedal with a Santa Cruz OM/PW fitted with a Schertler Magnetico AG6 soundhole pickup and an external condenser mic, into a Schertler David amp³. Her verdict on the series was positive overall, but she noted two quirks: "I did also hear some residual noise when using the tap button to control the tempo," and stepping on the engage button with a long delay time caused repeats for a few cycles³. She also found the onboard tap button "virtually inaccessible with your foot," which makes the external tap jack more than a convenience³.

Power and connections

The Align Delay runs on a 9V battery or a 9V power supply, with 9V DC recommended and 12V DC as the maximum¹. The DC input takes the standard 2mm plug used on most effects pedals¹. Two behaviors follow from the power design:

• Plugging into the instrument input activates the pedal, and unplugging turns it off¹.
• Plugging in a power supply also activates the Delay¹.

The ¼" input is unbalanced mono and all-discrete; the ¼" output is unbalanced line level, usable with any amp or device that has a ¼" input¹. The box includes the pedal and a user's guide⁵. The pedal's design is covered by U.S. Patent D918,293⁵.

The Align Series and its Chorus and Reverb

The Align Delay is one of six pedals in the Align Series. The original four are the Align Series Session, the Align Series Equalizer, the Reverb and the Active DI⁸. The Delay and the Align Series Acoustic Chorus followed, available from February 2019 for $179 each⁴⁹.

The Chorus shares the Delay's format: two controls (Chorus blends the effected signal with the unaffected signal, Size blends between two chorus voicings), an Engage footswitch with true bypass, and the same 9V battery or 9V DC power options⁹. The Reverb likewise pairs a Reverb blend control with a Decay control that adjusts the length of the reverb tail, and runs on the same power arrangement¹⁰.

Gearnews's take on the Delay when it was announced: "if you are an acoustic player and need a delay then this one will be hard to ignore, as it is tailored specifically for" acoustic use¹¹.

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