EQ Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 58)

AMP SIM UPDATE This article doesn’t review Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3, IK Multimedia AmpliTube 2, Line 6 GearBox software, or Waves GTR3, because we already reviewed them (see sidebar “Encore!” on page 56). But all four companies have had significant new announcements since those reviews; here’s the latest. NATIVE INSTRUMENTS NI’s latest guitar products, Guitar Rig XE ($119) and Guitar Rig Session ($249), further democratize the process of using guitars with computers. Guitar Rig XE software offers five amps, 21 effect modules, and 12 speaker types, as well as two “tape decks” (scratchpad recorders), metronome, and tuner. The software comes with 178 presets and also incorporates “Live View,” which displays the most crucial parameters for live use in a large window with a minimum of clutter. But there’s also a hardware issue if you’re playing guitar, as a passive guitar output is not happy feeding a typical audio interface. Enter Guitar Rig Session, which bundles XE software with Session I/O, an audio interface designed specifically for guitarists (which also bundles Cubase 4 LE and the Kore Player, with the Pop Drums soundpack). It provides low-latency operation via USB 2.0, but also includes a line input (feed in a drum machine, for example), mic input for recording vocals along with guitar, stereo line outs, and headphone out. The enclosure is aluminum, further emphasizing the “use it on stage, use it in the studio” vibe. Only a few years ago, using guitars and computers was a minefield of latency, hardware issues, compatibility, and other problems. Products like Guitar Rig Session show how far the technology has progressed. www.native-instruments.com IK MULTIMEDIA There are two big items from IK Multimedia. The first is Stomp I/O, a full-fledged pedalboard for their AmpliTube-based amp/effects simulator software. You can hook it up to a laptop and forget you’re even using a computer, as you can control just about everything you’ll need from the pedalboard; Stomp I/O is slated for more coverage in a future issue of EQ. The second is X-Gear, a “shell” program that lets you mix and match modules from any “powered by AmpliTube” products (AmpliTube 2, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix, Ampeg SVX, and the upcoming AmpliTube Metal) installed on your computer. Prior to X-Gear, there was no real way to integrate these programs; now when choosing, for example, an amp model, you can select any amp model from any compatible program. The same goes for stompbox effects, cabinets, and studio-type “rack” effects. www. ikmultimedia.com gatecomp, EQ, and volume). There’s even a tuner—with alternate tunings. Having used GTR Solo quite a bit, I must say it doesn’t feel like a “lite” program. The amp section offers several settings: bass, clean amps (2), drive amps (3), and high-gain (4) sounds, including two based on amps from Paul Reed Smith’s personal collection . . . who has about as good a set of ears as you’ll find in this industry. There are four slots for effects, and you can move them pre- or post-amp, as well as control them via MIDI. When you remember that these effects are based on Waves’ big-bucks effects algorithms, the package value goes up another notch. Waves Solo also works in stand-alone mode with ASIO drivers for Windows or Core Audio on Mac OS X. www.waves.com WAVES GTR SOLO If GTR3 hits the checkbook too hard, how about a “greatest hits” package with the best of GTR3 for $140 list? That’s GTR Solo, which includes ten amp models, ten cabinets, and 13 stomp boxes (overdrive, distortion, phaser, flanger, chorus, delay, wah wah, spring reverb, pitch shifter, vibrolo, LINE 6 GEARBOX In addition to covering the GearBox Gold plug-ins, we also covered the UX8 TonePort interface in the May issue—but because the focus was on the hardware, it’s worth emphasizing that the UX8 not only includes the GearBox software suitable for use with their ToneDirect monitoring process, but also GearBox versions in VST, RTAS, and AU plug-in formats. Furthermore, you can expand the UX8 roster of models with Model Packs, which include the Power Pack (36 amp models and 50 effects), Metal Shop (18 high-gain models), Collector Classics (18 models based on boutique combos), FX Junkie (30 effects models), and Bass (28 amp models with 22 cabinets). Line 6 offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on these so you can try them, and if you don’t like them, no problem. In other news, Line 6 is developing 64-bit drivers for the TonePort line. Regardless of what you think of Vista or Leopard, the 64-bit OS is the wave of the future, particularly for music applications because of the ability to address huge amounts of RAM. www.line6.com —Craig Anderton 58 EQ JUNE 2008 www.eqmag.com http://www.waves.com http://www.ikmultimedia.com http://www.ikmultimedia.com http://www.line6.com http://www.native-instruments.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - June 2008

EQ Magazine - June 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board 3 Doors Down, Hard-Fi, Paul Manousos Tool Box Panic at the Disco Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Projects Apple Loops Utility SSL Duende Mini JBL LSR4326/PAK & LSR4312SP Holophone H3-D Creation Audio Labs MW1 Studio Tool Amp Modeler Roundup Eventide Timefactor, Electro-Harmonix Stereo Pedals, Korg Pandora PX5D Room with a Vu: Blues Tunes Studios, Silverlake, CA

EQ Magazine - June 2008

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