Rockband - only more for reals.

Dr_Watso

Platinum Member
http://store.steampowered.com/app/205190/

This is interesting. Plug the guitar into your computer, and actually play instead of push buttons or play simon on a pathetic "drum kit".

Would be interesting to see this done with say roland and yammy drum modules so you could do the same with drums...
 
my guess is that it will come out for drums eventually but the market is much smaller and the cost of an e kit is much higher than an electric guitar.
 
Actually, while it is folow the colors, the patterns used (especially on the higher difficulty levels) are the actual drums for most of the sonds, transposed onto 4 pads and a kick. I actually got my start in drumming from noticing almost all the rock songs had the same basic pattern. I honestly don't see how it's any different than folowing sheet music for drums.
 
Actually, while it is folow the colors, the patterns used (especially on the higher difficulty levels) are the actual drums for most of the sonds, transposed onto 4 pads and a kick. I actually got my start in drumming from noticing almost all the rock songs had the same basic pattern. I honestly don't see how it's any different than folowing sheet music for drums.

It's different because with sheet music, you are given actual, definable note values. You aren't given those in Rockband. Secondly, sheet music doesn't automatically scroll for you. You have to actually 'read' it and track it yourself on the page.
 
It's different because with sheet music, you are given actual, definable note values. You aren't given those in Rockband. Secondly, sheet music doesn't automatically scroll for you. You have to actually 'read' it and track it yourself on the page.

Rockband does have gridlines on the scrolling game board, and the "notes" are placed in relation to the gridlines... So if there's a gridline every 1/4 note, and you see 3 evenly spaced "notes" within that cell then they're triplet 1/8s... etc. I think the grid size changes automatically based on the tempo. So the "notes" do have value, but I don't think anyone has ever payed that much attention to them, or at least I never did.

And sheet music can automatically scroll for you, with a computer's help anyway. Finale has a feature like that where it displays the entire score on one horizontal line (or 2+ linked staves if it's a multi-staff score), and auto-scrolls it as it plays back through MIDI (obviously the tempo needs to be set correctly for this to work).
 
Sibelius has had an auto-scroll since I started using it and I know that DAW packages have had if for years for their MIDI note playback.

The point is, in a band situation you are very unlikely to ever be given a computer file that will scroll for you based on a master clock controlled by the conductor. You are going to be given a sheet of paper with notation on it.
 
The end result is the same though. You're decoding visual signals into something you play. I don't think a suggestion was being made that rock band and drum notation were exactly the same.
 
Certain electric drum kits hook up with these types of video games and function almost exactly like playing the real drum kit along with the songs.

But at the prices I don't see why you don't just, you know, play along with the song, without it having to be some sort of video game.
 
I don't think we're replacing one for the other any time soon. The only way to be able to read sheet music is to PRACTICE READING SHEET MUSIC.

And then the other issue arises, practicing on electronic kits and then performing on an acoustic set. Whoa nelly....
 
So...on a scale of 1 to 10...how much of a waste of time is Rock Band? I'd say a solid 8.
 
So...on a scale of 1 to 10...how much of a waste of time is Rock Band? I'd say a solid 8.

Its just as much of a waste of time as watching TV, playing other video games, reading fiction, watching sports, or pretty much anything people do for fun.
 
What I was alluding to is if you want to play drums, then Rock Band, IMO, is a waste of time. I'd encourage beginners to use that time on a real drum kit instead of Rock Band, it's a more efficient use of time and better in the short run and the long run.
 
What I was alluding to is if you want to play drums, then Rock Band, IMO, is a waste of time. I'd encourage beginners to use that time on a real drum kit instead of Rock Band, it's a more efficient use of time and better in the short run and the long run.

I agree if your purpose is to learn to play the drums.

On the other hand, if you're just playing it for fun with friends with no desire to become a drummer, then it's just what it is - a diverting bit of entertainment.

My brother (for instance) used to be alarmingly good at Guitar Hero. Can he play the guitar? Hell no. Can I play the guitar? Yes, I can - but I'm useless at Guitar Hero. He has no desire to play the guitar but played the game for laughs.
 
Rock Band

As drummers what is your opinion on Rock Band/Guitar Hero drums? Is it anything like the real world? For example, if you look at a song like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50qDKt02mlk

How long would it take you to play it and hit it pretty much note for note?

Reason I ask is I haven't bought a drum kit yet so I'm a complete beginner. But I used to have Rock Band and I found it quite hard. I obviously didn't practice enough but would you say for somebody who couldn't hit notes on a screen then real drumming is not going to be their thing? In particular it was the foot hand co-ordination in hitting that bass pedal that done me.
 
The only thing games like Rockband help with (from a purely drumming perspective) is timing. With these games you've got nowhere to hide as far as hitting the right drum at the right time.
It does indeed suck playing on the so called "kit" that comes with the game but much more enjoyable playing with e-drums.
 
When the rockband kit came out a few years ago, all my daughter's friends had to have it. Within a few months, the drum set was relegated to the garage, and eventually on sale on Craigslist.
 
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