Download of the Month: CutterMusic Revitar 2.0

Mar 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Len Sasso

           
 

CutterMusic's Revitar 2.0 ($69) is a guitar synthesizer in the form of a VST instrument plug-in for Windows. It physically models various aspects of a guitar, starting with a string modeler that emulates 120 points along six strings. Following the string modeler is a modeler for different picks and pick positions. The body modeler consists of 20 separately tuned resonators and is based on the bodies of real acoustic guitars. Revitar's output is a mix of the signal from a movable pickup and the sound from the resonating body.

The plug-in provides two modes for playing single notes and two more for playing chords. One single-note mode allows Revitar to choose the string being played, whereas Mono mode plays all notes on the same string. Mono mode is ideal for slides and for hammer-on and pull-off techniques.

Relative Chord mode allows you to play the same chord at different string positions. Absolute Chord mode allows you to play different chords at fixed positions. In either mode, 24 different chords are held in memory, and you choose the chord by playing the middle two octaves of the keyboard. You can slide between chords, just as you can between single notes in mono mode.

Other features include palm damping, string stop, bridge damping, slap, variable-rate vibrato, and controlling the strum rate and direction. Revitar provides 48 presets in four categories — clean, electric, effects, and bass — as well as additional banks of presets for six popular third-party guitar-amp and distortion plug-ins. You can download a time-limited, save-disabled demo from the CutterMusic Web site (www.cuttermusic.com).