That said, sometimes I’m not chasing “clean” at all. There are moments when I deliberately want to inject dirt and chaos into the sound to shape a more aggressive vibe. Guitar Rig is incredibly useful in that territory, too. Its huge selection of amp models, cabinets, and pedal emulations offers an almost endless amount of tonal variation and creative possibilities. Whether I’m looking for subtle harmonic excitement or full-blown sonic destruction, there’s always a combination in there that gets me where I want to go.
I’m currently working on a new project – can’t say too much just yet – but it’s heavily inspired by heavier, more distorted sonic palettes. Lately, I’ve been using Guitar Rig across everything: vocals, synths, drums, and yes… sometimes even the master bus (I know, it’s taboo). But sometimes you have to break the rules to really make a statement.
Pro tip from David Castellani: The Traktor DJ-like effects (mainly under the Special FX section) can be surprisingly useful on individual sounds. Try the Ring Mod on a synth lead to blow things.