Rocksmith

[Twig]

It's not the closed party doing the shunning*, it's the someone joining the discussion that finds it hard to break into.

 

*I mean, it can be, but CAN be isn't the point.

[RobLach]

My PC just recognizes the Rocksmith cable as another microphone input, so there may be hacks. I've heard of people mic-ing up an acousitc guitar to play and having that work REASONABLY well, but I don't know if it would be as accurate as you'd like.

Hmm, I think I could just run an electric guitar pre-amped into a line-in then. Unless the cable is doing secondary processing or filtering but I think that's all on the software side.

[miffy495]

You'd probably need to track down some alternate drivers somewhere to fool your PC into thinking that the mic is a Real Tone Cable (I can't remember whether their stupid name is one word or two), but other than that it sounds like it should work.

[Griddlelol]

I picked this up and I'm having a lot of trouble with it. In theory it seems good, but there are som really weird design choices.

One example that's driving me nuts, is there's a song which requires me to fly up and down the neck of the guitar playing on one string, but it's a hell of a lot easier to just move to a higher string or lower string when appropriate. I have no idea how to change the settings so instead of telling me play 5 then 14 on the E, instead just move to the A string instead. Anyone figure that out?

The difficulty settings also weird me out. I'm no expert, but I can play chords, it's annoying that the default is single notes at top speed, rather than chords at 2/3rds speed.

[Apelsin]

One example that's driving me nuts, is there's a song which requires me to fly up and down the neck of the guitar playing on one string, but it's a hell of a lot easier to just move to a higher string or lower string when appropriate. I have no idea how to change the settings so instead of telling me play 5 then 14 on the E, instead just move to the A string instead. Anyone figure that out?

 

 

I'm not sure you can? I think it leans fairly heavily into playing the songs in a specific way "as was intended". 

[Dr Wookie]

I picked this up and I'm having a lot of trouble with it. In theory it seems good, but there are som really weird design choices.

One example that's driving me nuts, is there's a song which requires me to fly up and down the neck of the guitar playing on one string, but it's a hell of a lot easier to just move to a higher string or lower string when appropriate. I have no idea how to change the settings so instead of telling me play 5 then 14 on the E, instead just move to the A string instead. Anyone figure that out?

The difficulty settings also weird me out. I'm no expert, but I can play chords, it's annoying that the default is single notes at top speed, rather than chords at 2/3rds speed.

Are you playing Rcksmith or Rocksmith 2014? I know that for 2014, playing a different string registers as a success so long as the note is right. I'm guessing that since you have single note charts, you're playing the original.  For that game, you can have single not charts, chord charts, and combo charts IIRC.

 

I had both Rocksmiths on 360 before selling it and moving across the ocean, and now have them both on PC for the songs. In 2014, you only get one arrangement of each son, with alternatives available for Uplay points... progression goes from individual notes to chords smoothly (though going from a three note chord to a barre chord is quite a leap for me!)

[Griddlelol]

I have 2014.

I'm not a novice, I basically wanted something that would teach me new songs because I never know what to play so I don't. It's just the difficulty jumps are huge. From single notes with 10 seconds between them to full chords with no breaks.

So for me, starting with single notes feels incredibly boring. Almost condescending.

It does register different strings with the same note, but that kinda defeats the object of having the notes on screen. I dunno, I'm self taught so I have a load of weird ways of remembering things, and numbers of frets don't work in my head. I remember things in patterns and relationships to other patterns. No fault of the game that I'm odd.

[miffy495]

In the specific instance you're thinking of (R U Mine by the Arctic Monkeys?), I'm pretty sure that it's a slide from low to high and then back to low in the song, so you do need to stay on the same string for that effect. It's not so much the notes, but the technique that matters there. I actually found moments like that to be really helpful in training myself just how far to move to get to certain positions quickly. Usually the game is basing itself on what the actual guitarist did to play the song, so sometimes it can be a little bit weird but it's almost always pretty intuitive. As for the difficulty jumps, if you're finding something too hard or too easy, you can reset levels manually to whatever you're comfortable with in the Riff Repeater.

[Trip Hazard]

Is anybody playing with a bass guitar? My mate has offered me his old one for a very good price, and this seems a good way to learn (possibly?)

[miffy495]

I mostly play guitar, but sometimes plug in my bass as well. It's still really fun, if a lot simpler. Harder to find good, challenging tracks as the game's focus is more on guitar than bass, but there are definitely some really fun tracks (the Cake and Primus DLC packs are both great for very different reasons) and it works great.

[Dr Wookie]

I have 2014.

I'm not a novice, I basically wanted something that would teach me new songs because I never know what to play so I don't. It's just the difficulty jumps are huge. From single notes with 10 seconds between them to full chords with no breaks.

So for me, starting with single notes feels incredibly boring. Almost condescending.

It does register different strings with the same note, but that kinda defeats the object of having the notes on screen. I dunno, I'm self taught so I have a load of weird ways of remembering things, and numbers of frets don't work in my head. I remember things in patterns and relationships to other patterns. No fault of the game that I'm odd.

You can set the difficulty and speed of all or any part of a song in the riff repeater. When I went from 360 to PC, I lost all my progress, but used this to bump up songs to roughly where I was. The game keeps track of progress, and applies it to all songs, so successfully playing songs at higher difficulties bumps up the starting difficulties of new songs.

Playing more difficult charts at slower speeds is probably more useful than simpler charts at full speed

[Trip Hazard]

Thanks Miffy, I'm an absolute beginner so a bit of simplicity doesn't sound like such a bad thing.

[miffy495]

In general, bass is simpler anyway. I used to think that bass was guitar's easy mode before I got one. Since actually getting into it, the general lack of complexity is made up for by just how much fucking effort it can take to get those strings to do what you want. It's a totally different feel, and super fun. After an extended guitar session, the fingers on my fretting hand hurt but my strumming/picking arm is fine. After an extended bass section, my left hand is fine but my right forearm is worn out from plucking the strings. Easier technically, but much more exertion.

[Dr Wookie]

I have to say that bass sounds fun, and completely different to just playing emulated bass on the guitar. Emulated bass works well with headphones on so you don't hear the guitar itself, but it looks like I need to find a left bass

[miffy495]

Yeah, emulated bass is basically just easy mode for guitar. What makes bass fun is the actual playing of it. I was on emulated bass for a while until I borrowed by girlfriend's bass for a bit. As soon as I gave it back to her, I went out and bought a (relatively cheap) $300 Epiphone bass. Nothing fancy (I really want to save up and get myself a Gibson Thunderbird), but it feels so much better than trying to play bass stuff on a guitar.

[Trip Hazard]

I am going to buy a bass for £20 from a troll that lives under a bin, which is under an even bigger bin (my best mate Jon)

[Dr Wookie]

Yeah, emulated bass is basically just easy mode for guitar. What makes bass fun is the actual playing of it. I was on emulated bass for a while until I borrowed by girlfriend's bass for a bit. As soon as I gave it back to her, I went out and bought a (relatively cheap) $300 Epiphone bass. Nothing fancy (I really want to save up and get myself a Gibson Thunderbird), but it feels so much better than trying to play bass stuff on a guitar.

Man, these peripherals get crazy expensive, it's an outrage !

At the moment I'm staying with family back in the UK after my work visa expired for the US. I'll definitely bass up when I find a new job and new place to live

[miffy495]

So it's time for one of those "how many hours" updates. I just hit 400 hours in Rocksmith 2014 tonight. That's on top of my 100-ish hours in the original. I have spent much time in Rocksmith.

[Dr Wookie]

Wow- impressive! I don't know how long I've spent, because my time was spread over 360 and pc, as well as both rocksmith games. I'm probably well over 100 hours though . I've not been able to do as much recently because I have to be considerate of other people, booo!

[Griddlelol]

I keep getting shocks from my guitar whenever I plug it in to play rocksmith. Do I just have a shitty old guitar (I do), or is it a problem elsewhere? 

 

Edit: I should also point out that they're REALLY painful when they get me on the soft, fleshy part of my arm. If I touch the part that shocks me (I think it's the strings and the input jack) with my fingers, it's a relatively painless jolt.

 

Edit 2: I should also mention I cleaned up some rusty frets with steel wool, and because multiple sources said "DON'T PUT IT NEAR THE PICK-UPS" I went an put it near the pick-ups to see what would happen. So now I have little flecks of steel wool on the pick-ups. 

[Dr Wookie]

Now you mention it, i have had some very small, occasional shocks. I'm guessing that the computer has more power running through it than an amp. I've not had anything remotely painful though, so I think that's down to your guitar... sorry to hear about that!

[Apelsin]

Could be the wiring in the guitar, since there should be a "earth" in there somewhere. Should be a fairly easy if you've got a soldering iron and someone who knows what wire to fix. 

[Dewar]

I think you're aiming for the term "ground" or "ground wire" Mupp, which indeed sounds right if you're getting a significant shock.

[TheLastBaron]

The terms earth and ground can be used interchangeably, and yes it sounds like that's what the problem is.

[miffy495]

Weird. I've never had a shock, and switch between 4 different guitars and a bass pretty regularly. What type of guitar are you playing on?