Guitar Rig 7 Review

Native Instruments Guitar Rig has been a staple in the amp modeling world for nearly two decades.

Sound Quality	9
Value For Money	8
User Interface	8
Features	9
Overall	8.5

Guitar Rig 7 by Native Instruments is truly a versatile and creative platform for guitarists. It features quite a lot of amp models, effects, and special presets for crafting your tone. In terms of value for money, it stands on a good point as the features and the sound quality it offers are pretty high. Both beginner and experienced guitarists are happy with the user interface as it is intuitive and efficient. 

The complaints are mainly about the realism of the simulated amps. Although the app sounds impressive it is not the exact replication of the famous amps covered in the app. Read on as I explore more about the Guitar Rig 7 and how it performs in all the criteria in the article!

Sound Quality

Guitar Rig 7 features a vast collection of amp and effect simulations. Iconic amps like the Vox AC30, Soldano, Fender Deluxe Reverb, and Ampeg SVT are some of the most popular choices in the app. With these selections, you can craft your tone from anything like clean and atmospheric to gritty and heavily distorted. The app also offers lo-fi components for more sonic versatility. 

Furthermore, I like that the app has artist-curated presets. I think this is the standout feature of the app as it offers ready-made sounds customized by pretty famous musicians like Richard Z Kruspe and Yvette Young.

On the cons side, while the tonic versatility is quite high and the sound is pretty convincing, some guitarists feel the sound lacks the authentic feel of playing through physical amps. The complaints focus more on touch sensitivity and dynamics. People say they are not bad but it is lacking something. But, still for most users the sonic versatility and the sound quality are more than enough. And they take the app more as a creative tool rather than a pure amp replacement.

Value For Money

Guitar Rİg 7 comes for a price under $200 and offers quite a bit of power and versatility. When compared to the cost of individual pedals, effect units, and amps it stands as a great app with incredible value for money. The versatility of amp models, effects, and flexibility of the virtual rack system are quite high for newbie players as well as experienced players. The price point considered, I think it is a good purchase to try and craft new ones to experiment and jam with.

But, I must say that for people looking for the authenticity and realism of real-life amps, this might not be the best software. While the physical amp authenticity is hard to reach for any software, there are other apps doing a better job of replicating the iconic sounds. 

That said, Guitar Rig 7 is a great tool for the price for those looking for versatility and utility without breaking the bank.

User Interface

What I really like about Guitar Rig 7 is its intuitive and user-friendly interface. The layout is pretty clean and straightforward, making it intuitive for most users. There is a pretty clear visual representation of the signal chain to play with and adjust your sound. Just a simple drag-and-drop component to the virtual rack is enough to craft your sound. This modular approach is a great way to express creativity and enable users to construct complex signal chains.

Another great point of the Guitar Rig 7, is the artist-curated presets which make everything easier for players who do not know how to craft tones from scratch. It must be noted that the app is processor-intensive which means if your computer or smart device is not powerful enough you might experience performance issues. This might be a problem especially when you use a high amount of track or plugin units.

Features

Guitar Rig 7 is a pretty feature-rich app, which makes it stand out among basic amp simulation apps. For instance, it has new additions such as the Loop Machine Pro, enhanced modulation unit Tape Wooble and Noise Machine, and the ability to load Impulse Response units. These all contribute to the versatility of the app, making it more handy. Also, you can use the app with any instrument not just guitar, which makes it a valuable tool for many musicians.

It comes with over 100 new rack presets designed by renowned artists. These presets are excellent starting points to create your own sound. Also, they are great inspirations for guitarists who want their tone built from scratch.

Conclusion

Guitar Rig 7 still stands as a strong option for guitarists looking for a versatile, feature-rich amp modeling and effects suite. While it may not be the best in terms of authentic and realistic sound and feel, it shines with its versatility. It is a great app to be used as a creative tool with a high amount of effects and presets in it. 

For under $200, it offers good value, especially for those who put flexibility and ease of use before anything. For guitarists who want reliability and power from a plugin, Guitar Rig 7 is still a worthy option and a good investment.