Showing posts with label computer audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer audio. Show all posts

Mackie Onyx 32 Mixer (4 Bus, 28 Onyx Preamps and 2 Stereo Channels) Review

Mackie Onyx 32 Mixer (4 Bus, 28 Onyx Preamps and 2 Stereo Channels)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Esta mezcladora es un equipo increiblemente genial, logramos superar todas las desventajas que habíamos tenido tiempo atrás. Tiene una consistencia robusta en los componentes, todos los controles demuestran gran calidad. El manual es sencillo e incluso puedo mencionar que aprendí muchas cosas del manual ya que no se limitan a explicar cuestiones técnicas sino más bien se obtienen ejemplos prácticos. El control que me proporciona sobre lo que quiero tener en el monitor/phones es increible. Todo lo que siempre había querído hacer para poder monitorear la mezcla ahora es posible. La calidad de la ecualización es estupenda realmente no es dificil lograr una equalización adecuada en pocos segundos. El compresor/limitador es un recurso importantísimo que va por el mismo precio. El control de las líneas auxiliares es genial.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mackie Onyx 32 Mixer (4 Bus, 28 Onyx Preamps and 2 Stereo Channels)



Buy NowGet 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Mackie Onyx 32 Mixer (4 Bus, 28 Onyx Preamps and 2 Stereo Channels)

Read More...

M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R Review

M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Both this and the Presonus FireStudio are quite awesome audio interfaces. Never heard a pop and static is phenomenally low. It is built like a TANK and I'm sure it could withstand a beating. Preamps work great. The only downside, and I mean the only bad thing about this interface is that MIDI requires a breakout cable. Not a big deal but it's just something you could lose easily. I definitely recommend getting this. It really is great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R



Buy Now

Click here for more information about M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R

Read More...

MOTU Audio Express 6 x 6 FireWire/USB2.0 Audio Interface Review

MOTU Audio Express 6 x 6 FireWire/USB2.0 Audio Interface
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The Audio Express is solid and sturdy, and comes with adapters so you can mount it on a rack shelf. I'm still learning how to configure it; my first session with the AE took a very long time, the next one went more quickly.
The USB/FireWire interface works well, and the unit will power itself off bus power while on FW, but needs the included audio adapter when using USB.
The front panel is difficult to figure out, and am only now starting to get used to it after using it for a few weeks; a lot of functions are accessed by pressing the pots in to cycle through different modes.
A nice touch is the locking connectors for the combo XLR sockets; no more pulling a mic out accidentally, at least not out of the Audio Express. (This'll put my mind at ease a bit when using phantom power.)
Recommended tentatively, since I'm still leraning the unit; I'm also undecided on whether I should have spent the extra money on the MOTU Ultralite or the MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid Firewire Audio Interface, although the Audio Express's small size makes it far more portable. However, coming from an M-Audio FireWire 410 4-In / 10-Out FireWire Mobile Recording Interface, this unit is a vast improvement.

Click Here to see more reviews about: MOTU Audio Express 6 x 6 FireWire/USB2.0 Audio Interface



Buy NowGet 12% OFF

Click here for more information about MOTU Audio Express 6 x 6 FireWire/USB2.0 Audio Interface

Read More...

PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 16-Channel Digital Mixer w/ FireWire I/O Review

PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 16-Channel Digital Mixer w/ FireWire I/O
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought the StudioLive about a month ago and have been playing with it since then in preparation for winter concert season. The first thing I did was connect a mic to every input and test the gain, routing, and outputs for every channel. Everything worked flawlessly, sounded great, and was easy to do.
Sound Quality
The sound quality on this is amazing. I've been working with Mackie mixers and the low-end A&H one, and the sound is cleaner (absolutely no audible noise even at very high gain). Some people might be worried that the digital EQ would be harsh, but believe me, this sounds just as "analog" as the analog boards I use, and it's actually more precise and more flexible. The quality of the compressor is also great. I've previously only used kind of low-end compressors, and this blows them out of the water. The tone is not colored at all, and I don't hear any weird digital artifacts. I've also pushed the compressor up to limiting, and it's a very smooth sound, not harsh and fuzzy like most digital limiters I've used.
Ease of Use
I love the simplicity and power of the FAT channel. It's great to be able to set up one channel, copy it to all the others, and tweak from there. Routing is also a piece of cake, and the FX interface is intuitive. Overall I think this is very well designed for use in live situations where adjustments have to be immediate.
Features
This is the only board anywhere near this price range that does everything I want - great, clean preamps and mixing; flexible, powerful, sweet-sounding EQ; excellent dynamics processing on every channel (and even the buses!); crystal-clear A/D for recording, with built-in firewire; recording pre or post FAT channel; analog direct outs on every channel right after the preamp; built-in effects that actually sound good.
I think it would be hard to find a live mixer with better sound than this for anywhere near this price. You might be able to find slightly better compression and FX on outboard gear, but it would cost at least $100/channel, and be a pain to patch together in live settings. Not only that, but patch bays and cables add noise that this mixer doesn't have. Plus, this takes no setup time (turn it on, recall settings, go) and is a lot easier to transport (even though the SKB case for this thing is HUGE!). So really I think this is a huge win.
I'm replacing a 16ch mixer, two 8U racks of outboard gear, 2 insert snakes and 2 patch snakes, and an A/D computer interface (E-MU 1616M) with this one piece of equipment that sounds better, cost less in total, and is 100x easier to setup and use. To me, that says 5 stars any day.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 16-Channel Digital Mixer w/ FireWire I/O

StudioLive is the most powerful and flexible sixteen-channel digital mixer the world has seen. Loaded with sixteen high headroom Class-A XMAX microphone preamplifiers, built-in 28x18 FireWire recording and playback engine, 'Fat-Channel" processing with 4-band EQ's, compressors, limiters and gates, DSP effects, six aux buses, four sub-groups, extensive LED metering, mixer save and recall, channel-strip save/recall/copy/paste, talkback and more, breaking new boundaries for music performance and production

Buy Now

Click here for more information about PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 16-Channel Digital Mixer w/ FireWire I/O

Read More...

M-Audio ProFire 2626 High-Definition 26-in/26-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology Review

M-Audio ProFire 2626 High-Definition 26-in/26-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
A few months ago, i decided to update my MOTU 828 mkii firewire interface with something that has better DAC converters, so i did some research and i decided to purchase the M-Audio Profire 2626.
When i plugged this unit in my studio and listened to it, i was taken by the clarity of the DACs, i also did some testing of the preamp mics, and they are clean sounding and uncolored.
So, I thought i had a great deal.. a 192/24 firewire 8x8 interface for around $500. Unfortunately, as i started using the unit more and more in my studio, i realized the many problems m-audio has been infamous for: bad drivers and unreliable software.
1-The biggest problem with the unit is that the latest ASIO M-Audio 2626 Windows XP drivers will blue screen some XP workstations when changing the audio resolution from 96k back to 48k or 44k in a DAW or some other program that uses the unit's driver. There is a thread in the M-Audio's forum about this, and quite a few people are experiencing this problem. As of January 10th 2010, the problem is still unresolved.
The funniest and saddest thing of all, is that when i use the free ASIO4ALL drivers with the Profire-2626, they do not crash Windows when switching audio resolutions. This should tell you how bad M-Audio drivers are.
2-The marketing literature for the M-Audio is basically incorrect and will lead you to believe the digital mixer offers true mixing flexibility (like MOTU's CueMix software) of all inputs and outputs.. which is FALSE. You can use the digital mixer's faders to control the analog inputs coming into the unit, ONLY if the inputs are connected to the preamps via XLR plugs.. if you use TRS 1/4" jacks to connect to inputs 3-8, the signal bypasses the mic preamps and cannot be controlled in the digital mixer. How stupid is that?
I had to go out and order 1/4" to XLR adapters to connect some of my synths to be able to control their input in the digital mixer
My older MOTU 828 mkii unit never had this inconvenience...
3-Want to use the 2626 inputs and outputs to send digital signals from your DAW to an analog box and back into your DAW?
Good Luck.. it took me a while to figure out how to do it (nevermind i used to do this in the MOTU 828 mkii all the time) and then i wasn't able to monitor the return signals without listening to the return signal mixed with the send signal!
Yep.. you can't monitor return signals without going through the mixer unless you are using the XLR inputs.. because if you use the TRS inputs you cannot control or mute the signal!!
2010-02 UPDATE
4-About 10 months ago, a user in the m-audio forums discovered that the Profire 610 and the Profire 2626 are not sample accurate when recording. What does this mean? it means if you want to record a band playing together, the tracks are going to be out of sync with each other, and you will need to synchronize them by hand in your DAW.
M-Audio confirmed this was a problem with their drivers, but after 10 months of waiting a fix hasn't been released yet.
All this problems with M-audio's unreliable and poorly written software have lead me to eventually replace this unit with something that offers better software and hardware quality, like the RME fireface 800.. the thing stopping me is the price.. the RME Fireface goes for about twice the price of the Profire 2626.. and for a good reason.
The experience with the profire 2626 has taught me a lesson: Don't buy another M-Audio product ever again.
But, don't just take my word for it.. point your browser to M-audio's profire forums and you will see all the problems users are having with this unit..


Click Here to see more reviews about: M-Audio ProFire 2626 High-Definition 26-in/26-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology

Building on a legacy of award-winning FireWire audio interfaces, the M-Audio ProFire 2626 brings next-generation performance to your PC or Mac host-based recording system. This powerful interface delivers 26 x 26 simultaneous I/O, complete with an onboard DSP mixer sourced from up to 52 audio streams. It features every kind of connection you needincluding award-winning Octane preamp technology on all eight analog inputs, ADAT, S/PDIF, word clock and MIDI. Critically acclaimed JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensures pristine audio quality and reliable synchronization all the way up to high-definition 24-bit/192kHz resolution. In addition, ProFire 2626 offers easy FireWire connectivity, extremely low latency, dual headphone outputs, front-panel instrument inputs and standalone operation. ProFire 2626 is compatible with most major audio software, including Pro Tools M-Powered.* * Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 with downloadable update. Please visit m-audio.com for update availability. 96kHz and 18 x 18 I/O maximum with Pro Tools M-Powered.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about M-Audio ProFire 2626 High-Definition 26-in/26-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology

Read More...

Focusrite ISA428 Four Classic Microphone Pre-Amps and High-Quality A/D Conversion Review

Focusrite ISA428 Four Classic Microphone Pre-Amps and High-Quality A/D Conversion
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Very versatile preamps! I've had them for 3 years and wouldn't dream of getting rid of them! Very clean, but colorful (in a good way). I've used them on everything from drums to voice to symphony to bass & keyboards (direct). No complaints. I've done shootouts with preamps that were much more expensive and I won't say the ISA428 blew them away, but it came closer than it should have considering the price difference!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Focusrite ISA428 Four Classic Microphone Pre-Amps and High-Quality A/D Conversion



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Focusrite ISA428 Four Classic Microphone Pre-Amps and High-Quality A/D Conversion

Read More...

Shure PGDMK6-XLR 6 Drum Mic Bundle Review

Shure PGDMK6-XLR 6 Drum Mic Bundle
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I recently purchased this set of microphones and all I have to say is... I love them!! Definitely a very good buy!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shure PGDMK6-XLR 6 Drum Mic Bundle



Buy NowGet 12% OFF

Click here for more information about Shure PGDMK6-XLR 6 Drum Mic Bundle

Read More...

Carl Martin Hot Drive and Boost MKIII Pedal Review

Carl Martin Hot Drive and Boost MKIII Pedal
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Got this sweet pedal at 1/3 of normal price! LOVE IT!!! It sounds great,really helps my sound alot. Doesnt use batteries, BONUS!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Carl Martin Hot Drive and Boost MKIII Pedal



Buy NowGet 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Carl Martin Hot Drive and Boost MKIII Pedal

Read More...

Tascam US-1800 USB2.0 Audio/Midi Interface Review

Tascam US-1800 USB2.0 Audio/Midi Interface
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought this unit partly because it came with a nice audio recording program called cubase. I like the interface but trying to register and run the free software has proven to be impossable. Great interface but don't buy it hoping to be able to use the software the company behind the Software has made it impossable to use their product (Steinberg). Interface is really usefull and easy to use. 8 xlr, six 1/4" plus midi and spdif(digital) inputs to connect to your computer with a single usb cord. Four assignable outputs. Phantom power to boot on the xlr ins. Very clean sound and I haven't add any problems with latense. Used it to record my band live, no problems running all 14 analog inputs and spdif at once for 15 tracks.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tascam US-1800 USB2.0 Audio/Midi Interface



Buy NowGet 26% OFF

Click here for more information about Tascam US-1800 USB2.0 Audio/Midi Interface

Read More...

Logic Studio Retail Review

Logic Studio Retail
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I use to use Logic Pro back in the day of Atari Falcon and STE1080. then i went to PC and used Logic 4.7. Though i never used the audio with it back then due to the instability of the product. It was easier to use a Mackie HDR 24/96 with midi clock to sync.
Before obtaining Logic Studio i was using Ableton Live versions 5,6,7 and now 8. The reason i bring this up is that i am now back to Logic Studio Pro on a MacPro 8 Core. The major reason for this change back to Logic was for 3 main reasons that blow away Ableton 8:
* Midi control for external and internal instruments
* Clean, Tight, Dynamic Headroom, clarity of sound. Audio Engine is far better then Ableton even at 44.1 (though i use 96k)
* for the price and what you get, this software is incredible!
The new features of Logic Studio 9 is the Flex and Guitar suite. Though i have not been impressed with the flex (perhaps because i am not sure how to use it correctly yet) the Guitar suite is AMAZING. I have owned a Line 6 pro and a Line 6 bass pro and this Guitar Suite is amazing if you run it under 96k.
The Logic Pedal board has a great slew of guitar stomp pedals that sound amazing and better then most other emulations i have heard. the distortions are warm and tube like, unlike more software emulations i have heard. it rips just right even with a guitar straight into the A/D and processed by Logic. They have a Tape Delay that emulates the Roland 201 tape echo or EHX Memory Man Deluxe and it sounds sweet and mixes very well.
The automation features are tight and crisp as well. Though it takes a bit more time to get setup on Logic for controller setup then Ableton, it is tight once you get it there.
User friendliness is not as good as Ableton but then you are getting a more PRO engine then Ableton has thus been able to deliver. In Ableton it seems the 'warp marker' technology seems to 'fuzzy' then audio in such a degree that the clarity is not tight. the dynamic headroom and stereo separation is not there. I was wondering if i was loosing my mind, but it is not the A/D Presonus firepod it was the engine of the Ableton 8. Once on Logic Studio 9, the clarity and tightness of the mix returned. This proving this engine is far superior to Ableton for a studio mix.
NOTE: if you can handle the disk space and processing power required to run 96k, do it. It will tighten your mixes amazingly.
Should you buy this? here is my suggestion:
If you run a Mac it is worth the cost. for what you get for such a pro engine and features and plug-ins this blows away the competition. At now version 9.0.2, the system on Snow Leopard is stable. very stable. It runs cleaner and crisp on snow leopard with the 64bit processing. It utilizes all the cores effectively as well. With the new imac @ 4 cores, it really could be a mini pro monster for recording.
If you own a PC, you can't use Logic, so you have to consider Sonar, Cubase, Ableton, ProTools.
I have not tried protools due to the cost of upgrades and truly to use it as tight as the industry standard, it takes a year for upgrades to happen after a new OS and the cost is outrageous compared to Logic.
I have not tried Sonar. I have used Cubase. the engine is clean though cumbersome to use.
Hope this is helpful.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logic Studio Retail


With over 200 new features and enhancements, the new Logic Studio delivers everything musicians need to write, record, produce, and perform on a Mac. The center of Logic Studio is Logic Pro 9, which makes it easier than ever to create your own compositions. Produce and play nearly any sound imaginable with a huge collection of effects, instruments, and loops, including the new Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins. Use MainStage 2 to perform live with the instruments, amps, effects, and sounds you used to make your tracks. Logic Studio also comes with applications and utilities that expand your creative options into audio post-production and mastering, including Soundtrack Pro 3, WaveBurner 1.6, and more.

Logic Studio. A studio on your Mac as big as your ambitions.

Top Features New Pedalboard with an assortment of 30 virtual stompbox pedals inspired by the classics.

Buy NowGet 11% OFF

Click here for more information about Logic Studio Retail

Read More...

PreSonus Central Station Studio Control Center Review

PreSonus Central Station Studio Control Center
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've got a very clean signal path, excellent converters, excellent monitors (Genelec), I do all my matrixing and routing through an Audient ASP510, and all I wanted the Central Station for was talkback and the cue send to talent. I liked the fact that I could move the remote control around the room, so the client could use it and the rest of the time the engineer could use it.
I have three complaints: (1) for no reason it completely fails to pass signal and must be unplugged and started up again, (2) it overheats, and (3) oh my god it has the worst-sounding talkback mic I have ever heard. It desperately needs a hi-pass filter on the talkback circuit because it sounds like some evil demon of low frequency RUMBLE has taken over the sound whenever the TB mic is keyed. It DOES have an XLR input for a mic of my choice, but guess what? It has no phantom power, so condenser mics need not apply for the job. Total bust/total crap. The talent complain every time and I don't blame them.
One more gripe for good measure -- how about some XLR inputs? Does everything have to be phono plugs?
Super cheap unit. I refuse to pass my mix buss through it, and people who praise the sound have no idea what good sound is. Take it from someone who owns Bryston SST amps and has been in the business of sound since 1983. Looking to sell mine on ebay right now.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PreSonus Central Station Studio Control Center

The Central Station is the ultimate studio-monitoring interface for the modern digital studio. The Central Station features three sets of stereo analog inputs to switch between input sources such as: DAW, mixer, CD/DAT/Tape player, or keyboards/samplers. Two stereo analog inputs feature TRS balanced and the third stereo input features RCA inputs with trim control for level matching of input signals. In addition, the Central Station will accommodate two digital inputs via S/PDIF or ADAT lightpipe providing D/A conversion up to 24Bit/192kHz. This allows you to monitor DAW and CD/DAT outputs through the same professional quality converter for the most accurate A/B comparison and highest quality monitoring environment. The digital to analog converter offers the highest possible audio quality with over 117dB dynamic range and ultra high quality analog circuitry. The Central Station features three sets of monitor outputs, each with their own set of passive trim controls. The monitoring section also provides MUTE, DIM and MONO switches. In addition, the Central Station includes a set of CUE outputs that can feed headphone amplifiers and a separate stereo MAIN line level output.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about PreSonus Central Station Studio Control Center

Read More...

Carl Martin PlexiTone Pedal Review

Carl Martin PlexiTone Pedal
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
There are several good analog pedals that replicate ( not model) the sound of a high-gain Marshall tube amp:
The Sansamp GT-2, and Sansamp "British" pedals, as well as the Sansamp PSA 1.1 all do a great job of that.
The Sansamp PSA 1.1 is best for rack-rigs where midi control and signal-routing flexibility are necessary.
The other two pedals are ideal if you must run with batteries.
If you want PURE ROCKIN MARSHALL TONE, PLUS a great boost feature ( up to 20 dB) then this Carl Martin Plexitone pedal is the best I've have ever heard in 40 years of professional playing. It has the TONE and FEEL of my Customized Marshall 100 watt head (circa 1969) that was modified by Jose Arrendondo in the late 70's.
The CM Plexitone has its own internal power supply, which is absolutely necessary for the massive headroom you need for authentic Marshal tone. That also means you do NOT need a "wall-wart" to run it, but it means you must find an outlet for it.
The three footswitches are robust and spaced so my size 12 boots hit the mark without problems. Bright blue LED lights give instant indication of what's ON. The high-impedance input helps reduce signal loss from cables. In effect, this acts as a buffered "front-end" for the rest of your chain... and it's a damn good buffer too.
If you like your basic amp sound, but need a better preamp for the front-end and could use a boost for solos, this is the pedal to get.
Over the last couple of decades, my friends and I have used various CM products. All of them are great. They build everything like they care. They are good at what they do and it shows. CM pedals are worth the extra dough.
Other than lucky auctions, I got the best price on a new one from Prymaxe, a dealer in New Jersey. The shipping was fast with no problems. Highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Carl Martin PlexiTone Pedal



Buy NowGet 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Carl Martin PlexiTone Pedal

Read More...

PreSonus FireStudio Project 10x10 FireWire Recording Interface Review

PreSonus FireStudio Project 10x10 FireWire Recording Interface
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I purchased the Firestudio Project a year ago and have been thrilled with its performance.
The external LEDs are a huge plus for setting your levels, and the eight XLR/quarter-inch inputs are very convenient. You also have phantom power available for all inputs.
The latency with this unit is minimal with a PC running Vista in a stripped down form as recommended by one of the major music retailer web sites.
Cubase LE is fairly simple to use, and it's easy to export your individual tracks for use in other DAWs like ProTools, if you intend to mix in a studio. Another note regarding Cubase: out of the box the program defaults to 16-bit recording, and you will definitely want to change the bit depth to 24-bit, particularly if recording in a noisy home studio environment. The noise floor, especially on vocal recordings with high gain on a condenser mic, is considerably higher with 16-bit. So, make sure you have a computer that is beefy enough to handle 24-bit because it does use more system resources.
The FireStudio also comes packaged with some nice VST plug-ins including instruments by Halion, some of which are pretty passable like the Jazz Piano.
When researching interfaces, my biggest concern was compatibility with hardware, as I had read some horror stories about interfaces not working with FireWire drivers correctly on certain PCs or Macs. This one worked perfectly out of the box with a store-bought HP desktop, so my experience was great in that regard.
My only complaint is that this unit was supposed to come with the Presonus EyeQ software - a multi-band EQ and spectrum analyzer, which was pictured on the box, but not in the box. I've read that others got left out of the EyeQ party as well, and I have e-mailed tech support but not yet gotten a response after one week.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PreSonus FireStudio Project 10x10 FireWire Recording Interface



Buy NowGet 20% OFF

Click here for more information about PreSonus FireStudio Project 10x10 FireWire Recording Interface

Read More...

Mackie Onyx 1620i FireWire Recording Mixer Review

Mackie Onyx 1620i FireWire Recording Mixer
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
this mixer is amazing. if you have wanted to build a project studio or record your band in your rehearsal space, this is the mixer you need.
the pre's sound great. very quiet (even when jacked).
the eq is really fun to play around with. you can really find the sound you are looking for with a few tweaks.
i'm using Ableton as my recording DAW. it's really snappy and after a few tweaks, very hard to notice any latency.
the Firewire I/O also works with Pro Tools, which is great. the driver is available for purchase on the mackie website.
for this price, you won't find anything even close to the same ball park.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Mackie Onyx 1620i FireWire Recording Mixer



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Mackie Onyx 1620i FireWire Recording Mixer

Read More...

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 - Kontrol Version Review

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 - Kontrol Version
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
There's not much I can say that isn't already covered by professional testimonials, video reviews, and product demos.
In short, Guitar Rig 3 is an extremely versatile, powerful effects system. The hardware is extremely solid-- I've carried this thing around to live gigs, stuffed it in a backpack as carry-on for a plane ride, even spilled a little bit of beer on it (not recommended). The worst I've done is dinged it with a falling mic stand. It put a small scratch on it (similar to scratching the paint on a car door), but that's about it.
There's definitely a slight learning curve for the software itself, but you can download the demo from their website to see if it's too much for you to handle. All the help and tooltips are plenty to keep you moving along-- and spending more time playing music and less time twiddling knobs. However, the cool part is that if you like twiddling knobs and settings, you can spend countless hours dialing in all kinds of vintage, modern, or never-heard-before sounds. My friend, (a lead guitarist who owns an analog guitar pedal company), despite being a bit of a sound purist, was really impressed with the sheer number of tones I can emulate. Sometimes, the sounds have a tendency to be a little bit 'digital' sounding if you don't adjust them properly, but the software upgrade to Guitar Rig 4 supposedly improves some of this. (I haven't tried it yet myself). My solution was to add an analog pedal (Philosopher's Tone) to the front of my effects chain.
I use an Intel-based Macbook Pro and a Peavy KB3 amplifier.
PRO TIP: a keyboard amp is the way to go since they have a higher frequency range that allows you to get the full range of tones out of the software. If you go with a specific guitar amp, you may severely limit the variety of tones the software can produce. The software itself effectively mimics all kinds of vintage amps--more than most people could ever afford to own. This may seem unintuitive, but if you spend a little time on the Guitar Rig forums, you'll find this out from others' experience too.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 - Kontrol Version



Buy NowGet 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 - Kontrol Version

Read More...