EQ Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 59)

by David Royer The bottom line: Given the minimal competition to Peak on the Mac (other than i3’s DSP Quattro), it’s very commendable that BIAS has folded so much into LE yet attached such a low price. You probably wouldn’t even know Peak LE was a lite program if the functions available in Peak Pro weren’t grayed out in the menus. If you’re into serious 24/7 mastering and sound design, the additional tools in Pro—as well as the suite of plug-ins in the XT version— are worth the extra investment. But for many (maybe even most) users, Peak LE 6 gives everything needed to edit audio on the Mac—and more. www.bias-inc.com Peak LE 6 not only looks elegant, but includes a ton of features from Peak Pro. The menu shows the available DSP processes; grayed out ones are available in the Pro version, but note that these tend to be the more esoteric functions. easy-to-use, rack-oriented interface as GR3; you’re not limited to specific combinations or orders of effects, and you can instantiate multiple versions of the same effects. It also has GR3’s “Live View” mode, a boon for onstage use (yes, XE works in stand-alone mode), and is compatible with NI’s Rig Kontrol optional footswitch/pedal hardware. An additional variation, Guitar Rig Session, bundles a high-quality, portable, guitar/line/mic interface with XE. Session also includes the Pop Drums sound set (with the Kore Player for playback) and Cubase LE. For an extra $130, if you don’t have guitar-friendly interfacing hardware, this does the job simply, but in style. The bottom line: Guitar Rig XE actually feels more like an earlier version of Guitar Rig than a ‘lite’ version of GR3. GR1’s list price was $499, but it had only three amps, and about the same number of effects as XE (although it did have the split module). So yes, XE is extremely cost-effective. If you’re deep into amp sims and want the most versatile amp sim on the market, then an investment in GR3 is easy to justify—but XE gives the essentials at a very cost-effective price. www.native-instruments.com Guitar Rig XE has the same flexible drag-and-drop interface of Guitar Rig 3, as well as a subset of the flagship program’s modules. Note the browser on the left, and also, the advanced “hidden” parameters under the Delay Man processor. MA-201 fet “The MA-201fet is big and fat, and packs an extra midrange punch that sounds great on vocals, drums and guitars.” Michael Wagener - Engineer; Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Skid Row, Extreme, King’s X Visit mojaveaudio.com for studio photos and audio samples. Introducing 818.847.0222 Burbank, CA www.eqmag.com JANUARY 2009 EQ 59 http://www.mojaveaudio.com http://www.bias-inc.com http://www.native-instruments.com http://www.mojaveaudio.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - January 2009

EQ Magazine - January 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Bob Dylan The Killers Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Microsoft Windows Vista Apple Mac OS X "Lite" Software Roundup "Lite" Software Gadgets & Goodies Sounds Room With a Vu

EQ Magazine - January 2009

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