Trying Rocksmith + For Guitar For The First Time

[@alanhembra2565]

I still use Rocksmith 2014. Love it.

[@SpartanPridePod]

Rocksmith 14 is still the standard. I look forward to when they can get back to something like that, w/out a monthly sub, that can be built upon.

[@TheLuiscelaya]

I played a lot of the OG Rocksmith and Rocksmith 2014 as the songs and gameplay played pretty well where the only thing you paid beyond the game was extra songs that wasn’t required. That’s why this version of Rocksmith I’m really turned off by the subscription service model for this game which is just another reason I hate gaming companies these days. I’m sure it’s a better tool to learn guitar than the older games but Rocksmith 2014 worked perfectly fine and it’s fun for both new players and even experienced guys like myself who want a close version of a real life guitar hero esque game. I’d recommend getting the PC version of the game so you could put custom songs as there is a great community that still supports and puts new songs pretty regularly

[@Rysk12]

Same here. I played Rocksmith 2014 and loved it but I'm not gonna pay $130+ CAD per year to have mostly songs I'm not interested in. With 2014 I would buy the packs I wanted and ignored the rest. That was the way.

[@chrisfit]

Kitchen remodels don’t pay for themselves. How are these upper management types going to make it in this economy if they don’t eak every last dime they can.

[@ElvisChrist]

The first two Rocksmith games were great, loved just turning on and jamming out through my sound system, the modding community also made the game have any song you wanted, and that was amazing, worth every penny... that being said I've heard nothing but bad things about the subscription model and will not be buying it...

[@mustaine566]

Ive been trying the sub model today and honestly its not that bad. They have some known bands like autograph, bowling for soup, krokus, annihilator etc. One thing is alot of people are impatient and want like metallica right a way or those bigger name bands. That costs money, if rs cant get subscribers they it will take a while for them to get the likes of Metallica or Guns n Roses. In addition past songs that were availiable on RS 14 those songs could perhaps still be under a contract, that being said they are delisting rs 14 and dlc so that could help those come to rs+ soon. All in all if you can be patient with them getting more popular songs then you will enjoy the game. Be a musician and explore some new bands and genres. They are also going to be adding Piano to Rocksmith +. That will be very interesting.

[@Stoney3K]

The huge downside about the old Rocksmith is that the legit version didn't let you input any audio through anything except their proprietary RealTone cable. Sure you could get a "No Cable" patch, but that was pretty much a pirated copy of the game, and most modded tracks (rightfully) didn't allow that. I have a legitimate copy of RS2014 but I can't use it on my current system because the cable was lost almost a decade ago. I really would have liked to hook up my professional audio interface or smart amp to RS2014. Also, Guitarcade on RS2014 was a great motivation to keep playing, there's no other game that offered a way of practicing like that.

[@ElvisChrist]

@@Stoney3K Sadly after they released the subscription version both of my tone cables stopped working after RS2014 was updated... what a coincidence.

[@ReasonableAssumption]

@@Stoney3K I use Rocksmith 2014 Remastered with the CLDC patched "no cable" and use a Line 6 Relay hooked into an Axe I/O and RS2014 is so much better with no cable at all. The CDLC patch requires you to have a legit Steam version of RS 2014 Remastered and then you basically fool it into using driver on the AXE by installing ASIO4ALL and point the CFG to the driver name. This overrides the check for the garbage Realtone cable and RS will then use the Axe driver flawlessly. I don't see how you see this as pirated. I paid for the license and the RS DLC used on it (about 200 songs) and the CDLC is not Rocksmith's intellectual property nor is it pirated music because no music is in the CDLC.

[@Stoney3K]

@@ReasonableAssumption Ubisoft removed RS2014 from the stores after they released Rocksmith+.

[@carneboy]

I played the beta and liked that it worked with my audio interface instead of a special cable. That said, the song catalog is why I haven't purchased it. The good thing is shortly after the release I decided to do guitar lessons with an actual instructor, which has been great.

[@c4k3two]

This game is subscription based solely to prevent the robust mod scene that the PC game has. Almost anything you can think of has high quality tracks made for it. This is just unabashed squeezing of the consumer by Ubisoft. Trying to milk every penny they can. Plus, when Ubisoft pulls the plug on this game after it fails, you won't be able to use it ever again. Rocksmith 2014 doesn't have this issue.

[@RetinaBurner]

I think I'll stick with Rocksmith 2014, as it's a one-time purchase, albeit with purchasable add-ons.

[@scottcrowell6015]

Surprised how limited the song catalog is. Thanks for showing the tool, perhaps the catalog will get better....

[@ronnelsmith9581]

Phillip education about any and all subjects of interest is key to enjoyment of it. You do a top notch job. Thanks

[@zh363hz]

I've played the first RS and RS2014 for many hundreds of hours, and it's still my favorite way to play guitar since I love just throwing on some songs and playing along. One downside I'll mention is while I can jam along and play even really difficult songs 95-99% perfectly in the game, I don't really absorb what I'm playing. It's kind of a common trope with games like this, where you are playing all these songs but not really "learning" them. I mean, you CAN use the game to learn songs with the riff repeater and just hammering sections until you remember them, but I find it more fun to just put on a playlist and play. I was also pretty invested in the old RS community where they had twitch streams every week to show off the new DLC, and overall it just felt like a huge passion project for everyone involved. With RS+ going exclusively subscription AND not being backwards-compatible with the hundreds of songs I purchased in the old games, not to mention the uninteresting library, I have a hard time recommending the new game. You can still get RS2014 for pretty cheap and it's still compatible with the 65,000 custom songs available on PC.

[@Lonewolf23-26]

100% agree with you!

[@CyberdriveAutomotive]

Rumor has it they're removing 2014 from Steam in October, I wouldn't put it past ubishit either

[@mustaine566]

That also depends on how the person learns. For one person traditional tabs and books may be the best, while youtube may be better for another and then for the next person rocksmith a combination of learning and game could be better for someone else. With RS I like the fact that it feels like a game more than practice.

[@DouglasChristian]

I was long time user of Rocksmith 14 and a beta tester for Plus. Plus is probably great, it just doesn’t compare well to RS 2014. The songs I want to learn are on 2014. I periodically check the song catalog to see if I need to give it another try. Maybe someday.

[@jimwguitar3002]

That Firebird looks great.

[@jeffb5798]

I own a copy of Rocksmith 2014 (the key word here is OWN), and the subscription model of the latest version is a hard stop for me. Also, updates to past versions of Rocksmith and its song catalog went dormant for long periods of time. I don't want to pay a monthly fee and not get anything in return, as I wait for more songs to be added. Adobe can charge a subscription because they can - but most companies aren't in the same position as Adobe, and most people HATE paying a subscription and renting something that will expire if we don't keep paying. Companies like UbiSoft need to wake up... you're just pissing off your potential customers and driving away sales.

[@thomask9577]

Bummer. I just searched their song catalog and it has none of the bands I’m interested in - no Dream Theater, LTE, Yngwie Malmsteen, Gojira, Intervals, Polyphia, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Queensrÿche, Def Leppard, etc. But good thing they have David Hasselhoff 😂

[@edryba4867]

Will the software work on an iPad Air 2 running the current IOS??

[@EasyHeat]

The original Rocksmith rekindled my passion for guitar 10 years ago. No sh%t!

[@8stringwrshpleader]

Yo Phil! I love Rochsmith 2014 and it is the only way I could have learned to play Blackbird by Alterbridge. Did you think the song selection on R+ was decent? Coming from 2014 I was disappointed with the beta song selection and I hear it has not improved much since launch. I'm interested to hear what your top 10 songs that make R+ worth it would be. (Maybe during the livestream?) Also, thanks for doing this review even though it's an app and you swore off guitar apps recently. 😂😂😂

[@Hydrophish]

Searched their song catalog for about 25 very well known bands and it only had 2 songs from one of them. Hard pass

[@Payyythepiper]

could never get the usb cableto work with windows 10 and a pc. Was always a hassle and delayed. time spent messign with it to work, coukld have just learned it by ear.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

I never used a cable which is the feature I was interested in

[@onecandan4221]

This is just from my experience. Happy to learn if anyone has another solution for headphone users

[@johnnewton1830]

They added full ASIO support to Plus if you're playing on a PC. This gives you a much better (lower latency) way to connect if you have an interface that supports ASIO. The sound quality is also vastly improved in Plus. I do use an iPad and the built in mic for playing my acoustics like Phil did in the video with his electric.

[@koopa816mj1]

I bought so many different cables try to get the audio to work on my pc. Hopefully this new one will work.

[@biglar769]

Ok so if your older like me and played Rhythm most of the time playing and now at say 50 something want to have a better understanding of all aspects of this fine instrument do you think Rock Smith is a good choice or would a system like jamplay or Guitar Tricks be better for learning new skills?

[@ninjalou101]

How does plus connect the guitar to the device?

[@doctoribanez]

I had a problem with it that i could only play those songs if the game was on. Like the songs didn't go into my memory in some weird way.

[@WoMbAtImUSpRiMe3o6]

I been wanting Rs+ Having it on tablet sells me. Can you still play it if your offline?

[@tomminystrom]

What if i want to keep my guitar in different tuning, does Rocksmith change fingering of the song, is this possible in it? Or if i want to play it in different key, like half step down, does Rocksmith allow this?

[@discocrisco]

Can you pick songs by tuning? Like if your guitar is setup for C#, I don't wanna see a bunch of songs in standard.

[@sirtogii5216]

Got the demo for my son to try it out and decided it's worth a go to keep his interest up. He's now on a minimum of 1 hour a day routine for the summer hols tho as I want to see some bang for that buck :-D

[@rharris51]

I have Rocksmith 2014 Revisited, no delisted and unavailable for purchase - and have logged over 5000 hours playing the game. It has something called Master Mode that's supposed to help you memorize but it hasn't worked for me. Instead, you become almost totally dependent on the tab, kind of like a classical musician is dependent on sheet music, and won't be able to play much without it. I find Rocksmith most useful for developing technique, timing, and coordination, not really much use beyond that, for me anyway. Still a lot of fun to play. Before Rocksmith I mostly used YT videos, online tabs, sheet music, song books, and my ears. While it's difficult to push your technique using those sources, it's a lot easier to actually learn songs and you will have more to show for your effort. RS+ has added traditional tab to its display options. I thought that might have been an improvement but during the Beta I didn't get that feeling. Being graded on your every note and shooting for "perfection" can be a lot like chasing a carrot on a stick.

[@bluephoenix3865]

It’s a really fun game. I remember when I first started playing with it and now I’d rather learn music by ear now and KZbin without the rocksmith it taught me a lot great learning platform for beginners.

[@crate5150]

I had bought this on ps3 when it first came out. I proceeded to buy it for the ps4. It is a great tool to jam, play, and practice with.

[@jslute]

Love Rocksmith!!❤❤❤

[@chameleon083]

I've owned Rocksmith and Rocksmith 2014 and after I master Yousician, I will probably get Rocksmith+.

[@trev_mcnaughton]

I've always been tempted, but the need for a fancy cable always kept me back.. learning that it doesn't need one anymore and can use your recording USB interface or even just built-in mic is pretty nice. Sucks is a sub service, but that's just the world we're living in now where everything is. Probably easy to find out, but do you know if you can use Bass (probably right?) or other strings like mandolin/banjo/violin (doubtful, but we can hope!?). Learning mandolin currently after years of guitar playing, so having a dynamic system to speed/slow tracks is awesome (luckily you can slow down youtube videos without changing pitch which has helped)

[@mynamesjudge]

The cable is $25 and RS 2014 and all songs can be found for free depending on your ethics. Compare that to $15 per month...

[@jonmccauley6490]

Those cables are all over ebay for $25 like mentioned. Not sure why that's such an expense to some people who own $1k+ guitars. I'm using PS3 RS14 and downloading the DLC's for $$$.

[@anomalous9448]

Well I was excited for this product but upon closer inspection I found 4 eric clapton songs (no layla though) and NO van halen or Jimi Hendrix. This product appears to be brought to market too soon. Great idea but this product is not ready for prime time.

[@jonmccauley6490]

8 months later.......still not.

[@DavidHBurkart]

Seems like a really helpful learning and improving tool!

[@andreanidiffer1645]

I love my rocksmith 2014 probably have over $500 in added songs to the library so it will be a long time before I go looking for more in another version. Too bad my purchases don't cross over to rocksmith plus.....

[@hellsSG]

I thought it was quite fun but learning a song like that, starting with fewer notes and adding on to make the picture more complete, is such a strange way to learn a piece. Pretty good for spending some time on the instrument though.

[@TheBentNote]

its kind of wild to say, but it was stuff like Guitar Hero that lead to me playing guitar as a teen. I know its not the same thing as Rock Smith, but "game-fying" the process is a really neat way to get people playing, so I've always liked Rock Smith for being that stepping stone for people. Even as a guitar player now, I think its still a neat thing to use

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

Thanks for this informative video. I finally bought my first electric less than a month ago... I've been playing along with a few YT videos, but know at some point I'll need some sort of lesson. As I've kinda wanted a Drumeo subscription, I've thought about it in the future, as the subscription includes Guitareo and Pianote. But I don't think those sites have the active feedback this app has. Interesting considerations. Thanks.

[@yoyofargo]

Someone made an ASIO mod for Rocksmith 2014 PC and it's actually a decent modeling software for practice.

[@Stoney3K]

I'm curious about that. Does it work with a legitimately owned copy of Rocksmith?

[@johnratlift6205]

This is really good content thank you Sir.

[@johnarndt-s3r]

will it work with a laptop?

[@shawnawesome7770]

Phil : tuning guitar KZbin: copyright strike.

[@KentRoads]

Headphones probably helps accuracy of the app detecting correct notes

[@marcelo.bassalo]

The product is interesting but the songlist is bad. Rocksmith 2014 with CDLC'S is still the better option and not subscription based.

[@jeremiahbeck3292]

Hey Phil have you tried those john petrucci guitar picks?

[@kootenaystringworks1765]

They are my go to pick.

[@ChrisDanger807]

I use these almost exclusively too. Great size, as I found the regular Jazz III a bit too small.

[@kootenaystringworks1765]

@@ChrisDanger807 Try the Ibanez JTC picks, almost the same as the Petrucci, but a little thicker and pointier.

[@genesises]

the JP jazz 3 style is my fav for shredding by far

[@valentinofierro5646]

Rocksmith/Ultimate Guitar collaboration would have been amazing!!! Convert all those existing tabs into Rocksmith style learning. 🔥🔥🔥

[@johnnewton1830]

They have transcribers on staff and do their own transcriptions. They allow users to use the same transcription tools now in Plus as well so you can do your own transcriptions which is a great way to learn. The hard part with songs is licensing them for use in the software.

[@kdc420421]

Let me start by saying buy Rocksmith Remastered on PC instead of Rocksmith Plus . Remastered has the ability to add ANY song you want. You aren't stuck with their limited library. Rocksmith got me playing guitar again after an 18 year break. I played a bit as a teen but when i lost my 62 (actually from 1962) Strat to family drama, i mostly gave up playing. When i got the original Rocksmith, I had 1 trash Ibanez with a worn out Floyd Rose special that wouldn't stay in tune. Within a week of having the game, I was already planning on throwing that Ibanez in the trash and getting something much nicer that actually stayed in tune. My love of playing had been rekindled. 10 years later i have 16 very high quality instruments and that 1 beat up 1962 Strat. Rocksmith is still my primary way to play guitar. I just split my signal out to a real amp these days. All i really ever wanted to to play along with stuff on the radio and Rocksmith lets me do that while turning it into a game.

[@fu6817]

Playing below max difficulty is horrible, hard and potentially damaging. Play with all the notes, have fun and slow the speed when you want to dwelve on the solos and hard riffs.

[@thesunilrock20]

waiting for you to review Hex W300s Witch series!

[@14TacomaDR]

was super interested but then i saw the price no way !

[@JoshuaC923]

Looks like a pretty cool practice tool

[@MikeFoerster]

I'm a fan of the Rocksmith system, but Rocksmith+ ended that. I paid for a year, and decided to drop it recently. I wasn't happy with what songs were left and so I probably won't go back to it.

[@donomar7070]

I don’t know I used to play all the time as a kid I’m gonna start playing again I just want to learn different songs I used to just pick up a whole bunch of books cause we didn’t have this back in the days but this seems like it’ll be much easier Instead of having the book constantly falling and changing pages

[@jonmccauley6490]

I picked it up for my old PS3. There's still DLC songs on the PSN. Much better to own than to borrow the new one on subscription right now.

[@KaitouKaiju]

Rocksmith 2014 remastered is still better

[@DanishingAct]

Terrible business model for this version. A subscription model for a lesser version of the 2014 game, is crazy. Some of the songs only have cord charts?! I was so excited when this got announced but it’s an absolute dud.

[@jameshicks101]

I played the first two console versions and loved them. Paid upfront for a year of RS+ because the first two games were so great. After about 30 minutes of browsing i have yet to find something worth while and haven't touched it since. My one year is up in 2 months and won't be renewing. I don't have a problem with the subscription model. But the song list is a joke. Quantity over quality.

[@Cody-Blues]

I started playing guitar because of Rocksmith. Was a beta tester for their new platform. Credit both of their console games for helping me progress as a beginner.

[@wavewithus4081]

That's pretty cool! Were you already into (the idea of) playing instruments or did it start off your guitarist journey entirely? Any way, discovering a new hobby/passion through work is pretty cool man, good for you

[@TheSlaughtercultden]

They went the wrong direction with the subscription based program. Should’ve focused on making multiplayer online, and adding drums before adding piano.

[@chrisggoodwin777]

"dear Phil McKnight, you played the G major scale and have been issued a copyright strike" 😂😂😂😂

[@SantiVanegas9]

please do a video about the 10S bucket head tribute 🙏🙏🙏

[@shotgunrebels]

Audrey and Kate from ?Japan? Learned to play guitar and bass… right AND left handed… using Rocksmith. It’s kind of crazy. Wish this was around when I was a kid.

[@SamlonHoldfield]

Subscription based? Pass.

[@dadudezpr]

Best part is the arcade mode game !!!

[@1ListerofSmeg]

I have a neighbor that learned bass using rocksmith almost exclusively.(Introvert!) It's not useless and five years in he can play along w a lot of songs & reads tab like a beast ... BUT on the downside has some obvious bad habits and is almost completely devoid of theory.

[@williamphillips24]

The best "game" of the series was the original Rocksmith. It had a proper career mode that unlocked bigger, better venues and show slots. The crowd that responded to your playing was amusing too, and should be brought back. The current basement pipe dream that expands as the song goes on is a poor effort. RS2014 Remastered had the best interface, but somewhere along the way Ubi got it into their head that RS should have been marketed as a "Teacher", when the reality of it is that it is extremely poor for that on its' own - it doesn't teach proper technique, and it certainly doesn't teach strumming to a rhythm, nor can it provide feedback to correct physical errors. When combined with a teacher, the gameification can really help push a student along. Ubi should be commended for the sheer amount of ODLC that was released for this game though, something like 3-5 songs every week for a total of 1.4k+ official songs, with well over 7k or something stupid user made songs. Sidenote: FWIW, I purchased RS1 the day it was released and the tonecable is still going strong. I actually use it to intonate guitars with Reaper's Reatune.

[@nathancl2k]

I wish Apple would get their crap together so we can use this on Mac.

[@razoraz]

On Steam it says they have a Mac version.

[@RiffRepeater]

Good video!

[@southshoreimaging3459]

the game is better on PC, and the subscription model isn't anything special

[@phreak1118]

I tried the original Rocksmith and found the format and arrangement incredibly frustrating. I gave up after half an hour. Maybe it would be different if I wasn't used to 30 years worth of tablature. Songsterr is way more natural to me.

[@rjjabjiniak8848]

Rocksmith 2014 works great for me. The new one seems to be complete garbage from what I’ve heard. Song selection is far from good. 2014 version of Rocksmith tho…. It’s basically the reason I was able to learn to play bass. Even without the game just as a practice tool it is great. Thru KZbin I can find many videos of almost any song I want to learn. 🤘🤘

[@chibiabos]

I love Rocksmith 2014 but I dislike Rocksmith +. There is no sense in paying a subscription as sometimes you do not have the time to play. I tried the demo version of Rocksmith + and I had the feeling that they made no effort, songs were not accurate.

[@ACoustaDC]

I first found out about rocksmith from Ashley and Kate. I thought it was so cool I bought it for my friend to learn on. He loved it. Seeing that they have gone to a subscription model makes me think.... "Etu Brute"... In other words... you suck. (not you Phill)

[@nofriendtojesus]

Plus sucks. Play 2014

[@daa5249]

Can you still buy the 2014 version?

[@circleof54ths18]

I hate subscriptions. I won’t do it…there are so many things that if it had a normal price to buy the product I would have gotten it, but companies that use subscription s are clearly a greedy company and I refuse to help them. Also, just for this game/instruction I hate the concept of the timing visually….It makes timing difficult, maybe if it was more horizontal looking like a guitar board with the dots and all…that’s the only way to make it visually more appealing even through that motion still ruins timing for me.

[@Spetsnazty]

I had the first one, wayyyyy back. It was not helpful at all. Your guitar sage was much better

[@porridgeorange]

riff repeater is usually the best feature in RS games.

[@alee_enn]

Subscription model? F that. I can't stand greed.

[@aleaallee]

Rocksmith+ is a disappointment, it doesn't has many songs I'd like to play.

[@martinhensley2377]

Phil, a real good lesson tool.

[@wishbone66]

Great review but still not a fan of Ubisoft, to bad game looks decent.

[@gtr1952]

Wow. It sure is a long way from Mel Bay book 1 and 2 I started with in 1968. Bonamasa jokes about that, but I still have mine, someplace. LOL I learned mostly the hard way. If I can't figure something out, there are 2-3 YT guys I like to watch/ask. For folks used to video games, this looks like a great learning tool!! Very cool! 8) --gary

[@deeplyable]

Don’t get addicted phil 😂😂 love from ky

[@jeromestevenfaigin6059]

Because of my family and friends that come to play game over any one on one or talking to each other, I've found that to be extremely offensive and feel that TV, computers and even cell phone has taken an addiction to a new level when they can't turn any of those screens off. I like the screen stuff, but I like being outside to garden or Luthier new instruments or building furniture to walking my neighbor's dog, even though it's 120lbs of mussel. I even get flying lessons since I'm 125 lbs and 65 years old compared to a minister horse! That happened today, too! I enjoyed teaching musicians, but this town I live in doesn't do well when it comes down to turning screens off. Also, nobody calls back anymore for family, friends and business. One one calls back except SCAMMERS! Wild!

[@MetalWolfz]

I'd buy it, but unfortunalty they made it a subscription model. Boycott rocksmith +

[@temorinkaari]

Rocksmith is an interesting game, but it's a 2 edged sword. On one side, you can learn to play the songs in the game..but on another side, you only learn to play them in the game. I've seen amazing rocksmith players, but when it comes to playing anything outside of the songs, they're not that good, so i came to a conclusion that the game doesn't really make you into a better guitar player

[@mtpstv94]

The way it indicates what to play is a MASSIVE what the fuuuuuck.

[@ULUnLoco]

If they had some half way decent artists I would still be paying for it. 90% of the songs are straight filler content

[@n0xxm3rcyxx]

hmm. im so sick and tired of the subscription based models... this kind of makes sense... although i dont like it.

[@rrdee8138]

Thx phil

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Ugh.. What a shame, another subscription. :/

[@MrGlasstech]

Rocksmith + song selection sucks i would never listen to most of the selection they have. I tried it and will never use it again. They screwed up at ubi

[@HOUSEDOMEFUNKofficial]

??? YEAH, PHIL!!! my favourites all in one place! I know you generally can't stand apps, but c'mon... Rockmith on a mobile phone!?!? what else does anybody need (OK, a Spark GO, too!)... but I am STOKED you found time to do a deep dive on it for us :-) :-) :-) R-E-S-P-E-C-T! gotta haul out a bass, too ;-)

[@HOUSEDOMEFUNKofficial]

Plus brings it to the FENDER PLAY kinda model, but leaves room for all those songs to get worked in, plus add more instruments to LEAD/RYTHYM/BASS... drums I have played on it already with mods... both drum and piano are essentially ready and awaiting a wider market to make it worthwhile, I gather

[@Hh-yd3dj]

This is an excellent way to monatize your content without causing conflicts of interest with the gear you are reviewing... i hooe you start doing advertising for vpn companies and all kinds of stuff peripherally associated with guitar gear