At the upcoming NAMM 2014, LR Baggs will be introducing the new Lyric Classical transducer – designed specifically for nylon string guitars.
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This new microphone and preamp system is a follow up to the Lyric Acoustic Guitar Microphone, employing the same design but tweaked for classical guitar applications.
LR Baggs utilized their “Tru-Mic Technology”, which replaces the typical piezo pickup with an actual microphone that is supposed to accurately represent the voice of your acoustic instrument.
Like the acoustic guitar version, the assembly is lightweight and easily mounts to your guitar without having to add any modifications. All you have to do is attach the featherweight microphone to the underside of the bridge plate via a peel & stick adhesive and it will work its magic.
The mic is designed to leverage the “pressure-zone” principle, with its capsule positioned just 3mm from the surface of the top to let the mic hear the entire soundboard resulting in a more balanced and even tone. The proximity also allows higher gain before feedback, working together with the built-in noise canceling technology that rejects reflections inside the body of the guitar. According to LR Baggs, the resulting sound is comparable to a mic placed on the outside.
The new Lyric Classical is a pickup system without an actual “pickup”, instead it utilizes a special microphone and a preamplifier that is crafted for nylon string guitars. It is meant for live performance, providing the benefits of external mic’ing while discretely mounted on your guitar and providing improved feedback resistance.
As for the circuitry, here is what LR Baggs had to say:
“In a studio, you would have to use an entire rack of gear to achieve what we have built into Lyric’s tiny circuit board. Our lead engineer, Tommy Linn, created several patent pending “black box” circuit innovations that unlock the potential of the microphone. The first tightens the lower frequencies for a punchier attack with natural dynamics. The second maintains the microphone’s sweetness no matter how hard you play. The third innovation, not patent pending but useful, is an adjustable “presence” control that dials high frequency response perfectly for your guitar. Wrap all of this in all discrete, high-fidelity mic pre and you have a world class microphone system as an integral part of your guitar anywhere you plug in.”
The new LR Baggs Lyric Classical Acoustic Microphone is scheduled for release this coming February 2014. For more information, visit LR Baggs.
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