Native Instruments Guitar Rig 2 review

Are you interested in Guitar Rig 2? WARNING, THINK TWICE!

I've been gigging with GR2 / RK2 for a couple of weeks now and people have asked me about it. It makes me feel awkward because I don't know what to tell them. I'd like to say that it's awesome, but I can't.

I think most everyone at this point is pretty disappointed in the performance of RK2; we're happy with the software but unimpressed with the hardware. We were promised one thing and recieved another. I think a lot of people are feeling cheated at this point. No one likes to feel cheated.

When people ask me about Guitar Rig 2, I'm a pretty honest with them and I feel pretty stupid saying that I paid CND $600 for something that just barely works. Don't get me wrong, I love the software and it sounds fabulous, however the hardware just isn't up to par. It looks great; it's strong and well built, but it's performance has left much to be desired. I so badly want it to be the product that it is marketed as. So this is my question: When people ask me about this product, what should I tell them?

(a) It's horrible, don't waste your money. Just get the software; you can download it via torrent easily enough.

(b) The software is great, but the hardware needs work. NI is a pretty reputable comapany, so I'm sure they'll sort it all out.

I have a really good idea of what an ASIO audio interface should be capable of and the hardware in it's current state doesn't even come close to meeting those criteria. Will it ever meet peoples' expectations of what a ASIO audio interface is? Are the issues driver or hardware related? I'd like to be able to tell people I didn't get hosed out of $600. Please, any sort of announcement on this issue would be much appreciated.

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Hi YeahTuna

You must be one of many - perfectly courteous and patient customers of NI who would love to be able to do some positive promotion of NI products to colleagues and friends. Who are also generous enough to give NI some allowance for teething problems re. Rig Kontrol issues.

I find it incredible that NI does not respond at all to what is quite obviously a fundamental problem (i.e. the hardware is unusable in a professional context). A dialogue of some sort would at least keep us hanging in there. But NOTHING? No reply even from my direct questions to customer support. It just makes me mad! Creates a bad name for NI. Even makes me begin to think: what is the legality of continuing to sell faulty equipment?

Moderators, please respond, or you will lose your loyal customers. Have you isolated the problem as hardware/software? Are you working on a new driver? Can it really be THAT complicated????

looking forward to crackle-free times again .....

 

I agree - sounds great, but the hardware is pretty much for crap. I'm going to talk to my retailer about returning it because the Rig Kontroller is WHY I bought this product. I don't need an audio board - I use GR 2.0 for recording in Sonar through a Firewire Audio interface (FW-1884) - just needed the expression pedal. But when I plug the USB in, it hoses everything because the timing is thrown off with two sound cards! If it were self powered, I suppose I could use RK2 as a MIDI Controller. But what a pain in the butt!

And the problem is, most likely GR 2.0 being software I can't return it, so I feel ripped off (unless there IS a way to just install/use the pedal as a midi controller that no one has shared yet).

Even though I did my research, I could not find this problem until I logged in to this forum.

One glimmer of hope is that NI reads these posts and can do what I think would be a simple fix JUST to use the RK as an expression pedal and NOT a audio device!

 

Luckily I had a good soundcard (which tackles guitar impedance well - not everyone does that!) already, and could use that when I got them crackles blues (I'm on a PC - I belive it's worse on the Mac - much worse). I've done all the XP mods I got from NI, and installed it on two different computers, with exactly the same problems appearing. Leading me to belive this is a driver issue, or even hardware. But for me Guitar Rig works very well now. It also should be noted that RK2 does not generate Midi controller data, even if it is stated in the manual and you should expect so from the contacts on the unit. It makes it useless (for now) for anyone using GuitarRig in a sequencer and want to edit pedal data later; it can't be done. Personally I don't need that feature now, but it is indeed another left-out.
- The RK2 pedalboard is not 'useless' for me, as it works well as an externall floor controller. Small and rugged. It only doesn't live up to its promise of multi-functionality.
- I get NO noise when using RK2 as a controller only!
- Certainly I would have been a little p*^$$ed off by having to invest in a brand new soundcard in addition to GuitarRig, when I didn't expect so. 200 USD/€ would help me a long way however, and I don't concider that a fortune (also since it's not a guitar only thing; don't you need that card anyway?).
- When you 'review' GuitarRig I think you should tell them this; it's a great product, only they don't tell you on the package that you actually WILL need a soundcard in addition. That is, until they fix the driver issue - if possible.

 

Yes I find myself in a very similar situation. I have been very vocal of my love for GR1 and told anyone who asks or would listen to me.
I have not really even mentioned GR2 other than the new emulations. I cannot and will not mention RK2 since it is useless in a quality live situation. NI does sometimes read these posts and I get another support mail about every other day with a request for my specs, etc. I'm trying to be very helpfull because I want this to work, but....at this point all the troubleshooting is based on my computer being the error. I'd be happy to admit it if it was my fault if indeed it was, but I know it's RK2. I'll keep playing the game and see if we can fix this but until there's a new driver for RK2 it just remains a usb controller. My machine works great with many other apps including video editing, it's tuned up with all the tweaks, and GR2 works great as a plugin with my M-audio 1814 card.
Has anyone else noticed the PC version 2.01 is gone from updates? I just noticed since I check updates all the time. Nothing but Mac version right now all 3 including Rig Kontrol update.
Dirk

 

It's still there:
http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?id=updates_us

 

The updates won't appear if you have already downloaded them.

FFS don't tell anyone to pirate the software. The fewer copies NI sells, the less likely they are to continue to develop and improve it.

 

Ah thanks that would make sense.
Perhaps I'm just looking for a conspiracy. Hahaha
I just want to be able to use RK2 without the annoying spits.
In an update I've now sent my laptop specs from the manufacturer and my system config from the laptop. Hopefully that might help.
Dirk