Rocksmith

[Sky]

Always interesting trying to play picked bass lines. Junior Ellefson was simplicity, though he mutes through Symphony. Rex Brown on the other hand, phew. Played through Domination, which is just a great song. And I can hit all of it, though the main fast riff will take a bit of trickery when he starts to throw in triplet pedal tones. Typical Rocksmith weakness with some of the jammed lines, because it wants you to play as recorded and nobody does that for jammed riffs :p Barracuda is a picked piece but blah fingers all day. My bass rides too low to pick, I'd sprain my wrist at my speed and attack levels!

Tried some Rush and a few other more complex pieces, but my perennial gripe about lack of number in the boxes stands. It really holds one back from sight reading and I think it's ultimately detrimental to folks learning to play who might struggle to sight read tab when it could pretty easily be integrated (even as a sort of Master Mode style option?).

[Merusk]

I had no idea what you meant about lack of numbers until I got past the intro 25% on a bunch of songs.  Yeah, it IS completely frustrating to try and puzzle-out where on the board you're supposed to be when you look down at your hands for placement then back up to the screen.  I lose momentum that way very, very frequently. 

Took a wander to the local HS band garage sale and picked-up a starter full size Fender-body for $50.  The 3/4 was getting too cramped on the high-number frets on the bulk of the songs I'm trying (Muse, Survivor, Nirvana, Rolling Stones, Def Leppard) .  Trying to pick and hit fret 21 was a bitch.

Of course, now I have to relearn all positions as they're way more spread out.  The quality of notes isn't as good, either.  Rocksmith frequently thinks E3 is E4, even after just having tuned.

[Sky]

I get that a lot as I have a heavy grasp and tend to bend a lot. But just fretting a note can bend it sharp depending on the fret and tension of the wire.

[Phildo]

I just picked this up a few days ago, too.  Starting out on bass, may give it a few weeks before I start messing around on the guitar as well.  Most fun I've had in months!

[HaemishM]

Just got the 2014 edition w/ the cable due to returning an X-Box controller I thought I needed but didn't need. Wow. This is the kind of thing I would have loved when I first started playing. Really amazing way to learn songs and the guitar in general.

EDIT: And I have a question. Do the song packs for the original game work in the new version, or do I have to buy the old version to get the song packs for Rush?

[Cadaverine]

Unless something has changed, the old songs work, but you have to purchase the "importer" software for $10 on the PC side.  You also need to own the original Rocksmith, not just the DLC.

Not sure how things work on the consoles.

[Sky]

Freebird!

I'm pretty sure you have to have the same platform for both versions and own both the games. For Rush, you wouldn't need the $10 transfer pack, DLC ports forward to the new version. You only need the $10 access fee for the tracks that were included in the first game. On the upside, the original is on sale for $20 right now on steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/205190/

[Sky]

I have no idea why I got a diamond pick on The Trooper last night. I had been playing for a while but wasn't quite warmed up enough for it, made lots of mistakes (only about 1.3M score vs my 1.55M best...and the leader has a 2.3M!). *shrug*

I know my comments about a tablature mode are getting old, but the stark contrast between guitar and bass on this title popped out at me last night when I sorted by mastery. Most bass songs I score 90%+ with a high of 101% (The Trooper). Most guitar songs are 60%, with a high of 87% (easy strummy stuff). Even taking into account the amount of notes the game doesn't register properly (I played Riders on the Storm /flawlessly/ and got a 78%) that's crazy. I've been playing guitar for years every day and only pick up the bass when I play the game. I generally have to stop playing bass because I'm blistering, but on the guitar I generally get fed up with the UI.

There have been a few songs where I don't care for how they positioned the transcription but it seems pretty good about letting you play it in a different position. But I found my first straight-up mistake when playing Pinball Wizard in lead mode...the bass does most of what they put as a guitar! Poor Ox. It's overdubbed so the bass wouldn't really be able to play the recorded version properly, but it still made me a little sad.

[HaemishM]

Thanks, Sky! I played Freebird so hard the last two nights that my index finger is bruised!  ROCK ON!!

Having bought both the original and 2014, I have to say I like the original's path through the different venues more than the straight song openness of 2014. 2014's use of ACTUAL GODDAMN NUMBERS on the fretboard is sorely missing in the original, but I think the sense of upward progress is better on the original. Every time a new chord pops up in the middle of a song, though, I'm cursing the lack of a fret number to give me a sense of how to construct the damn thing without looking at the fretboard underlay.

[Sky]

See what I keep on about! And yes, I miss the venue progression and feedback of the crowd rocking or booing. The downside to 1's venue system was the qualification requirements got so stiff by the end that it was better to reroll a new profile and start over.

#1 hope is to see full fret number support (or maybe even full on tab support for a master mode variant). A return to the venue mechanic without the stiff qualifications, or some way to keep the mid to small venues more casual and keep the tough qualification for arenas.

[veredus]

I am not musical at all and I know nothing about guitars etc but I luckily have a musically talented son who has fairly recently decided to take up the guitar. He's been doing lessons for a couple months and loves it. So I want to get him Rocksmith for his birthday which is coming up in a couple of weeks. Is it possible to get a decent or at least not crappy electric guitar for under $100? Seen lots in the sub $100 range but knowing nothing about them I don't know what I'm getting.

Is something like this any good?
http://www.amazon.com/Rollins-ROL-942B-Leo-Electric-Guitar/dp/B00GGGIOGO/ref=sr_1_19?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1396578867&sr=1-19

or this bundle?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RXXOX8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1NWP8ZLJ1KJ6Y

Edit: grammar/added second link

[Trippy]

I am not musical at all and I know nothing about guitars etc but I luckily have a musically talented son who has fairly recently decided to take up the guitar. He's been doing lessons for a couple months and loves it. So I want to get him Rocksmith for his birthday which is coming up in a couple of weeks. Is it possible to get a decent or at least not crappy electric guitar for under $100? Seen lots in the sub $100 range but knowing nothing about them I don't know what I'm getting.

Is something like this any good?
http://www.amazon.com/Rollins-ROL-942B-Leo-Electric-Guitar/dp/B00GGGIOGO/ref=sr_1_19?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1396578867&sr=1-19

This one doesn't have any reviews so it's a crapshoot.

or this bundle?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RXXOX8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1NWP8ZLJ1KJ6Y

That one seems better. Personally though I would spend a few more bucks and get a Squire or Epiphone. Better chance you'll get something that's playable.

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Electric-Rosewood-Fretboard-Instrument/dp/B00D6U4962/

or that:

http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Guitar-Series-PPEG-EGL1EBCH1-Electric/dp/B00AGJKKH8/

What kind of guitar is he learning on now?

[veredus]

He's learning on on a cheap acoustic right now. I can check the brand tomorrow after he wakes up if it matters.

Thanks for the links and reply. I'll see if I can find something like those cheaper maybe. With the game/cable and the $100 I was thinking on spending on a guitar we are already pretty much at the limit of what we typically spend per kid for their birthdays. But man he loves video games and he loves music. We'll see what I can talk the wife into.

[Trippy]

Just the guitar is closer to $100. You can get the other stuff later if he sticks with it:

http://smile.amazon.com/Squier-Fender-Tremolo-Rosewood-Fretboard/dp/B001J5RYXQ/

[Phildo]

If you're willing to do some legwork, you can probably find a Squire at a pawnshop or used instrument store.

[Merusk]

Go to Guitar Center, tell them your price point and see what they've got in that area.  I got a nice starter for $100 in October and found a better one at a garage sale for $50 a month and a half ago.

The best advice I was given was much like the best camera advice I've received.  The greatest guitar in production is the one you'll actually enjoy using.

[HaemishM]

http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Guitar-Series-PPEG-EGL1EBCH1-Electric/dp/B00AGJKKH8/

The guitar in that pack is the one I got when I started playing again about 2 years ago. It is DEFINITELY worth paying the extra bit of money. It's a decent solid guitar.

If you want to spend a little less, you could get him a mini or junior sized version. The frets are 3/4 the size of a normal guitar - I bought an Ibanez Mini for my wife and it sounds pretty good. I think it was around $100. Of course, if he really likes it, eventually he'll want/need to upgrade to a normal sized one.

Merusk is right though. If you have a Guitar Center in town, go there and have him play a bunch of different guitars in your price range, and look at their used gear. They often have good deals on the used stuff.

[Sky]

Listen to these cats, our new guitar brothers.

[Phildo]

Now if only this game came in drumset.

[veredus]

Cool thanks everyone for the advice. I'll do some shopping around and see what I can find. It looks like there is even a Guitar Center in Tacoma which is very close to me. If that doesn't work I may just end up paying a bit extra then was planning and get the one Trippy linked. Otherwise a year from now I have a feeling we'll be getting a nicer one anyway.

[veredus]

So I ended up getting this one for him from the local Guitar Center.
http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Limited-Edition-Special-I-Electric/dp/B00J8Y19XQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_MI_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A55GH7QMDGA9PDTN70E
Ended up paying 119.99 + tax. I'm super excited to give it to my son on Thursday.

[HaemishM]

I don't think you'll be disappointed. The cheap Epiphones are pretty good starting guitars.

[Velorath]

Worth mentioning that this week's DLC is a Classical 5 pack. Just $4.99 for:

Edvard Grieg “In the Hall of The Mountain King” (Arranged by Gregory Barr) – 3:24
Johann Sebastian Bach “Little” Fugue in G Minor” – Drop D [Rhythm] – Alt. Bass – (Arranged by Anthony Martinez) – 4:31
Ludwig van Beethoven “Moonlight Sonata: Adagio Sostenuto” (Arranged by Shane Gann) – 5:33
Richard Wagner “Ride Of The Valkyries” (Arranged by Jason Kocol) – 3:29
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Rondo Alla Turca” (Arrranged by Matt Montgomery) 3:31

The link also has some videos showing how the Rocksmith team put this DLC together that are worth watching.

[Sky]

As much as I wish it was actual classical guitar, there's some cool stuff in there. A little of their generic rock arrangements ala the xmas tunes previously released. But that Mozart done in a gypsy jazz style is worth it right there.

I've been meaning to get in more time with this game, here's a good reason.

Obligatory hope that the 2015 version has real tab advanced mode in addition to the current guitar hero playskool mode. And a good import tool with no whammies.

[Velorath]

PS4 and XB1 versions coming on Nov. 4th, which is nice because Rocksmith is the only reason I still have my PS3 hooked up. DLC you've purchased will import for free apparently if you're going from 360 to XB1 or PS3 to PS4.

[CaptainNapkin]

Very cool. This will get me a little closer to being able to dump the last gen consoles.
Any word if you need to rebuy the adapter or the old one will work with the new system? I couldn't find any info on that.

[Velorath]

Very cool. This will get me a little closer to being able to dump the last gen consoles.
Any word if you need to rebuy the adapter or the old one will work with the new system? I couldn't find any info on that.

The real tone cables work across all platforms.

[Thrawn]

Got around to actually installing and setting this up at last.  I'd played Rocksmith but not 2014 much yet.  Already seem to be having a small issue that Google is providing limited help with and was wondering if this is normal.  A song starts out with the typical really easy one note every five seconds or so play.  However at the end of the song, after missing almost zero notes, it's still at one note every five seconds or so.  It's still at it a second time through.

Do I have something set wrong?  Does 2014 progress the difficulty differently?  I know I can go into the Riff Repeater and turn it up by hand, but isn't it supposed to scale for me automagically?

[Sky]

Have you tried running through it multiple times? I haven't experienced the issue, seems to ramp up ok for me. Not that I'm thinking about it, it might be a bit sensitive to mistakes, I do remember a couple songs aggressively ramping down when I'd miss one note when I really wanted to to stay at the level it was at so I could learn it properly.

I might have to go in and manually just 100% things, I just tend to try and play the song properly anyway and hope the notes match the caveman notes they give me.

But I have issues with their continued adherence to guitar hero transcription rather than giving a true pro mode with proper tabs! I can't play some songs I used to know because the colored block thing is so primitive and awkward; as well as completely useless outside the game itself. /brokenrecord

[CmdrSlack]

So we finally have a guitar. I really want to mess around with relearning chords. Should I create a rhythm guitar profile? Should I work through the lead lessons?

[Merusk]

Whichever you want to play. The chords are covered in a few lessons and then mini games for progression and structure.  Scale warriors may be where you want to start.

[Velorath]

Hendrix 12 pack coming on December 16th. Free until Jan 31st if you have the Xbone or PS4 version of Rocksmith, otherwise it's $29.99.

Freedom
Bold As Love
Castles Made of Sand
Fire
Foxy Lady
If 6 Was 9
Little Wing
Manic Depression
Purple Haze
Red House
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
The Wind Cries Mary

[Sky]

Wow, nice! I either play or I'm working on most of those Hendrix tunes, so I'm pretty excited about this release (other than the price!). Talk about a game overdue for steam sale, though. Also I really wish they'd have put in Spanish Castle Magic and Machine Gun (in place of Freedom and Bold As Love). I wonder if it's the full version of If 6 Was 9, that's got some....interesting...sections.

Has anyone done much multiplayer? I've got a buddy who just started learning bass with Rocksmith 2014 and I took my cable over and jammed with him (which btw is AWESOME). Though I used my username/profile thingy it didn't load my profile up, so it must be machine based or tied to steam login? Ideally they'd update it so you could log into your ubi account inside the game so my stats/achievements would count and you could access either player's DLC.

I was really bummed because he had no DLC. I have....significantly less than none...

[tar]

I played multiplayer a few times in the first one, neither of us has a bass so it was lead & rythm. Worked out pretty well, is it much different in 2014? I've got it but not done MP in it yet.

With the saves, I think steam does sync your profile so maybe that was it. I move between a desktop and a laptop and my profile works from both, using the same steam login.

[Phildo]

How are the bass parts on the Hendrix tunes?  I've never thought about it before, but since I'm a shit guitarist and slightly less so on bass, it might be worth a shot.