realrick
We are proud to present the RealRick virtual guitar instrument with the unmistakable sound of a legendary Rickenbacker® electric guitar, which became permanently intertwined with the sound of The Beatles.
In the early 1960s Rickenbacker® history became forever wedded to one of the biggest music upheavals of the 20th century: the invasion of the mop-top Beatles from Liverpool, England. The Beatles created unprecedented, international interest in Rickenbackers.
John Lennon would own at least four models, George Harrison's double-bound 360/12 (the second one made by the company) defined a new tone at the other end of the audio spectrum. Its ringing sound embellished "You Can't Do That", "Eight Days a Week", "A Hard Day's Night", "Ticket To Ride" to name just a few.
Jim McGuinn made the bell-like quality of its tone the foundation of the Byrds' early style. The Who's Peter Townshend, Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty, Steppenwolf's John Kay, and many other well-known 1960s guitarists became faithful Rickenbacker® users. Groups like Oasis, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, U2, and other of today's top acts include Rickenbacker® guitars in their musical arsenal. Rickenbacker® is the principal guitar of artists such as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace, and many others.
RealRick - sample-based virtual instrument with an innovative approach to guitar sound modeling and guitar techniques emulating on a standard MIDI keyboard.
RealRick provides incredible playability based on the unique performance modes and easy-to-use keyboard layout as well as the advanced key/pedal/velocity switch system allowing a keyboardist to perform guitar parts with a whole new level of realistic expression. RealRick covers practically all sounds, articulations, and techniques a professional guitarist can produce on his Rickenbacker®, including mute, bridge mute, harmonics, pinch harmonics, unison bend, strumming, picking, chord chopping, scrapes, and much more...
24-bit 96 kHz high quality dry samples recorded directly from pick-ups let you easily create any desired guitar sound using your favorite amplifier simulator.
RealRick includes 8 guitar patches:
- 6-string - Mono
- 12-string A - Mono, 3rd string pair tuned in OCTAVE
- 12-string B - Mono, 3rd string pair tuned in UNISON
- 6-string (Stereo/Double-track):
- full Stereo (emulates 'Rick-O-Sound' stereo output) when used in RealRick single output version
- double tracked patch when used in RealRick two output versions - 12-string A and B (Stereo/Mono):
- main (sustain) sound is Stereo (6/6 strings split), additional sounds/noises are Mono - 12-string A and B (Stereo/Double-track):
- full Stereo (emulates 'Rick-O-Sound' stereo output) when used in RealRick single output version
- double tracked patch when used in RealRick two output versions
Ways of using
There are three ways of using RealRick virtual instrument.
- Intuitive keyboard layout allows Live/MIDI Keyboard performance with numerous articulations, noises, guitar-specific tricks, strumming and finger picking techniques.
- Any guitar performance produced on a MIDI keyboard can be recorded or directly programmed in a MIDI track of any DAW.
- Built-in Song sequencer designed to arrange up to the entire song by simply inserting chord symbols and selecting pre-recorded guitar rhythm patterns.
Sounds and noises
We've carefully and meticulously recorded high quality dry samples of each fret of all strings directly from Rickebacker® pick-ups which let you easily create any desired guitar sound using your favorite amplifier simulator. RealRick sample library includes not only sustain sounds, but also other guitar-specific sounds with dynamics and nuances an experienced performer can get from his/her instrument.
Guitar FX Processor
Version 6 supports external guitar FX processors which are important to create a realistic guitar part. Our experts have thoroughly examined guitar tones used in most popular songs played by greatest guitarists and came up with more than two hundred authentic presets which sound similar to what they heard, ready to be used in your next song. We recommend to use open-source Guitarix.vst virtual guitar amp as a robust and versatile solution to use these presets. Combining a virtual guitar and an FX processor allows you to store a guitar sound and an FX processor preset at the same time, which a real time saver.
Techniques and control
An authentic sounding guitar part cannot be recorded by using samples on their own, but requires a bunch of guitar-specific techniques, which are simulated in RealRick. Whether you are playing live or programing a DAW, these techniques are controllable by using special gestures, key switches, key velocity, modulation wheel, sustain pedal, key aftertouch, MIDI CC, DAW parameter automation, and any combinations of these.
Chord voicing
Guitar chord voicing is very unique depending on guitar construction and is absolutely necessary to reproduce in order to achieve authentically sounding chordal parts. Our patented technology provides accurate reproduction of guitar chord voicing automatically for 30 chord types in all existing inversions, extensions and alterations.
Rhythm Patterns
In order to record an authentic accompaniment track, most session guitarists carefully study characteristic rhythm parts for the required style. We created a huge rhythm library consisting of 1250 patterns. It can be easily used for quickly creating guitar accompaniment parts in the DAW or in our internal Song sequencer.
Realism
Sophisticated humanization algorithms vary samples, technique and control parameters, timing, chord strum aspects to reach best possible realism in guitar tracks. That helps you bring a digitally simulated guitar performance maximally close to an analog recording of a best-in-class session guitarist.
Summary
RealRick and all MusicLab Virtual Guitars are simply the best in the industry. They are convenient, featured packed and give the user endless musical options. Whether a Beginner, Professional or a Producer you will find our products the answer for all of your virtual guitar needs.
MusicLab. Making Virtual Instruments a Reality since 2004.
What's New in version 6.