OT: RockSmith, where are my real aspiring Hendrixes?

[DChaps]

There has been additional information regarding Rocksmith 2014 to be released this October 2013. I particularly like the idea of the Session mode. It also appears that Bass will be supported out of the box, as opposed to additional cost/DLC. All original Rocksmith songs and DLC will be backwards compatible as well as long as on same platform. Day one purchase for me, just trying to figure out if it will be PC, 360, or both.

http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-u ... index.aspx

ROCKSMITH 2014 EDITION
The all-new Rocksmith 2014 Edition is coming this October 2013 and it's redesigned from the ground up to give you the fastest, most fun guitar learning experience ever created.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition includes over 50 new songs, new modes, new features, a completely redesigned interface, and much more.

What’s the difference between the original Rocksmith and the all-new Rocksmith 2014 Edition?
Rocksmith 2014 Edition is all new. All the original game’s features have been drastically improved and revamped, and we’ve added a ton of new ones! Check out our product comparison list for more details.

Will I be able to use DLC from the original Rocksmith with Rocksmith 2014 Edition?
Yes, you will. Your previous DLC purchases will be transferable without any sort of re-payment, as long as you’re moving them on the same platform (i.e., trying to move your original Rocksmith DLC you got on your Xbox 360 console to a copy of Rocksmith 2014 Edition on PlayStation®3 system will not work). This means that Rocksmith 2014 Edition will see new DLC releases in addition to the vast library already established with the original Rocksmith.

SESSION MODE
We'll flat out say it – Session Mode is the next great innovation in music software.
For the first time ever, you can jam with a virtual band that dynamically reacts to what you’re playing. And the best part is, we’ll teach you from the ground up how to improvise and jam.

TUNINGS, TECHNIQUES, AND AMPS
By turning your TV or computer monitor into an amp, Rocksmith also simulates thousands of dollars’ worth of custom amp and pedal gear. It’s a comprehensive guitar gear collection. Utilize your armada of tools with multiple tunings and master tons of techniques through interactive lessons to create your own unique sounds and riffs.
WHAT'S NEW: Rocksmith 2014 Edition comes with an even wider arsenal of in-game gear through our partnerships with Orange, Marshall, and Eden.

HIT TRACKS
Play your favorite hit songs as they were recorded by the original artists, ranging from alternative rock to heavy metal, classic rock, and more. In Rocksmith, you always play real rock songs, note-for-note, with perfectly simulated effects and tones.
WHAT'S NEW: There are over 50 tracks all new to Rocksmith 2014 Edition including the biggest hits yet. It is also backwards compatible with songs you already own in the original Rocksmith. Visit THE MUSIC page for the list of announced songs.

http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-u ... index.aspx

Officially announced so far:

Aerosmith - Walk this Way
Alice In Chains - Stone
Bob Dylan - Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
B'z - Ultra Soul
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger
The Smashing Pumpkins - The Chimera
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Slayer - War Ensemble
Weezer - Say It Ain't So

INTERFACE
The Rocksmith interface makes it easy to see what notes to play at what time without the need to also learn sheet music or tablature charts.
WHAT'S NEW: The menus have been redesigned to be clearer, smoother, and blazing fast. The in-game interface has also been visually revamped to provide you with better feedback on your performance as you play.

MASTER MODE
Once you master a song, you can practice playing songs entirely from memory in Master Mode. It’s the ultimate achievement in Rocksmith when you’re able to walk away and play your favorite song anywhere.
WHAT'S NEW: Master Mode has been revamped based on your feedback to be a more approachable way to learn songs from memory.

RIFF REPEATER
Riff Repeater helps you practice by focusing on specific song segments. You can set your starting difficulty level, speed, or play note-by-note through especially challenging parts.
WHAT'S NEW: Riff Repeater is now fully customizable on-the-fly, enabling you to select your section, difficulty level, and speed simultaneously. It’s faster and easier than ever to nail that challenging riff.

MINI-GAMES
Guitarcade mini-games make practicing chords, scales, bends, techniques, and muscle memory more fun than pure drills. Scoring tracks your progress and motivates you to hit that next level of achievement. It’s yet another way Rocksmith makes learning guitar fun.
WHAT'S NEW: Guitarcade is back with new skill games aimed at perfecting dexterity, speed, and music knowledge in a unique and engaging way.

PRE-ORDER INCENTIVE
Get free bonus track “Cherub Rock” by The Smashing Pumpkins when you pre-order Rocksmith 2014 Edition today!

http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-us/buy/

Features
•Session Mode
Jam with a virtual band
•Note Highway (interface)
New
•Songs On-Disc
New (50+)
•Riff Repeater
On-The-Fly Riff Repeater
•Mini-Games
New Mini-Games
•Master Mode
Improved Master Mode
•Electric Guitar Tunings
Original + New Tunings
•Bass Guitar Tunings
Original + New Tunings
•Techniques
Original + New Techniques
•Amps
Updated

Common Features
•Electric Guitar Support
•Bass Support
•Downloadable Songs

[F308GTB]

With Rocksmith 2014 just weeks away, I have to give the first release praise for getting me into guitar and really improving over the last year. I'm still a long ways from being really good, but can at least hold a tune and play several songs on my own without the tabs in front of me. Over the summer I picked up a bass and the work I put in with the guitar really transferred over to bass and I was getting to a high level of mastery on the bass lines on the first try. Wife even bought me a banjo I didn't want, but it's great being to instantly pick it up and play a few easy tunes. Don't know if I'll give her mandolin a shot or not - that's an intimidating instrument.

I've hit the master level on many tunes:

Titus Andronicus' "A More Perfect Union" - bass
Jarvis Cocker's "Angela" - guitar single note, bass
The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry" - all guitar arrangements
Nirvana's "Breed" - guitar single note, bass
The Shins' "Caring is Creepy" - guitar chord
Yellow Moon Band's "Chimney" - bass
The Horrors' "Do You Remember" - all guitar arrangements, bass
Queens of the Stone Age's "Go With the Flow" - bass
Sigur Ros' "Gobbledigook" - bass
Black Keys' "Gold on the Ceiling" - bass
Tom Petty's "Good Enough" - bass
The Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" - combo 2 guitar
Radioheads' "High and Dry" - all guitar arrangements
Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" - guitar chord
The xx's "Islands" - bass
Seth Chapela's "Jules" - bass
Cure's "Just Like Heaven" - bass
Black Keys' "Mind Erased" - both guitar arrangements
Black Keys' "Next Girl" - guitar, bass
Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" - guitar chord
Blur's "Song 2" - both guitar, bass
Stone's "Spider and the Fly" - guitar chord
Black Keys "Tighten Up" - both guitar, bass
Stone Temple Pilots' "Vaseline" - bass
Best Coasts' "When I'm With You" - all guitar
Pixies' "Where is My Mind?" - chord, bass

[bdunn13]

Nice job on all of those songs... I am sure you could do the full note version on some of those like Breed.. super easy....

I have been prepping for RS 2014.. and the session mode. I haven't played RS in a while..

For the past couple of months, I have been just playing scales.. I have always wondered how someone can just pick up a guitar and "play." After learning scales is the answer, then I started learning the pentatonic scales and transitions between them... looking forward to the session mode.

I still will likely wait for a price drop which I bet will take place around Thanksgiving... I hate paying full price for anything (economic defense).

I should go and try scale runner and see how I do.

I also watched a RS 2014 vid yesterday and master mode for certain sections seems super cool...

Sorry for rambling.

BD

[DChaps]

Rocksmith 2014 hits stores tomorrow. I think I am going with the PC only release this year, as I just could not resolve my lag issues on the 360 even after switching to analog from HDMI. I really like the song list this year. Can't wait to try Satch Boogie.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. – October 16, 2013 – Today, Ubisoft® revealed the complete tracklist included in Rocksmith® 2014 Edition™ made of 55 songs ranging from the latest hits to classic rock songs. Ten more tracks are revealed today including "Everlong" by Foo Fighters and "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.

Players already owning the previous version of Rocksmith (released in 2011) will be able to further enjoy their rock experience in Rocksmith 2014 Edition by importing the songs that were included in the first version (an extra cost will apply). Each song from the first version has been revamped to support all of the new features including Automatic Tone Switching, Articulation, Timing and Instant Riff Repeater. Additionally, the DLC bought for Rocksmith will be compatible with Rocksmith 2014 Edition at no extra cost.

Rocksmith 2014 Edition's complete track list

Aerosmith – Walk This Way
Alice Cooper – No More Mr. Nice Guy
Alice In Chains – Stone
Arctic Monkeys – R U Mine?
Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country
Bob Dylan – Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Boston – Peace Of Mind
Bush - Machinehead
B'z – ultra soul
Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me (2012)
Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove It)
EarlyRise – Wasteland
Fang Island - Chompers
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Gold Motel – Brand New Kind Of Blue
Green Day – X-Kid
Iron Maiden – The Trooper
Jack White – Sixteen Saltines
JAWS – Stay In
Joe Satriani – Satch Boogie
Kiss – Rock And Roll All Nite
La Sera – Love That's Gone
Magic Wands – Black Magic
Mastodon – Blood and Thunder
Minus The Bear – Cold Company
Monster Truck – Sweet Mountain River
Muse – Knights Of Cydonia
Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box
Oasis – Don't Look Back In Anger
Pantera – Cemetery Gates
Paramore – Now
PAWS – Sore Tummy
Queen – We Are The Champions
Radiohead – Paranoid Android
Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop
Ratt – Round And Round
Red Fang – Wires
R.E.M. – Losing My Religion
Rise Against – Savior
Rush – The Spirit Of Radio
Screaming Females – Rotten Apple
Slayer – War Ensemble
Splashh – All I Wanna Do
System Of A Down - Hypnotize
Tak Matsumoto – GO FURTHER
The Dear Hunter – Stuck On A Wire Out On A Fence
The Kinks – You Really Got Me
The Police – Every Breath You Take
The Rolling Stones – Paint It, Black
The Shins – For A Fool
The Smashing Pumpkins – The Chimera
The Who – My Generation
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Mary Jane's Last Dance
Weezer – Say It Ain't So
White Zombie – Thunder Kiss '65

Rocksmith 2014 Edition allows players to plug any real guitar or bass with a standard ¼" jack directly into their Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, PC or Mac® to begin their musical journey. Rocksmith 2014 Edition will hit shelves on October 22, 2014 in the US.

[TCrouch]

Gotta say, it's infinitely smarter this year. Even through a single song, as soon as it was done, it took me to a chords tutorial for those chords used, and had explanations for what the major/minors were, as well as things like plucking each string to sound it out, back it up, etc.

I was very impressed by how much more fleshed out it is this year compared to their first release. The first release was incredible because it was really a new experience. Now, they seem to be taking that technology and letting you apply it to what you're doing at any given time. Screwing up a section? Riff repeater is enabled right in the middle of a song.

Gotta admit it was pretty fun just to throw it in and tear the sh*t out of Thunder Kiss '65, though. I like when they include those banger songs where you don't think a lot, just hammer away

[DChaps]

Gotta say, it's infinitely smarter this year. Even through a single song, as soon as it was done, it took me to a chords tutorial for those chords used, and had explanations for what the major/minors were, as well as things like plucking each string to sound it out, back it up, etc.

I was very impressed by how much more fleshed out it is this year compared to their first release. The first release was incredible because it was really a new experience. Now, they seem to be taking that technology and letting you apply it to what you're doing at any given time. Screwing up a section? Riff repeater is enabled right in the middle of a song.

Gotta admit it was pretty fun just to throw it in and tear the sh*t out of Thunder Kiss '65, though. I like when they include those banger songs where you don't think a lot, just hammer away

Thanks for the quick impressions Terry. Are you using the Xbox or PC version? I am on the PC version and locking up completely after the splash screen.

[TCrouch]

Xbox version here.

I know they mentioned a lot of stuff about the uPlay account, so it may be having a problem connecting to those servers on PC.

[Danimal]

I'm downloading the PC version as we speak. Impressions later.

[Danimal]

The PC version won't recognize the cable is plugged in. Not sure what to do, seems odd there is no driver needed. I've tried all their troubleshooting steps, I think I just wasted $60

[DChaps]

The PC version won't recognize the cable is plugged in. Not sure what to do, seems odd there is no driver needed. I've tried all their troubleshooting steps, I think I just wasted $60

I can see that it has recognized the drivers. It worked fine with the original version so I am sure we will get it figured out. I will post here if I get it figured out. I assume you were following these steps (also didn't work for me for Rocksmith 2014).

http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/71 ... Q-s-Forums

[Danimal]

I got it to work but it was a combination of a bunch of things. This is in Windows 7.

1. Opened device manager, under sounds I saw the rocksmith was not working. Deleted the driver. Unplug guitar and plugged it back in Driver reinstalled fine.
2. Opened up recording devices and made sure that the RS guitar was the selected one.
3. Had to plug it into a back usb port, it didn't like the front one.

That was sure as s*** dumb luck that I figured it out.

[TCrouch]

I got Rocksmith on PC last time, and I had to use a program called ASIO4ALL2 to have it recognize the cable on the PC.

Then, everything was fine. But it required an external program to work, which is part of the reason I avoided it on PC this time.

[bdunn13]

I was going to wait on a price drop... but since I spend most of my free time these days playing the guitar than any other thing, I couldn't wait...

The first thing the game did when I turned it on was update, I believe it was getting a new version of all the songs I purchased. I pretty quickly went into Session mode in A-Minor-Pent... and picked my band.. very cool. However, after this was over I tried to find out where I could turn down the music. I could barely hear myself play. At the start, all the sounds / music is set to 100... I turned the band down to 80 and I still don't think this is enough.

I need to learn more about what a couple the settings on session mode do as it appeared once or twice they changed keys on me.. and I suck at remembering where all the notes are.. Go from A to Ab and I am fine since it is only 1/2 step, beyond that I get lost quick....

It seemed like it took too long for a song to level up when I was playing... I went in on Gone Away and just turned it up to max myself.. usually a song I can play well. I kept mixing up the orange and yellow and misreading the fret numbers... I had the song almost memorized but it has been a while since I played it.. It will take me some time to get use to the new AI.

I played some of Jessica (a song I downloaded on RS1)... and I can play the main riff from memory, but it seems I was playing it off by 1/2 step or it has moved 1/2 step in 2014... as I was messing it up badly.

Tremolo has made its way into 2014... it might of been in 1 but it had no real UI element that I could tell in RS.. you can see the tremolo really well in 2014 and this is great.. But if you know the songs, you can hear where the tremolo should go anyways.. I find this huge as it is something I have been practicing a lot lately with my scales.


Heart Shaped Box is much harder than I thought it would be.. but as soon as I figure out the colors again and get down the main riff, I expect to blow through it. I was pretty disappointed I couldn't just pick up and play that without much practice.


The last thing I did was go in a check out some of the mini-games. I wanted to try the scale games again.. I played 2 of them.. I didn't do well on them either. I know the main position of A-minor-pent really well, but it starts out so slow, I kept messing up and losing patience... I sort of miss scale runner, but I will try the games again.

This version is MUCH better than RS1... for the speed improvement alone.. No more waiting and waiting. I think the guitar is always active now too and you can change tones and play while just sitting at the menu....

I ended up playing about 90 minutes before I had had enough.. I have a nice set of calluses but my fingers were still hurting some when done. So, I ended up going to watch Rounders before my Vegas trip next week.

BD

[Sudz]

Good for somebody with no real guitar playing experience?

[bdunn13]

Good for somebody with no real guitar playing experience?

It is a nice learning tool, and provides feedback for your improvement and hence encouragement... but you still have to put in the effort.

I have played for many years but only bits and pieces of riffs.. with RS1, I learned to play full songs and now I can jam(session mode) some too since it encouraged me to learn scales..

Nothing you buy will learn guitar for you... practice is the key but RS is a great tool.

[Danimal]

Good for somebody with no real guitar playing experience?

IMO there is no substitute for lessons. I wanted to learn guitar a few years ago. Took about 4 months of lessons to get the basics down and now I can enjoy something like this. Not saying you can't enjoy it with no experience but I doubt it will teach you enough to walk away and start picking up tabs and playing them.

My 10 year old daughter tried a few songs and shredded them and now my profile is all out of whack

[bdunn13]

In my previous post I said tremolo when I should have said vibrato....

[Sudz]

Thanks for the replies!

[sportdan30]

Would you guys recommend RS1 or RS2 for my 10 year old son? He's taken lessons in the past, but hasn't played in about a year. Is one or the other better catered towards novices?

[TCrouch]

Rocksmith 2 is head and shoulders above RS1 in my opinion.

The intelligence of it continues to amaze me. I was doing Boston's "Peace of Mind" last night, and the solo was a bit tricky. When the song finished, it said "you seem to be having problems with the solo...riff repeater?" as a mission to accomplish.

It started out slow with only like 1 note. About 30 minutes later I was at 100% difficulty, 100% speed and only missing 1 or 2 notes. That includes hammer ons from 16 to 18 on G, up to bends on the 19th and 21st frets on the B string, etc. They ramp you up bit by bit, whereas when it started all I was doing was plucking the 18th fret on the D string. As it increases speed and you don't miss notes, it moves up. Once you get 100% on that level, it then adds more notes and slows it down again.

It had the riff repeater in RS1, but it wasn't integrated so well, and you weren't able to do it within a song at any point like this. The Guitarcade stuff is really slick, too. Shooting spaceships by hitting chords (first they give you the chord name. If you know it, you can hit it. Then they show the chord fret by fret. If they show all the frets and you still don't get it, the ship shoots you instead). Some pitfall-like game where I worked on bending full and half steps, etc.

All in all, RS1 was almost like a tech demo compared to RS2 fully fleshing out the concepts they laid out.

[F308GTB]

Have not picked it up yet, but the upgrades make it sound like I need to sooner rather than later.

[DChaps]

Rocksmith 2014 is fantastic! They really have improved every apsect of it. The interface is much smoother and faster. The tuning is better, the ability to change difficulty, access the Riff Repeater on the fly, etc. It's great to see a second version of a software really improve, not just add new songs. Session Mode is worth the price of admission alone. I cannot believe how well it works. I picked out my "band", chose the basic A pentatonic and jammed out for like 30 minutes before I finally broke a string. It's very cool how the band responds to your volume and phrasing. The only thing I wish at this point was more in depth tuturials showing me how to use some of these features in more detail. Likewise, I am still getting used to the Note Highway (interface), which is definitely better than the original Rocksmith, but still a little confusing at times. One thing I am noticing now is that it is SO much easier using the interface with a mouse and keybaord on the PC version, than having to use the Xbox controller. The other thing I somehow did not realize is that there is a whole community of user-made "custom" DLC for Rocksmith and it appears that it can be used on PC and consoles. Obviously not "legal", but cool that there are options.

Another very cool thing is the online stat tracking that they are doing as part of the 60 day challenge. I have just signed up for it. Unfortunately, it says it is still in beta stage and that the stat tracking is being refined. I have put in 4-5 hours of playing time to date, and it does not have that recorded yet, but it looks like once it is working, it will be a very cool way of measuring and tracking your progress, as well as comparing to your friends.

Check out the 60 day challenge here and go sign up:
http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-u ... index.aspx

Check out online stats here:
http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmith/en-u ... lobal.aspx

I have been finding good info and help in the forums here:
http://forums.ubi.com/forumdisplay.php/22-Rocksmith

ROCKSMITH 60- DAY CHALLENGE
STEP 1:
BUY ROCKSMITH 2014 EDITION AND CREATE YOUR UPLAY ACCOUNT IN-GAME
It all starts with Rocksmith. Order your copy today, or pick it up at a major retailer near you.
Load up Rocksmith 2014 Edition on your PC, Mac, Xbox 360, or Playstation3.
From the main menu, select UPLAY for the option to create a personal account or login to your existing UPLAY account.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition

STEP 2:
ASSOCIATE YOUR UPLAY ACCOUNT ON ROCKSMITH.COM
Associating your UPLAY account allows you to track your goals and watch your progress on your own personal profile page.
Once you've created your Uplay account in-game, use your login credentials to sign in to UPLAY on the website here.
Join the 60-Day Challenge, and accept the terms of service here.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition

STEP 3:
PLAY HOWEVER YOU WANT, WHENEVER YOU WANT FOR JUST AN HOUR PER DAY
Login to your profile page on the Rocksmith.com website to check your stats and share your progress.
Everyone is unique and so, like a personal trainer, Rocksmith is designed to automatically adapt to you and teach you what you need to know when you're ready. Whether you're touching a guitar for the very first time or already skilled, Rocksmith will take you to the next level.
Just play through a variety of songs and features for an hour a day and we're confident that the Rocksmith method will naturally guide you to success in just 60 days.

Very good review that covers most of the fun new things I have already discovered:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/22/ ... 014-review

Top 5 Improvements in Rocksmith 2014
http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/08/16/to ... smith-2014

Good Overview of all the changes from the original to Rocksmith 2014:



Here is one reason that you might want the Xbox 360 version:

Kinect support is included for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but it’s strictly for the voice-activated menus.

Here is a link to all the Kinect Voice Commands for Rocksmith 2014:
https://support.ubi.com/en-US/FAQ.aspx? ... 000eatnCAA

Check out Jerry Cantrel at E3 using this feature. If it works that smoothly that is pretty cool.

[bdunn13]

HAHAHA

I was just coming here to post a link to the voice commands. They do work, but sometimes I still have to break out the controller. Terry mentioned to me earlier about trying to use the strings to navigate as the keys are always on in this version... but I forgot and I need a break.


The saying a song thing works okay.. but in riff repeater, I always try and max out everything while it is slow..

so, when I say 100 or 80, it can't understand my redneck voice too well.. maybe the game was designed for yankees!

[Danimal]

There website is completely f***ed. I'm trying to register for the 60 day challenge and it keeps asking me to log in, even though I am logged in and if I try it doesn't recognize my password. Did I point out I am f***in logged in.

f***in Ubisoft.

[DChaps]

There website is completely f***ed. I'm trying to register for the 60 day challenge and it keeps asking me to log in, even though I am logged in and if I try it doesn't recognize my password. Did I point out I am f***in logged in.

f***in Ubisoft.

Just posted at their website when I logged after playing for more than 2 hours. Whoops.

BETA: Player statistics tracking is still being refined. There are known issues with the statistics and 60-Day Challenge status below. We anticipate to be fully functional in the next game update. Your 60-Day Challenge may not be able to begin until after the update. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Known issues as in it is not tracking any of of stats at all.