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Rocksmith/Bandfuse...

B

BassGoblin

Guest
Dec 11, 2013
223
71
#1
I own both. They are fun. I received bandfuse for Christmas, and I was very excited to get it as I had my Ibanez SR1600LE coming in and for the time being those games combined with my tv/computer speakers are my 'amp'.

I don't know about here, but some 'other sites' like to rag on those games and the people who play them. I have to admit... I was skeptical at first... But... damn... I was able to pick up my bass, and start playing songs on day one.

I know they aren't ideal, but I find it fun and enjoyable to try t o top my previous score on a song. I'm also finding through bass I can enjoy some songs I didn't appreciate before. I managed to learn the song Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5, which I never liked before. Now I enjoy playing it on bass. I reached 97.6% on the hardest difficulty and I'm determined to get 100%.

So bottom line, for a beginner to the instruments it can throw them right into the mix and get them LOVING to play from day one. I am going to be taking my first lesson on the 2nd and I can't wait, knowing now that I'll be able to walk in there able to play some basic stuff and not feeling like a complete idiot.
 
#2
Not the be-all and end-all for learning an instrument, but both can be useful practice tools as part of an overall comprehensive lesson plan, supplemented by the tons of free lessons available online. And they're fun, too. I find I've played more with these games in the last year or so (first with the original Rocksmith, and now it's sequel RS 2014, and Bandfuse) than I have in the last 30 years.
 
#3
I've got nothing against computer games but I saw some youtube videos of a guy playing Rocksmith and I don't imagine he could've got nearly as much wrong if he was just playing music, not playing a computer game. His technique was really bad - tendon-destroyingly bad - and he was hitting the notes like whack-a-mole, no rhythm, just robot.

If it does it for you then great, but it wasn't doing it for him. I don't know what score he got but if he was sitting in front of a tutor doing that he would've been stopped two bars in for his own good.
 
#4
Well Kevteop, it does not teach you bad technique, so the guy you were watching was simply a bad example. It is a great tool to throw something new into your playing. It is no different than teaching yourself bass/guitar except it motivates you. The game is just awesome fun. I'm so glad 'Guitar Hero' died, and this was born. Those games were utter crap.
 
#5
I picked up Rocksmith 2014 last week and have been playing with it a lot. It's a blast.

I've played my bass more in the last few days then I have in the last 3 months.

There is no one within an hour from me that I can get lessons from so I have been self teaching. This game is fun and gives me stuff to do and work on rather than trying to figure out what to do.
 
#6
I just landed 'she will be loved' at 100%! Not bad for only playing 6 days!
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#7
I own both games and find them to be a lot of fun to play. I already know how to play so I'm not using the games as learning tools as much as I'm using them just to play some tunes I would otherwise never play.

Also, both games allow you to just jam to backing tracks and Rocksmith even lets you add other instruments which will play in whatever key you choose and which respond to your dynamics. Very cool feature which I use alot just to work out riff ideas. Bandfuse lets you jam to any one of multiple backing tracks and also records everything you do (although you save only what you want to save and discard the rest). So both games offer far more than just learning cover tunes.

I never liked any of the guitar hero type games but Bandfuse and Rocksmith are different. You actually have to play and that makes all the difference for me.
 
#8
I've been playing nearly nightly since late October. Owned a bass for two years, but after getting RS I played more that week than the entire prior two years, and I got it on a Friday...

But I know it could let me ingrain bad habits, so I tracked down a local retired professional musician for weekly lessons. He really helps me on things like learning root/5ths, finger discipline and lots of theory that I really want to learn.

I've already learned enough to go to songsterr and teach myself Africa by Toto over the last two nights, which is really great. It's set me on the way to becoming a bass player.

So it is a really great tool for keeping people interested, and makes learning really fun.

My biggest complaint is that the song selection sucks. Out of 100 songs in RS and RS2014, there is a dozen I enjoy. It is very heavy on metal (and not even classic metal). Not a single country song, not much Pop...
 
#9
So which one, out of y'all's options, is a better, more challenging tool? I'm intrigued by these games. I have to admit I played the hell out of rock band and guitar hero but on drums. Drums felt more real if you will even though it's really not. Someone said something about a mode where you can just jam up a backing track? Which one of the two is better and more open needed when it comes to that aspect of the game??
 
#10
gregmon79 said:
So which one, out of y'all's options, is a better, more challenging tool? I'm intrigued by these games. I have to admit I played the hell out of rock band and guitar hero but on drums. Drums felt more real if you will even though it's really not. Someone said something about a mode where you can just jam up a backing track? Which one of the two is better and more open needed when it comes to that aspect of the game??
Click to expand...

I like both games since they both offer different features but if I had to choose only one I'd keep Bandfuse. I prefer the tablature scroll on Bandfuse over the note highway on Rocksmith. The RS note highway is a little too cluttered for me and I guess I'm just used to tablature so Bandfuse is easier for me to read. Also Bandfuse automatically records just about everything you play so when you finish a song or finish jamming to a backing track it gives you the option to save what you've just played. Rocksmith has a cool "Session Mode" which allows you to pick the instruments you want to jam with, tempo, key, type of scale, etc. but it doesn't provide for recording your jams which, to me, is a huge oversight.

Still though, Rocksmith is fun and I enjoy it but just prefer Bandfuse. But if you're used to Guitar Hero type games, you may find the note highway in Rocksmith to be more to your liking. Check out a couple of youtube clips for each game to get a better idea.
 
#11
I would prefer more games go the way of Bandfuse. I like the tablature because if you are new to music, you can take what you learn there, and move it straight to these websites that have people posting tabs.

However, I think Rocksmiths major pro are the 'games' that teach you things like scales. I'm not crazy about how rocksmith removed their tour mode, while bandfuse came with one. That type of game mode forces me to try songs I otherwise wouldn't because I look at the score and force myself to get better. I'll admit. On rocksmith 2014 I haven't played 75% of the songs because they don't interest me. On Bandfuse I have tried 100% of the songs, whether I like them or not, I have played them through.
 
#12
Sounds like Bandfuse would be more my thing. Thanks for the input all. I like the fact that you can have an open jam sort of thing and it records it. I also like the fact its tab like. Thats what I learned so itll be easy for me to pick up Im sure.
 
#13
Bandfuse comes with an adapter for the xbox as well that allows you to hook up your audio via rca/1/8"/optical. If you run the audio straight through HDMI, you will get a 1/4 second or so delay that makes the games significantly less fun to play. I hooked it up with an aux cable and it has no delay is a blast to play.
 
#15
Nope. Just buy the game. You 'may' need a auxillary cable or rca(red/white) cable if you don't already have one lying around the house. The USB to Guitar cable comes with the game, along with the little orange device that plugs into the back of the xbox.
 
#19
gregmon79 said:
So do I have to buy something else besides just the game itself to plug my bass into it?? I'm a tad confused on that part.
Click to expand...

No - just make sure you purchase the game that has the 1/4 cable with it. I'm not sure if Bandfuse will be sold without the cable so it may be a moot point but as long as it has the 1/4 inch USB cable, you're set. (Also, as an aside....Bandfuse allows for bass, guitar and/or vocals with up to four players at the same time. I haven't tried the vocals yet but will do so soon. Vocals may or may not interest people but it should be noted that only Bandfuse offers vocals...Rocksmith does not).

In terms of the audio lag goblin was speaking about - depending on your TV you may experience a slight audio lag if you're using the sound from the TV when you play the game. To avoid the lag you can use a digital/optical cable to connect the sound directly from your game console to a separate audio source (in my case, I have a separate sound bar and sub woofer so I run the game audio directly to the sound bar and mute the TV). If you don't have a separate audio system, Bandfuse comes with a special adapter to allow you to use headphones or RCA connection to another (non-digital) audio source. When you first turn the game on it will go through how to set up the audio for the best experience.

lastly, I know your an effects guy, gregmon, as am I. You'll be pleased with both games in terms of the ability to use pedal and amp simulators to create your own specific tones. Both games have a wide variety of amps and pedals and all of them are customizable to taste. I'm actually quite impressed with the tones I've been able to create with the games and have spent a fair amount of time tweaking my sound to create several different patches. Just another feature that caters to real musicians and makes these games interesting to me.
 
#20
I got the family Rocksmith this year. My daughter who plays guitar has yet to try it but I've been enjoying it...Before my bass(es) were just gathering dust but since I started the game I've been playing again, dusting off my chops. Its been fun so far
 

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