Review: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 2
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Great Big Noise

Until NI gets the audio "spitting" (their word) problem at lower latency settings under control in the Rig Kontrol 2, you might want to use a third-party audio interface. (Latency refers to the amount of time it takes the software to process the sound. Lower settings translate into better live "feel" but require more processor power; higher settings can add a noticeable delay to your playing.)

I'm happy to say that Guitar Rig 2 recognized both my Mackie Onyx FireWire and first-generation MOTU 828 audio interfaces without a hitch, and the audio anomalies disappeared. Finally I was able to dig in. One caveat, though: according to NI, having more than one audio interface connected to your computer may increase the chance of glitches with the Rig Kontrol 2.

The basic software rack consists of an input module and an output module; it's what goes between these that creates the fireworks. Amp models include most of the basics; for trademark reasons NI chose names like "Tweedman," "Plexi," "AC Box," and "BassVT" (nudge-nudge, wink-wink).

To give you an idea what the amp models sound like, I recorded a short snippet of un-effected guitar into my sequencer:

Though most guitar modeling effects pile on the distortion, I believe it's harder to get a convincing clean tone. So I dialed up a Fender Twin-style amp and cab. Not bad, not bad at all:

I experimented with changing the virtual microphone—choices include models of the Shure SM57 and other well-loved mics—and moving it around to find the sweet spot. A quick mouse-click accessed a panel where I could adjust how the "tubes" behaved, simulating the effects of different voltages, rebiasing, and many more subtle tricks (see Figure 6). That's a lot of control.

Fig. 6: Tweaking Amp Settings

Figure 6. Advanced controls let you dial in the sound you want.

Here's the same track processed through the other Fender-style combo, a recreation of the legendary 4 x 10 tweed Bassman amp. Add a bit of delay and surf's up, dude:

OK, maybe these clips won't pass the golden-ears test, but I'd say NI got it plenty close. I ran through several more amp and cab combinations, but with something like 120 basic rigs, not mention the possibility of multiple amps feeding multiple cabs, each with multiple microphone types and placement options, I quickly decided there was no way I could test them all. Suffice it to say there's a lot of variety. If you can't find an acceptable basic sound, you ain't trying.

I also tried some of the bass rigs using a hybrid Fender JP Bass and a Guild Ashbory. If anything, I like the bass sounds even better than the guitar patches. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Guitar Rig for bass in the studio. Acoustic guitarists haven't been overlooked, though I would have preferred some microphone-modeling algorithms or multiband parametric EQ to help tame the telltale piezo honk from an under-saddle pickup.

Special Effects

Fig. 7: Effects Galore

Figure 7. Here's a small selection of the effects you get with Guitar Rig 2. From the tongue-in-cheek names, you can guess which ones are modeled on real-world boxes. (Click to enlarge.)

Once you've dialed in a basic sound, you can go to town. Effects range from a simple spring reverb (with parameters to adjust the length and tension of the spring, for goodness' sake!) through delays, chorus, EQ, compression, gates, and all the way up to synth-style modulators. Of course, you get multiple ways to add and modify distortion. I had to try a preset with the intriguing name of "Bad Plexi Solo." Yep, they called that one right:

All in all, I liked the variety of effects, and I applaud NI for not overloading the player with endless menus and parameters. The quality is generally quite high, and the inclusion of multiple variations of certain effects as well as synth-style modulators (see Figure 7) greatly enhances the creative potential. The following clip shows just how far you can take things:

I do wish the parametric EQ had more than two bands, but loading multiple EQ modules proved an easy workaround.

Loop de Loop

I said it once, but it bears repeating: the looping tool is amazing (see Figure 8). You engage it by dragging the Loop Machine module to your rack. It's a good idea to select a metronome, too, as the loop's end point can be quantized easily. That keeps you from recording something that ends up in some weird fractional time signature. Once you get a basic groove going, switch off the metronome and add layer after layer. Of course, you can change your guitar and bass sounds between passes. Even better, you can easily expand on the basic loops to create longer arrangements, as you can hear below. And you can save the whole mess if you have to run off for a while.

Here's the cool part: not only can you export the entire loop as a WAV file, you can also save each layer as a separate audio file. So if you capture something great, you can build a longer arrangement in your digital audio workstation. The loop module is so good that it made me forget the long wait to get the software up and running.

Fig. 8: Loop Machine

Figure 8. The Loop Machine is serious fun.

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