Guitar Rig, M-Audio Firewire 1814, Decent Guitar, What Else?

[squint]

OK, so I've got Guitar Rig 2, the M-Audio Firewire 1814 interface, and a decent Epiphone guitar.

What else do I need to sound good?

Do I need some sort of guitar input box that goes between the guitar and the 1814 interface?

My sound seems puny, and I want to beef it up and sound more professional. Do I need to go through a real amp and mic it?

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thank you in advance!

squint

[C00kie]

What else do I need to sound good?

* Some killer patches for GuitarRig, maybe some extra effects or an alternative amp sim.
* Ability to play ofcourse

Do I need some sort of guitar input box that goes between the guitar and the 1814 interface?

The instrument input of the 1814 has an impedance of 500kΩ which in my book qualifies as high impedance or Hi-Z: just what you need for guitar. So I doubt you'll gain much from a seperate preamp.

My sound seems puny, and I want to beef it up and sound more professional. Do I need to go through a real amp and mic it?

Ofcourse that's an option. Many people find that software amp sims aren't "there yet" when compared to the real thing. But it depends on the style. Some sims are better at high gain while others excell at mild crunchy tones. It's a matter of experimentation, try some other amp sims apart from GuitarRig.