Tech 21 has taken its legendary SansAmp preamplifier and enhanced it with the most essential effects for acoustic guitar to create the Acoustic Fly Rig, a compact pedal unit that can be combined with virtually any acoustic guitar equipped with a pickup. The unit packs this analogue preamp - which is equipped with a three-band EQ alongside a semiparametric "mid shift" control - into its sturdy metal housing, thus giving players an immense level of flexibility when shaping their sound. The Acoustic Fly Rig additionally features a notch filter and a low-pass filter to "tidy up" the sound and eliminate hum and unwanted feedback. The effects section has in turn been optimised for acoustic instruments and includes compression, chorus, reverb, and delay, ensuring a studio-quality sound at all times. The obligatory onboard tuner is of course provided here as well, and thanks to its array of both balanced and unbalanced outputs, the Tech 21 Acoustic Fly Rig is equipped to capably handle every scenario on stage or in the recording studio.
To ensure intuitive operation right off the bat, the Tech 21 Acoustic Fly Rig's user interface divided into three distinct sections, while the controls themselves are backlit in different colours to ensure that, even in poor lighting conditions, players can always keep a clear overview of their settings. The controls in the effects section (far left) light up in blue, and parameters such as the intensity of the reverb and the delay level can easily be adjusted here. This section also includes the TAP/Tuner switch, which lets the user activate the tuner or set the tempo for the delay. The central section comprises the controls for the SansAmp preamplifier, which light up in red, as well as the tuner display. Finally, the right-hand section is home to the compressor, which is adjusted using two controls with yellow backlighting and allows simple but effective sound adjustment. The package is rounded off by a switchable booster that provides up to 12dB of additional gain.
The Tech 21 Fly Rig Acoustic gives acoustic guitarists an uncomplicated way to achieve an excellent sound both at live gigs and in the studio. The warm analogue sound delivered by the SansAmp preamplifier reproduces the authentic tonal characteristics of the acoustic instrument being played, and can be further enhanced using the unit's studio-quality effects to create an outstanding sound. All of this makes the Acoustic Fly Rig an interesting proposition for acoustic players looking for a practical way to amplify their instrument and get the best out of its sound at the same time, whether performing or recording.
For over 30 years, the American company Tech 21 has been catering for the needs of guitarists and bassists worldwide. Their very first product, the legendary Sansamp, quickly became an industry standard and featured in pretty much every studio in the world. To this day, the Tech 21 team in New York City continues to develop, design, and produce innovative products for guitar and bass, focussing particularly on tube amp and speaker emulations. Their portfolio has expanded steadily over the years, most recently with a new range of preamps, single effects, and multi-effects. The many signature products and the long list of famous endorsers are a clear testament to the quality and popularity of Tech 21 equipment.
In addition to its balanced XLR output for connection to a mixing desk or recording interface, the Tech 21 Acoustic Fly Rig also features a 6.35mm jack output that allows the signal to be routed to a traditional amplifier in parallel, so players can still enjoy using a powerful backline when performing on stage. The Acoustic Fly Rig also has the other end of the spectrum covered thanks to its headphone output, so players can use it to practise silently without disturbing or being disturbed. All of this combined makes the pedal both an ideal companion for practising and jamming at home, creating innovative sounds in the studio, and rocking out on stage.