***This is not a sponsored post. All ideas expressed are those of the author.***
The Problem
As you might guess, I love the classical guitar. In fact, Iâve dedicated most of my life to this instrument. However, the guitar does have its downsides, perhaps the primary one being how quiet it is.
The most common volume issue comes when playing with other instruments, especially piano. You also encounter the problem playing outdoor venues â such as a garden or a square â where it is impossible to hear the guitar unless we play everything âforteâ and therefore lose dynamicsâŠ
This makes us lose a lot of opportunities and potential gigs (aka income).
In many venues, their solution is to just put a microphone in front of the player. However, this requires a lot of logistics and if somehow you move during the performance (which most of us do), the guitar will change volume. â
Personally, I feel very constrained in my performance when playing with a microphone in front of me â Iâm afraid of moving and expressing myself!
The other solution is to install pickups in the classical guitar, near the bridge. This requires a bit of time and skill, and the sound result is not the best.
{{trip-wire}}
The Solution
Here enters iRigâs âAcoustic Stageâ â by far the best solution I have encountered for this problem.
The sound quality is AMAZING. I have a very weak portable amp with a bad sound, made for electric guitar, and when I first tried it, my guitar sounded âdecentâ there.
Then, I later tried the iRig with a much better, classical guitar amp and the sound was PERFECT.
âIt literally sounded with the same sound quality as the guitar, but louder.
Of course, the amp you have makes a big difference in the sound, but as I found out, even if your amplifier isnât the best, it is still a worthy investment. Plus, if the venue has a good sound system, your guitar will sound amazing, guaranteed!
The iRig Acoustic stage is a tiny microphone that is placed inside your guitar. This microphone connects to a portable device, powered by batteries, that processes the signal.
In this device you can toggle between two main settings: Nylon or Steel String Guitar. It also allows three more options: âNatural,â âWarm,â or âBrightâ sound. I have been using it in the âWarm â Nylonâ setting but depends which amp and kind of guitar you have.
Then, this signal is transmitted to the amp by using a normal ÂŒ inch Cable. This device allows you also as an option to combine this natural microphone sound with the âpick upâ sound (if you have one) and also to connect it directly to your computer, making it easier to make recordings!
âIt is now selling for approximately $80. In terms of price, I think it is a worthy investment if you are a professional musician and you do a lot of concerts.
Final Thoughts
After playing several concerts with this piece of equipment, I only have 2 critiques:
- The wire connecting the microphone is very, very, very thin. It feels super fragile. I am always afraid I am going to break it. I am always super careful and if you get this product I recommend you do the same.
- There is no visual display of âbattery lifeâ in the audio interface. If the battery is low, the device will display an LED light. But how âlowâ is that âlow batteryâ? Will it last the rest of the performance? They claim in the manual that the batteries last an average of 18 hours and recommend changing the batteries every 2â3 gigs. I find this a bit overkill, but still, I would love to get a better sense of the battery life at all times just to be a bit more relaxed.
Despite these criticisms, it is the best way I found to amplify my classical guitar.
It is small, portable, sounds amazing and allows me the freedom to move around freely without compromising sound quality. I rate it 5/5.
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