Guitar Link devices are simple adaptors to plug your electric guitar into a computer. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, etc. treat them as audio input/output devices, microphones and speaker systems.
Plugs & JacksPlugs are the metal parts you stick in and jacks are the holes. Audio uses 1/4inch and 3.5mm sizes. This graphic shows how there is a metal tip, ring and sleeve. Wires in the cable carry sound to the tip, ring and sleeve of the plug. Sleeve is usually ground or return. Mono takes two wires and stereo takes three.
Computers don't usually have 1/4inch audio jacks. This dongle has one for the guitar and one for a headset. Push the phones volume to max. Your dollar store has 3.5mm adaptors that fit and you can even use them to make a guitar cord.
Open Device Manager on your Windows PC and look at Sound, video and game controllers. Plug in the USB device and give it a minute to find a driver. Often the device contains a CM108 audio interface chipset an integrated circuit that converts sound to digits.
Your PC should recognize the dongle as a Generic USB Audio device named USB PnP Sound Device. We will see that name in other menus.
At this point you should be able to use the device as an audio input and record music that you play on your guitar. Find the sound properties menus in your PC and look for Microphone.
Select USB PnP Sound Device as the microphone. Connect your guitar to the 1/4inch jack with the picture of a guitar. Strum and watch for movement.
Look inside the little CD that came with the Guitar Link. Find the Guitar Rig 2 Setup program and double click to begin installation. Accept all the defaults. There are a number of agreements, locations and softwares. Native Instruments created this software and currently offer release 6.
You may omit the Rig Kontrol driver and NI Service Center Setup. Welcome.pdf is located in the Native Instruments program folder along with a 147 page user manual.
Guitar Rig 2 will be in the programs menu and there may be a desktop shortcut. On my PC I have to click the close box many times as Guitar Rig starts. It wants me to find files for presets and add-on features.
When you start Guitar Rig you will be welcomed by a panel to select Sound Card Interface, Input and Output devices. We want our input to be the USB PnP Sound Device and I have chosen the speakers in a C32F391 monitor for output.
You may have to try all the combinations to find one that works. Remember the default is for the sound to come out the headphone jack in the USB dongle. We want to play out the normal computer speakers.
Check connections in the Routing Inputs and Outputs panels.
Click OK. You may have to try all the combinations to find one that works. Remember the default is for the sound to come out the headphone jack in the USB dongle. Use the menu File -> Audio+MIDI Settings to change.
Guitar Rig ScreenIt is a computer generated picture of a guitar rig like you would have on stage. Sound from our guitar goes to the INPUT module at the top of the rack. Your speakers will play the sound from the OUTPUT module from the bottom. Add modules in between for special effects.
Strum your guitar. You should see movement on the Input volume bars. We want to play out the normal computer speakers.
If the sound is not making it through to Guitar Rig then go back to the menu File -> Audio+MIDI settings and try a different setup. You may try installing ASIO audio interface software, it is low-latency and should make the program go faster.
ExploreGuitar Rig 2 simulates a real hardware setup. Startup the program and it gives you two tape decks that record sound, a metronome, volume controls. The software functions produce the same sound effects as real boxes.
Hide the two TapeDeck units by clicking on the little 'X' box. Try the metronome. Check out modules you can add by clicking AMPS, DIST, etc. Add a Spring Reverb and listen to it modify the sound. Try compressor modules.
You are not limited to guitar music, it will distort any audio input. You can even use sound from the microphone in your computer and pass it through Guitar Rig.
Download Guitar Rig 6
Native Instruments will give you a limited featured Guitar Rig 6 player. You need to request a download link from their website. Or you can install their Komplete suite of softwares.
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