Rock Band series - Rock Band 4 out now

[quote name='RichMeisterMan']1 player for up to 3 mics
1 player for guitar
1 player for bass
1 player for drums
1 player for keyboard
- That's 5 players total.

How are 5 people going to log into 1 Xbox 360? Hmm?
[/QUOTE]

That's a good question. They MIGHT make a work-around, where in the menu you set up a full five-instrument band, and you tie the vocals controls into one of the other instrument controllers. BUT, that would mean that, a) it would be a pain in the butt to adjust the mic volume settings mid-song, b) make it impossible to use the face buttons on the controller for the tambourine/cowbell notes, and c) make it impossible to use the Rock Band Stage Kit, since that must be the vocal controller. Still, all that being said, it might be an acceptable trade off.

It may also be that the new keyboard has some extra buttons on it specifically for vocal controls. Since any 5-instrument band would require a NEW keyboard (no legacy hardware issues), they could specifically build that functionality into the keyboard. We didn't get a real good look at the "neck" of the keyboard/keytar prototype in the USA Today video, so who knows. I'm just speculating, but there are possible solutions.

I'd also like to repeat my request for a Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band song. So many of their classics include prominent piano/keys.
 
http://www.plasticaxe.com/2010/06/1...-pro-mode-peripherals-and-drum-functionality/

$79.99 for keyboard alone and $129.99 with game. Plus can use any MIDI keyboard or drums with conversion box with the game as well. That and a pic. of the new Mustang that teaches. Basically holy shit.

rock-band-3-mustang-controller.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofITzQf4zzg&feature=player_embedded

Plus looks like that unused hole in Rock Band 2 drums will finally be put to use.
 
[quote name='bardockkun']http://www.plasticaxe.com/2010/06/1...-pro-mode-peripherals-and-drum-functionality/

$79.99 for keyboard alone and $129.99 with game. Plus can use any MIDI keyboard or drums with conversion box with the game as well. That and a pic. of the new Mustang that teaches. Basically holy shit.
[/QUOTE]

That's good to hear, I wonder how the stock keyboard will feel. I have a dinky Akai LPK25, Novation Nocturn-25 and an MPK25, but $40 just for the conversion box sounds meh.
 
So stoked I can use my own keyboard with that converter box. But I'll still consider getting the keyboard controller, just because it'll be a hassle to move my keyboard in front of my TV.
 
[quote name='CouRageouS']So stoked I can use my own keyboard with that converter box. But I'll still consider getting the keyboard controller, just because it'll be a hassle to move my keyboard in front of my TV.[/QUOTE]

Plus you can wear it as a keytar, that alone is enough for me and my friends.
 
Oh and in the interview they really pressed about Billy Joel and Harmonix seems fully aware. CheapyD and Shipwreck should be pleased.

Yeah, this maybe only game I need this holiday season with how many features they're packing. Though with that price it better be. Plus can also use keytar as bass or guitar.
 
Damn all this sounds so freaking great. I was really on the fence if I would pick it up day 1 and it now looks like not only will I get the game but the keyboard as well.

If they say they are patching keyboard into all old DLC and songs its insta buy for sure.
 
[quote name='bardockkun']Oh and in the interview they really pressed about Billy Joel and Harmonix seems fully aware. CheapyD and Shipwreck should be pleased.

Yeah, this maybe only game I need this holiday season with how many features they're packing. Though with that price it better be. Plus can also use keytar as bass or guitar.[/QUOTE]

haha, Billy Joel: Rock Band. The Office knows all!!!
 
I didn't play any music games for a good 4 months at least. Now I'm loving Green Day: Rock Band, and Rock band 3 gives em the biggest fuckin' boner.
 
[quote name='KingofOldSchool']Billy Joel Rock Band would be amazingly awesome.[/QUOTE]

Haha, it honestly would. 10 years ago, I would have been like "eww! no! screw off!" But with age comes wisdom, and I just can't deny how great Billy Joel is anymore. "The Entertainer" should be in RB3 at the very least.
 
Liking what I'm hearing about RB3. Between the keyboard, the "more advanced"optional instruments, and RBN chugging along nicely, the genre may get a shot in the arm that it badly needs.
 
[quote name='RichMeisterMan']1 player for up to 3 mics
1 player for guitar
1 player for bass
1 player for drums
1 player for keyboard
- That's 5 players total.

How are 5 people going to log into 1 Xbox 360? Hmm?

On another note; someone mentioned Andrew W.K. and I second that motion.[/QUOTE]I noticed something in this GameSpot video: http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6265161/rock-band-3-hands-on?tag=topslot;title;1

If you look carefully on the instrument select screen, you can see the message: "All Instruments Mode Enabled!
Vocalists don't require a controller to play. They'll be..."

and then it cuts off. But from what I can make out, it looks like the mics will simply be used without a controller in a complete band. Not a big deal unless you were REALLY concerned about tracking achievements for 5-7 people at all times (personally I've never had more then two profiles signed in during my local full-band games).

EDIT: oh and I'm not sure if this was mentioned here yet, but you can rate all songs using the "lighter" system set up in RBN. For all intents and purposes, this is the "blacklist" feature that people have wanted since for ever. Visions can take 1 lighter and GTFO!
 
This is getting out of hand. I still have my original RB set and am still trying to justify the full price purchase to myself. I have plenty fun with it but Christ, RB3 full set looks like it will be $300+ easy. Also, a 100+ button controller!??! Sweet Jesus we are seriously getting to the point of just buying an actual guitar and learning to play.
 
Wow. Just, wow. Love how drum Pro info is basically in most of the songs already (too bad I don't drum)

Also, I really hope (though I kinda doubt it) that at least some legacy game and DLC songs will get patches for adding in keyboards/guitar Pro (even a DLC for patching it in, like .50 - 1.00 per song).

Damn tempted to get that fully strung guitar, depending on final cost (I was one of the fools that went out and bought a guitar when GH first came out, taught myself smoke on the water and a couple punk songs, and it's been collecting dust ever since)
 
[quote name='bardockkun']http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/11/rock-band-3-hands-on-preview/

More information on the gameplay portion of things. I Think this is one of the rhythm games where I don't need the setlist to be fully sold. Plus I love the fact that you see your character getting the van or hanging up posters in the start menu. That and party mode isn't a mode at all, but can be done in what seems like every game mode.[/QUOTE]From the link, for those who didn't click it...

The music choice screen has also vastly improved -- with so many songs in the library, the devs said, just flipping through titles wasn't good enough. So now there's a filter system -- you can choose all songs with five star difficulty for guitars, or all songs from the 80s, or all songs from RBN or Rock Band 2 (RB3 will allow you to import previous games' and downloadable songs, though not all the details are worked out quite yet), or all songs with a certain length or all songs of a certain genre.
Click to expand...
 
Apparently the keyboard can be used to play guitar or bass parts (though not in a full band obviously). For some of the old songs, this will actually be a decent workaround if they don't get updated. It won't do anything for like the intro to Don't Stop Believing, but for stuff like Clint Eastwood or the Freezepop songs this will come in handy.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']Apparently the keyboard can be used to play guitar or bass parts (though not in a full band obviously). For some of the old songs, this will actually be a decent workaround if they don't get updated. It won't do anything for like the intro to Don't Stop Believing, but for stuff like Clint Eastwood or the Freezepop songs this will come in handy.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that way the keyboard player can have something to do while playing older songs that don't have a keyboard part. They can just play the bass line on the keyboard to keep involved. Works for me.
 
So stoked I can use my own keyboard with that converter box. But I'll still consider getting the keyboard controller, just because it'll be a hassle to move my keyboard in front of my TV.
Click to expand...

I've got this Big Ass Kawai that has been collecting dust for 15 years... There's no way I'm dragging that around with me to my friends or in front of my TV.
 
[quote name='BlueSwim']From the link, for those who didn't click it...[/QUOTE]


Nice that I wasn't the only one spooked by that...
 
[quote name='AlohaMars2']Nice that I wasn't the only one spooked by that...[/QUOTE]?

I'm glad to know that there will be some sort of song export option for RB2. I hope the 90's grunge RB2 songs by Nirvana, AiC, L7, & Soundgarden don't go the way of 'Enter Sandman' from the first Rock Band when it comes time to export.
 
[quote name='BlueSwim']?

I'm glad to know that there will be some sort of song export option for RB2. I hope the 90's grunge RB2 songs by Nirvana, AiC, L7, & Soundgarden don't go the way of 'Enter Sandman' from the first Rock Band when it comes time to export.[/QUOTE]I wish I had a direct source, but I think HMX said way back when they explained the original export that all songs from RB2 onward would transfer fine.

Even if there was a problem with a few tracks I doubt AiC, Nirvana, or Soundgarden would be an issue as we've gotten plenty of DLC from them (Soundgarden has a pack on the way).
 
I'm just thankful I can use my actual guitar rather than having the shame of stacking another plastic guitar in my room.

edit: or can we?
 
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[quote name='hhhdx4']I'm just thankful I can use my actual guitar rather than having the shame of stacking another plastic guitar in my room.

edit: or can we?[/QUOTE]For guitar you will need to use one of the two special Pro guitars they are making for the game. One is a really advanced game controller with some actual strings and a ton of buttons making up the frets. The other is for all intense and purposes a real guitar with some RB-specific guts inside.

However, there is that MIDI controller thing that will allow real drums and real keyboards to be officially supported.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']I wish I had a direct source, but I think HMX said way back when they explained the original export that all songs from RB2 onward would transfer fine.

Even if there was a problem with a few tracks I doubt AiC, Nirvana, or Soundgarden would be an issue as we've gotten plenty of DLC from them (Soundgarden has a pack on the way).[/QUOTE]That sounds familiar to me, too. I think I remember reading something about that on Joystiq a few years ago.

Thanks for the reassurance on the grunge tracks being okay. If 'Man In The Box' isn't in Rock Band 3 somehow, I'll never be able to "call it a night". It's my closer!:lol::lol::lol:
 
How about keyboards with USB MIDI compatibility (like my Yamaha DXG). I would hope we could just plug it in via the USB input on the PS3 or 360.
 
[quote name='spoonman']How about keyboards with USB MIDI compatibility (like my Yamaha DXG). I would hope we could just plug it in via the USB input on the PS3 or 360.[/QUOTE]

Not exactly. The article states that you'll have to buy a "converter box", which essentially is the guts of a controller (guide button, d-pad, A, B, X, Y, etc.) to allow it to interact with the game. They're showing the pricing on that at $40 right now.

I don't know where I stand with Rock Band right now. I love it, and as a musician, it's a fun way to blend two of my passions. But now that it's "getting real", as a musician, I feel compelled to "play properly"...which would mean buying "real instruments" that work with the game, in addition to the plastic instruments I own that work with the game, in addition to the real instruments I own for playing music outside of the game.

I've got a full 88 key Yamaha Portable Grand in my studio, and while it would be nice to use it in Rock Band, there's no way I'm dragging it into the living room. And I don't even have that option with my guitars. If I want to actually be practicing and doing myself some good, I'm going to have to plop down the cash for that souped-up Squier? I can promise you that thing will be at least $300 by itself. Not to mention I have the ion drums. I can only hope that they'll be powerful enough to do everything I would want in terms of drumming in Pro mode.

I'm really happy that the genre is finally at a place where it's becoming useful and is teaching people an actual skill, but damn, we might as well be starting over. It would be great if there was some kind of discount voucher for the early adopters who've got all this old plastic hardware and are faced with either continuing to "play fake" or basically just throw away their previous investment and start fresh.
 
I'm getting toward the end of Green Day Rock Band and the videos you unlock are actually pretty cool.

Holy shit at what people are paying for export codes! $20?! Seriously?!

I see used games w/o the codes are between $33-41 already on ebay. Wow.

Are we gonna NEED to buy a new guitar for the new Rock Band?
Click to expand...
Nope. You don't need to buy anything to play the game.

If you want to play Guitar on Pro mode and learn to play, yes.

I'm not sure if RB2 drums will detect the cymbals right or not though.

Ninja Edit: Looks the OP updated the banners and tags. Good show!
 
[quote name='2DMention']I'm getting toward the end of Green Day Rock Band and the videos you unlock are actually pretty cool.

Holy shit at what people are paying for export codes! $20?! Seriously?!

I see used games w/o the codes are between $33-41 already on ebay. Wow.
[/QUOTE]


The videos that are interviews and behind the scenes are pretty sweet. The live performances of songs though are wack. If i want to listen to Boulevard of Broken Dreams I'll play it! Sheesh!
 
[quote name='2DMention']

I'm not sure if RB2 drums will detect the cymbals right or not though.
[/QUOTE]
The RB2 cymbals drum expansion that's been out since around launch of RB2 are basically same as the ones for pro mode.

If anything wondering if they're going to make a specific pedal for the high hat slot.
 
[quote name='spoonman']How about keyboards with USB MIDI compatibility (like my Yamaha DXG). I would hope we could just plug it in via the USB input on the PS3 or 360.[/QUOTE]

I think that's going to be a bit far fetched if they're going towards a general market, which they are.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Not exactly. The article states that you'll have to buy a "converter box", which essentially is the guts of a controller (guide button, d-pad, A, B, X, Y, etc.) to allow it to interact with the game. They're showing the pricing on that at $40 right now.

I don't know where I stand with Rock Band right now. I love it, and as a musician, it's a fun way to blend two of my passions. But now that it's "getting real", as a musician, I feel compelled to "play properly"...which would mean buying "real instruments" that work with the game, in addition to the plastic instruments I own that work with the game, in addition to the real instruments I own for playing music outside of the game.

I've got a full 88 key Yamaha Portable Grand in my studio, and while it would be nice to use it in Rock Band, there's no way I'm dragging it into the living room. And I don't even have that option with my guitars. If I want to actually be practicing and doing myself some good, I'm going to have to plop down the cash for that souped-up Squier? I can promise you that thing will be at least $300 by itself. Not to mention I have the ion drums. I can only hope that they'll be powerful enough to do everything I would want in terms of drumming in Pro mode.

I'm really happy that the genre is finally at a place where it's becoming useful and is teaching people an actual skill, but damn, we might as well be starting over. It would be great if there was some kind of discount voucher for the early adopters who've got all this old plastic hardware and are faced with either continuing to "play fake" or basically just throw away their previous investment and start fresh.[/QUOTE]

I question how valid these, "pro" modes actually are. I feel the drums aren't pro, and won't be until they add a hihat pedal. On guitar we've seen how these games sometimes makes songs that are easy to play hard. Like Good Riddance by Green Day for example which was just brought up; it's easy on real guitar to play but it's a real ball buster in Rock Band. I mean, do they plan on also adjusting the note charts or are they just going to slap some numbers/cymbal symbols on the note highway?

I too have the ions, and those should be pretty upgradeable. You'll just need the new controller apparatus if changed shit around that much. As of now though you'll just need that one extra cymbal it didn't come with.
 
[quote name='RichMeisterMan']I question how valid these, "pro" modes actually are. I feel the drums aren't pro, and won't be until they add a hihat pedal.[/QUOTE]

Just in case you missed this...
[quote name='RockBandAide.com']Oh yeah, and that second “mystery” jack that everyone was asking about? That will be by default a second kick pedal jack…or you can switch it to be a hi-hat, which functions in the free-play drum modes or the drum fills. If the song has double-kick, well then so will Rock Band 3.[/quote]

I'll admit, I don't touch my drum set anymore, so I don't honestly know how helpful this will be towards making it feel more pro, but at least there will be dual pedals.
 
That means nothing. The hihat won't be incorporated into game play, and I don't have a mystery jack on my ions. Looks like it'll be single pedal and maybe the cymbals for me.

I really don't like the cymbals though; they're too damned noisy! I use the green though because having it high and to the right really makes things more efficient. I even took the yellow off of my ions just because it was more of a distraction than anything else. Plus some dipshit friend of mine somehow got the pedal's cable under the foot pedal so it got gnawed to shreds so I had to replace it with the yellow cymbal's cable anyway.

Anyone else here kind of hate their friends playing on their ions? It's not even all my friends just the one's that have managed to start playing on expert and are mildly familiar with Rock Band. They adjust my set and on top of that it's usually an ear full of plastic smashing despite adjusting the set to their liking.
 
RB3 will either be a HUGE flop (could end up being Way too challenging for a lot of people). Six seperate strings to plug will not be easy.
Or it could turn into the next best thing to Guitar/piano lessons. All they need now it to run an actual Music sheet across the screen to help people learn to actually read real music.
 
[quote name='sunnysky']RB3 will either be a HUGE flop (could end up being Way too challenging for a lot of people). Six seperate strings to plug will not be easy.
Or it could turn into the next best thing to Guitar/piano lessons. All they need now it to run an actual Music sheet across the screen to help people learn to actually read real music.[/QUOTE]

RB3 a flop? No way in hell.
 
[quote name='masked lemon']What about my set of RB1 Drums? Am I going to have to get a new set? I take it the expansion won't work with it?[/QUOTE]

RB1 drums should work just fine in the normal mode, but they don't support the cymbals, no, so they won't work for Pro mode. But you'll only NEED to upgrade if you really want to play Pro mode.
 
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