The LR Baggs Align Series Equalizer is a 6-band EQ pedal built for acoustic pickup signals. LR Baggs describes it as a proprietary 6-band EQ combined with the company's high-graded FET gain staging, intended to add richness and balance to an acoustic pickup signal1. It sits in the Align Series, a line of pedals created specifically for acoustic musicians that LR Baggs has described in press materials as award-winning23.
The Equalizer is based on the circuit of the Para Acoustic DI, one of LR Baggs' long-standing acoustic DI boxes, and carries the same design patent as the rest of the series, U.S. Patent D918,29341. Its job in a rig is the one every acoustic player recognizes: sorting out problem frequencies, taming feedback, and matching the EQ to the instrument at hand.
The controls
The front panel is organized around the 6-band EQ, with a set of switches and a master volume around it. Each band raises or lowers its individual frequency so you can meet the needs of your instrument or balance your tone4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| 6-Band EQ | Raises or lowers each individual frequency to suit the instrument or balance the tone4 |
| Notch | A notch filter to help control feedback; turning it clockwise finds the offending frequency4 |
| Phase | Inverts the phase; one phase usually gives better sound and feedback resistance4 |
| High-Pass Filter | Switches between 40Hz, 80Hz and 120Hz to attenuate extraneous low frequencies4 |
| Gain | Switches between -6dB (half of normal level), 0dB (no change) and +6dB (twice normal level)4 |
| Volume | Master volume to balance engaged and bypassed signal; only active when the engage light is on4 |
| Engage footswitch | When the light is on, all controls are engaged; when off, the whole pedal is true bypassed4 |
A few of these deserve a closer look for a player new to acoustic rigs:
- Notch: If your guitar begins to feedback, the manual says to slowly turn the notch control clockwise until you find the offending frequency4.
- Phase: LR Baggs recommends trying both phases at each setup, since one phase will usually provide better sound and feedback resistance4.
- Gain: The manual suggests +6dB for a passive pickup and -6dB for a pickup that is too hot4.
- High-pass filter: Cutting everything below 40, 80 or 120Hz removes rumble and boom before the EQ bands do their work4.
Power and connections
The Equalizer has a single 1/4 inch unbalanced (mono) all-discrete instrument input and a single 1/4 inch unbalanced line level output that can plug into any amp or device with a 1/4 inch input4. LR Baggs recommends running it into other Align pedals, DIs, or the Synapse Personal PA System4.
Power comes from a 9V power supply or a 9V battery4. The DC input takes a standard 2mm plug of the kind commonly used with effects pedals and floor-box products, and LR Baggs recommends 9V DC with a 12V DC maximum4. Two behaviors are worth knowing:
- Plugging into the input activates the pedal, and unplugging turns it off4.
- Plugging in a power supply also activates the Equalizer4.
There is no on/off footswitch for power. The pedal wakes up when a cable or power supply is plugged in, so unplugging the input when you are done preserves the battery.
Based on the Para Acoustic DI circuit
The Align Equalizer is based on the circuit of the Para Acoustic DI, combining that circuit's high-graded FET gain stage with the tone-shaping EQ4. The 6-band EQ itself was shaped around the frequencies LR Baggs found most useful for improving acoustic guitar pickups4.
The Align Series was created specifically for acoustic musicians, and LR Baggs describes it as integrating studio processing tools, a high-fidelity preamplifier with foundational tone-shaping EQ, proprietary effects, and an all-discrete active DI325. The Equalizer itself is based on the circuit of the Para Acoustic DI, combining that circuit with the company's signature high-graded FET gain staging4. The series has been described in press materials as award-winning2.
MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen summed up the Equalizer's strengths in his verdict:
"Sorts problems, balances tone, can match various instruments and tailor a specific EQ for each one6."
Trevor Curwen, writing for MusicRadar, reviewed the Align Series Equalizer6.
That verdict points at the pedal's core use case: it is less about coloring the sound than about fixing what a particular pickup and room are doing to it, with a repeatable EQ you can dial in per instrument6.
Videos
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Questions
Is the LR Baggs Align Series Equalizer true bypass?
Yes. When the engage light is off, the whole pedal is true bypassed, so your signal passes through untouched. When the light is on, all of the controls on the Equalizer are engaged, and the master volume is active so you can balance the engaged and bypassed levels.
What does the Phase button do on the Align Equalizer?
It inverts the phase of your signal. LR Baggs says one phase usually provides better sound and better feedback resistance, and recommends trying both phases at each new setup, since the result depends on the room, the amp and the PA.
What frequencies does the high-pass filter switch between?
The variable high-pass filter switches between 40Hz, 80Hz and 120Hz. It attenuates extraneous low frequencies, which cleans up boomy low end and rumble before the EQ stage, useful with pickups that push out a lot of bass.
Can I use the Align Equalizer with an electric guitar?
LR Baggs lists the Equalizer's instrument as Any, so it is not restricted to acoustic. The 6-band EQ was shaped around the frequencies the company found most useful for improving acoustic guitar pickups, but the input and output are standard 1/4 inch jacks.
What power supply does the Align Equalizer need?
It runs on a 9V power supply or a 9V battery. LR Baggs recommends 9V DC with a 12V DC maximum, using a standard 2mm plug of the kind common on effects pedals. Plugging in a power supply activates the pedal.
Sources (6)
- Align Series Equalizer by LR Baggs, LR Baggs
- LR Baggs Adds to Award-Winning Align Series with Chorus and Delay Pedals, MusicPlayers.com, 2019-01-18
- Hear the New LR Baggs Align Series Chorus and Delay Pedals in Action, Guitar World, 2019-02-04
- Align Series, lrbaggs.com
- L.R. Baggs Unveils New Chorus & Delay Align Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2019-01-03
- LR Baggs Align Series Equalizer Pedal review, MusicRadar, 2018-07-08
