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Tips for Guitar Rig 3

Native Instruments' Guitar Rig 3 software emulates a full set of guitar amplifiers and effects. The program includes both standalone and plug-in versions. You can apply its effects to audio files or MIDI tracks; you can also plug an electric guitar into your computer and use Guitar Rig 3 instead of hardware. Guitar Rig 3 has a relatively intuitive and straightforward interface.
  1. Cabinets & Mics

    • Customize the amplification by using Guitar Rig 3's "Cabinets & Mics" component. This component allows you to combine different amplifiers and microphones, then alter the sound by changing the microphone's position. Click the "Add" button to add as many amplification channels as you like; you can configure each channel independently. Use the "Cabinets & Mics" component to create amplification that would be impossible using hardware.

    MIDI Control

    • If you have an external MIDI keyboard or controller connected, you can use it to control Guitar Rig 3. Controlling Guitar Rig 3 using hardware faders and knobs, instead of the mouse, gives your recording or performance a more live, human feeling. To configure Guitar Rig 3 for external MIDI control, right-click the knob, button or slider that you want to connect to the MIDI controller. Click "Learn," then move a corresponding control on the MIDI hardware device.

    Split the Effects Chain

    • Guitar Rig 3's "Split" tool allows you to split the sound in two and apply different effects to the two streams. Drag and drop one effect on "Split A," and drop a different effect on "Split B." Use the "Split Mix" control to determine how much of each signal Guitar Rig 3 plays. Adjust each stream's "Pan" control to change its position in the stereo field.

    CPU Usage

    • The more components you open in Guitar Rig 3, the more CPU processing power and memory it consumes. If the CPU usage gets too high, the audio may start to lag, stutter and crackle. To prevent this, lower the sound quality of Guitar Rig 3's output. Click the "HI Q" button in the top-right corner of the window to deselect it. Operating at this lower-quality setting will preserve system resources. To monitor how much CPU Guitar Rig 3 is using, click the power-icon button next to "CPU" in the top-right corner.

Digital Music

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