Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarNew LAVA ME 4 ‘smart’ acoustic guitars put apps for musicians and powerful DSP in carbon-fiber body
If you’ve ever wondered what a guitar designed by Apple would look like, the LAVA ME series of acoustic-electric guitars might interest you. It’s not just the aesthetics either: these 'smart' guitars feature state-of-the-art innovations like carbon fiber unibody construction, an integral amplifier and effects unit, and a full fledged built-in smartphone-like interface with app-based OS. Now, three newly launched LAVA ME 4 variants – Carbon, Spruce and Play (laminated top) – take these revolutionary concepts further with new hardware and software, all in a travel-friendly 36” size.
All three guitars feature an onboard L3 pickup and a computing system with 4 GB RAM, up to 32 GB storage and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. The updated HILAVA 2.0 OS runs apps on its 3.5 inch touchscreen, providing functions such as high-quality editable effects, multitrack recording and drum/instrumental loops to jam along with. There are also interactive lessons with live feedback on one’s playing, daily challenges and leaderboard rankings to keep things engaging.
The HILAVA 2.0 OS introduces online social jamming: you can record a solo ‘improv’ part and post it as a ‘call’ for others to play or record along with. Or you can join a stranger’s session to create a collaborative piece of music. While limited to LAVA guitar owners, it’s still a pretty fun and interesting concept.
The flagship model is the ME 4 Carbon with a monocoque carbon-fiber structure. It gets a new SHARC DSP chip that enables powerful effects processing and pro-grade 24-bit recording. Speaking of effects, LAVA guitars feature a neat trick: the in-built FreeBoost unit (now in version 3) is a special acoustic transducer that uses the guitar’s body like a speaker cabinet to play the processed audio signal. One simply selects an onboard effect like reverb, delay, distortion, etc., and the sound of the guitar gets transformed without plugging into an amplifier.
The new lineup also gets a truss rod for adjusting string height and a refined neck profile for faster playing. A larger battery offers a play time of up to 90 hours and can be charged via USB-C or the optional charging dock/stand.
The Carbon model (and to some extent the laminated Play) is extremely light and robust, capable of withstanding shocks and extreme temperature and humidity variations that would spell doom for a wooden guitar, making it the ideal travel guitar. The carbon composite’s high stiffness also makes the sound surprisingly loud and longer sustaining for its size. The ME 4 lineup ranges in price from US$399 for the laminate model up to US$999 for the Carbon. Launched alongside them is a pair of wireless foot-pedals for switching effects, retailing for US$99 each.
You can buy the LAVA ME 4 Carbon acoustic-electric guitar on Amazon
Source(s)
