Digital guitar software/hardware combos? It’s on.
Just days after IK Multimedia shows its new version of AmpliTube with new effects and a new hardware stompbox / audio interface / DI box, rival Native Instruments unveils its own upgraded computer guitar rack with new effects and a new hardware stompbox / audio interface / DI box. Not only that, but both IK and NI are at the AES show, which, as the “Audio Engineering Society” moniker implies, is not usually where you’d expect to find new guitar kit.
Native Instruments Guitar Rig 2
So, anything different about NI’s announcement (aside from the notable absence of Swedish models — see IK’s babefest promos)? Well, the Rig Kontrol 2 from NI is much sexier looking (silver instead of IK’s Barney-esque purple and black), and has an expression pedal, which is absent from IK’s box. And Native has the Boss LoopStation-like Loop Machine for layering loops on-the-fly. Both have gorgeous interfaces and terrific-sounding amp emulations and effects that easily rival hardware. It’s a good time for computer-based guitarists.
Now I’m off to the IK and NI booths to see if I can make these work for vocals and keyboards. (Any other non-guitarists using this stuff?)
More soon . . .