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Wireless Guitar Hero Redux

Posted by Hemos on Mon Apr 17, 2006 08:31 AM
from the won't-get-fooled-again dept.
Hardware Hacking Entertainment Games
jeffb writes "I just finished a DIY project and thought you guys would enjoy a look. An improved upon idea: a redux of the wireless guitar hero controller, this time with perfectly functioning whammy bar, rechargeable NiMH pack onboard which can be charged from the PS2's built-in USB ports (for charging, and/or playing while docked), wireless link/activity indicator, and assembled with a nod towards a clean, and professional looking job. Complete how-to with parts list included. Best regards, rock out, and happy soldering! " The original piece on this as well.
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[+] Games: Guitar Hero Hacks 42 comments
Edge Online has a short blurb mentioning a project at the University of California turning the Guitar Hero guitar into a real instrument. From the article: "For the final project of their Computer Audio course, University of California students Travis Chen and Sunny Chan have created Guitar Hero Hack, a plugin for sequencing software Max/MSP that lets players assign switchable banks of samples to each of the controller's buttons, utilizes its tilt switch as a way to clear current audio on any given track, and, the two hope, might be on its way to a fully functioning live instrument." His incredibly impressive demo video is well worth watching.
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  • dadadadada dada da dundun!

    Has he arms of thread? Is he paste or made of bread?

    Nobody wants him! He just fiddles his frets!
  • How anybody can in all their seriousness (or not) play this game with a guitar controller that was clearly designed for 10 year kids? I mean, look at this guy. Go get a real guitar. I just started learning a guitar but it's fantastic compared to all rhythm and action games I played

    I am respecting all the hacking he's done though :)
  • +1 for inventive hacking/creative thinking

    -10000 for degrading music as an art form.

    Not looking good, Bob.
  • the last link to the story isnt to the original wireless mod which i did and posted over at make: http://forums.makezine.com/comments.php?Discussion ID=33 [makezine.com], its to the guy who made the self-contained music playing guitar. i dont believe that functioned at all as a controller for the game like mine did.

    rock on! I *love* the battery pack idea! top of my list for revision two :)
  • Hey everyone, This is a great hobby hack and I was interested in taking a look at the how-to and parts list. Is the how-to mentioned in the article the comment text on the flickr photos?
  • Maybe Im missing the point.. but it seems like a whole lot of work for something not all that impressive.

  • Better yet (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I prefer his other project : http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffb/82039232/in/set -1671423/ [flickr.com]

  • come on, people. what's gotten into you? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by KeiKusanagi (921511) on Monday April 17 2006, @09:12AM (#15141900)
    I'm surprised to see this kind of response on slashdot of all places. OMG I PLAY REAL GUITAR HAHA U PLAY TOY LOSER!

    It's called a video _game_.

    Yknow, something that isn't real, you do for fun?

    I play guitar, bass, piano, and drums, and recently picked up guitar hero. honestly? guitar hero's not at all like any "real" instrument, yes, but it's great fun, if you're not so insecure and self conscious about it that the fact it's not "real HARDCORE GUITAR AAARRRGH".

    So slashdot, wake up, remember you're on a tech site and supposedly a fan of odd hacks and of gaming, and stop waving your e-peen about by declaring you're better than him for playing "the real thing"
    • What?? Next thing, you'll be telling me I'm not learning real rapping skills from "Parappa the Rapper!"

      Kick! Punch! Chop! Pose!

    • Re:come on, people. what's gotten into you? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by gad_zuki! (70830) on Monday April 17 2006, @10:04AM (#15142202)
      This is funny as I just bought the game last night and I do play guitar. Well, I love it. Its like being able to play covers without the all the effort of learning the song. I found myself acting like a complete jerk striking silly Keith Richards-like poses and the occasional Townshend windmill.

      The real downside isn't the cable, but the game moves so quickly you can't see any of the background animation because you're always focused hitting the right "notes." This wireless hack is cute, but they give you more than enough wire with the little guitar. Also, I would love to see more songs for this. Shame the developers said they wont release an expansion back but potentially a new version of the game next year. Maybe.

      As far as mimicking a real instrument. Well, it could be a gateway to playing a real guitar the same way american idol has turned everyone into some wannabe vocalist/karaoke nut. The difference being that a guitar is a real instrument while the american idol vocal mimickry involves none of the discipline of learning a new instrument. If not, its a cool little game all its own and getting to play that trademark Brian May tone on the Killer Queen was worth the price of admission.
  • Anything that builds music awareness is cool by me
    At least this guy did something with his brain, instead of letting it rot on MySpace
    Nice!
    • Nice. Stand up for your favorite game, then take a shot at a popular web trend.

      Some people enjoy pretending to play the guitar in a video game using a plastic toy.

      Some people enjoy making and talking to friends via MySpace.

      Neither group of people are doing anything wrong.

      There is also nothing wrong with LARPers, anime otaku, Trekkies, furries, Promise Keepers, podcasters, crossdressers, luthiers, jazzercizers, kickball league players, potters, painters, fantasy football commissioners, para-para dancers, "f

  • Real vs. play guitar - thumbs up! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fprintf (82740) on Monday April 17 2006, @09:36AM (#15142041) Journal
    As a "real" guitarist, I can tell you that the Guitar Hero games are a blast!

    Way back around '92 or so Aerosmith had a game at EPCOT in Florida where you had to play rhythm guitar to "Walk This Way" and some of their other songs. You were judged on how close you got to the strumming timing and it was *hard*! I played that game for hours, totally having a blast because I didn't have to remember a lot of fingerings and could really concentrate on the right rhythm. I think if I had that game at my house my rhythm guitar would have been that much better since it interactively told you how you were doing rather than either listening to yourself (always suspect) or having to find someone to honestly critique you.

    Nice game, nice controller!

  • Cool, some things to think about... (Score:3, Informative)

    by ursabear (818651) on Monday April 17 2006, @10:27AM (#15142358) Homepage Journal
    First and foremost, it is a game controller, not a gig guitar... so I think it is important to separate two different "threads" of thought here...

    As a guitar, well, it's not like a real guitar. That's OK, because if you'd like to learn guitar, you can get yourself an inexpensive set up like this [musiciansfriend.com] or this [music123.com], or for left-handed folks, this [musiciansfriend.com]. I don't think comparing the controller to a real guitar or learning to a real guitar is relevant. Not everyone that has dreams of wailin' on a guitar or spankin' the plank [wikipedia.org] with some down-home (your favorite kind of music here), but lots of folks would enjoy the fun of playing guitar without the trappings of learning two hands, many strings, and 18-24 frets.

    Games are supposed to be entertaining - I don't think that the comparison to real-world instruments is relevant (beyond their entertainment value).

    So far as the hack... It seems pretty neat to me. Doing hardware hacks is a lot like candy - it doesn't have to have a point - it's just fun.
  • In the early 90's there was a PC game called "Quest for Fame" that included a "virtual pick" that connected to a joystick/game port (a 15-pin serial port made for joysticks & gamepads specifically, before the days of USB). Basically you had to strike something with the pick in time with the music. The whole object of the game was to play gigs and eventually be a guest guitarist at an Aerosmith show. It's kind of funny to think about it now but also sad that no one can think of original ideas anymore.
  • The moving parts in those things seem to be _really_ easy to misallign. If you actually tighten the screws all the way, the pick bar gets stickey, which really effects gameplay. You have to only screw the body together part way.
  • Gibson has released an ethernet capable guitar [gibsondigital.com]. It also includes the traditional 1/4" connector. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why an ethernet adapter is needed on a guitar.
    • I'm still trying to figure out exactly why an ethernet adapter is needed on a guitar.

      So you can imagine a Beowolf Cluster of them. Duh! ;)
    • The ethernet cable is to turn the string vibrations from analog to digital. This is to make the sound clearer with less degradation of sound quality when trying to plug an analog jack into a computer.

      Downsides are:
      Current Effects pedals don't work with it.
      Current Amplifiers don't work with it.

      So i guess, particularly if you're a live musician, it's of no real.

    • Re:Call me crazy... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by PrescriptionWarning (932687) on Monday April 17 2006, @08:38AM (#15141711)
      you are crazy. if this guy has this kind of talent, it could help him on his resume. i mean he did this from scratch on his own. thats incredible, and shows how hobbies can seriously get you somewhere if you do it right.

    • Re:Call me crazy... (Score:5, Funny)

      by BoomerSooner (308737) on Monday April 17 2006, @08:39AM (#15141717) Homepage Journal
      This is f'ing hilarious... Look at his flickr pix, some chick with a nice set! So apparently Guitar Hero hasn't ruined his love life! Damn you Guitar Hero, if only I had learned to play fake guitar instead of the real thing!!! :(
      • think for a moment. maybe she likes a guy who's secure enough with himself to enjoy playing a game like that rather than shun it for not being as "cool as the real thing". last i checked, confidence and self assuredness was ten times the girl magnet as guitar playing supposedly is.
        • I have another theory: He didn't have to spend years and years practicing the opening melody of "nothing else matters" in complete isolation, so he actually has lots of time left, for example to build a wireless controller into his air guitar, or to hang around with lots of sexy chicks.
          • And I have yet another theory: if that's him in some of the photos on there, he's in pretty good shape, and maybe he isn't so shallow as to only care about his girlfriend's breasts?

          • Re:Damn! (Score:3, Informative)

            by Creedo (548980)
            He didn't have to spend years and years practicing the opening melody of "nothing else matters"
            For those of you who didn't find this damn hilarious, the beginning of "Nothing Else Matters" is all open strings, that is, no fretwork involved.
    • If you mean all that time learning and perfecting his electronics and modding skills, then you may be right. But then, we wouldn't be talking about a cool videogame controller mod on Slashdot.
    • Not everybody wants to invest the time or money in playing a "real friggin' guitar," as you so eloquently put it, when for far less they can have a great time playing Guitar Hero. This guy enjoys the game, enjoys hardware hacking, and made a hell of a cool mod. Just because this isn't your cup of tea doesn't mean it's any less a good job.
    • Im really tired of these people who think they know better than everyone else how everyone should be using their time.

      In the time it took you to post that worthless suggestion, shouldn't you have been working on a cure for cancer instead?!

    • Re:Call me crazy... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by zero1101 (444838) on Monday April 17 2006, @09:16AM (#15141928) Homepage
      It's a video game. If we're going to get asinine here, why don't you apply the same argument to "race a real friggin' car," "shoot a real friggin' gun," "use a real friggin' sword," etc?

      (Also: you're crazy.)
      • Here's why I don't apply the same argument to other videogame genres: learning to play a real guitar is not likely to result in injuries, death, or imprisonment. Unless you turn out to be really, really bad at it. Race a real friggin' car... Why not? Just shell out a few hundred thousand dollars for a race car, reserve some time at the track, hire a team of mechanics. Yeah, sure, you're a millionaire, go for it! Shoot a real friggin' gun... yeah, there's exactly the same amount of personal risk, expense,
        • >Shoot a real friggin' gun... yeah, there's exactly the same amount of
          > personal risk, expense, and legal paperwork to fill out to be able
          >to shoot a real gun as there is to pick up a guitar and learn some
          >chord progressions.

          Uhm, my first 9mm pistol cost me about $250 (Ruger P85) about 10 years ago. Purchased used from an individual, so no legal paperwork. I was taught how to handle guns safely starting at around age 6, so practically ZERO personal risk.

          Granted, I don't live in a sprawling metro
            • Been busy, so I'm just getting back to this one...

              >1)Target practice FPS games aren't popular. FPS
              >games were lots of people get shot and blown up
              >are. You CANNOT replicate those in real life.

              Ever heard of paintball? Laser tag?

              >2)Hand guns are very dangerous, even in the
              >hands of someone who is familiar and comfortable
              >with them...perhaps even MORE dangerous because
              >one(and you clearly are since you said "ZERO")
              >becomes complacent.

              Actually, I said "practically zero" (there's always a
        • 1. Autocross is a few hundred dollars, assuming you have the right car. (I do)
          2. Guns can be bought with minimal hassle (even here in California) and take it to a range if you're willing to pay, or a public shooting area (these are usually located in National Forrest areas here in California)
          3. Swords can be bought (I own several) and for a modest amount of money you can either take fencing lessons

          None of these "sports" (if you will) is necessarily dangerous, assuming you have the right equipment and exerc

    • Re:Call me crazy... (Score:5, Informative)

      by badmammajamma (171260) on Monday April 17 2006, @09:48AM (#15142098)
      Because learning to actually play a real guitar takes a very, very long time...

      I probably spend more time learning to play a single song than this guy spent building his custom guitar-hero guitar.
        • Or perhaps I play things that have some complexity to them. I also don't stop playing a piece until it's mastered. There's a huge difference between "getting by" and playing a piece well with great tone and zero mistakes. Anyone who says different is full of shit.

          However, I won't sit here and pretend to be a master either...it's a full time job and I don't have that kind of time.
    • I built a music synthesizer using off the shelf component parts for my VCO's and power not using a kit but by using what I knew eletronically about music and eletronics. Bob Moog and Wendy Carlos were my inspiration.
      I also know how to play the piano (piano, not keyboard; big difference).

      What's wrong with pursuing a hobby?

    • "...couldn't you spend all that time and effort actually learning how to play a real friggin' guitar?!"

      Maybe he already knows how to play one.

      This game has nothing to do with playing real music. It's a game. Lots of people who really do play real music (like myself: about 25 years playing guitar), really enjoy playing this game. Maybe this guy falls into that category as well.

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