As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
We're funding a new Acquisitions Incorporated series on Kickstarter right now! Check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pennyarcade/acquisitions-incorporated-the-series-2

[Rocksmith 2014] Light your fire with 12 Hendrix songs. Next Gen is here! steam sale

18182848687100

Posts

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    I snagged a Baby Boom Tri Reverb RV-10 pedal yesterday. It's pretty decent, seems like, considering it was only $50, but holy shit does it devour battery. I might need to pick up one of the pedal setups with 9V power after all.

    unplug the input when not using it or it will continually drain

    initiatefailure on
    Darkewolfe
  • TommattTommatt Registered User regular
    Went down to hollywood today and had some time to kill, so hit up guitar center on Sunset. Played on a Gibson Les Paul Custom....

    Anyone got $4k I can borrow?

    Dehumanizedmcdermott
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    I snagged a Baby Boom Tri Reverb RV-10 pedal yesterday. It's pretty decent, seems like, considering it was only $50, but holy shit does it devour battery. I might need to pick up one of the pedal setups with 9V power after all.

    unplug the input when not using it or it will continually drain

    Figured that part out after one battery. Still appears to eat threw battery pretty good, but not as badly as I initially thought.

    What is this I don't even.
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Tommatt wrote: »
    Went down to hollywood today and had some time to kill, so hit up guitar center on Sunset. Played on a Gibson Les Paul Custom....

    Anyone got $4k I can borrow?

    Guitar player in a band I used to play in worked at guitar center here in Columbus. One day, he forgot to take his guitar to work when we had practice immediately after. He asked his boss if he could borrow a guitar for the evening and bring it back the next day. His boss said sure and my friend jokingly asked if he could take on of the $3k Gibsons. Boss was okay with that as well. I think I played it more at practice that night than he did. I let him borrow one of mine. It was nice, but I don't think it was $3k nice, especially compared to some of my sub $1k guitars. The Gibson's are nice, but you can find something comparable for far less money that plays about the same if not better. A lot of Gibson is paying for the name anymore, which is a shame.

    For pedals, yeah, always get the adapter. You'll save money in the long run and never have to worry about a battery dying in the middle of a performance. Had a bass player that changed his 9 volt prior to every show, even when we played shows no more than a week apart. Never understood why he didn't buy the adapter.

    Also, along with initiatefailure's advice, if you have active pickups in your guitar always unplug it when not in use. Actually, any instrument should be unplugged when not in use to hopefully prevent all kinds of accidents.

    I need to get back into more Rocksmithing. Been spending most of my practice time outside the game working on writing and rehearsing for upcoming album recordings. Still working towards getting at least close to 100% on Aces High. Stupid guitar solos.

    DarkewolfeInstantPig
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    I definitely always unplug my guitar when not in use, if only to avoid tripping over the cable and wrecking everything. I left the cable in the guitar-side feed, though, which I guess drains the thing.

    I feel the need to say, "I use my pedal for, like, screwing around with the 10 chords I know and repeating riffs I have memorized." I am not a real musician like you.

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    If you're playing, you are a musician. I have a co-worker who goes on about that because all he does is "screw around in his computer room". That's still playing man! If I came across as "I'm a real musician" snobby it was not my intent. And for as long as I've been playing, I should be a lot better.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    Columbus? Ever do any shows in NE Ohio? I can come see you (and silently judge you)!

    I'll be the "less talk more rock" heckler

    initiatefailure on
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Yes, but it's been a number of years. We played a few of the larger metal shows at Peabody's around 2008ish and we played this weird arthouse/hallway in Akron once. It was fun, but they didn't have a liquor license so folks spent a lot of time drinking in their parking lot. That was a weird show. Probably play some farther reaching shows after the new album is recorded and done. That's the plan anyhow.

    I've thought about doing some CDLC for my band just for the heck of it. It's not violating copyright if I own the copyright, right? Also I think it would be funny to play along and go "what do you mean I didn't 100% that song? I wrote the damn thing!" I wonder if any of the artists that are in the game have ever done that.

    Gnome-Interruptus
  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    Speaking of CDLC I was thinking of trying to make some of those beginner exercises in a LAS format. My thinking is this. I can just have you going up and down the neck and it would check that you're playing the right note, but at 100% speed it would be rather fast, but the point would be to set it at say 25% to begin and just keep working your way up. Same thing with his right hand exercise for 3 minutes. This was just a thought I had since I don't have an amp, and to listen to my sound in game, plus hear my metronome, etc is slightly a pain in the ass.

    50433.png?1681748850
    DarkewolfeTommatt
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    I think something like that for different scales could be cool too. Or is that already one of the minigames? I need to check those out more too huh? I think it would be fun to take a scale, start it on fret X, play the whole thing, then move it to fret X + or - Y and then keep moving around. I think the scale games annoyed me because it would do weird switches and I learn scales by just going up and down over and over again for a very long time.

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    The scale game they have is too much game, not enough scales, in my opinion. It's very slow to start, then right when it hits the speed I need to be practicing at I'll nail it, and it'll shoot up to way too fast for me. Then I have to go through the fail/reset screens to start again. it's a clever game, but I can't drill in on exactly the areas I need to practice. @Banzai5150‌ has a great idea there, IMO.

    And I did not read any snobbery in your post. I just didn't want to feel like a poser myself pretending to have the same problems as you when I'm just fucking around in my living room.

    What is this I don't even.
    BolthornGnome-InterruptusEndaro
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Agree on that first part. I think that's why I quit out of playing it. It would be great if they added some options. So you could set it up so you play the scale in the same starting position over and over and the speed gets faster and faster, or choose a set speed but the starting position moves. Further segment that out by only having the starting position move after playing the scale all the way up and down, all the way down, all the way up, somewhere specific in the middle, randomly. Or combine the whole thing like it is now for a real challenge.

    DarkewolfeGnome-Interruptus
  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    I'll look into hire to create a CDLC later when I'm home. The first one I'll probably tackle would be the left hand exercise up the neck.

    50433.png?1681748850
  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    in the first game you didn't immediately fail and have to start over if you missed one. It was much better for scale practicing i think.

    really though, there should be something like an endless scale runner instead of a game that fails you for needing practice

    Darkewolfe
  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    Bolthorn wrote: »
    Yes, but it's been a number of years. We played a few of the larger metal shows at Peabody's around 2008ish and we played this weird arthouse/hallway in Akron once. It was fun, but they didn't have a liquor license so folks spent a lot of time drinking in their parking lot. That was a weird show. Probably play some farther reaching shows after the new album is recorded and done. That's the plan anyhow.

    I've thought about doing some CDLC for my band just for the heck of it. It's not violating copyright if I own the copyright, right? Also I think it would be funny to play along and go "what do you mean I didn't 100% that song? I wrote the damn thing!" I wonder if any of the artists that are in the game have ever done that.

    I saw a video once of the BareNaked Ladies failing out of One Week on Rock Band or something. They had the same incredulity at the failure.

    steam_sig.png

    3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
    Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    That's pretty common iirc

    Basically rock band is a different beast from actual guitar especially on expert and knowing the song on actual guitar tends to mess people up far more than it helps.

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Well, Rocksmith is for non-experts, mostly, who want to learn guitar by rote.

    Real bands know what sounds good, and part of playing in a band is being able to play to the specifics of the circumstance, including covering for mistakes and shit, right?

    Like, people love CD's of live shows specifically because the material tends to deviate from the straight, original form into playful space.

    What is this I don't even.
    HappylilElfmcdermottmalkoth
  • Gnome-InterruptusGnome-Interruptus Registered User regular
    in the first game you didn't immediately fail and have to start over if you missed one. It was much better for scale practicing i think.

    really though, there should be something like an endless scale runner instead of a game that fails you for needing practice

    You can always try out Scale Warriors instead of Scale Racer/Runner.

    Its less about speed, and jumps around a lot more, but is also more forgiving for missing a note at the wrong time.

    steam_sig.png
    MWO: Adamski
  • JOE_1967JOE_1967 Registered User regular
    in the first game you didn't immediately fail and have to start over if you missed one. It was much better for scale practicing i think.

    really though, there should be something like an endless scale runner instead of a game that fails you for needing practice

    And there should be versions of all (well, most?) of the games/practice modes that use the actual note highway.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    well i have an odd problem now...

    so this is what I'm running:

    amp
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/blackstar-id30-1x12-30w-programmable-guitar-combo-amp-with-effects/h88937

    to

    wah
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/ibanez-tone-lok-wd7-weeping-demon-wah-pedal

    tubescreamer
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/ibanez-tone-lok-ts7-tubescreamer-pedal

    chorus
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/ibanez-tone-lok-cf7-chorus-flanger-pedal

    delay
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/tc-electronic-flashback-delay-toneprint-series-guitar-effects-pedal

    in that order to my guitar
    http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN262300

    (i don't know if the links are helpful and I'm not trying to spam storelinks but i hope this might help show what i'm using to help me find the problem)

    and it worked fine last week. Now it works not at all.

    problem checklist go:
    A direct line from guitar to amp works fine checked with both cables to rule out cable failure on my chain -> guitar cable.
    full pedal chain/different combinations give me no output but show the pedals power on.
    amp to any individual pedal except the flashback shows the pedal power on but with no output in either on/off states.
    amp to flashback outputs to guitar when flashback is off, then cuts off signal when pedal is pressed on.

    now the amp has built in modeling. I tried all tests with the modeling both on and off.

    I'm at a loss currently and I don't really know where to turn to ask for help. you guys are the people I talk guitar stuff with. (oh and the ibanez pedals are all from a store that was closing out everything super cheap when they shut down about 10 years ago but they were only ever lightly used)

    initiatefailure on
    Geth
  • RozRoz Boss of InternetRegistered User regular
    I wish I could help, but I'm a gearhead novic. In fact, that reminds me, does anyone have any good videos on how to learn how to properly setup gear and what gear is good for certain effects? I'm talking real basics, like how effects pedals work, etc.

  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    When you say the part "amp to <list of pedals>" are you running out of your amp and into that long ass pedal chain through the amp's FX loop? I can't seem to find anything to indicate if that amp even has an FX loop. But the way you worded that makes it sound like that's what you are doing. If that is what you are doing, I would recommend a few things. You may want to put that tube screamer last in the chain. Probably make sure the chorus is before the delay like you have it. Also, I would probably put the wah between the guitar and the input.

    Battery powering every pedal? Many pedals will still light up even though there is not enough juice to drive the pedal. Try the pedals one at a time.

    When you say "output to guitar" you're really confusing me. I think the more common way to describe this is; I have my guitar, which I input into a pedal (line in), and then that outputs (line out) to the next pedals input (line in), which outputs (line out) to the next pedals input (line in), and that final pedals output (line out) to the amps input (line in). Does that track?

    Also, in this case, a picture might help.

    I should be able to help with this if I can get my head around it. I have like 3 different signal chains going on when I use my wireless setup for shows.

    Edit: Also, that flashback, if you are using the MONO line in, make sure you are using the MONO line out.

    Bolthorn on
  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    There's no dedicated fx channel it's all connected between the guitar and main amp inputs.

    I, um, reading your post, may have been connecting everything backwards. They were hooked amp to pedal input, then output to guitar input, which in retrospect makes no sense... But it's all worked fine like that before. (Also explains if my chain is backwards)

    They are on batteries all replaced at the same time. I was going to grab one of those daisy chain power chords on my way home today and I can take a picture if it ends up being something besides a power issue

  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Nah man. Your guitar only outputs. I mean, there are weird modelling guitars were the specialty plug does both inputs and outputs...and if you set up a MIDI pick up...you know what. I'll stop there. 95% of the time, your guitar only has an output (LINE OUT) 1/4 inch plug.

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    So if I'm gathering this right:

    Guitar (Plug is OUT) > (Input side) Pedal (Output side) > Input AMP?

    50433.png?1681748850
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Yes.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    So a solution has been found!

    I'm just a moron.

    (every other time i've had it traveling in the right direction. I have no idea why it ended up like that this time. I clearly wasn't paying attention at all when i was plugging stuff together.)

    Banzai5150DarkewolfeGnome-InterruptusBolthorn
  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    Glad you got it sorted out. There's nothing worse than "OMG why is my gear not working all of a sudden!" Had that at practice a few weeks ago. Guitar was acting strange like I had a short somewhere. Got it out earlier this week to diagnose and fix the problem, and I'm not having the problem now. So that's worse actually because now I'm afraid it'll show back up at some inconvenient time. If any of you end up in a band and play a live show, remember, always bring a backup guitar. The 100s of times I haven't needed one have been worth the 3 times I have. 3 times in 20 years. Still worth it. Also, extra fuses for guitar amps. Actually, all of you that have amps, find out what the fuse is and go buy spares. Spare everything! Tube amp? Spare full set. Guitar pics? Buy them by the 100s once you find one you really like. Keep a few in every room of the house and a few in the car. Hopefully not de-railing the thread too much.

  • EndaroEndaro Registered User regular
    It's a real shame there doesn't appear to be much written about effects and gear set up. Everything I've seen online seems to be offhand comments based on personal experience, but never really the how's and why's, or the do's and don't's.

    For example, up above, guitar ouput to input jack on pedal out to next input etc makes sense. But what order should effects go in? If you've got a volume pedal, a tuner pedal, a chorus pedal, and a distortion pedal, what order and why? Do people just fiddle around till it works?

    Effects in between guitar and amp make sense, but what if the amp is separated in to a header and the speaker, can anything go in between? Can something go after the amp, before it reaches something else like a PA or a recording device?

    It's all guesswork on my end.

  • BolthornBolthorn Registered User regular
    The only thing that should EVER be between a guitar amp head and a speaker is possibly what is called a hot plate. These are a rare and expensive piece of gear that people (like me) who bought an amp much louder than they really needed will use so they can still push the amp hard, but it doesn't blow out all the windows in a 20 mile radius. But again, 95% of the time, guitar amp head > Speaker out > guitar speaker cabinet. I don't own a hot plate, I just bought tubes that allow get me the sound I want at a lower volume. No one needs a 150W guitar amp.

    And yeah, there's not a whole lot out there on where to position what pedal where. You can find some recommendations on "this type of effects should be in an FX loop and this type should be prior to the input of the amp" but they're all opinions. In your example there Endaro I personally would go tuner, chorus, distortion with the volume pedal either being first or last, depending on what you're trying to do with the volume pedal. I would probably have them all in line from the guitar to the amp. Maybe put the chorus in the FX loop. Try both and see which sounds better. I recommend reverbs and delay type effects in the FX loop.

    And yes, some things can go after the amp if the amp has a line out. Usually, these line outs go into another guitar amp. There's nothing stopping you from going from the amps line out (NOT speaker out. Speaker out only ever goes to the speaker/speaker cabinet) to another set of effects and then into another amp. Bands that only have one guitar player that used to have two will sometimes do this setup. I did it for awhile when we didn't have a second guitar player or a bass player. I put a harmonizer before the second amp. It was loud and worked really great for our music. But yeah, mostly just experimentation.

    My main rig setup is pretty easy though really (when not accounting for the wireless stuff) Guitar > ISP Decimator II > Guitar Amp line in. FX loop: FX Send to my FX-1 Personal Effects Processor > FX Return on the amp. I use the FX-1 for a bit of reverb in about 1 song. With the wireless, things get more complicated.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    i had a shorthand list that I use as a basepoint then I plan on experimenting when I pick up the last few pieces I'm looking for.

    i can't find it right now but I'm pretty sure it's guitar -> tuners -> wahs -> distortion/overdrives -> modulation/chorus/delay type stuff -> amp

    there's some interesting stuff you can do with placing the tuner first where you can use it as a bypass but still let the effects play out.

    My issue right now is in finding the right pedals i like and playing with them enough to find what sounds they're doing so i've been slow to add to my collection. The Flashback was the first pedal i've ever bought (those others where gifts years ago). I mean to grab a tuner next then kind of just see what pedals life brings me

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I really need to change my guitar strings on my acoustic I think but I really don't wanna futz with tuning the thing right now.

    On the plus side I've gotten way better at barre chords and am making progress on changing between chords.

  • TommattTommatt Registered User regular
    If I remember right, Rocksmith actually goes through the various pedals, what they do, and what order they should be put in idealy.

  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    Tommatt wrote: »
    If I remember right, Rocksmith actually goes through the various pedals, what they do, and what order they should be put in idealy.

    Yeah it does go into that iirc

    Personally I skipped just about all of it because I play standing due to not really having a good seat to sit and play by my PC (I hate navigating the menus via keyboard anymore than I have to while standing)

    At some point I should just fire up the game for the sole purpose of reading through that stuff

    HappylilElf on
  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    This Tuesdays DLC is from Biff Clyio however you spell it.

    50433.png?1681748850
  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    Biffy clyro I think?

    Never listened to them. Punk band right?

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    Biffy clyro I think?

    Never listened to them. Punk band right?

    Sounds pop to me.

    50433.png?1681748850
  • TommattTommatt Registered User regular
    Tommatt wrote: »
    If I remember right, Rocksmith actually goes through the various pedals, what they do, and what order they should be put in idealy.

    Yeah it does go into that iirc

    Personally I skipped just about all of it because I play standing due to not really having a good seat to sit and play by my PC (I hate navigating the menus via keyboard anymore than I have to while standing)

    At some point I should just fire up the game for the sole purpose of reading through that stuff

    YA, same here. I've seen some mods people have made to make stomp boxes pretty much. Heard about people using other controllers to be able to swap stuff too.

    Vladimer
  • TommattTommatt Registered User regular
    Wow does it feel good to have new strings on my guitar. Although my fretboard now feels a little rough compared to that 4k gibson heh.

    People were asking how to finger various power chords, and it's really preference, but I just noticed something I tend to do out of instinct. Now, typically if I have to pick something out I'll use fingers just to make sure I have nice even pressure and can move around freely. But for my natural go to motion it depends on what string the root is on and I think this stems from barre chords.

    If the root is on the Low E I use ring and pinky for the A and D strings. Out of habbit from barre chords and needing the middle finger the the G string I'm gussing. If the root is on the A string however I typically barre it, as I cheat on major barre chords and just play a power chord. I can't get a kink bar down, and it's just a pain to cram your fingers in there like an A chord. It's not like anybody hears that High E anyways, and if I need to pick it I find ways. Once a friends dad showed me how he played those major chords, and my responsed to my question about the high with "who cares about that little guy" I just haven't cared and just play it. He gigged for many years not worrying about that high E (Although I'm pretty sure he kink barres it pretty good)

  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Debating getting a new guitar

    I mean the RB3 Squier works decently enough but the fake wood texturing they put into the plastic of the fretboard is getting more and more annoying.

Sign In or Register to comment.