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Tutorial by Jerry McPherson

Let's come up with some new

defaults for our amps and effects.
That way when you create a new
device, it’s already set with your
personal settings.

Start with an empty preset by

clicking the "new" button located
in the "Preset List" area. Now go
to "Rack Components" view and
double click on the Plexi amp.
You'll get both the amp head and
cabinet component. Notice that the
amp knobs are all set to 12 o'clock. Not a great tonal starting point, but we can fix that:

First, click on the amp's drop-down menu to the right of the field name. In the menu you'll see a list of
presets with "Default" at the top of the list and "save" at the bottom.

Even if the default title is already showing in the window, select the "Default" preset from the list. Click
on the same arrow again for the drop-down menu and this time you’ll see "overwrite" and "delete"
added to the menu list.

Experiment with the Plexi settings. For a Les Paul style guitar, I had to turn down Volume II to keep the
tone from being dark and "tubby" sounding. Once you get the knobs set to your liking, click on the
arrow that gives you your drop-down menu and go down to "Overwrite". Click/release the mouse and
there you have it.
Now any time you call up a Plexi amp you'll get your own personal settings. This can be performed on
any rack components that allow you to save templates.
 For my own templates that I come up with (and for
favorite factory templates), I add a space before the
name. That way when I view the pull-down menu, they
appear at the top of the list. This is a real time saver as
you build your own library of settings to add with what
is there from the factory settings.

Spending a little time creating your own defaults and

component templates on both amp and effect modules
will allow you to quickly put together a rack of your
own individual sounds in no time at all.

Backup your settings:

Notice also that, in the Guitar Rig folders, if you
navigate to "Internal -> Component Templates -> Plexi Amp", your default settings and templates will
appear as a unique looking icon. It would be a good idea to duplicate those Component Template folders
with your own defaults and presets to another drive or CD-R to backup your work.
Tutorial by Jerry McPherson

There is so much flexibility in Guitar Rig that is just waiting to be tapped into. Here a couple of tips for
using delays in GUITAR RIG.

I had a couple of
issues when
routing guitar
signals through the
Quad Delay. One,
when you bypass
it your delays cut
off abruptly; and
two, as you
increase the dry/
wet mix you lose
overall gain.

A work-around for
these problems
involves using a
Split Mix and a
Volume Pedal component: First drag or double click on a Split Mix component and set the crossfade
mix to 50/50. Next drag a Volume Pedal down between the Split B and Split Mix. Now drag a Quad
Delay down between the Volume pedal you just created and the Split Mix. Set the Quad Delay dry/wet
mix wide open to wet only.

Notice as you increase the Volume pedal with a mouse or external controller, it adds delay without
affecting the dry signal level. The Volume pedal is now the send for the delay.

Now you can go to the controller section of GUITAR RIG and assign a controller to "bypass" the delay.
When you bypass the delay, your delay will now trail off without getting abruptly cut off.

Filter the delays

 While we’re in
this delay mode,
here's another tip
to try out. I collect
vintage (and new)
guitar pedals. One
of my favorites
was a little known
Korg Toneworks
301 dl Dynamic
Echo. It had a Hi-
Fi/Lo-Fi knob that
was basically a
filter on the wet
signal of the delay.
I have used that on
a ton of sessions
where I wanted the
guitar to provide
Add a Wah component more atmosphere
and ambience.

Using this same idea of the Split Mix/Delay I’ve brought in a Wah component in GUITAR RIG to filter
the delays.
In my rig, I usually place this 301 dl setup before the amp, followed by a normal delay after the amp.
The 301 dl I use for just for when the song needs a little sonic interest and vibe. Enjoy!
Tutorial by Jerry McPherson

One of the unique features

of Guitar Rig is how easily
it can be controlled by
external hardware and
software. As a plug-in, it's
parameters can be
automated by your
sequencer. By using the
learn function in the
Controller page, delay
times, distortion amounts,
cabinet types, etc. can be
switched or altered in real
time. You can use
Bradshaw type foot
controllers for instant
effect on/offs. You can use
a MIDI control surface for
Assign all your parameters editing.

One way I control Guitar Rig (especially on the road) is with an Oxygen 8 keyboard by M-Audio. They
are affordable, bus powered, and portable-perfect for your mobile rig! You can use all twenty five keys
to bypass effects, toggle between parameter values, trigger TapeDeck transports, step thru presets and
banks, etc. You also have eight rotary knobs, pitch and mod wheels, and a data slider that can be
assigned to just about anything you can think of to control in Guitar Rig. Best of all, the keyboard
connects with one USB cable, and you’re set!

In Guitar Rig, go to the "Audio + MIDI settings" (File ->), and in the MIDI section you should see the
Oxygen 8 as a choice. Make sure it is enabled.
Now go to the Controller section in the Left View. Create a controller (scroll down the Rack Controls
window, click "Add Controller"), click on the "Learn" button, and play a note on the keyboard. It should
recognize your controller and display the value in that controller window.
Go over to the right and click on "Not assigned" to open the drop down menu: It will lay out a spread of
parameters to control (will only display paremters for components which are already active in your rig).

Another method to assign controllers:

An alternative way to assign controllers is: Right click (Mac: ctrl +
click) the desired knob in the rig (e.g. the Amp volume) to open the
context menu; now select "Learn". Then press a key or move a
controller on the Oxygen 8 and the parameter is assigned to
whatever you just moved. After that you'll find a new entry in the
"Rack Controls" window of the "Left View" where the settings can
be edited.

Remember even a MIDI note can control

parameter values in GUITAR RIG. By
adjusting the "handles" on the maximum and
minimum values, you can go between two
values on a parameter. This is great for using
Controller settings a footswitch (or MIDI note in this example)
to kick in more distortion or delay etc.

If you create an effect or amp in GUITAR RIG but put them

in bypass mode, you’ll notice that it doesn’t put any drain on
the CPU meter.

Because of this I’ll usually create a really big rig, keep

effects that I’m not using in bypass mode, then use the
Oxygen 8 to kick effects in and out.

Go BIG: CPU-friendly Bypass mode

Save your controller setups:

 The best part is that you can save all your controller setups depending on
wether you are using GUIATR RIG with a footcontroller, keyboard or MIDI
control surface. Your setups can include live versus studio applications. Then
when you switch controllers (say an Oxygen 8 back to the NI Kontrol) you
Saving your settings simply load the appropriate setup that you created previously. How’s that for
flexibility! And for all you control freaks: try using the Oxygen 8 and the Kontrol together for total
domination!
Tutorials by Jerry McPherson

Programming sounds for amp modelling software can be a tricky, slippery process when you are trying
to copy the sound of some of your favorite amp/effects setups. I usually keep reference files handy of
some of my favorite vintage guitar/amp combinations so I can A/B it with whatever I’m programming.

Tapdecks One and Two

GUITAR RIG has simplified this with the TapeDecks that appear at the top and bottom of the rack.
These can be a great tool for programming, as well as learning parts, playing with loops and jamming.

For me the utilmate A/B approach to programming software based amp modelers is to have two
soundfiles for direct comparison:
One, a DI guitar file; and second, that same guitar going through an amp and miked up. The DI file is
what I’ll process with a plug-in, while the file of the recorded amp is what I’ll use as an A/B reference.
Sometimes on sessions I’ll take an old guitar, like my ‘67 Gretsch Tennessean, run it thru a DI box and
take that directly into ProTools on a mono track.
The engineer will keep that muted. Most DI boxes have a parallel out that allows you to come directly
out of the DI and into an amp or rig. The signal passes directly thru the box with no coloration. The amp
is miked up and recorded, as is the DI sound that has been muted. After the session is over I can have the
engineer burn me a CD of the files- both the DI and the amp sounds.

I import these files into my computer, apply an amp plug-in on the DI, and use the file of the amp to A/B
against the plug-in sound. With Guitar Rig this is easy. I can load the DI file into TapeDeck One, load
the miked up amp file into the bottom TapeDeck Two and create an amp setup like what I am trying to
emulate.

Now when I hit play on the top TapeDeck, I hear the guitar
processed through Guitar Rig. Playing the bottom
TapeDeck I can hear the real amp as my comparison. It
makes it so much better when you can reference a real amp
miked up in a great studio with top quality mic preamps
and processing. Also, if you are not having to actually play
Control the tapedecks with a key the guitar, but rather let TapeDeck play it through Guitar
Rig, you have your hands free for tweaking out sounds. (A lot of times I program on plane flights where
I have a lot of time to kill.)

I was recently out at

Dark Horse
Recording Studios in
Franklin, TN doing a
record date. On a
break we set up a DI
Rig it up
box and the engineer
recorded me strumming a bit. The DI sound file is my early 70’s gold-top Les Paul into a Countryman
DI box and straight into Pro Tools HD. I ran out of the Countryman amp out 1/4” jack into an old MXR
Dyna Comp, into a Vox AC-15, and out of that into a 2-12” speaker cabinet loaded with Celestion
Vintage 30’s. The AC-15 was a reissue that Vox made up until a few years ago. It uses an AC-30 front
end into an AC-15 power section. (Why do manufacturers discontinue their best sounding stuff? I
digress.) I’ve used it on a TON of sessions and it always sounds great in the track. I also use two early
sixties JMI Vox AC-30’s. The amp file is this rig miked with a Shure 57 into an API mic pre with no EQ
and into Pro Tools HD.

Load the soundfile "DarkHorse DI Ref.AIF" into TapeDeck One. Notice that where you set the
TapeDeck One output level affects how much it drives the front end of the amp model. I typically set it
at 3 o’clock.
Now load the soundfile "DarkHorse Amp Ref.AIF" into TapeDeck Two with the output set all the
way up.
Load the "DarkHorse.bnk" I've included into GUITAR RIG. The first preset under Vox Amps is the
Dark Horse setup. This is the preset I came up based on the gear we were using that day in the studio.
Notice how the cabinet size affects the EQ of the amp sound. Play around with the Graphic EQ and amp
settings.
If you come up with an Amp/Cabinet/EQ that you feel "nails" the amp reference sound, I'd like to check
it out. Preset banks can be uploaded to the GUITAR RIG Users library.

The great thing about programming sounds this way is that you can A/B your virtual rig against a sound
that already sonically worked in the studio. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried programming a
sound off the top of my head and when I got it into the studio it was way too bassy or way too thin. If
you try to get a sound to be huge by itself, a lot of times it ends up not fitting in the track once bass
and drums are added.
It never ceases to amaze me how different a guitar sound is solo’d versus in the track with all the other
instruments. It’s surprising what sonically "pokes" thru a track.

Have fun programming!

Tutorial by Jerry McPherson

A great feature of Guitar Rig is the ability to set up two independent rigs with two separate inputs,
separate gain controls and the ability to send the outputs to independent mono channels or blend them
together in a stereo L & R output. This makes it perfect for jamming, writing, or performing with a
friend. You may have an instrument with two outputs. I use a Parker guitar that has separate magnetic
and piezo pickup outputs. This way I can set up an acoustic signal chain for the piezo, and an amp chain
for the normal guitar pickups.
First you must set
the Rig Kontrol
pedal for two
channel mode. The
mode switch is
located on the back
of the Kontrol and
must be pushed in.
The down side of
this is now the
Kontrol pedal can’t
send out controller
messages. For
preset changes and
expression pedal
control you’ll have
to use another
MIDI pedal.
In Guitar Rig
you’ll need to go
to the top of the
rack to the input
Piezo pickup to split A Magnetic pickup to Split B section and select
“Both” so that Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 will now be routed to Guitar Rig. Create a Split module, and activate the
“dual” mode. Now anything that you drag between Split A and B will be the effects chain for Input 1.
Anything placed between Split B and Split Mix will be the effects chain for Input 2. The TapeDecks are
stereo recorders so your two inputs can be recorded, for example, with TapeDeck One and they will be
routed to their respective effect chains.
If you are jamming with a friend and want to have separate outputs, you can pan them hard left and right
with the pan pots on the Split Mix. They will now show up as mono left and right outs. Enjoy!