Native Instruments Guitar Rig Kontrol

The Rig Kontrol is a hardware interface to be used with Guitar Rig software. It includes audio in/out as well as midi in/out. It connects with USB to a computer, and then can be used to control functions in Guitar Rig. In the software, you just have to right-click 'learn' and then step on the pedal that you want to control that function.
The pedal comes with 6 assignable foot switches. There is one 'variable' foot pedal (think wah-wah, or volume pedal). The variable pedal also has a switch that can be used to activate/deactivate the variable foot pedal. Therefore, relatively realistic experiences can be achieved for wah-wah effects in the Guitar Rig software if you combine the on/off switch with the variable foot pedal.
Rig Kontrol also has analog in and out connections if you don't have a different audio interface. The headphone jack will also be a convenient aspect to some users that just want to use Rig Kontrol with the stand-alone Guitar Rig software outside a DAW.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

My opinion of the Kontrol hardware is largely based on the fact that two switches stopped working after about a year of ownership. This definitely made me feel like the unit was poorly made. I liked that the pedal was made of metal because a lot of other multi-effects pedals were made of plastic as that time (Line 6, Boss, Digitech, etc). However, the fact that the switches stopped functioning was a huge disappointment. Rather than pay the money to get them fixed, I mostly just stopped using them.

OVERALL OPINION

I purchased the Kontrol Edition of Guitar Rig 2 a long time ago. I used the hardware for a while in my studio. It was nice to switch on/off virtual stomp-boxes, control wah-wah effects, and select different presets. After playing with it for a while, there isn't a whole lot of utility of the hardware in the studio. I basically have used the hardware as a MIDI interface for the past few years, and nothing more. I have never liked the idea of using a computer for guitar effects when gigging. I prefer to use hardware (POD HD) with internal DSP so I don't have to worry about buffering by a CPU that causes delay. Guitar Rig is a great piece of software, but my opinion is that the hardware isn't all that necessary or reliable.

Install the software first guitar rig, then the drivers of the pedal, connect the USB cable while the two and restart. It works right away in Stand Alone or with your sequencer, but with some tinkering to do with a Laptop.
Englais manual, but ok. I did so to speak, hardly used.
2 input jacks, each with a volume control + selection of input level (or line-hi-z instrument).
2 mono outputs (left-right) with gain switch (+ or-14dB) they say on the record, but I have not checked seriously, and I have big doubts.
A headphone output with volume.
2 inputs for external pedals
2 MIDI IN / OUT
A plug for the USB cable with a hook system for the protection of said cable.

It runs very well with Windows XP and Seven. Only the power of the PC account.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

With a desktop PC in recent years, no worries. (2 g ram, cpu AthlonX4). All the PCs are used in 32 bits.
I even tried with an old PC of 2004, and it works, but with latency. (512mb of ram, cpu Athlon 2400 + 2G, and a sound card that I dare not name).
With the laptop, (4G of ram, dualcore cpu 2x2.4Ghz) there, I encountered problems. Since it is dedicated to music, no internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, modem, etc. disabled in the bios. The internal sound card is disabled. So far so good, except that it took to cool the beast because when the fan HDD starting up, I heard a cracking sound was flipping out.
With a cooler Cooler Master, no problem.
Latency: 5.1ms input, 4.9ms in output at 44100 Hz, set to 96 samples.
Okay, I give this note because I already knew the problems of laptop, so I did not have too much trouble to set all.

OVERALL OPINION

No crashes in 4 months of use
The number of potential is enormous, provided they are objective, knowing how to use all, and to be open. Ie, to couple with another soft (torpedo), preamp, etc..
I much prefer the rendering of Pod 2 compared to that I sold at Digitech pedal Gnx3, and other Zoom G2.
The sound of my different guitars is not denatured.
Me, it suits me perfectly, especially since I can not use my amp for a few shows that you are doing in the year (ten).
I want to emphasize the quality of the sound card of the pedal which is greater than the M-Audio fast track pro bassist, my old M-Audio Delta 1010.
The site native answers, informs.
I guess just that Native is a system to replace the portable stage, and then I'd be happy, as the amp back personal ....
For 280 Euro with the soft guitar rig 4, no problem

Installation clearcut 5 '... No bugs, no problem, amazing! Forums NI users seem to have problems but they seem related to the fact that they use multiple sound cards ... Ie that of their machine and the Rig Kontrol, since RK is one. So it's best to disable the internal sound card of the bike, or physically remove a desktop to use only the RK.

To clarify matters, the RK is:
- A sound card with good converters and two instrument inputs each provided with an acceptable preamp with stereo outputs that can be used on one / two amps (in the cans, no amp simulation in Guitar Rig) or direct sono (in this case amp simulator on). A headphone that's not bad.
- MIDI I / O x1 quality that pass the test without any problems of Nord Modular. We can therefore use it as a MIDI controller for other software.
- A USB controller for Guitar Rig with 6 + 1 switches in the pedal and this pedal. The active switches turn on when the effect under consideration and the assignment is simply a hyper drag / drop on the function you want to assign, and everything is saved in the patch, super practical! Note that you can set the switches so they are mode on / off or temporary mode, very practical too.

Everything is brushed metal with quality switches, the pedal has a race can be a bit tight but it's really the only flaw that I see ... May be a switch "shift" to assign two functions to a switch would have been ...

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Hyper stable latency acceptable - which in any case depends on the bike and not the RK itself.

Using Guitar Rig looper with the RK is a real treat! I think it's by far the best looper on the market: with the RK and a MIDI controller with two bullets like an akai lpd or novation nocturn it's adjacent to a potential EHX 2880 (not quite as well, because of the lack of volume mix of tracks in the Loop of GR4 but not below), for somewhat less expensive and more convenient in my opinion.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had over a year I use it daily.

My config is now RK GR4 laptop with stereo memory man with Hazara fender champion 600 x2 (or an amp simulator when I play with headphones) so that I can lug all my stuff in a small box that fits in the trunk of the car and have incredible sound.

The report QP seems to me simply unbeatable and I'm glad he has such a bad reputation that allowed me to have it cheap!