IR's Are AMAZING on Acoustic Guitar! Transform Your Acoustic Pickups (Featuring the NUX Optima Air)

[@akgeezer]

I was really frustrated with the "quacky" sound of my acoustic while playing in our church worship team. I was looking into replacing or upgrading to better pick ups. A very expensive venture, since I like to use the four different acoustic guitars I own. I stumbled into discovering IR's and eventually the Optima Air pedal. I have not made an IR of any of my guitars, as is possible with the NU-X. I am totally happy with being able to closely accomplishing replicating the sound of my guitars with the "on-board" IR's of the NU-X. The sound is very close to my guitar mic'ed. It's very natural. I highly recommend this very reasonably piced pedal.

[@arye_amsalem]

Got it today. It's fantastic.

[@madupaul]

Hey! Do you still have your NUX? Still use and like it? I have read reviews from people who had really bad noise issues with the pedal after a while and that kept me from buying it. Though I always liked the results I heard from it!

[@left0verture]

Same here. I recently picked up a Taylor 724 to replace my old 410 which had developed a PA destroying thwomp every time I palm mute. Unplugged, it’s a great sounding acoustic. Plugged in… not so much. Researching options to fix that now and IR looks like it might be the way to go.

[@roymeyer6837]

Reminds me of what you can get with an LR Baggs Anthem if you have it dialed in just right -- clean, natural sound where only an acoustic guitarist will notice the subtle presence of a pickup sound. To get that quality without physically having a microphone involved is pretty impressive!

[@nicksharman1542]

Yep, couldn’t agree more. I got my optima air recently and I’m thrilled with it. I bought a 3sigma German Bass IR (really for upright bass) and it makes my Acoustic bass sound absolutely lush compared to very ordinary wired sound previously. I’ve just ordered a very cheap sonicake IR loader pedal to see if that works as an more economic alternative

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome! I'm interested to hear how you get on with the Sonicake ; )

[@tommc49]

This vid was helpful to me as I have much the same signal chain (minus the Maton), the Session pedal to Fishman AFX echoback, to Fishman Loudbox mini. This pedal is inexpensive, think I need to try one. Thanks for posting.

[@lukezecchin]

No worries!

[@jbmaggs]

Final tone @10:45 is fantastic, as is your playing! Great and helpful demo.

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome. Thanks for the kind words ; ) I'm glad you found the video useful!

[@martyc513]

Really great sound! I never thought of adding the LR Baggs Session together for some compression.

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks ; )

[@arye_amsalem]

Great pedal. Worth every penny. Love it!!! It also has presets like effects you can apply which is very nice.

[@ifodaniell]

The Optima Air sounds good when kicked in, but maybe some Finger Ease is needed on the strings to lower the amount of string noise while sliding along the strings. The Optima increases the finger noise.

[@NavyJonesMusic]

Just had to sneak 'the lick' in the intro! Trying to dial in my sound on this pedal. Thanks for the info Luke. Super helpful! And after recording each response into my Daw, and running it through my monitors, with a Maton, I've got pretty much the same dial locations.

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome, all the best!

[@namede6210]

After watching tons of videos about this thing, I think it could be a game changer to someone who wants to record acoustic guitar but is living in a noisy environment, so mic up a guitar is kinda impossible... this thing looks promising.

[@seal-nowweretalking6753]

Really great and informative presentation brother. ✌🏾&💜

[@lukezecchin]

Cheers mate!

[@feetsofwonder]

The Optima Air is the most affordable ir loader that allows you to blend the ir signal with your pickup signal. The blend is more important in an acoustic guitar context than it is in a cabinet or reverb context. I "discovered" acoustic irs using ReaVerb in Reaper. ReaVerb is a convolution plug-in that comes with the DAW. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say the results of using irs on acoustic guitar are life changing. I ordered an Optima Air because I never want sound like a raw pickup ever again. Try it. If you can afford a Tonedexter, by all means go for it...if not, this is about $150 and changes everything.

[@lukezecchin]

Nice. Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, it's a great little unit! It will be interesting to see if more products for start following the trend of adding IR functionality to their acoustic preamps.

[@richardcronkhite2090]

I finally had time to work with the Nux Optima Air. I was able to put a Recording King Resonator into the IR through the loop return using a condenser mic and a Behringer pre-amp mixing board. The pre-sets are are also nice to with the pre amp or not. A very nice pre-amp pedal for an acoustic guitar especially.

[@lukezecchin]

Nice!

[@murlyn2]

I have had this for a year. It is great for a performing acoustic player that needs a good acoustic sound for live applications. It’s a great pedal at a great price

[@lukezecchin]

Yep, a great little piece of kit. For sure ; )

[@2GoldensTosa]

Great demo! I'm sold! Really impressive. Thanks!

[@lukezecchin]

No worries. Glad you liked the video! Cheers ; )

[@aaronlarsen7447]

There is another video where a guy has drastically improved piezoelectric under saddle pickup sound. He calls them tone sticks, and he shows you how to do it.

[@ericlai1160]

Been checking out different IRs for acoustic. Read a lot of review saying they having noise issue with the NUX optima air. Have you also experience similar issue?

[@soljaime]

Thanks for pronouncing "piezo" correctly.

[@climber7565]

Do you have or could you please demo, how to use the send / return LOOP, feature, please?

[@joshw604]

just built a pedalboard and then saw your channel and now i feel like i need the optima air pedal! i've never heard of it but it sounds amazing. they're also quite hard to find down here in Australia. anyway, thanks for your videos!

[@lukezecchin]

Hey Josh, cheers mate! Yeah, a cool little unit for sure. I know Artist Guitars do NUX stuff in AU, if that helps ; )

[@ElcoWeitering]

I am so glad this pedal came along. I had a line6 hx stomp just for acoustic sounds but my eyesight is really bad. I like the preset setting, great for multiple guitar presets. They can sound quite different.

[@lukezecchin]

No worries! Glad the video could help ; )

[@fadermaster5221]

As in other videos, the sound examples in this video sound very boomy, even with eq correction. In a band situation with bass and kick this could cause a lot of issues. What appeals most to me is that the typical „fartieness“ of the piezo sound is gone. Because of this particular sound anomaly I stopped buying acoustic guitars with pickups long ago. This device could be a lot more expensive for what it does! Thanks for the video.

[@scottbecker3485]

Thanks for rekindling my interest in this type of device - and possibly also in this particular one (as opposed to the more expensive Tone Dexter, for example). It does seem to get the job done well enough. Incidentally, a couple of (German) reviews on Thomann were saying it‘s really good but the modeling didn‘t please them for their (cheapo) acoustics. I believe that to get the very best (i.e. right) results out of boxes like these, it really is essential to have a decent-sounding guitar and then go to the trouble of micing it up nicely (using a mic compatible with the kind of sound you want to be hearing from the guitar, and taking care to aim the mic at the right spot so as to get a good balance of bass, mids and treble without mud or brittleness) and creating your own IR while simultaneously inputting the guitar‘s normal piezo (or whatever) sound. Only in that way can you magically transform your particular instrument‘s pickup sound to something more akin to its natural sound. Just sayin‘.

[@lukezecchin]

Thanks for your feedback Scott! Yeah, I agree. If your guitar doesn't have a great acoustic sound, you'd probably be better off just using a 3rd party IR than trying to create your own. Glad the video could help. Cheers ; )

[@GregTuckerKellogg]

It really does a great job of getting rid of the unnatural pickup sound and giving you a more natural guitar tone, but *wow*, does it ever increase the finger noise on the strings. The second demo (starting at **3:55**, with the IR+AMP on at **4:08**) is especially striking. I found the added finger noise with the IR on *much* more irritating than the quacky pickup with it off.

[@Muzikman127]

I imagine you could do a lot with some tactical EQing to tame that without affecting the overall tone that much. With a bit of experimentation you could probably carve out a piece of the top end where most of the offending sound lies

[@Muzikman127]

Also worth noting that the string noise is already pretty prominent in the dry sound of this guy's setup, you might find it's not nearly as prominent for you. Biggest factor of string noise in my experience is the strings themselves; type, & how played in they are. Fresh roundwound 80/20 bronze strings on a lively guitar are going to produce a _lot_ of string noise for instance

[@RafaconGafas]

Man I really appreciate the way you explain everything, thank you so much for giving us all this information. I'm a new subscriber!!

[@lukezecchin]

You're a legend! Thanks mate ; )

[@DefinitelyDean]

Great video Luke. Quick question, do you think this necessary if you have the AP5 Pro pick-up on your Maton? I’m playing a 808 TE. Cheers from England 👍

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! It comes down to this... If you already like the sound of your guitar, you really don't NEED anything ; ) As the AP5 Pro has an onboard mic, if you're just looking for a subtle tone-enhancement, maybe something like this would be a better shout: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ap-7Xp96ZbGSnck

[@kingkong6666]

Awesome video, really well explained. New subscriber. That D45 preset has been my favorite across a few vids which is interesting. And Im gonna have to look at that compressor pedal as well!

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome, glad you liked it. Cheers!

[@shawnlyons895]

Are you still using the optima I’m torn between optima and tone Dexter. Thanks for your response.

[@73prd]

It has different amp styles too that u didn't mention

[@simplespotter4016]

Thank you very much for the great demonstration, would you mind if you have an opportunity try it in a magnetic pick up acoustic guitar. Maybe an M 80.

[@SreekumarNair]

Have an acoustic guitar with pickup Cort 500E. Bought this pedal but the sound is not coming as shown in the demo. Can you please guide.

[@johnstewart1714]

Are you still using the Optima air? What are your feelings 2 years later?

[@freddohobbiescrafts8036]

wow amazing sound.!!.. and great play also.

[@lukezecchin]

Thanks!

[@carlodevivomusicontent2138]

I personally loved the sound of your guitar WITHOUT the IR engaged.

[@brianfergus839]

It’s ok, but absolutely better with IR

[@MichiS-bc9it]

Thank you so much for this videos. After watching them I got me the Optima Air and the Align session. What a difference! Where in this signal chain would you put an octaver pedal like the Boss OC 5?

[@lukezecchin]

No worries! I'd place it in FX loop of the Optima Air (after the Session). That way it's after the comp of the Session, but before the reverb of the Optima. Hope that helps ; )

[@jeandrevanzyl2588]

Did you ever have reliability/noise issues with the NUX? I want to get this for my wife’s electric cello. It seems to check all the boxes. Only issue is potential noise issues. Some folks say it starts getting really noisy after prolonged use

[@lukezecchin]

Hey, I haven't noticed that issue, no. That said, I predominantly play electric guitar. So, as part of my acoustic rig, this pedal hasn't seen a whole heap of use. Sorry, I can't be more helpful!

[@giuseppemascitellisenglish5267]

Great review! I've purchased an optima air but I've found it very noisy, did you find the same problem as mine? If not, What power supply did you use with it? Thank you

[@lukezecchin]

No, I haven't found any unusual issues with noise. (Just make sure you're using the right IR profile for your pickups.) Also, it's always best practice to use an isolated power supply (not a daisy chain). Hope that helps!

[@RODOSARTPARK]

Thank you for such a great and detailed information about this pedal. I am having a godin guitar with nylon strings, did you ever tried this pedal with an classic guitar with piezoelectric? If so is the sound close to an acoustic guitar? Of course it can't be as good as with an acoustic guitar but i was wondering if its somehow good enough. I checked on line but no one is testing a guitar with nylon strings. Thank you very much for your time to make this video

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! Thanks for the kind feedback. Unfortunately, I haven't tested it with nylon strings. I'll have to keep it in mind though. All the best ; )

[@Bro_gimai]

mr... can u teach me for signal chain?

[@jorgesxbass7606]

Hello, I have a question and if you could help me I would appreciate it ok. I don't have a laptop or PC, ok. the question is: Would it be possible for me to buy a NUX mg 300 / Nux optima Air pedal and connect it to the M Audio bx4 Studio Monitor??? Or you would also have to buy a mixer (Mackie) mx5 etc. I have a D'Angelico Acoustic guitar and I don't want to use an amplifier, but I want to be able to play using IRs and just to play at home with good sound quality. Not for production or shows, etc. so I could also use my Stratocaster without having to buy an amplifier, What do you think of this idea? it would be good ? Or will I have to buy a Mixer etc? I don't know what to buy and where I live on a farm there is no instrument store here in my city in Europe. Thanks Nice job Bro

[@joshluy1311]

Esse foi o melhor vídeo sobre esse pedal, pena que ainda não chegou ao Brasil

[@lukezecchin]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm sure there are some online retailers who ship NUX stuff to Brazil, if you don't want to wait for it to arrive locally. Cheers ; )

[@markclemo123]

thanks for the vid , i have a question if you don't mind , i can't seem to record an IR , and im doing it all the correct way , my question is when your in IR record mode and you have headphones plugged into the NUX can you hear both signals ? i can see both one straight from the gtr and the other mic to interface back to return on NUX so i can see both independent signals going in , but NO IR when i play back . i have tried many levels but none work

[@nateshaw3911]

Really handy walkthrough, thank you! I also bought one for various instruments. I found it handy to dial down the bass on the Nux unit for resonator guitar and banjo through a few free 3rd party (dtar) IRs. Works really well with or without IRs as an electric guitar preamp as well. I run it through a cheap Vox stomplab via the effect loop and have built a pretty functional acoustic and electric pedal rig. In a slightly unrelated question, where did you come by your button pads on your pedals? Best wishes

[@lukezecchin]

Nice! The buttons are called 'Mooer Candy Toppers'. You should be able to pick them up from any retailer that sells Mooer stuff. (They're probably also available on Amazon and eBay.) Hope that helps ; )

[@cameroncook3863]

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 How come I never thought about blending reverbs ?? Thanks. Nice review 👍

[@lukezecchin]

Cheers!

[@pabloelguera1161]

Great video man. You encourage me to buy it and like it very much. But I experience noise, especially when using the preamp section . (Using the provided adapter) . Do you experience the same?

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! I found some of the IR's to be noisier than others. But overall, the pedal didn't seem excessively noisy. I'd try a different power supply, then try swapping out the cables. (Also, make sure you're using isolated power, not daisy chaining pedals together.) If the issue persists, I'd contact NUX support. Hope that helps!

[@nicolagugole771]

Thanks for this very nice and detailed overview! I was looking around a solution like this, and I came up with a (maybe tricky) question: does it make sense to connect a loop station to the send return of the Nux optima air in such a way to not loose the provided DI out? I would like to avoid buying a DI box, on the other hand I do not understand if the send return applies as last step in the signal chain (after preamp and IR section)... Thank you in advance

[@lukezecchin]

Yep, that's exactly how it's intended to be used. The FX loop comes after the preamp and IR sections (but before the reverb). So you're able to place any affectional effects in-line without losing the DI functionality. Hope that helps ; )

[@nicolagugole771]

@@lukezecchin thanks!

[@KurtCobain2021]

Is there an IR for the Martin D-18?

[@fabrizioguappotaddei]

Hi, great demo thanks. I have a question: does the reverb works even when ir and preamp ar disangaged ?

[@lukezecchin]

From memory, I think it's a completely independent control. So, to turn it off, you'd need to just have it dialled all the way out-I'm pretty sure, at least ; )

[@AbitLippy]

Good demo. What pickup does your Maton have?

[@lukezecchin]

Cheers. It's the AP5 (the old/original one without the built in mic).

[@robertgreen9675]

Have you used the Effect Loop feature of the pedal? I'm wondering if the effect loop comes after the preamp but before the IR in the chain, if that makes sense.

[@lukezecchin]

Yep. The FX loop is after the IR and Preamp but before the reverb. Hope that helps ; )

[@sasavid]

Very nice tone ❤

[@lukezecchin]

Cheers.

[@SwormCycles]

Thanks for a great explanation. I'm thinking of buying one of these. One question...do you always (or usually) run the Optima Air as the first pedal in the line up? I am new to pedals. I currently have a Fender "The Bends" and then a LR Baggs Align series Reverb pedal. Would I run the NUX in front of those? Thanks for any input.

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! Yes, I'd run the Align Reverb after the Optima. But with the compressor, I'd try it before the Optima vs in the FX loop of the Optima-then see which you like better. Hope that helps ; )

[@SwormCycles]

Thank you! I take it by reading this that the compressor goes first and to switch the other two around to see what sounds best in the line up. I will get the NUX ordered.@@lukezecchin

[@lukezecchin]

No, keep the reverb last. You can try the comp first, or place the comp in the FX loop of the Optima. (This will put the comp after the EQ section of the Optima but before the reverb section.) @@SwormCycles

[@axedoc2010]

Sounds great! Is this still working for you though? Lots of negative reviews about this pedal dying on users. And the apparently poor after sales customer support from Nux.

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! No, I haven't had any issues with mine. (That said, it's only seen light use here in the studio. I haven't toured with it.) But if you buy from a good retailer they should handle any potential warranty issues for you.

[@axedoc2010]

Thank you!

[@erickarge1838]

Great video you got a like from me... question, I play a Taylor with their “expression system 2” which I have no idea if that is a piezo pickup system or not. This pedal is mainly for piezo right? Any insight into this? Debating picking this pedal up but idk, the Taylor sounds so good already just plugged in it makes me wonder if this thing will help or not.

[@lukezecchin]

Cheers ; ) This pedal can be used with either piezo or magnetic pickups. Not sure what the Taylor system uses (probably some variation on a piezo design). However, if you have a small recording setup at home, you can also use the Optima Air to create you own IR's using your own guitar (regardless of the pickup system). Hope that helps!

[@wallacenock7423]

Hi I find this really interesting as I’m trying to put ultimate type Acoustic Guitar Board together, I have just ordered the TRex Soulmate acoustic and its a lovely unit and on top of it i have the Same session Di that you have here, however i was thinking of maybe sending the TRex back and getting the NUX Optima and adding a boost pedal and a delay unit to it. I do a load of looping. I really love the sound you are getting. I also play Maton but its the EMD6 small body. Do you think this would be a better combo than that of the TRex.

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! It's really hard to say... Honestly, I think you'd be happy with either solution. I haven't used the Soulmate, but it seems like a great high-quality unit. If you're wanting to get into using IR's, however, obviously the Soulmate doesn't accomodate this functionality. The one benefit of a more modular pedalboard (over an all-in-one solution) is that you can swap different pedals out as your needs change without replacing the whole lot. That said, if you're loving the sound of the Soulmate unit, I think you've probably answered your own question ; )

[@SreekumarNair]

Thanks for the detailed explanation.i have cort semi acoustic guitar. Do you recommend this pedal.

[@lukezecchin]

If you mean it's an acoustic guitar with a pickup you want to make sound better... Then, yes. If you mean it's a hollow-body electric guitar that you want to make sound like an acoustic... Then, no.

[@SreekumarNair]

@@lukezecchin Thank you... I meant acoustic guitar with pickup. Will go for it.

[@jsglad]

Hi, excellent demo with all the parameters. I have an M80 pick from LRbaggs do you think it works well even though it's not a piezo? Thx!

[@lukezecchin]

Yes. The Optima Air includes IR's that are designed for magnetic pickups too. Alternatively, you can also use it to load 3rd party IR's. Or even, create your own. So it's likely you'll find something that works. Hope that helps ; )

[@jsglad]

@@lukezecchin thanks i take the optima air for sure!

[@larrydering1598]

How different is this over the Fishman Aura Spectrum? I bought the Fishman years ago and it loads from their website, however I was never impressed with the downloaded ir or the pedal for that matter. My Taylor 814ce ES1 was terrible and after multiple amp and pedal purchases I replaced the system with an JJB piezo soundboard transducer. That was the best improvement to it's amplified tone.

[@lukezecchin]

Hey, I haven't any experience with the Aura, sorry. I recommend the Optima Air for it's price and features. But It's probably something you need to try out in person to make an informed buying decision. Cheers ; )

[@larrydering1598]

@@lukezecchin thanks for the reply. I would love to see this work with a nylon string guitar. I'm still considering this pedal because of 3rd party IRs .

[@BillyRogan]

I have a Maton EBG808 Nashville, with the AP5 pro (internal mic) does your Maton also have the mic? I’m wondering because I’ve been considering a IR preamp/DI.. but am wondering if it is necessary, or at least “better” natural sound even with the AP5 pro pickup system. Thanks for your input. Great reviews here on your channel

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! No, my pickup is the older AP4 (without the mic). I haven't tried IR's using a blended acoustic pickup. So I can't really give you any feedback on this, sorry. That said, if you already like the sound of your pickup, you probably don't need to change anything ; )

[@BillyRogan]

@@lukezecchin thanks for the reply! Answers a lot, actually. The AP4 to AP5 is a massive change in tone.

[@melodology-5383]

Sorry for the stupid question 😅 I'm really new to these stuff, will this Nux work with a classical nylon guitar with under saddle piezo? Thank you ❤

[@lukezecchin]

Yes, it will work. However, I don't think the unit comes with any nylon string IR's. That said, you can make your own. Or, purchase them from websites like: www.3sigmaaudio.com/items/category/classical-guitars/

[@skyguyc150]

What are your thoughts on a LR Baggs Anthem? Blending the piezo and mic,

[@lukezecchin]

Honestly, I haven't tried the Anthem specifically. I love the concept though. I've played a few guitars with blended pickup systems and they've always sounded great. Just keep in mind that they'll be more prone to feedback and other incidental noise. Hope that helps ; )

[@jackbandel]

How do you think this compares to the new Baggs Voiceprint pedal?

[@lukezecchin]

Yeah, interesting question. I haven't used the Voiceprint DI, as yet. Knowing LR Baggs, though, it will be fantastic quality. I like how easy it seems to be to capture IR's with the Voiceprint. I'd assume the NUX is more of an all-in-one solution (at a more competitive price point). Where as the LR Baggs looks to do less stuff, but do it really well. Hmm, I might have to get one in the studio to check out though ; )

[@corky1548]

Look brilliant 👏

[@Dobroz99]

Will it work with bass. Can you mix your guitar with the IR?

[@lukezecchin]

I haven't tested it, but there's no reason it wouldn't. I assume you're talking about an acoustic bass? You'd need to make your own IR's or purchase some 3rd party IR's specifically made for bass though... I know 3Sigma Audio do a some. Hope that helps ; )

[@Noseel]

sounds amazing.

[@lukezecchin]

Thanks!

[@VincVEVO]

Cool video. Helped. Thanks. ;)

[@lukezecchin]

Awesome! Glad it could help ; )

[@robertorosario8704]

I love the NUX Optima Air. However there is a slight ground noise .I goes away when I touch the pedal. I did a lot of test with power supply ,and other pedals and the Guitar ground is fine... but with NUX Optima Air it make a gound noise. Is that Normal ?

[@lukezecchin]

Yeah, it's not something I've noticed. I'd get back in touch with the retailer and see if they'll send you a new one.

[@robertorosario8704]

@@lukezecchin Thanks so much for your respond

[@faresoros07]

I have a question regarding the Optima Air as a DI. Does it need to be connected through an XLR cable to use it as a DI?

[@lukezecchin]

Yep, the DI output is accessed via the XLR. The 1/4" output is just a standard instrument output. Cheers.

[@faresoros07]

Thank you! I’m asking you because you’ve inspired me to buy the NUX Óptima Air 👍🏼

[@lukezecchin]

@@faresoros07 Glad you liked the video, thanks ; )

[@kenanbarends5543]

What pickup are you using in this guitar?

[@lukezecchin]

It's the standard Maton AP5 pickup. The older one... not the one with the mic. Cheers!

[@ismamsaurusofficial]

What type your guitar pick up ?soundhole or magnetic

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! I'm using a piezo pickup on my guitar (the type that sits under the guitar bridge). When people refer to 'magnetic' pickups or 'soundhole' pickups, they're usually referring to the same thing. Hope that helps ; )

[@WILSHIRE25]

Sound way better than the LR Braggs pedal next to it. Imo

[@lukezecchin]

Yep, the NUX is a super versatile little unit ; )

[@dominiccastillo9677]

Hi! What pickup is in your guitar? Thank you!

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! It's just the standard AP5 pickup that's in my Maton guitar-the older version, without the onboard mic.

[@dominiccastillo9677]

Thank you, I appreciate your reply!

[@cabotlapradd5960]

I just purchased the optima air. I am experiencing a large amount of hiss. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! It's hard to say without seeing your exact setup, however, make sure you try all of the IR's provided. (They're optimized for different types of pickups.) Also, make sure you have a solid level coming in from your guitar preamp. Hope that helps. Cheers.

[@cabotlapradd5960]

@@lukezecchin thanks

[@Hogprint25]

Nice review! Been researching the OAir and the Stageman. I do have one question…I recently purchased an Orange Crush30 Acoustic which has a Reverb/Chorus function. It sounds great as is, but wondering if it’s worth dropping another couple hundred for pedals? The amp alone seems to do a good job. I’m new to pedals so just looking for any thoughts about this? Thanks in advance for any gouge.

[@lukezecchin]

Hey! Here's the golden rule: If it sounds good, it is good ; ) So if you're happy with the sound you've got, I'd just keep things simple. Pedals are awesome. But once you start, it's hard to stop. (After all, there's never an end to that elusive search for the perfect tone.) What's really important is learning your craft and making great music. Hope that helps!

[@Hogprint25]

@@lukezecchin Thanks brother! That helps clarify. I recently watched a rig rundown w Spyder Giraldo (Pat Benatars guitarist and husband) and he doesn’t use pedals. Just plugs straight into an amp or some type of cabinet but no pedals. He was adamant he gets better sound that way. The only pedal I think would be beneficial at this point would be a looper. Thanks again for the reply!

[@SteveRayDarrell]

What about the IR level knob?

[@lukezecchin]

Yeah, I didn't cover it because it just sets the output volume of the selected IR. It's not a blend knob. Hope that helps ; )

[@EarthSecretAgent]

Heya great video! Does anyone know if I would still need a DI box for acoustic guitar if I had this pedal? My guitar also runs into 2 or 3 effect pedals. Thanks so much

[@lukezecchin]

No, this pedal doubles as a DI box. You can run other pedals with it by placing them in the FX loop. Hope that helps ; )

[@EarthSecretAgent]

@@lukezecchin HiGuitar IQ thanks for the response. I'm Gonna go for it, I do have a boss OC, giving an octave down on selected notes, playing pubs full time. But I'll deal with that later. All in all, I need to start taking my tone seriously and I think this is the next step.

[@lukezecchin]

@@EarthSecretAgent Nice! Have fun exploring ; )

[@AlexPereira-fk4jp]

Hi. With this pedal I can import IR downloaded from the internet?

[@lukezecchin]

Yep. You can make your custom IR's using the pedal itself or import your own third party IR's from another source. Hope that helps ; )

[@80sRadDad]

is this pedal needed with an LR Bag Anthem????

[@lukezecchin]

I haven't tried it, sorry. However, I imagine IR's could be a little problematic with a pickup/mic combination though...

[@ThorviFairstone]

Does it works for nylon guitar?

[@lukezecchin]

In theory, it should (depending on your guitar pickup). But I haven't tried it, sorry...

[@corky1548]

Can you use in a pa speaker?

[@lukezecchin]

Yep. You just need to send the DI output straight to the mixing desk.

[@Lynx33PL]

IR's seem so much more useful for the acoustic guitar than they are for an electric, and it's strange that they aren't more popular. There are many ways of getting a great electric guitar tone without micing a cab. Many iconic songs were recorded with a guitar plugged straight into the console, we had the access to solid cab emulation tech for a while now, and live you can just plug into an amp, etc. The 'quacky piezo thing' has been an issue for the longest time and IR's are an easy solution. They may not sound quite as good as micing an acoustic in a good room, but they are damn close, certainly for the purpose of live playing. Your video wasn't the first one that made me realize this, but it's good you made it because many acoustic guitar players still aren't aware of how good IR's are for an acoustic guitar sound.

[@lukezecchin]

Yeah, totally. A good preamp and EQ can go along way with acoustic guitar... but I think IR's offer something different to what can be achieved simply through EQ. It will be interesting to see if more companies start including IR's in their acoustic products in the future. Glad you liked the video. Cheers mate!

[@scottmoreau5630]

@@lukezecchin I think we are already seeing that. Seymour Duncan did it years ago with the Mama Bear, then Fishman put out the Aura and now there’s the Nux, Tonedexter and Voiceprint. The only downside to IR’s is making them work live. That’s where they become problematic. A blend control is key.

[@Jms4sey]

Nux optima air vs stageman floor? What is your recommends?

[@lukezecchin]

Honestly, I haven't used the Stageman Floor. Based on the specs, I'd say if you're wanting a good preamp, the Optima Air will give you much more tone shaping options. However, if you just want a simple all-in-one unit, the Stagemage does have some nice 'bell and whistles'-a chorus, a looper, a notch filter, and freeze control. Personally, I'd go the Optima Air with a seperate looper. (You can check out my full acoustic rig here, if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnXLdqpoqdZleZI) Hope that helps!

[@wjdavey3]

❤️🎶🎵👍🎶🎵🙏🎶🎵❤️😎

[@rickpockrandt8237]

That was uncomplicated and plain… thank you

[@lukezecchin]

Thanks. Glad you found it useful ; )

[@CH-xw4fq]

turn down the bass...too muddy.

[@iup02236401]

It's impressive until it heats up and your sound becomes completely distorted and unusable.

[@lukezecchin]

Sounds like you might have a faulty unit. (Or the battery in your guitar is dying.) If it's a new pedal, I'd ask NUX or the retailer you purchased from to replace it.

[@iup02236401]

@@lukezecchin On my second one. Still doing the same thing. Using NUX AC adapter

[@dobrocop]

I bought one and sent it back,, not half as good as the demos are showing,, be careful,, go for a Tone Dexter,..

[@dobrocop]

or a Fishman AURA pedal..

[@rlabarbe]

my experience has been exactly opposite although I play violin. I used TD for years and it was a big improvement over raw piezo, but when I captured my first IR with the Optima Air i sold my TD and never looked back

[@BennyTheBusker]

Horrible squeaking string noises make it impossible to listen to this demo.

[@bigdogmurphy]

BS!!! All i get using the IR's in the NUX Optima Air is F-E-E-D-B-A-C-K!!!!

[@lukezecchin]

I don't seem to have that issue with this one... Have you tried placing a feedback buster in the sound hole of your guitar?

[@bigdogmurphy]

@@lukezecchin Vol/Tone controls inside hole.

[@lukezecchin]

Oh, I see... In that case, some pedals give you a dedicated "notch" filter which is a good option. Or, if you have a pedal that has a "flip phase" switch that's another good way to kill feedback. Best of luck!

[@bigdogmurphy]

@@lukezecchin I was using it, for the very first time, with my Epiphone Masterbilt Texan. Granted, not the best acoustic guitar in the world, but for a dreadnaught it does well. On IR mode all it did was howl!! Switching to the other mode, no feedback, but I had to spend a bit of time adjusting the EQ to get it to sound decent. I did work with it before the gig, but was using headphones. My bad. Sounded GREAT through the headphones on IR mode!! Too bad the IR knob doesn't blend!

[@georgefenning4844]

Does this work with mandolin

[@lukezecchin]

It's designed for guitar... But you could certainly try it using something like this: www.3sigmaaudio.com/items/category/mandolins/

[@georgefenning4844]

@@lukezecchin thank you

[@georgefenning4844]

Thank you - it looks like I can buy a specific IR fr a specific instrument? i was hoping that I could record any acosutic instrument and record and load its IR into a suitable device? violin, mandolin etc?? - even f that device was made initially for guitar