RealGuitar 3

RealGuitar „wandelt" jeden Keyboarder in einen perfekten Gitarristen - live in Realtime! Fünf hervorragende Akustik-Gitarren sowie 1250 Patterns stehen dafür zur Verfügung.

Neu in Version 3 PDF

Auf dem MIDI-Keyboard gespielte Akkorde werden automatisch in die entsprechenden 6-Saiter Akkorde gewandelt, die ein Gitarrist auf seiner Gitarre gespielt hätte. Alle wichtigen Akkordtypen werden richtig erkannt.
Keyboarder werden zu Gitarren-Virtuosen, die eine Vielzahl von Gitarren-Spieltechniken wie Strumming, Picking, Muting und Sliding „locker von den Tasten hämmern". 

Selbstverständlich liefert Real Guitar auch die ultimative Library an hochqualitativen Akustik-Gitarrensounds mit. Die Gitarren Library bietet fünf verschiedene Akustik-Gitarren mit Stahl- und Nylon-Seiten, fingered und picked gespielt, sowie 12-saitig. 

Last not least bietet das Package noch 1250 professionelle Gitarren-Rhythmus-Patterns, die einen weiten Bereich von Musikstilen abdecken und im Handumdrehen jeden Song mit der passenden Gitarren-Begleitung hinterlegen.

Bitte versaeumen Sie nicht, die RealGuitar Video Clips anzusehen. Sie geben einen schnellen Einblick über die Tastaturbelegung und vermitteln Ihnen anschaulich die möglichen Spielweisen.

RealGuitar ist ein spezielles, auf Samples basierendes virtuelles Instrument mit einem innovativen Ansatz zum Modeling von Gitarrenklängen und dem Spielen von Gitarren auf einem Keyboard. Es kann als VSTi auf dem PC oder AudioUnit auf dem MAC mit jedem Anwendungsprogramm, das VST 2.0 unterstützt oder in Pro Tools als RTAS Plug-In (nur PC!!! auf Mac nur mit VST Adapter FXPansion) oder als Stand Alone Version verwendet werden.
Die Leistungsfähigkeit von RealGuitar basiert auf 3 vollkommen neuen Technologien, die in diese innovative Gitarren-Simulation integriert sind:
1. Die neue Mehrkanaltechnologie zum Layern (Übereinanderschichten) von Sounds, die eine spezielle Library von Samples enthält, die von jedem einzelnen Bund aller 6 Saiten einer Gitarre aufgezeichnet wurden.
2. Die einzigartige Floating Fret Position Technologie, die Positionsänderungen der Hand des Gitarristen an den Bünden am Gitarrenhals imitiert. Das ermöglicht Ihnen, auf nur 43 Tasten eines gewöhnlichen MIDI Keyboards bis zu 104 Gitarrenbünde zu bespielen!
3. Unsere Original Guitar Touch Technologie, die es Ihnen ermöglicht, ganz einfach die grundlegenden Gitarrenspielweisen zu imitieren (Tremolo, Schlagen, Zupfen, Ziehen, Saitendrücken, Abdämpfen etc.)  - und dies auf einem gewöhnlichen MIDI Keyboard und mit MIDI Controllern wie z.B. Pitch Bend, Modulationsrad, Sustainpedal, After Touch.

Diese Technologien erlauben es, die Spielweisen und den Klang des echten Gitarrenspiels sehr überzeugend zu emulieren. Sie können nun Gitarrenparts mit einer ungeheuer realistischen Ausdrucksweise spielen.

Virtuelles Griffbrett
In RealGuitar kommt das Prinzip der Floating Fret Position zur Anwendung, mit dem die Positionsänderungen der Hand des Gitarristen an den Bünden am Gitarrenhals imitiert werden. Dadurch wird es ermöglicht, auf nur 43 Tasten eines gewöhnlichen MIDI Keyboards bis zu 104 Gitarrenbünde zu bespielen! Zusammen mit der Tatsache, dass wir 19 Bünde der ersten Saite und 16 Bünde aller weiteren Saiten (2 – 6) für all unsere Gitarrenpatches gesampelt haben, erlaubt es Ihnen, das Spiel und den Sound einer Gitarre mit höchster klanglicher Präzision zu emulieren. Mit dabei:
1.Steel Picked
2.Steel Fingered
3.Nylon Picked
4.Nylon Fingered
5.Steel 2 Picked
6.Steel 2 (Doubling)
7.12-String
8.Steel Stereo

Performance Modi
RealGuitar bietet Ihnen 5 separate Gitarren Performance Modi, von denen jeder ein eigenständiges Performance Werkzeug darstellt, mit dessen Hilfe Sie spezielle stilistische Eigenheiten einer Gitarren Performance imitieren können:
1. Solo – polyphonischer Modus zum Spielen melodiöser, klassischer Parts.
2. Harmony – monophoner Modus zum Spielen von Melodielinien mit parallelen Intervallen.
3. Chords – Akkord Modus zum Spielen von geschlagener Begleitung.
4. Bass & Chord – Akkord Modus zum Spielen von Begleit- und Bass Parts.
5. Bass & Pick – Akkord Modus zum Spielen von Zupf- und Finger Picking Parts. 

RealGuitar Bonus Software:
RealGuitar wird mit IK Multimedia Amplitube 3 Custom Shop Software ausgeliefert, welche ein komplettes Guitar-Amp Modelling Setup enthält sowie ein Effektpaket mit hochpräzisen Modellen der gefragtesten Geräte.

Welcher Guitar Controller?

*RealAllGuitar 3 Bundle, bestehend aus RealGuitar 3, RealStrat 3 und RealLPC 3

 

Video Demos

	RealGuitar 3 Some New Features
	RealGuitar 3 Some New Features Part 2
	Strumming Demo
	Solo Demo
	Bass Chord Demo
	Bass Pick Demo
	ToolBox Demo
	ToolBox Demo Etude for 2 Guitars
	Free Tutorial 1
	Free Tutorial 2
	RG2L Pattern Country
	RG2L Pattern Funk
	RG2L Pattern Solo Hammer On Slide
	RG2L Pattern Solo Tremolo Slide
	RG2L ToolBox American Folk
	RG2L ToolBox California

Mehr Infos

Neu in Version 3
Image Gallery
Deutsches Handbuch
Welcher Gitarren Controller?
Jeffrey Abbott showing RealGuitar, RealStrat, RealLPC 1
Jeffrey Abbott showing RealGuitar, RealStrat, RealLPC 2
Demo RealGuitar 3 Mac
Demo RealGuitar 3 Windows

Systemanforderungen

Windows

• Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 (32Bit und 64Bit)
• Intel Core 2
• VST 2/DXi Host
   

Mac

• OS X 10.5/10.6/10.7/10.8+ (32Bit und 64Bit)
• G5 oder Intel Core 2
• VST 2/AU Host, native VST3 64bit Support

für alle Systeme

• freier Festplattenspeicher mind. 2GB
• 1GB RAM (2GB empfohlen)
• RTAS Support ist in ProTools 6/7/8/9/10 über den FXpansion VST to RTAS Adapter verfügbar.
• Internetzugang und Email Account auf beliebigen Computer, um die Software zu aktivieren

 

System FAQs

Produkt Aktivierung:
Zur Autorisierung / Aktivierung des Produktes benötigen Sie eine Internet Verbindung auf einem beliebigen Computer (Challenge/Response)

Testberichte

Beat 11/2012
Buenasideas, Nov 2010
Keyboard Player, Issue 350
Sound on Sound 9/2006
Sound & Recording 6/2006

Beat 11/2012

Auszug: Die Plug-ins RealStrat, RealLPC und RealGuitar aus dem Hause MusicLab gehören seit Jahren zur Crème de la Crème der Gitarren-Plug-ins. Mit RealGuitar 3 erhalten Sie eine Sammlung fünf detailgetreu gesampleter, mit den Fingern und dem Plektrum angespielter Western- und Konzertgitarren. Auf dem Keyboard gespielte Akkorde werden von dem cleveren Plugin automatisch in instrumententypische Akkorde übersetzt. In unserem Test wusste der virtuelle Saiten- Hexer mit einem  ausgezeichneten Klang, einer expressiven Spielbarkeit sowie einer bemerkenswerte Artikulationsvielfalt zu beeindrucken. Eines der gewichtigsten Kaufargumente für die Akustikgitarren- Bibliothek ist ferner die hochwertige Kollektion mit 1250 Rhythmus-Patterns, mit der überzeugende
Strummings und Arpeggios gelingen.

Buenasideas, Nov 2010

FAZIT: Der sechste und vorerst vorletzte Vetreter in unserem Gitarren Plugin Special ist auch der älteste, allerdings mit Abstand der beste bisher, hier eröffnet sich jedem Keyboarder der nicht mit schwieligen Fingerkuppen zu kämpfen haben möchte, der Traum über das Keyboard Gitarre zu spielen und das mit authentischem Klang.

Die Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten bei RealGuitar sind sehr durchdacht, das ganze ist zudem äusserst ergonomisch spielbar und wartet nicht mit einer durch Bedienelemente überfrachteten Oberfläche auf, alles was zum Gitarren Spiel benötigt wird ist vorhanden und am richtigen Platz zu finden.

Die Nebengeräusche die ein Gitarrist beim Soiel produziert können in der Lautstärke reguliert werden, ein Equalizer und Effekte wie Tremolo und Chorus sind auch vorhanden, selbst Akzente oder die Geschwindigkeit des “Strummings” sind einstellbar.

Der Hammer ist die umfassende mitgelieferte Bibliothek an Patterns, die sofort spielbereit sind und über die Basics bis zu Flamenco so ziemlich alles abdecken und zudem erweiterbar sind.

Real Guitar von MusicLab bleibt an der Spitze auch wenn die Konkurrenz inzwischen ernst zu nehmende und leistungsfähige Instrumente im Angebot hat, Hut ab nach Russland, denn da kommt RealGuitar her.

Der Preis von aktuell 198,- Euro geht meiner Ansicht nach voll in Ordnung, für das gebotetene ist das sehr fair. In Deutschland wird RealGuitar über BestService vertrieben: www.bestservice.de
 

ganzer Test

Keyboard Player, Issue 350

Tony Cliff picks his way round MusicLab’s top-class trio of virtual guitars: RealGuitar 2L, RealStrat ans RealLPC, all priced around £160.

RealGuitar 2L
The guitar samples used this instrument are all acoustic guitars and after launching the program you must load your guitar of choice before you can hear any sounds. There are two different acoustic steel string guitars and each either picked or fingered, an acoustic nylon-stringed guitar (again picked or fingered), acoustic 12-string, and finally a particularly impressive stereo-sampled guitar. The sounds are all very convincing and include finger noise just as you would have when playing and releasing the strings of a real acoustic guitar.

The Solo mode is clearly designed for playing solo lead guitar figures and you can also set up various trigger keys to change the sound to a harmonic, slide, tremolo and so on to add even more realism to your guitar sound. Harmony Mode is set to play intervals such as 4th and 5th or octaves and power chords. The last three categories: Chords, Bass Chord and Bass & Pick are where things become more interesting. Basically there are various zones across your keyboard for either playing chords or strumming and picking notes. With a little experimentation and practice you can play the chords with one hand and strum or achieve a muted strum effect with the other hand. This is a very natural way of playing and for anyone used to quickly playing chords with the left hand, such as most keyboard players, then the right hand can set the guitar strum rhythms.

If you are not so happy playing in your own strumming patterns then you also have access to the Pattern Manager which is a collection of 1250 guitar accompaniment rhythm styles all categorised for easy selection. Once again it is very simply to assign two MIDI tracks to your RealGuitar performance, one for the required chords and then simply adding your selected patterns from the Pattern Manager to the other. Naturally everything will automatically synch to the tempo of your DAW software so that is not a problem. The patterns are very convincing and make full use of the capabilities of the program.

RealStrat and RealLPC
As I mentioned before if you have mastered the basic techniques for RealGuitar then you will very quickly adapt to these other instruments as they operate in a broadly similar manner. In these cases the interface you are presented when you call up the instrument is either a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul Custom with the fretboard lighting up illustrating the notes or chords just as in RealGuitar.
I am pleased to recommend these products wholeheartedly and feel that if you wish to achieve realistic guitar recordings, and do not have a competent guitarist on hand, then they offer your solution and ideally it is good to have both an acoustic and an electric model.
 

Sound on Sound 9/2006

There have been some famous twin-guitar line-ups in rock history and, even if you can't strum a note, you can now have the virtual equivalent - both of these software instruments will play on time and in tune, and won't want a solo in every song! But are they both equally good?

When it comes to guitar virtual instruments, Steinberg's cunningly named Virtual Guitarist would probably be the first product to spring into the minds of most SOS readers. However, Steinberg are not without competition and, for acoustic guitar sounds at least, the recently released Real Guitar 2L — a collaboration between Music Lab and Best Service — provides a competitively priced alternative.

At first sight, these two products would seem to be direct competitors. However, a brief comparison of the respective feature sets reveals some obvious differences. For example, Real Guitar 2L only provides acoustic guitar samples, while Virtual Guitarist 2 (combining what was in the original Virtual Guitarist and Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition) provides both acoustic and electric guitar options. The other major difference is in the 'engines' of the two products. Virtual Guitarist 2 is very much based around Parts, essentially a set of pre-recorded phrases in a wide range of styles, which are pitch- and tempo-shifted to fit the chord and tempo needs of the project. In contrast, Real Guitar 2L provides a series of multisampled guitar instruments and, while it includes preset playing patterns, these are MIDI-based and can be edited as such. Via keyswitching options, Real Guitar 2L is a 'playable' instrument.

Of course, the aim of both products is to achieve credible guitar parts within a musical project, so we figured that a comparative review might be in order, to find out which virtual guitarist is best at this in practice?

Real Guitar 2L
SOS readers will be familiar with the Music Lab name through a number of products, but most notably the Rhythm'n'Chords MIDI plug-in that provided a way of creating realistic guitar parts from keyboard-based MIDI data. This technology eventually evolved into Real Guitar, the original version of which was released in early 2004. This new version adds a number of new features and comes in two flavours: a basic version and the top-of-the-range 2L version reviewed here.

The sample library is based entirely around acoustic guitars, and its primary aim is to provide a sample-based acoustic guitar instrument that can be played via a MIDI keyboard. The sampled guitars include two different steel-strung guitars, a nylon-strung instrument, a 12-string, and a stereo steel-string. Picked, fingered, and 'doubling' options are provided amongst these. As with the original version, Real Guitar 2L features a number of different performance modes; Solo, Harmony, Chords, Bass & Chords, and Bass & Pick. Some of these are described a little more fully below, but their names clearly indicate their functions. For each guitar type, the different performance modes result in a different set of sample keyswitch options appropriate to that style of playing.

However, common to all modes is that Real Guitar 2L responds to your MIDI keyboard in three distinct zones. Note ranges C1 to D#1 and C5 to C6 form two Repeat Key zones, while all the keys in between form the Melody zone, where notes or chords are played. The exact function of the Repeat Key zones changes in the various performance modes. For example, in Chord mode the white keys simply play a strum of whatever chord is being held in the Melody Zone, allowing complex strumming patterns to be played with ease. The black keys generate a muted version of the same chord, allowing more percussive elements to be added to the strumming pattern.

The end result of these various control options is that each mode provides a 'playable' sampled guitar instrument which, with appropriate practice with the keyswitches, can be used to create credible real-time performances directly from a MIDI keyboard. Real Guitar 2L recognises some 26 different chord types, including seventh and ninth chords and inversions, so even jazz fans ought to be reasonably well catered for.

Perhaps the key new feature in the 2L version is the Pattern Manager. This provides over 1200 preset MIDI patterns for use with Real Guitar 2L, and these cover a wide range of musical styles including simple strumming, picking, blues, jazz, Latin, pop, reggae, rock, and a number of others. While Real Guitar 2L is not compatible with styles from Rhythm'n'Chords, this feature is not dissimilar in function. The individual MIDI performance patterns can simply be dragged and dropped into your sequencer to an appropriate MIDI track to build a complete performance. Of course, because the performance is controlled entirely from MIDI, the parts created are fully editable.

Installation of Real Guitar 2L from the dual Mac/PC CD-ROM proved straightforward, and the short printed manual is supplemented by a PDF document that contains the most up-to-date documentation. I'd hesitate to say that the documentation was the best I'd ever read — it explains the basics of the control set and not much else — but for a real insight into what Real Guitar 2L can do, Music Lab's video tutorial is excellent. This is included on the installation CD, and there are further video and audio examples on the company's web site. These are well worth looking at for new users and potential purchasers alike.

Interface Overview
The main window of Real Guitar 2L is perhaps not the slickest looking of software interfaces, but it does manage to cram a lot of features into a relatively small amount of screen real estate. The display is split into three main areas. The upper half of the window provides controls for the selection of the guitar and various options for modifying the sound. For example, under the Noises tab the user can adjust the simulation of the noises generated by the handling of the guitar in various ways, while the Tremolo and Chorus provide the expected effects, although the options are fairly limited. The centre panel of this upper section also displays the current chord arriving via the MIDI input.

The centre section features a guitar neck display which shows the fingering being simulated by Real Guitar 2L during playback. Real Guitar 2L features samples from every fret of every string, and it is therefore possible to simulate the differences created by playing particular chords or notes in different neck positions. One way of controlling this is to change the virtual Capo position on the neck, although an Auto mode also tries to simulate this variability depending upon the part being played.

The bottom section of the display allows the user to select the performance mode, change elements of the MIDI control (for example, the velocity curve response), and adjust some aspects of the velocity switching, and also provides access to the Pattern Manager. The exact controls featured here vary depending upon the performance mode selected. For example, in Chord mode the user can control the neck position in which chords are voiced. In Solo mode, the user can specify four performance articulations (such as harmonics, muted, palm muted, smacks, velo mute, slide, and tremolo) to be controlled by keyswitches via C1 to D#1. Combined with the various other real-time control options available using the pitch-bend, modulation, sustain pedal, and velocity control, it makes for a very expressive solo instrument.

The only additional window is for the Pattern Manager, opened by pressing the PM button. The upper portion of this window provides a browser to search through the preset patterns provided, while the lower window provides a visual impression of the MIDI data within the currently selected pattern. It might have been nice if this window could have been resized for easier browsing, but, this minor gripe apart, auditioning patterns is simply a matter of activating the Pattern button in the main window, selecting a pattern in the Pattern Manager window, and playing a chord via your MIDI keyboard. The patterns cover both strummed and picked playing in a wide variety of musical styles.

Playing Real Guitar
In use, there are two approaches to getting an acoustic-guitar performance out of Real Guitar 2L: either enter a basic MIDI chord progression and then use the extensive list of supplied patterns and the Pattern Manager to create the performance you need; or, for more specific control, play Real Guitar 2L directly in one of its five performance modes, making use of the various keyswitch and control options to add the realistic nuances required of a believable guitar performance.

The Pattern Manager can be thought of as a collection of pre-programmed MIDI performances for Real Guitar 2L. Placing a pattern onto a sequencer track is simply a matter of selecting the required pattern in the Pattern Manager window and then dragging and dropping it onto the appropriate MIDI track. Within Cubase SX, I found it easiest to have two MIDI tracks routed to a single instance of Real Guitar 2L. In the first, I had recorded my basic chord sequence, while in the second, I dragged and dropped the required patterns. As can be seen when the patterns are inspected within a MIDI editor, they contain various combinations of notes from the Repeat Key zones. With basic strumming patterns, for example, this simply defines the rhythm of the full or muted strums and — as it is simple MIDI data — it can easily be quantised or edited by the user. This system is both easy to use and very flexible.

From a technical point of view, creating your own performances with Real Guitar 2L works in exactly the same fashion, but you have to play both the chord sequence and the various Repeat Key options. Doing this in one recording pass (or trying to do it 'live' in a performance context) does take a little practice. However, this is no different from keyswitching with any multisample-based virtual instrument (such as those found in many orchestral libraries), and very realistic results can be created with a little practice. It is also possible to record the chord data and the control data in two separate passes and, initially at least, I found this easier to do while I found my way around the Real Guitar 2L control system.

The technical side of the plug-in's operation aside, how does it actually sound? While it bothers the guitarist within me somewhat to admit it, Real Guitar 2L sounds very good indeed. The samples themselves have been very well recorded — crisp highs and full, solid lows. The 'doubled' steel-strung produces a wonderfully full sound that can be made to fill the stereo spectrum, as does the stereo steel string, although the two instruments obviously produce very different characters. When used with some suitable picking patterns, the 12-string evokes an instant '60s pop vibe. For me, the only slight weakness was the 'picked' version of the nylon-strung guitar, which sounded just a little too aggressive to my ears, although the 'fingered' version sounds absolutely beautiful — especially coupled with some slow picked patterns and a little reverb.

Despite the somewhat retro look of the user interface, Music Lab have created an acoustic guitar instrument that is easy to use and very playable. This last point is worth emphasising: Real Guitar 2L is designed from the bottom up to be a 'playable', MIDI-controlled, sample-based instrument. Whatever the mechanism, however, the end results can be totally believable.


Review: Music Lab Real Guitar 2L &
Steinberg Virtual Guitarist 2  Sound on Sound September 2006There have been some famous twin-guitar line-ups in rock history and, even if you can't strum a note, you can now have the virtual equivalent - both of these software instruments will play on time and in tune, and won't want a solo in every song! But are they both equally good?

When it comes to guitar virtual instruments, Steinberg's cunningly named Virtual Guitarist would probably be the first product to spring into the minds of most SOS readers. However, Steinberg are not without competition and, for acoustic guitar sounds at least, the recently released Real Guitar 2L — a collaboration between Music Lab and Best Service — provides a competitively priced alternative.

At first sight, these two products would seem to be direct competitors. However, a brief comparison of the respective feature sets reveals some obvious differences. For example, Real Guitar 2L only provides acoustic guitar samples, while Virtual Guitarist 2 (combining what was in the original Virtual Guitarist and Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition) provides both acoustic and electric guitar options. The other major difference is in the 'engines' of the two products. Virtual Guitarist 2 is very much based around Parts, essentially a set of pre-recorded phrases in a wide range of styles, which are pitch- and tempo-shifted to fit the chord and tempo needs of the project. In contrast, Real Guitar 2L provides a series of multisampled guitar instruments and, while it includes preset playing patterns, these are MIDI-based and can be edited as such. Via keyswitching options, Real Guitar 2L is a 'playable' instrument.

Of course, the aim of both products is to achieve credible guitar parts within a musical project, so we figured that a comparative review might be in order, to find out which virtual guitarist is best at this in practice?

Real Guitar 2L
SOS readers will be familiar with the Music Lab name through a number of products, but most notably the Rhythm'n'Chords MIDI plug-in that provided a way of creating realistic guitar parts from keyboard-based MIDI data. This technology eventually evolved into Real Guitar, the original version of which was released in early 2004. This new version adds a number of new features and comes in two flavours: a basic version and the top-of-the-range 2L version reviewed here.

The sample library is based entirely around acoustic guitars, and its primary aim is to provide a sample-based acoustic guitar instrument that can be played via a MIDI keyboard. The sampled guitars include two different steel-strung guitars, a nylon-strung instrument, a 12-string, and a stereo steel-string. Picked, fingered, and 'doubling' options are provided amongst these. As with the original version, Real Guitar 2L features a number of different performance modes; Solo, Harmony, Chords, Bass & Chords, and Bass & Pick. Some of these are described a little more fully below, but their names clearly indicate their functions. For each guitar type, the different performance modes result in a different set of sample keyswitch options appropriate to that style of playing.

However, common to all modes is that Real Guitar 2L responds to your MIDI keyboard in three distinct zones. Note ranges C1 to D#1 and C5 to C6 form two Repeat Key zones, while all the keys in between form the Melody zone, where notes or chords are played. The exact function of the Repeat Key zones changes in the various performance modes. For example, in Chord mode the white keys simply play a strum of whatever chord is being held in the Melody Zone, allowing complex strumming patterns to be played with ease. The black keys generate a muted version of the same chord, allowing more percussive elements to be added to the strumming pattern.

The end result of these various control options is that each mode provides a 'playable' sampled guitar instrument which, with appropriate practice with the keyswitches, can be used to create credible real-time performances directly from a MIDI keyboard. Real Guitar 2L recognises some 26 different chord types, including seventh and ninth chords and inversions, so even jazz fans ought to be reasonably well catered for.

Perhaps the key new feature in the 2L version is the Pattern Manager. This provides over 1200 preset MIDI patterns for use with Real Guitar 2L, and these cover a wide range of musical styles including simple strumming, picking, blues, jazz, Latin, pop, reggae, rock, and a number of others. While Real Guitar 2L is not compatible with styles from Rhythm'n'Chords, this feature is not dissimilar in function. The individual MIDI performance patterns can simply be dragged and dropped into your sequencer to an appropriate MIDI track to build a complete performance. Of course, because the performance is controlled entirely from MIDI, the parts created are fully editable.

Installation of Real Guitar 2L from the dual Mac/PC CD-ROM proved straightforward, and the short printed manual is supplemented by a PDF document that contains the most up-to-date documentation. I'd hesitate to say that the documentation was the best I'd ever read — it explains the basics of the control set and not much else — but for a real insight into what Real Guitar 2L can do, Music Lab's video tutorial is excellent. This is included on the installation CD, and there are further video and audio examples on the company's web site. These are well worth looking at for new users and potential purchasers alike.

Interface Overview
The main window of Real Guitar 2L is perhaps not the slickest looking of software interfaces, but it does manage to cram a lot of features into a relatively small amount of screen real estate. The display is split into three main areas. The upper half of the window provides controls for the selection of the guitar and various options for modifying the sound. For example, under the Noises tab the user can adjust the simulation of the noises generated by the handling of the guitar in various ways, while the Tremolo and Chorus provide the expected effects, although the options are fairly limited. The centre panel of this upper section also displays the current chord arriving via the MIDI input.

The centre section features a guitar neck display which shows the fingering being simulated by Real Guitar 2L during playback. Real Guitar 2L features samples from every fret of every string, and it is therefore possible to simulate the differences created by playing particular chords or notes in different neck positions. One way of controlling this is to change the virtual Capo position on the neck, although an Auto mode also tries to simulate this variability depending upon the part being played.

The bottom section of the display allows the user to select the performance mode, change elements of the MIDI control (for example, the velocity curve response), and adjust some aspects of the velocity switching, and also provides access to the Pattern Manager. The exact controls featured here vary depending upon the performance mode selected. For example, in Chord mode the user can control the neck position in which chords are voiced. In Solo mode, the user can specify four performance articulations (such as harmonics, muted, palm muted, smacks, velo mute, slide, and tremolo) to be controlled by keyswitches via C1 to D#1. Combined with the various other real-time control options available using the pitch-bend, modulation, sustain pedal, and velocity control, it makes for a very expressive solo instrument.

The only additional window is for the Pattern Manager, opened by pressing the PM button. The upper portion of this window provides a browser to search through the preset patterns provided, while the lower window provides a visual impression of the MIDI data within the currently selected pattern. It might have been nice if this window could have been resized for easier browsing, but, this minor gripe apart, auditioning patterns is simply a matter of activating the Pattern button in the main window, selecting a pattern in the Pattern Manager window, and playing a chord via your MIDI keyboard. The patterns cover both strummed and picked playing in a wide variety of musical styles.

Playing Real Guitar
In use, there are two approaches to getting an acoustic-guitar performance out of Real Guitar 2L: either enter a basic MIDI chord progression and then use the extensive list of supplied patterns and the Pattern Manager to create the performance you need; or, for more specific control, play Real Guitar 2L directly in one of its five performance modes, making use of the various keyswitch and control options to add the realistic nuances required of a believable guitar performance.

The Pattern Manager can be thought of as a collection of pre-programmed MIDI performances for Real Guitar 2L. Placing a pattern onto a sequencer track is simply a matter of selecting the required pattern in the Pattern Manager window and then dragging and dropping it onto the appropriate MIDI track. Within Cubase SX, I found it easiest to have two MIDI tracks routed to a single instance of Real Guitar 2L. In the first, I had recorded my basic chord sequence, while in the second, I dragged and dropped the required patterns. As can be seen when the patterns are inspected within a MIDI editor, they contain various combinations of notes from the Repeat Key zones. With basic strumming patterns, for example, this simply defines the rhythm of the full or muted strums and — as it is simple MIDI data — it can easily be quantised or edited by the user. This system is both easy to use and very flexible.

From a technical point of view, creating your own performances with Real Guitar 2L works in exactly the same fashion, but you have to play both the chord sequence and the various Repeat Key options. Doing this in one recording pass (or trying to do it 'live' in a performance context) does take a little practice. However, this is no different from keyswitching with any multisample-based virtual instrument (such as those found in many orchestral libraries), and very realistic results can be created with a little practice. It is also possible to record the chord data and the control data in two separate passes and, initially at least, I found this easier to do while I found my way around the Real Guitar 2L control system.

The technical side of the plug-in's operation aside, how does it actually sound? While it bothers the guitarist within me somewhat to admit it, Real Guitar 2L sounds very good indeed. The samples themselves have been very well recorded — crisp highs and full, solid lows. The 'doubled' steel-strung produces a wonderfully full sound that can be made to fill the stereo spectrum, as does the stereo steel string, although the two instruments obviously produce very different characters. When used with some suitable picking patterns, the 12-string evokes an instant '60s pop vibe. For me, the only slight weakness was the 'picked' version of the nylon-strung guitar, which sounded just a little too aggressive to my ears, although the 'fingered' version sounds absolutely beautiful — especially coupled with some slow picked patterns and a little reverb.

Despite the somewhat retro look of the user interface, Music Lab have created an acoustic guitar instrument that is easy to use and very playable. This last point is worth emphasising: Real Guitar 2L is designed from the bottom up to be a 'playable', MIDI-controlled, sample-based instrument. Whatever the mechanism, however, the end results can be totally believable.

Sound & Recording 6/2006

Angesichts des ebenfalls runderneuerten Konkurrenten Virtual Guitarist und weiterer Bedrohung auf Melodyne-Basis ( Liquid Guitar, siehe KB 03/06) trumpft Real Guitar mit einzigartigem Konzept auf, das Akustikgitarren-Samples flexibel per Keyboard spielbar macht.

Neuerungen

Neben vielen Detailverbesserungen, die sich v. a. mit Feinheiten des Klangs während der Performance beschäftigen, ist der Pattern- Manager die größte Neuerung. Sie öffnen ihn mit dem PM-Schalter und bekommen Überblick über die 1.250 Werks- Patterns. Übersichtlich in Kategorien unterteilt und sinnvoll benannt macht die Pattern-Suche viel mehr Spaß. Sie können sogar in Echtzeit eigene Variationen einfliegen oder ganz eigene Patterns entwerfen und abspeichern. Wenn Ihr Sequenzer das unterstützt, ziehen Sie das Pattern direkt auf eine MIDI-Spur. Unter OS X wollten aber weder Logic noch Live oder Cubase SX mitspielen. Export auf den Desktop und Re-Import in den Sequenzer waren hier angesagt. Da fehlen mir genauere Angaben im Handbuch. Insgesamt ist der Pattern-Manager eine sehr sinnvolle Ergänzung für alle, die gern auf Instant-Rhythmen zurückgreifen. 

Praxis und Sound

Im Praxisbetrieb verhielt sich RG stabil und performant und überzeugte auch klanglich. Die Solo-Gitarren klingen hervorragend und lassen sich sehr lebendig spielen. Die gemeine Workstation kommt da schon mal nicht mit, und auch bei den Samplern werden Sie lange suchen müssen, um so modulationsfreudige Klänge zu bekommen. Schrammel- (und wackel-) freudige Bekannte stellen Sie mit RB und zwei Stunden Üben locker in den Schatten, und im Zusammenhang eines Arrangements werden nur wenige die gesampelten Sounds entlarven. Hier also ein uneingeschränktes Daumen hoch!

Die Möglichkeiten der Modulation sind umfassend und praxisgerecht, die feinen Details fügen sich nahtlos ins Klangbild ein und runden den Sound ab. So können Sie mit der richtigen Spieltechnik wirklich ganz genau passende Rythmus-, Picking- und Solo-Patterns selbst spielen. Hinzu kommen die Werks-Patterns, die Sie in Version 2 komfortabel verwalten, anpassen und ergänzen können.

Fazit

In Sachen Akustikgitarre macht RealGuitar 2L so schnell keiner was vor. Zwar muss man sich deutlich länger mit der Spieltechnik befassen, ist dafür aber auch flexibler als mit starren Sample-Loops. Fast schon schade, dass es das nicht auch als Strom- gitarrenversion gibt. Benutzer der ersten Version, die noch feinfühliger und umfassender modulieren wollen und schon vorher gerne die Pattern-Library genutzt haben, kommen um das Update kaum herum. Alle anderen virtuellen Gitarristen sollten sich RealGuitar unbedingt einmal näher ansehen - das Nächstbeste
nach einem echten Akustik-Gitarristen ist es jedenfalls.  Testbericht: RealGuitar 2 L  Sound & Recording 06/06

Angesichts des ebenfalls runderneuerten Konkurrenten Virtual Guitarist und weiterer Bedrohung auf Melodyne-Basis ( Liquid Guitar, siehe KB 03/06) trumpft Real Guitar mit einzigartigem Konzept auf, das Akustikgitarren-Samples flexibel per Keyboard spielbar macht.

Neuerungen

Neben vielen Detailverbesserungen, die sich v. a. mit Feinheiten des Klangs während der Performance beschäftigen, ist der Pattern- Manager die größte Neuerung. Sie öffnen ihn mit dem PM-Schalter und bekommen Überblick über die 1.250 Werks- Patterns. Übersichtlich in Kategorien unterteilt und sinnvoll benannt macht die Pattern-Suche viel mehr Spaß. Sie können sogar in Echtzeit eigene Variationen einfliegen oder ganz eigene Patterns entwerfen und abspeichern. Wenn Ihr Sequenzer das unterstützt, ziehen Sie das Pattern direkt auf eine MIDI-Spur. Unter OS X wollten aber weder Logic noch Live oder Cubase SX mitspielen. Export auf den Desktop und Re-Import in den Sequenzer waren hier angesagt. Da fehlen mir genauere Angaben im Handbuch. Insgesamt ist der Pattern-Manager eine sehr sinnvolle Ergänzung für alle, die gern auf Instant-Rhythmen zurückgreifen. 

Praxis und Sound

Im Praxisbetrieb verhielt sich RG stabil und performant und überzeugte auch klanglich. Die Solo-Gitarren klingen hervorragend und lassen sich sehr lebendig spielen. Die gemeine Workstation kommt da schon mal nicht mit, und auch bei den Samplern werden Sie lange suchen müssen, um so modulationsfreudige Klänge zu bekommen. Schrammel- (und wackel-) freudige Bekannte stellen Sie mit RB und zwei Stunden Üben locker in den Schatten, und im Zusammenhang eines Arrangements werden nur wenige die gesampelten Sounds entlarven. Hier also ein uneingeschränktes Daumen hoch!

Die Möglichkeiten der Modulation sind umfassend und praxisgerecht, die feinen Details fügen sich nahtlos ins Klangbild ein und runden den Sound ab. So können Sie mit der richtigen Spieltechnik wirklich ganz genau passende Rythmus-, Picking- und Solo-Patterns selbst spielen. Hinzu kommen die Werks-Patterns, die Sie in Version 2 komfortabel verwalten, anpassen und ergänzen können.

Fazit

In Sachen Akustikgitarre macht RealGuitar 2L so schnell keiner was vor. Zwar muss man sich deutlich länger mit der Spieltechnik befassen, ist dafür aber auch flexibler als mit starren Sample-Loops. Fast schon schade, dass es das nicht auch als Strom- gitarrenversion gibt. Benutzer der ersten Version, die noch feinfühliger und umfassender modulieren wollen und schon vorher gerne die Pattern-Library genutzt haben, kommen um das Update kaum herum. Alle anderen virtuellen Gitarristen sollten sich RealGuitar unbedingt einmal näher ansehen - das Nächstbeste
nach einem echten Akustik-Gitarristen ist es jedenfalls.