Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5 Pro Review

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In an industry where authenticity is king, Native Instruments' latest offering - Guitar Rig 4 (now known as 5) Pro - claims to bring a touch of real-world magic to your studio setup. But can this powerful amp simulator really live up to its promise?

At first glance, the answer seems to be yes. With over 100 meticulously crafted models to choose from, including everything from classic vintage tone monsters like Marshall and Fender through to more modern boutique behemoons such as Mesa/Boogie's Rectifier Rampage, there should be something in here for everyone.

But looks can certainly deceive - beneath its slick GUI lies a deep underlying engine that allows users to fine-tone their sound down to the last detail. Want warm overdrive? No problem! Need screaming high gain? Easy peasy!

The real magic happens when you start playing around with Guitar Rig's onboard effects processing tools however. With an impressive array of EQs, compressors and reverb processors at your disposal (including a sweet-sounding plate unit that'll transport even the most discerning studio rat back to days gone by), it's almost like having access to a full rack worth of gear all crammed into one tidy little box.

And speaking of tidiness - because let's face facts folks, nobody wants their studio cluttered up with mountains of hardware - Guitar Rig 5 Pro has got you covered here too. Simply fire up the standalone version (available as both Mac and PC downloads), navigate to File > Import, locate your desired preset file within Finder/Explorer, select it & press Open... voila! Instant tonal nirvana awaits.

So what's the verdict then? In short: if you're serious about achieving authentic sounding guitar tones without breaking the bank (or taking up valuable rack space for that matter), Native Instruments' latest offering is absolutely worth considering. With its staggering array of top-notch amp models, flexible effects processing options and user-friendly interface making it accessible even to those newbies still learning their way around a DAW, there really isn't much more you could ask from an affordable virtual solution like this.

Rating: 4/5 stars

- Mac (standalone): - PC (standalone): System Requirements:

* Intel Core Duo processor or later

* MAC OS X Leopard 10.6.3 or higher

* Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Vista Business Edition SP1 or higher

Minimum System Specs:

- Mac: Intel G4 Processor @ 1.8 GHz, RAM: 512 MB (1024 recommended)

- PC: Pentium D dual core processor @ 2.0 Ghz, RAM :512MB (2048recommended)

Compatibility Notes:

- Guitar Rig Pro 5 only works in standalone mode.

- Due to compatibility issues with certain third party VST/AU plugins,

please ensure that your host sequencer is running the latest

version before using this product.

testing native instruments guitar rig pro v. 5 and may differ from others' experiences.

Native instruments guitar rig 5 pro