Archived: Which is the best set?
Posted Under: Xbox 360 Games
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 4:36 pm | #5
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I've been playing these music games for a long time now. Started with GH2 on my old PS2, then proceeded to by every GH that came out for the PS2. Traded all my PS2 shit in when I got my 360 after GH3 came out. Decided to start with RB1 for the 360 and couldn't be happier.
I currently own RB2 & GHWT and in my opinion Activision has ruined the GH franchise. I love RB and their RB2 wireless guitars. I've never played the drums as I do most my gaming late at night and would keep my roommate up all night banging on em.
As for the track lists you can't beat RB. All but 3 tracks from RB1 can be transfered to your hard-drive to play on RB2 and their DLC is unparalleled. I personally have close to 500 tracks to play. I've DL'd a shitload but there's still a ton of tracks that I haven't.
I currently own RB2 & GHWT and in my opinion Activision has ruined the GH franchise. I love RB and their RB2 wireless guitars. I've never played the drums as I do most my gaming late at night and would keep my roommate up all night banging on em.
As for the track lists you can't beat RB. All but 3 tracks from RB1 can be transfered to your hard-drive to play on RB2 and their DLC is unparalleled. I personally have close to 500 tracks to play. I've DL'd a shitload but there's still a ton of tracks that I haven't.
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 9:18 pm | #6
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i think rb/rb2 has the better tracklist and support via dlc. their guitar is also really good but, as i posted earlier this week, ghwt band kit is only $100.00 at Walmart.com now and rock band 2 is like $179.00-189.00 so the money thing could be a deciding factor. also, ghwt comes with the cymbal set and for rockband you have to buy them if you want them for like $50.00. we have the rb2 set with the rock band 1 and 2, and ghwt games.
link to ghwt for $99.74:
http://xboxamerica.com/threads/Guitar-Hero-World-Tour-Band-Kit-9974/page/1/#post-117997
link to ghwt for $99.74:
http://xboxamerica.com/threads/Guitar-Hero-World-Tour-Band-Kit-9974/page/1/#post-117997
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 9:38 pm | #7
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As a package deal, I would say GHWT no contest.
The drums are nicely adjustable, wireless, durable and you don't have to buy anything extra (though you may want to get a separate pedal). Getting used to the cymbal placement may take a little while if you are used to the RB1 kit.
If you get the RB2 set, you may need to buy the cymbals expansion set later to play GHWT, GH Metallica, etc. The RB2 drums will downgrade the drum track to 5 lanes instead of 6 if you don't have the extra cymbal(s), but things like fills aren't as fun, and to get some Achievements in GH Metallica you HAVE to have the GHWT kit I hear.
Both the RB2 and GHWT kits are much quieter than the RB1 and are less annoyingly-clicky. They both hold up well so it comes down to preference I suppose.
Guitar-wise, I definitely agree with Tom Peeper--The wired GH2 X-plorer controller is overall the best choice for guitar controllers on 360 IMO. The reasons? It is cheaper than the others, and far more durable. The fret buttons aren't quite as ergodynamic but the strum bar is stellar, you will likely never have problems with it.
Personally, I really love the GHWT guitar: I find tap-strumming with the touchpad to be very fun (I almost never use it for the actual slide sections though, it's an awkward transition for me and I'm an actual guitarist
) but the problem with the unit is that the strum bar's down-strumming mechanism will give out after little abuse. Mine just did a couple days ago while clearing Metallica. It's a damned shame because wireless peripherals are a thing of beauty. It's just too difficult to play fast metal songs with all up-strums. 
The Les Paul controller from GH3 feels very nice in that it is wireless and has the excellent strum bar of the X-plorer but newer, nicer fret buttons that have smoother, more fluid action and they are somewhat springier, meaning that they will whip your pinkie finger into shape faster.
The problem with the Les Paul is that it separates at the neck joint for ease of travel, but this creates a very small movement that will eventually bend some of the contact points inside and you will start missing the occasional green note which is unacceptable. The GHWT strat guitar also separates at the neck but the connection is rock-solid and doesn't move one iota.
Both of the RB Stratocaster models are decent. The 5-way effects toggle switch is fun to screw around with, the fret buttons are flush with the neck so this allows for smoother chord transitions, and there is an extra lower set for playing solos or for people with smaller hands. The main problem with both of the RB guitars is that the down-strum will start to miss notes eventually, no matter how much you baby them. The RB2 model improves on this but doesn't fix it. The whammy bar placement & length of the RB2 model is probably my favourite overall.
A great feature overlooked by a lot of people is that the RB2 guitar can auto-calibrate your game for audio and/or video lag. If you have a big, nice tv or stereo, the processes they do can create small amounts of lag in audio, video or both. What's worse is that RB's calibration system is pretty terrible most of the time.
With the RB2 strat guitar, you can hold the guitar up to the screen and, using a small sensor & microphone, the guitar will automatically calibrate your system for optimal gameplay. This is a huge improvement over manual calibration or the other auto modes.
Lastly (sorry this came out so long!) I think it's important that you try multiple guitars and drum sets to see which you like more. There are enough differences between the feel of each that it is worth you taking your time to go to a Gamestop, see what used units they have for sale, and see if they will let you try them out on a few songs.
As far as the microphones go, they are pretty much all standard USB mics, nothing special but they do their job. The only "upgrade" you can do here is grabbing the LIPs one.
The drums are nicely adjustable, wireless, durable and you don't have to buy anything extra (though you may want to get a separate pedal). Getting used to the cymbal placement may take a little while if you are used to the RB1 kit.
If you get the RB2 set, you may need to buy the cymbals expansion set later to play GHWT, GH Metallica, etc. The RB2 drums will downgrade the drum track to 5 lanes instead of 6 if you don't have the extra cymbal(s), but things like fills aren't as fun, and to get some Achievements in GH Metallica you HAVE to have the GHWT kit I hear.
Both the RB2 and GHWT kits are much quieter than the RB1 and are less annoyingly-clicky. They both hold up well so it comes down to preference I suppose.
Guitar-wise, I definitely agree with Tom Peeper--The wired GH2 X-plorer controller is overall the best choice for guitar controllers on 360 IMO. The reasons? It is cheaper than the others, and far more durable. The fret buttons aren't quite as ergodynamic but the strum bar is stellar, you will likely never have problems with it.
Personally, I really love the GHWT guitar: I find tap-strumming with the touchpad to be very fun (I almost never use it for the actual slide sections though, it's an awkward transition for me and I'm an actual guitarist
) but the problem with the unit is that the strum bar's down-strumming mechanism will give out after little abuse. Mine just did a couple days ago while clearing Metallica. It's a damned shame because wireless peripherals are a thing of beauty. It's just too difficult to play fast metal songs with all up-strums. The Les Paul controller from GH3 feels very nice in that it is wireless and has the excellent strum bar of the X-plorer but newer, nicer fret buttons that have smoother, more fluid action and they are somewhat springier, meaning that they will whip your pinkie finger into shape faster.
The problem with the Les Paul is that it separates at the neck joint for ease of travel, but this creates a very small movement that will eventually bend some of the contact points inside and you will start missing the occasional green note which is unacceptable. The GHWT strat guitar also separates at the neck but the connection is rock-solid and doesn't move one iota.
Both of the RB Stratocaster models are decent. The 5-way effects toggle switch is fun to screw around with, the fret buttons are flush with the neck so this allows for smoother chord transitions, and there is an extra lower set for playing solos or for people with smaller hands. The main problem with both of the RB guitars is that the down-strum will start to miss notes eventually, no matter how much you baby them. The RB2 model improves on this but doesn't fix it. The whammy bar placement & length of the RB2 model is probably my favourite overall.
A great feature overlooked by a lot of people is that the RB2 guitar can auto-calibrate your game for audio and/or video lag. If you have a big, nice tv or stereo, the processes they do can create small amounts of lag in audio, video or both. What's worse is that RB's calibration system is pretty terrible most of the time.
With the RB2 strat guitar, you can hold the guitar up to the screen and, using a small sensor & microphone, the guitar will automatically calibrate your system for optimal gameplay. This is a huge improvement over manual calibration or the other auto modes.
Lastly (sorry this came out so long!) I think it's important that you try multiple guitars and drum sets to see which you like more. There are enough differences between the feel of each that it is worth you taking your time to go to a Gamestop, see what used units they have for sale, and see if they will let you try them out on a few songs.
As far as the microphones go, they are pretty much all standard USB mics, nothing special but they do their job. The only "upgrade" you can do here is grabbing the LIPs one.
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 9:49 pm | #8
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If your going for a good GAME it would be rock band 2. It's just more fun and enjoyable with friends... But HARDWARE wise GHWT wins by a mile.. The GHWT drums are nice and the pads are for good rebound ( as in you can hit fast drum rolls easier) The guitar's for guitar hero have always been top notch.
It's like this
Rock Band 2 > GHWT
I was EXTREMLY dissapointed in GHWT setlist wise and gameplay wise.. But hey, it was neversoft's first attempt at a FULL band game so I cut them SOME slack
Rock Band's "Stratocaster"<<<<<<<< ANY guitar hero guitar..
I'm going to come right out and say it
THE ROCK BAND GUITAR'S ARE THE WORST PIECE OF SHIT YOU WILL EVER USE
Rock Band 2 drums = GHWT drums
This is a close one Rock Band 2's drums are pretty swell but the pads are straight up plastic so they are VERY loud but the bass pedal is amazing.
the GHWT drum's have excellent pads and are MUCH but the bass pedal is terrible!
And the microphones, I have no clue lol
hope that helps
It's like this
Rock Band 2 > GHWT
I was EXTREMLY dissapointed in GHWT setlist wise and gameplay wise.. But hey, it was neversoft's first attempt at a FULL band game so I cut them SOME slack
Rock Band's "Stratocaster"<<<<<<<< ANY guitar hero guitar..
I'm going to come right out and say it
THE ROCK BAND GUITAR'S ARE THE WORST PIECE OF SHIT YOU WILL EVER USE
Rock Band 2 drums = GHWT drums
This is a close one Rock Band 2's drums are pretty swell but the pads are straight up plastic so they are VERY loud but the bass pedal is amazing.
the GHWT drum's have excellent pads and are MUCH but the bass pedal is terrible!
And the microphones, I have no clue lol
hope that helps
Re: Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 10:05 pm | #9
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Oh yeah, I forgot to ramble about the actual games.
Ignoring the instruments, Rock Band 2 is the game to get hands-down. Great features and the best songs by far, even ignoring DLC.
If you just want full-band stuff, get RB2 and grab a cheap, used copy of RB1 to import the songs (then return it to GameStop for a full refund!). If you like AC/DC, you can also buy that track pack and import the songs into RB2 and then return it.
The import licenses cost a couple bucks each, so it's kind of like getting a huge chunk of DLC on the cheap.
If you like the games for the guitar action, then I'd say get RB2, then GH3, then GH Metallica (or get GHWT if you want more diversity and don't like hard rock & metal very much) and wait till you've played everything else before grabbing RB1 to import. GH2 is even worth grabbing on the cheap if you're obsessed with fake guitar playing like some of us.
I think* you are mistaken in this. Every RB2 drum kit I played had the pads with an almost cloth-like covering over them and a contact spot in the middle & rubbery edges that made them very quiet at the cost of slightly less rebound. The cymbals had a rubbery coating similar to genuine electronic drums and this made them slightly noisier than the pads but still much quieter than the hard plastic of RB1 drums.
*OneShot may actually be correct, all the kits I played were pre-release and on all 3 consoles so they may have changed this.
Ignoring the instruments, Rock Band 2 is the game to get hands-down. Great features and the best songs by far, even ignoring DLC.
If you just want full-band stuff, get RB2 and grab a cheap, used copy of RB1 to import the songs (then return it to GameStop for a full refund!). If you like AC/DC, you can also buy that track pack and import the songs into RB2 and then return it.
The import licenses cost a couple bucks each, so it's kind of like getting a huge chunk of DLC on the cheap.
If you like the games for the guitar action, then I'd say get RB2, then GH3, then GH Metallica (or get GHWT if you want more diversity and don't like hard rock & metal very much) and wait till you've played everything else before grabbing RB1 to import. GH2 is even worth grabbing on the cheap if you're obsessed with fake guitar playing like some of us.
Quote by xOne5hotx:
Rock Band 2's drums are pretty swell but the pads are straight up plastic so they are VERY loud
I think* you are mistaken in this. Every RB2 drum kit I played had the pads with an almost cloth-like covering over them and a contact spot in the middle & rubbery edges that made them very quiet at the cost of slightly less rebound. The cymbals had a rubbery coating similar to genuine electronic drums and this made them slightly noisier than the pads but still much quieter than the hard plastic of RB1 drums.
*OneShot may actually be correct, all the kits I played were pre-release and on all 3 consoles so they may have changed this.
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 11:28 pm | #11
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Dont mention it 
Re: Which is the best set?
04/17/09 11:40 pm | #12
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I've been playing both Rock Bands with the Guitar Hero 2 controller, which plugs into the USB so you don't have to worry about batteries dying during the endless set list.
The strum bar on the GH2 controller really makes all the difference. The World Tour guitar is nice, but still prefer the GH2 one just b/c of the strum bar.
The strum bar on the GH2 controller really makes all the difference. The World Tour guitar is nice, but still prefer the GH2 one just b/c of the strum bar.
Re: Re: Which is the best set?
04/18/09 4:59 am | #14
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Quote by Raine:
After reading the instrument reviews, I want to pick up the GHWT set for the drums for my Evol1. ^_^
I believe the GHWT drums are finally available as a standalone purchase, but if so they are likely $75-90 so for $10-20 more you can just get everything else too & the game and go sell-crazy.
