Pick a component from the left, drag it to the right, and you're ready to rock.

Guitarists used to say that nothing beats a good effects pedal - digital guitar amp and effects emulators just can't match the results. Then came Native Instruments' Guitar Rig, a guitar amp and effects emulator that impressed with its ability to make sweet music that's just as good as that from its analog counterparts. Guitar Rig 2 offers even more effects and amp emulations in a friendly interface. Get in line to get your copy, you purists.

Native Instruments expanded Guitar Rig's palette by adding four stunning amp emulations, modeled on the Marshall JCM 800, Roland Jazz Chorus, Ampeg SVT II, and Fender Bassman. The software now boasts 25 modeled cabinets and nine microphones, which can be used in up to five different positions relative to the cabinet. Guitar Rig 2 also features more than 35 classic and contemporary guitar effects - there are 10 different distortion pedals alone - modeled after popular rack effects and stomp boxes.

These presets alone would have most guitarists in a kid-in-a-candy-store frenzy, but Guitar Rig 2's coup de grâce is an unlikely feature borrowed from the synthesizer: the ability to modify sound parameters. Using any of five built-in modifiers, alone or in combination, you can tweak the parameters on any of Guitar Rig's amps and effects and come up with your own unique sounds. Try doing that with a conventional guitar rig.

Using these powerful features is simple - just drag, drop, and arrange components into the virtual rack. This makes it easy to noodle on your guitar, lost in sonic experimentation, but Guitar Rig 2 also brings you features such as Loop Machine and Tapedecks that let you practice and perfect riffs and song sketches while accompanying yourself.

The bottom line. With its superb selection of customizable emulations and easy interface, Guitar Rig 2 is essential for guitarists looking for tasty tones.

COMPANY: Native Instruments
CONTACT: www.nativeinstruments.com
PRICE: $339
REQUIREMENTS: 733MHz G4 or faster or 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo or faster, Mac OS 10.3 or later, 512MB RAM
Chock full o' audio effects. Easy to use. Room for experimentation. Universal binary.
Pricey.