Game broken after audio interface bought

[Alesyf]

Ok so I own R1 and R2014 and the RealTone cable. Everything worked fine until I bought an audio interface. At first the game didn't want to run at all stating that there is no output device plugged in. I resolved that by switching my AI to 48 kHz and 16 bit which is the only mode the game runs in. But there's a new issue.

Here's my audio chain:

PC -> audio interface -> amplifier

I bought the interface because I record vocals and guitars at home and I use my gaming PC as a recording/mixing PC as well.

The problem is that since my AI is controlling all the audio that goes out and into my PC, the game just seems to go crazy bonkers.

After I switched to 48/16 I noticed the sound crackled so I read up on the net that in the rocksmith.ini file I can tweak a few options to make it sound ok. And so I did.

But now the F****** RealTone cable doesn't work properly! It produces a very very distorted and overbalanced sound of the guitars like never before.

I know some A-hole programmed it so you can't use any USB audio gear while the cable is plugged in but it's getting riddiculous...

What I tried so far:
- turning off the recording function of the AI
- turning the AI off completely
- changing settings in rocksmith.ini
- installing the NoCable Fix and pointing to my AI as the main audio device
- using the cable in a different USB port

Nothing worked. The cable is not worn out - I take care of my gear. The NoCable Fix doesn't help as the Focusrite Scarlett Solo has the XLR mic input as the main one so no use to me and I won't buy some hard to find, shady adapter for it. I'm not going to unplug the Scarlett and use horrible TV speakers for a MUSIC game every time I want to play. Also I think I've spent enough on two games, a cable and the "importing tool" for the songs to say to myself that I won't spend any more money on this.

Sometimes the cable seems to work properly but basically since I got the AI it's a nightmare! Just because you can't use any better audio gear with the game and you can't use any USB audio during gameplay! Who the hell programmed this?! This is a tool for guitarists?! And you can't use an AI?! Shame on you Ubi!

Someone please help me if you have a solution.

[Hipsu]

Originally posted by Alesyf:

I know some A-hole programmed it so you can't use any USB audio gear while the cable is plugged in but it's getting riddiculous...

Your setup is too complicated for me to understand, I'm just debunking this one. I play the game with the Realtone cable and output the audio through a USB audio interface (Line6 UX2) having no problems whatsoever, so I don't think there's any intentional USB-audio messing ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ going on...

[rcole_sooner]

Sounds like your new interface is confusing the game.

You should be able to find settings to make them get along together.

Until then, you can just disable the interface, unless you specifically need it.

[Alesyf]

Thanks for the responses. Well I guess the only way would be to disable the interface entirely like you say.

Originally posted by Hipsu:

Your setup is too complicated for me to understand, I'm just debunking this one. I play the game with the Realtone cable and output the audio through a USB audio interface (Line6 UX2) having no problems whatsoever, so I don't think there's any intentional USB-audio messing ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ going on...

What's complicated here? PC goes into the interface, the interface goes into an amp. That's all. Is that so confusing?

Ok let me rephrase this a bit: there are only 2 options of outputting audio in this PC: via USB to an interface or via HDMI to the TV. The TV has no audio outputs outside of the optical and mini-jack. The latter is horribly made with low quality sound. My amp is old from the 80's and there's only cinch sockets in it. So optical is out of the question. I can only use either the output of the interface which I'm using and no other game gives me a headache like R2014 or to output PC -> TV -> amp through the headphone jack which sounds tragically bad and in a music game it makes a huge difference.

That's why I have a problem with this.

I can get the game to output the audio through the interface just fine but the cable makes this unnatural distorted sound. The guitar is fine, the cable is fine.

[Cataleya22 (⁠ᵔ⁠ᴥ⁠ᵔ)]

I recognize the problem, I am on the same path on wanting to record my guitar playing and stuff. I have a Steinberg interface. In the past I thought I had it working, but since I have moved, my pc crashed, backup didnt work, so I had to reinstall everything and anyway it was not working anymore.
Maybe it was with the no cable fix or some more hacks, its too long ago and I have nothing to go back to.

When trying the get the acoustic guitar picked up by RS, through a Mic connected to the Steinberg interface, it just didnt work or RS went crazy. I have tried multiple setups, also went back to the no cable fix, but nothing gives.

Thing is, RS wants to have exclusive use of the sound setup. Even starting correctly and then changing after when in the game, it goes nuts or just stops the sound with an error message.
My mic is phantom powered so it only works through the interface. Even a bluetooth headphone is not accepted, since thats an extra sound setup, only the phone jack of the pc is ok.

I have, for now, no choice, not using the interface with RS, and bought myself an extra USB Microphone that RS does allow, that works great. (And if need be, to sweeten the deal the microphone has a jack build in for a headset). And for E-guitar just the RS cable.

The software part, yes, although the program still works nice, be it more than 4 years old, it can be much better. I feel Ubisoft is just using this a cash cow and does not want to put much effort in making changes, so we are stuck with it.

I have not given up however for E-guitar, I read somewhere, (I thought in a post here in the community?) that a jack splitter might work to get it to an amp, so maybe there is way to reroute it to an interface...... ???

When using RS on a TV, HDMI works with the sound, but on my pc I still use separate speakers. I am trying also to reroute the sound somewhat through line out to the interface but that just adds to the chain and creates lag or not good sound quality. It needs more work and I need to read up in newer version of the recording software.
I want to experiment on that in the near future (this month i'm too busy).

But aside from that, I recently also experienced crackling, buzzing and overbalanced sound.
I got myself a new guitar, which at first worked fine with RS.
Then I tried a emulated bass setup to try another song, just for the fun trying bass on a 6 string.
First time went nice, second time, a lot of crackling and very hard weird noise and the program crashed.
Next day I played an other song just fine and and all of a sudden I experienced a very distorted and overbalanced sound, just out of nowhere. At first I thought it was a software issue or cable issue, because I changed between guitars, it was only quiet when i touched the strings or in between settings. It didnt matter if i changed the sound on the guitar itself.

Trying to retune/recalibrate the program changed the settings on its own constantly. I tried the custom tone to set it on clear, but then the software acted on itself by randomly changing tones.......
SO I stopped the program, restarted. Checked the RS cable, even changed the port, restarted again, removed other cables for perhaps interference. All for nothing.
Using another guitar was ok, changing back, the problem was back. SO it was the guitar???

NO.

Today I tried it on my amp, just fine. I restarted RS again with the guitar, at first same problem, but then suddenly the calibration went fine and all is well again???????????
Is that a software issue? I guess,.
In favor of the program I am using custom DLC's , that may have f***ed the program.....??

Long story short, Lets just say the program is pretty particular on the use....

To be continued....... ;-\

[Alesyf]

Originally posted by Cath22:

Thing is, RS wants to have exclusive use of the sound setup. Even starting correctly and then changing after when in the game, it goes nuts or just stops the sound with an error message.
My mic is phantom powered so it only works through the interface. Even a bluetooth headphone is not accepted, since thats an extra sound setup, only the phone jack of the pc is ok.

EXACTLY!!!

I'm not the only one who has this problem as I've seen people not being able to use e.g. USB headsets with the game at night because it goes bonkers when you use another USB audio device. And there are huge forum discussions on how incompatible the game is when it comes to audio interfaces.

No, I don't have an analog sound out in this PC I built it myself (gaming PC) and I didn't include it as I knew I wanted to buy an AI or use the HDMI out.

Ok so I completely turned off my interface and relied on the TV speakers, I even switched to my other guitar which is "less aggressive" with the sound to see where the problem lies and guess what? The cable still hisses and produces static like crazy!

I'm starting to think that the cable is somehow broken now but I have no idea why would that be - I didn't do anything to break it and it worked perfectly fine beforehand. I'm confused.

[Cataleya22 (⁠ᵔ⁠ᴥ⁠ᵔ)]

Well, the cable can be damaged inside for some reason, you wont see that. There is a connection in the cable on the usb side, you can try to open and then put back, maybe its a bit off ?

But my new guitar is acting up again with distortion sound, changing to another guitar problem gone.......go figure. So if you have another guitar and there is no distortion, you know its not the cable....

Question does always happen or only when playing lead ?

Because when I started the game with another profile that was set on Rhythm, there was NO distortion with this guitar. Also not when changing to lead in game....

But since I have separate profiles and the Lead one has more playing time, I started that one again, got immediate distortion, changing in game to Rhythm, NO distortion (or just a little bit).
Changing back to Lead, distortion..........
Weird stuff, for sure.

So if I touch something on the guitar thats metal, its totally quiet again in Lead. Looks like some grounding issue, or am I a very static person - well its winter time now hahaha ;-P

Now I must say this guitar is different from the other ones, cant place a picture here, but the strings have more distance between the bridge and the tailpiece. Normally its about 2-3 cm, but this one is almost 10 cm and has a metal plate for a tremolo bar which also is placed between the high E and B string. Even touching the E string, not sure if thats normal but just saying.

So when I place my arm (wrist) upon that part, the distortion sound is gone, and I am still able to play, and with a little move i can place my palm on the bridge for muting.

If it is grounding which in my view is different from distortion sound, because that would be more a humming or maybe the hissing sound you experience, but there are some posts about it, like some links in this post.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/221680/discussions/0/350544117175909923/
(in there also the link to a post about the splitter for using an amp)

You also might change the usb port for the cable to see if that helps, plug it directly in a port, not a usb-hub or or extension cord, and not a usb 3 (some say because the program is older only usb 2 works, but it has worked fine with me on usb 3 by the way. You need to restart the program for that to be recognized.

Hope that helps. Best wishes for the holidays