MusicLab RealStrat

I've been a hobby musician for over 30 years. Got into home recording during the mid 80's. Operating system is Windows XP. Sequencer software is Calkwalk Sonar Home Studio 4.

Almost everything is pretty much self-explantory. However, a look into the manual is advisable if you want to take advantage of all the wonderful features this plug-in provides. No problems installing it. Worked right away. Manual is good.

The sound is amazing. I used to fake my guitar parts with the arpeggiator of my Yamaha Motif ES. But this one here blows the Yamaha right out of the water. Do yourself a favor a read the review in SoundOnSound.com. The finished product really sounds as if you had a guitar player at hand. I almost exclusively use the Solo mode and prefer to make my own strumming patterns. I use the upper octaves for strumming and the lower ones for articulations. Speaking of which, you'll find everything you need there to create a truly convincing solo.

Comes with a demo version of IK Multimedia Amplitude Duo. Let me tell you this: it sucks. First, I took me like 2 hours to get that baby registered (you need a serial number, digital ID and an authorization code). And then, you end up with 2 amp models and 2 stomp boxes, only. In addition, it made my computer crash every time I tried to use it. Get FreeAmp3, which is truly amazing (and free of charge). It gives you about 20 amp models and three effects at the same time. Pretty much all you need. No need to throw money at IK Multimedia.

Good value for $250. I am on a shoestring budget, so it kind of hurt to buy it, but it's well worth it. Plus, there really is no alternative that allows so much creativity.