The LR Baggs Align Session is a compact acoustic guitar pedal that carries the tone shaping LR Baggs heard in its Handcrafted Video Sessions and in Nashville studios onto a pedalboard. LR Baggs describes it as bringing "studio quality saturation and multi-band compression to your pedalboard", with the saturation adding warmth, dimension and harmonic content to an acoustic signal1. It is part of the Align Series, a line of four acoustic preamp pedals LR Baggs unveiled at NAMM in January 2018, alongside the Align Series Equalizer, the Align Delay and an Active DI2.
What it does to your sound
The Session is built around two studio ideas. The first is analog saturation voiced specifically for the acoustic guitar, which LR Baggs says adds warmth, dimension and harmonic content. The second is multi-band compression: three narrowly focused bands that LR Baggs describes as acting like touch-sensitive EQs, responding in real time to your dynamics to tame common problem frequencies and enhance the tone3.
The pedal works with any instrument and offers adjustable gain for both passive and active pickups, so it sits equally well after a passive under-saddle pickup or an active onboard system1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the gain level using the clip light: turn clockwise as you strum until the clip light flashes slightly at your loudest playing level3 |
| Comp EQ | Three narrowly focused bands of compression acting as touch-sensitive EQs responding in real time to dynamics; counterclockwise is off3 |
| Saturate | Analog saturation voiced for acoustic guitar, adding warmth, dimension and harmonic content; turn clockwise to saturate3 |
| Volume | Master volume balancing the engaged and bypassed signal; only active when the engage light is on3 |
| Engage (footswitch) | Engages the tone shaping tools; light on means all controls are engaged3 |
Power and connections
The Session runs on a 9V battery or a 9V DC power supply, with 9VDC recommended and a 12VDC maximum31. The DC input takes a standard 2mm plug, the type commonly used with effects pedals and "floor-box" products3.
Connections are simple: a ¼" unbalanced, mono, all-discrete input on one side and a ¼" unbalanced, line level output on the other3. There is no XLR or DI output on this pedal.
The Align Session has no separate power switch. Plugging into the input activates the Session, and unplugging turns the system off3.
Bypass behavior
The footswitch and the engage light govern what the pedal does to your signal. Press the footswitch to engage the tone shaping tools, and the light shows that all controls are active. When the light is off, LR Baggs says "the whole pedal is true bypassed", so the guitar passes through untouched3. The master volume is only active when the engage light is on, letting you balance the engaged and bypassed signals3.
Price and where it came from
LR Baggs announced the Align Series at NAMM 2018 as four acoustic guitar preamp pedals, and MusicRadar reported the prices at the time as $179 for the Session, Equalizer and Reverb2. On LR Baggs' own product page today, the Align Series Session lists at a regular price of $199.001. The pedal carries U.S. Patent D918,2931.
Videos
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Guitar IQ - Play Smarter
Clever Little Rodents
Questions
Is the LR Baggs Align Session true bypass?
Yes. LR Baggs says that when the engage light is off, the whole pedal is true bypassed, so your guitar's signal passes through without the tone shaping circuitry in the way. When you press the footswitch and the light comes on, the saturation, comp EQ and volume controls are all engaged.
How does the Align Session turn on and off?
There is no separate power switch. Plugging into the input activates the Session, and unplugging turns the system off. The footswitch engages and disengages the tone shaping tools, with the light showing when the controls are active.
Does the Align Session work with both passive and active pickups?
Yes. LR Baggs lists adjustable gain for both passive and active pickups. You set the gain by strumming and turning the control clockwise until the clip light flashes slightly at your loudest playing level, which suits either pickup type.
Does the Align Session have an XLR or DI output?
No. The Align Session has a ¼-inch output, which LR Baggs describes as an unbalanced, line level output. There is no XLR or balanced DI output on this pedal; players needing a DI look to other units in the wider acoustic preamp field.
How much does the LR Baggs Align Session cost?
LR Baggs lists the Align Series Session at a regular price of $199.00 as of October 2026. When the Align Series was announced at NAMM in January 2018, MusicRadar reported the Session at $179.
Sources (3)
- Align Series Session by LR Baggs, LR Baggs
- NAMM 2018: LR Baggs announces 4 new Align Series acoustic guitar preamp pedals, MusicRadar, 2018-01-12
- Align Series, LR Baggs
