Rock Band users discovering hardware issues?

While we're still quite early in the game (literally), reports have started trickling in that there may be some substantial issues with some of the hardware included in Harmonix's latest and greatest, Rock Band. According to forum posts from disgruntled users, folks who've just gotten the game are having a litany of problems, from drums with no sensitivity, an always-on whammy, and sticky buttons -- but most of the stress seems to be related to the downstrum. Current descriptions paint the problem as an overly- or ineffectual strum, resulting in a pretty annoying game experience. Of course, it's early on right now, and it's too soon to know if this is a widespread problem or if it's relegated to a small production batch. We pose this question to our readers: are you having Rock Band issues?

[Thanks, J]

[Gotung @ Nov 23rd 2007 9:49AM]

Downstrum conked out after 3 days. :(

Luckily I have both a GH3 and GH2 guitar to keep on jammin.

[ackatack @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:00PM]

The downstrum on my friend's guitar also went out after 3 days. Haven't really had any issues with the drums, yet.

[JTM @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:39PM]

I've played the drums through about 80 songs, most on Medium difficulty. No problems yet. The guitar has played about 20 songs and is still working fine.

[Brendon @ Nov 26th 2007 12:54PM]

Downstrum = FAIL

Yeah mine broke just this weekend with only 5 days of use on it. Funny thing is Saturday morning I got a perfect song then that evening I played and it just stopped working all of a sudden.

[Brendon @ Nov 26th 2007 12:56PM]

^^^ but I am getting a replacement guitar from EA at no cost. it should be here on Tuesday (crossed fingers)

[lvturner @ Nov 23rd 2007 9:51AM]

Alas, it's still not available in the UK - I suppose the upshot is that at least it will be tested fully!

[brandon p. @ Nov 23rd 2007 9:57AM]

i played it in a best buy, the downward strum sucks a ton. maybe it was on purpose for HARDER ROCKIN'... i would be pissed if i bought that thing and it was starting to go before you even get through the whole game.

[Newman @ Nov 23rd 2007 9:58AM]

Day 3 and all is well, and my 4-year-old cousin has been wailing on the drums with an inhuman ferocity!

[Ellie @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:05AM]

Yeah I tried Rock band at my local best buy and the downstum didnt work at all, you could ony upstrum. I decided right then to hold off buying it because of hardware issues.

[Dave @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:07AM]

Yeah, my downstrum stopped working. It's now started working again, but it doesn't seem parcticularly reliable. Like everyone else it's lucky there are other guitars, but I expect the one I paid for to at least work.

[Khris @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:07AM]

And thankfully you've set the bar so low that everyone else's comments (even the lame ones) will appear witty and insightful.

BRAVO!

[rickjamess @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:10AM]

I am curious--can people include which system they have rock band for that are experiencing hardware issues?

[Gotung @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:15AM]

Mine is the xbox360 version.

[Newman @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:26AM]

360 version here, too

[Mike Jenkins @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:19AM]

After playing continuously on day 1, the downstrum broke on the Fender, and upon opening the guitar I noticed that a small piece of the switch had broken off and could not be fixed. Now I'm waiting for a replacement.

[tehpwnmstr @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:19AM]

got it tuesday, (the release date) for my 360. really i have had no problems with the guitar. the dpad on it is in a really awkward place tho. OTOH, my yellow drum pad no longer functions. and i think im getting carpal tunnel in my ankle. one last thing... there are a lot of well known artists on the game, but the songs are not always as well known.

[Zak @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:19AM]

I have the PS3 version... guitar is AOK after maybe 5 hours of use. My girlfriend didn't have much trouble on the drums (chalked it up to learning curve) but I swear there's something wrong with them. The red pad isn't picking me up.

[Ghen @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:30AM]

try playing only red notes on practice to see if you notice a trend.

[Zak @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:33AM]

I haven't actually tested officially, but when I got mad and started beating on it (yeah I know, mature) it was only registering maybe a third of those hits.

[roborino @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:22AM]

I have the xbox360 pack. The guitar downstrum on my guitar feels spongey and does not register quick downstrumming on long patterns of short notes. I have been playing with 4 other people and all of us prefer to use the Xplorer guitar from GHII. There is definitly a noticeable difference or problem with the Rockband guitar. If Harmonix responds that the guitar is designed to accurately represent the experience of being in a rock band or some other nonsense, then others should just buy the instruments individually and buy the GH guitar equipment instead because you will not be happy if you are a GH owner

[Blake @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:30AM]

you would think they could learn to make a guitar that works. it's not like this is GH1. my GH2 whammy didn't work, my GH3 fret buttons don't work, and now my strum bar doesn't work on my Rock Band guitar. this is getting to be re-god-damn-diculus.

[Chris @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:03PM]

The guitars for Guitar Hero were made by Red Octane. Red Octane had nothing to do with Rock Band.

[Blake @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:57PM]

I guess that makes everything better. Since Harmonix manufactured this guitar I feel a lot better. At this stage of the "guitar peripheral game", the failure rate should be lower is all I'm saying.

[MDB @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:33AM]

360 version here--I guess I really must pound the drums pretty hard because about 4 hours into drumming on the medium campaign i broke a stick. No worries, bought a new pair of sticks, but then the plastic piece that anchors the front of the foot pedal broke off. I was able to fix it with a ton of packing tape, and it's functional, but it still sucks that it broke.

The guitar blows. Period. I think mine works okay, it's just not as precise as the Xplorer or wireless Les Paul. It doesn't matter as much though I guess, since Rock Band songs are a joke on guitar.

[Gotung @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:16AM]

They are "easier" in that they don't add in notes that aren't there anymore just for difficulties sake.

The point of RockBand is for the whole band to play in sync, not for you to be able to fail away playing some of the bassist's (or even keyboard) notes just you you can look cool showing off your uber plastic guitar skills.

[MDB @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:05PM]

Relax troll. All I'm saying is that for me, playing guitar in Rock Band is quite boring because I'm so used to playing songs like The Trooper. There aren't many high-intensity songs like that in Rock Band.

No need to be a douche, douche.

[JTM @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:45PM]

One thing to consider, they're calling Rock Band a "platform" rather than a game. There is going to be tons of downloadable content. I have a feeling if you want more songs that really "thrash", check the DLC and you'll find what you're looking for. Maybe not immediately, but at the rate of 9 new songs every week for the rest of the year and more next year, there will be a lot to choose from.

[Gluesniffer @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:34AM]

PS3 Version

The guitar is really flaky. Fast sections are not picking up random notes. Very frustrating. Since the classic guitar hero strum bar click is gone, it's really hard to feel any tactile feedback that you have strummed correctly. I have tried several different styles to get it to work consistently, but haven't gotten it figured out. I plan on contacting EA for a replacement soon.

Drums work sweet for me. Been playing mostly expert (played in high school). I wail them and they work great. My wife plays super light, and they work great for her as well. I wish they have a bit more bounce. Especially the peddle. Anybody try to play "one" with just one peddle?

[paro @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:34AM]

I bought Rock Band two days ago and haven't noticed and hardware problems yet. I really like the new guitar, the strum switch is just awesome. No more annoying loud clicks. I basically just have to tap it now which for some may seem like it's overly-sensitive.

The drums have worked pretty well, no sensitivity issue, they're just a little loud. This wouldn't be a problem if they'd just turn up the drum noises on the system more. The guitars drown out my awesome drumming skills and hitting the pads harder isn't helping. I think my neighbor below me is unhappy with my loud bass pedal thumping...

[Tim Dorr @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:50AM]

Yeah, the whole "thock"-ing noise from the drums is damn annoying. You're supposed to hit lighter to minimize the noise, but most people don't. I just wish they made the pads a bit more solid to reduce the noise.

And I've not had any problems with the guitar yet. I personally think it's a nicer guitar than anything from the GH universe, but apparently I'm alone in that opinion...

[Mad Dick Bones @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:01AM]

I personally like the style of the Rock Band guitar much more. I like that it looks like a real guitar instead of a silly toy. But actually playing stuff with it isn't so much fun. No way I could beat jordan with that piece of shit.

[Coldfire @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:26PM]

You could try to use a piece of cloth on top of the drums to reduce the impact noises, I used that on some band pratices to avoid getting deaf because the drummer was the missing link between man and monkeys.

[Marc Federico @ Nov 23rd 2007 7:54PM]

dude, youre hitting a pad, what do you expect to hear?? its the same as the strumming and clicking sound on the guitar, if you can hear either, you dont have the volume up LOUD ENOUGH! blast that music and get into the songs!

[tossinstuff @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:35AM]

I had a hunch it would go down like this.
Nothings perfect.

[Mad Dick Bones @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:39AM]

You're definitely right, and I'm pissed the guitar isn't up to snuff and that my pedal broke, and that one of the sticks broke a couple hours out of the box, but that said, I still do not regret buying the game at all. It rocks.

[Steve S @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:04PM]

I only had Rock Band for 5 days and the bass drum pedal i had broke at the spring (i dont even hit hard) and the guitar was crap out of the box. Game Stop told me that I had to do a warranty exchange for the guitar through EA and I couldn't exchange it in store. After putting over $180 bucks to buy it just to shell out a $100 hold on my debit card pisses me off! (30day wait for credit!!) Poor design all around. and the bass drum pedal...Come on... a CHEAP PLASTIC BASS DRUM pedal!! At least use a better plastic. Someone on a another web site said that bracing the bass pedal with chop sticks helps. It's pretty bad that a manufacturer wouldn't think to provide better bracing on something that you stomp on!

[Dave Zatz @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:43AM]

Downstream still working for me, but my blue drum pad has problems. Sometimes when I hit it nothing happens and sometimes when I hit it, it produced three simultaneous beats. (Sometimes, it works correctly too.) So far the guitar is fine and I prefer it to GH III.

[Devron @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:46AM]

This is totally anecdotal evidence, but at my Best Buy (Long Island, NY), I was there the day they set up the demo kit. (About 2 weeks ago). When I went back on Wednesday, The 3rd drum pad (blue) was dead -- I tried to jiggle the cord -- nothing.

(Again, this is kinda to be expected since people treat the demo units like rental cars. But I thought the demo unit would be a good indication of whether the units can take wear and tear. After all -- the Guitar Hero II unit has been up for months, and it still seems to work fine.

[Walt @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:55AM]

360 version: Only problem so far is that one of the ports on the USB hub broke - the little white plastic tab inside came off. No worries, I just plug in the 4th instrument into the 2nd front USB input on the 360. However, that USB hub is amazingly poor quality.

I do like the actual guitar less than GH. The strum seems stiff.

[Rick @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:00AM]

My buddy got the 360 version, and the only issues we had were solved by going to the options menu and recalibrating the equipment. Doesn't seem to involve much on the user's part--you just choose the recalibrate option, and pick the type of television you're using. Try that if you're having sensitivity issues. For awhile, it seemed like the drums were on a lag or something. Also, we played for hours and hours on T-day, and the guitar was working fine.

[michaelblack @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:10AM]

My guitar and drums worked fine. I only got to play for a few hours before I had to get ready to leave town, so I haven't played it since tuesday, so I can't comment on the state of the drums or guitar. However, my microphone didn't work out of the box. I would plug it in and it just wouldn't recognize it at all. Has anyone researched the return process?

[Todd Ross @ Nov 23rd 2007 6:50PM]

You know that in order to use the microphone, you have to have an Xbox 360 controller connected and turned on, right? The other peripherals are controllers unto themselves, but that isn't the case with the mic.

[glide @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:39AM]

I don't think it's too early to state this IS, in fact, a HUGE problem. The overwhelming majority of Rock Band owners have issues with the downstrum when playing a bunch of notes in succession. Not only that, but Harmonix / EA have been very tight lipped about the situation.

On top of that - PS3 owners got screwed since the GH3 controllers DO NOT work with Rock Band as initially reported. So what happened to all those who bought just the game and not the bundle? Why would the game even be sold separately if there are no controllers available that work with it? I smell a false advertising suit...

Bad form Harmonix / EA. You made a great game in theory; but couldn't deliver in practice.

[Nate @ Nov 23rd 2007 3:21PM]

Where did you see Rock Band for the PS3 available without the bundle? It doesn't exist. And for all the reasons you stated.

Not that I'm not pissed that the PS3 GH3 guitar doesn't work with Rock Band or vice versa. Not that I'm not pissed that the PS3 GH3 guitar doesn't work for BC w/ GH2. Not that I'm not pissed that it's impossible to play multiplayer with PS3 GH3 unless you buy the whole $100 bundle twice. Not that I'm not pissed that you can't play rock band with guitar and bass without buying the whole $170 bundle twice.

No... it's not that I'm not pissed.

[Gregory Harbin @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:48AM]

Basically, yes. My Strat's downstrum doesn't work. I've sent away for my new guitar and coffin from EA, hopefully it'll get here by Monday.

[Matthew Rasmussen @ Nov 23rd 2007 11:58AM]

I actually have an interesting story on this one.

Firstly, I was pretty much the first person to get to experience Rock Band at my local Best Buy kiosk. The first day it worked fined (they had the guitar and drums set up, I tried out both). The next day I came back, the guitar's downstrum was shot... Only would detect if you pressed it really far down. This kind of worried me, but I figured (and hoped) that it was due to abuse in Best Buy.

A week later (Tuesday, day of release) I got the game. Unpacked it, started playing with three friends, and about 6 hours later we had to switch out the guitar for my X-Plorer (this is all 360, I had a Les Paul from GH3 and an X-Plorer from GH2) because of an unresponsive downstrum. At this point, I was frustrated. Wednesday, I went back in (had to pack the entire thing up... pain in the butt) and explained that it was defective (in a similar fashion to their display unit, no less). I asked for an exchange, and they called the manager over. He looked distraught, and allowed the exchange without even looking into the box contents. You could tell that he knew was predicted a flood of these things, as mine wasn't even the first return with that problem. Luckily, I got a new copy on the spot.

While unpacking the setup, I noticed something about the drums (different, relative to the first set I got). Firstly, the cross braces (metal tubes that go between the feet) were wrapped loosely in a plastic sleeve, rather than tightly in clear shrink-wrap like the first set was. They were also significantly easier to insert (my first set, even once I removed the plastic, was pretty tight). When I looked at the drum heads, they weren't as "dirty" as my first set had been (the first set was slightly marked up with smudges of... something, not sure how to describe it. This one wasn't.)

So, what I suspect happened was there are two hardware revisions -- Hopefully, the one I just got will not break like the first one. It might just be packaging, but this one does seem to be working better as well.

[MDB @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:16PM]

I know exactly what you mean. The cross braces in my setup were wrapped so tightly I had to peel the plastic off. And also, my drums looked "dirty" out of the box too. Honestly it looked like they had been slightly used. Maybe they were tested or something.

[Bill Taub @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:04PM]

My kit, for the 360, was a Sep 26 manufacture date (bottom of the box). Only problem- and it is VERY minor, is a slight stickyness of the green top-fret (not the down-low new neck frets). I can't even call it sticky- it just doesn't seem to have the same springyness. After playing for a while, this seemed to work itself out. So far, I'd say it's ok.

No downstrum problem, but I am far from an expert.

[Chris P @ Nov 23rd 2007 3:00PM]

Did you read the big red paper in the box? You're not supposed to exchange it with the store for any defect problems. You have to exchange defective equipment with EA. Seems that they saw this coming and tried to keep the pressure off the retailers.

[Matthew Rasmussen @ Nov 24th 2007 11:57PM]

I did in fact read that paper, but I did not wish to wait 2-4 weeks to play a game that was clearly defective out of the box. Had the Best Buy Customer Service department refused the return (which they may or may not have had the right to do), I wouldn't have pushed it, but when a product is defective out of the box, I'm not about to jump through the hoops of mailing it off for a warranty exchange if there's a possibility I can return it locally at a store.

If you bought a computer, and it didn't work, would you go back to the store where you purchased it (even if it were obviously the manufacturer's fault)? I would, since I want a computer now, not a computer in two weeks. Maybe I'm crazy.