KONTROL EDITION KONTROL EDITION KONTROL EDITION OPERATION MANUAL The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, hereinafter referred to as NATIVE INSTRUMENTS. All product and company names are TM or ® trademarks of their respective owners. Furthermore, the fact that you are reading this text means you are the owner of legal version rather than an illegal, pirated copy. It is only through the loyalty and honesty of people like yourself that NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH can continue to develop and create innovative audio software. On behalf of the entire company, thank you very much. Users Guide written by Marc Schonbrun Editors: Jonathan DeRouchie, André Estermann Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but in making this a better product. Germany NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH Schlesische Str. 28 D-10997 Berlin Germany info@native-instruments.de www.native-instruments.de USA NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc. 5631 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028 USA sales@native-instruments.com www.native-instruments.com © Native Instruments GmbH, 2007. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction 1.1 Welcome GUITAR RIG 3 will change the way you play and think about music. Say goodbye to complex, noisy, unreliable guitar pedal setups with cables that crackle and batteries that die in the middle of solos. GUITAR RIG 3 puts the world's most sophisticated, flexible, and wonderful-sounding guitar setups into any modern laptop or desktop computer (Mac OS X or Windows XP). Take it to the studio, to the gig, or practice in your hotel room...the possibilities are limitless. And thanks to the included RIG KONTROL 3 foot controller/DI box/USB 2 sound card/preamp, you can take your guitar, bass, or other stringed instrument sound to the next level with only a few guitar chords, and some way to hear what you're doing. Of course, none of this would be possible without the visionaries, inventors, and artisans whose dedication and hard work on guitar amps and effects over the decades have defined the sound of the electric guitar as we know it. All of the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS team would like to acknowledge their creations as an integral source of inspiration in the design of this software. They have both our respect and gratitude, as without them, this software would not be possible. We are more than happy to state that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ A love of the guitar and its seemingly infinite potential has driven our quest for the ultimate guitar rig. We thank you for your support, and hope that whether you're looking for vintage blues timbres, modern rock grunge, or synthetic sounds for dance music, GUITAR RIG 3 will deliver the tone, punch, and crunch you crave. ­ The NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GUITAR RIG 3 Team 1.2 How to use this manual This manual has been designed to be as clear and concise as possible. While GUITAR RIG has been designed to be as intuitive as any of the hardware rigs you may be used to, its true power lies in its great flexibility ­ GUITAR RIG is much more diverse and flexible than the hardware rigs you're used to. In order to make the most of your GUITAR RIG experience, we recommend that you keep this manual handy, as it will shed light on all the cool things GUITAR RIG can do, and with any luck, inspire you to try things you never thought about. The manual is divided into two main sections. The first gives you a broad overview of the software and hardware to get you up and running as quickly as possible. The remainder of the manual is devoted to referencing every Button, Knob and switch on the interface. If you want to get deep into GUITAR RIG, and its sound design possibilities, you'll want to know everything you can about it. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 5 1.3 Software installation If you are looking for more information about the GUITAR RIG software installation, please consult the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS Setup Guide, included with this package. ! When you install GUITAR RIG 3 for the first time, please make sure that you also choose to install the RIG KONTROL driver (KONTROL EDITION). This option has to be initiated during the last step of the installation process. (In this step, you should also install the Service Center if it is not already installed.) 1.4 Hardware setup If you are looking for more information about the RIG KONTROL hardware installation, please consult the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS RIG CONTROL Operation Manual, included with this package. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 6 2. Getting started It's time! You got the software and, you got the hardware (That new RIG KONTROL is crying "Step on me!"), now you want to start rocking out! Let's get you started with an overview of GUITAR RIG 3. 2.1 What is Guitar Rig GUITAR RIG is the future of guitar tone. Imagine having a room filled with every boutique amplifier ever crafted, endless arrays of cabinets (each with different microphones), any effect you desire, loop machines, and other amazing tools for crafting sounds at your immediate disposal. GUITAR RIG takes this idea (which would cost you many hundreds of thousands of dollars) and puts them into a single program which can run as a standalone application, or a plug-in, on Mac OSX, or Windows XP in any DAW that you prefer to work in. Not only can GUITAR RIG craft your favorite sounds, you can also create new sounds you'd never even dreamed of thanks to our unique modulation framework. GUITAR RIG is simply the best thing to happen to your guitar playing and production since the key of E minor! GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 7 2.2 New in Version 3 GUITAR RIG 3 adds to the award winning GUITAR RIG 2 design, and implements a multitude of improvements to the software. Here's what you can expect to find in GUITAR RIG 3: A new, more polished, easier to navigate user interface. The powerful Live view for easy access to your parameters for live, onstage performance. Four brand-new, sought-after amplifier models. Six brand-new, sound shaping effects. "Snapshots", which allow for quick and fluid changes of sounds during a song. "Matched Cabinets" feature that makes combining amp models and cabinets easier than ever. A newly designed RIG KONTROL (GUITAR RIG 3 KONTROL EDITION), featuring a new A/D D/A section from the acclaimed Audio Kontrol 1, eight freely assignable foot-switches, and one continuous controller pedal with on/off switch. An updated Preset browser with improved Bank and sound functionality which makes organizing your sounds easier than ever. Tempo, such as synced delays can now be stored within the Preset and can be set to sync to host clock or ignore host clock when needed. Assigning controllers has never been easier. Third party controllers can share the common virtuaL rig KontroL graphic for a simplified interface. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 8 2.3 Standalone and Plug-in Mode You can use GUITAR RIG 3 in two different ways: run it as a standalone application or plug it into your favourite sequencer. This section will introduce you to both modes. 2.3.1 About "Standalone" Mode GUITAR RIG 3 can function as a guitar processing setup all by itself, without needing anything other than a computer and audio in and out. Only a few steps are neccessary to get you started: Turn off Direct Monitoring (please refer to Appendix A) Open the GUITAR RIG 3 program, and select the computer's audio input as GUITAR RIG 3's audio input. Plug your guitar (using RIG KONTROL, as described later, or a preamp) into the computer's audio input. Select the computer audio output as GUITAR RIG 3's output. Patch the computer's audio output into your amplification system (guitar amp, mixing console, PA system, etc.). However, the built-in audio in most Windows machines is not studio quality, and there will be audible latency (time delay) between the time you play a note and when you hear it come out of the computer. Latency is frustrating, because we're used to hearing a sound immediately when we pluck a string. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 9 Modern Macintosh computers running OS X are better, but there may still be sound quality issues with built-in audio. If you are not using the RIG KONTROL 3 audio inter face, NATIVE INSTRUMENTS advises you to use an audio interface or sound card designed specifically for audio applications. These are higher quality, and include drivers (software that transfers data from the audio interface to the computer) optimized for minimum delay. This will ensure that you have a much more pleasurable musical experience. The Audio/MIDI Setup Window In standalone mode, simply choose the appropriate inputs and outputs by visiting the preferences screen to bring up your audio setup. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 10 2.3.2 About "Plug-in" Mode In this mode, GUITAR RIG 3 works in conjunction with a host program, like GarageBand, Cubase, Apple Logic, Pro Tools, Live, Sonar, Digital Performer, Tracktion, and so on. It inserts into the program's mixer, like a "virtual effect". Audio passes through the computer's sound card into the host program, which feeds it into GUITAR RIG 3. The host's output then proceeds to a hardware output, which goes to your amplification system. As with standalone mode, an audio-oriented sound card is highly recommended to avoid the latency involved in going through the host program and computer. GUITAR RIG 3 is inserted in Apple Logic to process a guitar track while being automated under host automation. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 11 2.4 The RIG KONTROL foot controller The RIG KONTROL 3 hardware which is included in the GUITAR RIG 3 KONTROL EDITION has an expression pedal, nine footswitches, guitar preamp/impedance converter, and USB 2 computer audio interface. The preamp is important as it conditions the guitar signal properly for the best tone and lowest noise when interfaced with other electronic devices, or your computer. The footswitches and pedal are assignable to various functions within GUITAR RIG 3 for "hands-off", real-time control. 2.5 Caution Guitar pickups are very susceptible to hum, light dimmer "hash", and the interference generated by computers and monitors. LCD monitors create less interference than CRT types, and humbuckers are less likely to pick up interference than single coil pickups. Piezo pickups, like those used in the Line 6 Variax, do not pick up this interference. As you play with GUITAR RIG 3, always position your guitar so it picks up the least amount of interference. GUITAR RIG 3's Noise Reduction can help get rid of some interference, but it is not a substitute for orienting your guitar away from sources of interference. Also, as amazing as GUITAR RIG 3 is, it cannot compensate for problems at the guitar. For example, if you have dead strings, the Compressor will not magically make them sustain. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 12 2.6 Get creative! Once GUITAR RIG 3 is open and communicating with the audio interface and/or host, the real fun begins. Unlike a hardware rack, you aren't limited by a fixed number of effects in particular positions. You can place the various GUITAR RIG 3 Components in any order ­ even create parallel processing paths ­ and then save your favorite configurations for later recall. You can create multiple rigs for blues, hard rock, and a few more for bass. You can even create a rig for rehearsing...there are no limits, other than your computer's processor speed (and your imagination). There is one caution: The huge variety of options means it's possible to set up some combinations of effects and settings that don't sound all that great. If you're working with a sound and aren't satisfied with it, try different cabinets, mic positions, and the like until you hit the "sweet spot". Also, save frequently ­ not necessarily because your computer might crash, but because it's easy to "overtweak" a sound and you'll wish you'd kept an earlier version. GUITAR RIG 3 makes it easy to save multiple variations on a sound; you can then decide which one you like best, and delete the rest. GUITAR RIG 3 also includes two hard disk recording Components called Tapedecks. One is optimized to load audio files to serve as backing tracks, or you can study solos by loading them into the Tapedeck, and using the tempo control to slow them down for easy analysis. The second Tapedeck is optimized for recording what you're playing, or overdubbing new parts overtop of parts you've already played. A tuner and metronome keep you in tune and on time. GUITAR RIG 3 is more than just a signal shaper ­ it's a complete system for processing, and enjoying, your guitar. GUITAR RIG 3 ­ 13 3. Using Guitar Rig GUITAR RIG w ...