I just gave up and uninstalled...

[QuietLikeSnow]

without even playing it.

After trying everything I could find in these forums it took over half an hour for the game to recognize the cable (although if I looked in the windows recording device I had green bars for signal), I could barely tune successfully, and nothing I found here or in Ubi's forums corrected the robotic voice of the narrator (who talked over my tuning putting it 999+ sharp...then again I tuned the guitar before hooking it up so...the tuner is just awesome clearly), and when I finally got in and loaded a song it was so slow it was unrecognizable.

For those wondering my system specs:
Gigabyte Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2133 LGA 1155 Motherboard
i5-2400
16 GB Ram
Windows 7-64 bit
Berhinger UCA222 Audio Interface running the latest ASIO drivers (I think this is my issue based on the forums because it's USB based).

This system can handle FL-Studio and Reason with several plugins running, but insturments and effects, without problem.

Apparently that's not good enough for Rocksmith 2014. That USB hill is just too high to climb.

I've been looking forward to buying this game, along with a Squier Strat, for three months when I decided to spent part of my annual bonus on it. I should have know better.

At least the Strat sounds fine. I wish I hadn't wasted three music lessons worth of cash on Rocksmith, though.

More to the point, this is the first piece of Ubisoft software I've bought. It will also be the last. I'm just hoping GameStop takes returns.

[jacobvandy]

So... You're not using the required standardized and officially-supported cable interface? 99% chance your issues are your own, then, not the game's. Though before I saw that I was wondering what your graphics card is, because at the end of the day this is a video game, and it requires a certain amount of 3D processing power that the other software you listed do not.

[paperboy2000]

That's a bummer, but are you saying that you're not using the required Rocksmith cable?

[caldaar]

And if you would have came out here and asked... You would have found out that you need the Rocksmith Real Tone Cable. When you are using the other cable with ASIO, you are adding extra work for your computer to translate the signal.

But, go ahead and blame Ubisoft for your refusal to use the required cable.

[QuietLikeSnow]

In answer to those thinking I was not using the Rocksmith Realtone Cable I was using the cable that came in the box with the game. I'm pretty sure it was the Rocksmith Real Tone cable.

ASIO is a specialized set of drivers for audio interfaces used in recording and producing music. Whenever I have audio issues on this machine my first check is that the ASIO drivers are up to date for my audio interface.

So, no, I'm not blaming Ubisoft when I wasn't using the proper cables BECAUSE I WAS USING THE CABLE UBISOFT PROVIDED ME WITH THE GAME.

After digging through the forums for two hours (my 2 hours playing involved more time reading Steam and Ubisoft forums and trying various settings, some of which the game would not even launch under) my best guess is that the poor USB sound performance the game has is to blame given I'm using USB audio.

Jacobvandy may have a point about my graphics with his point about this being a video. However, that is not how it is advertised. I first saw it and all the material from Ubisoft I've seen concentrated on it be a way to learn guitar. It didn't talk about cutting edge graphics but about music and learning. Regardless, my system isn't having graphics issues but sound issues.

That said since he was wondering I have a Zotac GeForce GT520 1GB. If that's my issue I guess I'll just take the hit for not worrying about my graphics quality when considering something that was advertised to me as music software.

[caldaar]

Originally posted by QuietLikeSnow:

Berhinger UCA222 Audio Interface running the latest ASIO drivers (I think this is my issue based on the forums because it's USB based).

That makes it sound as if you are using the ASIO interface for the guitar. Sorry if there was confusion. The Real Tone Cable should be plugged directly into the USB port of the computer. If you plug it into your ASIO interface you are adding extra processing of the sound and takes resources away from the game.

I think the main point of the above posts is... Instead of coming out here posting things like "the tuner is just awesome clearly", " I wish I hadn't wasted three music lessons worth of cash on Rocksmith, though", or "this is the first piece of Ubisoft software I've bought. It will also be the last".. Try asking for help. The statements above tell us that you have already made up your mind, so why should we waste our time trying to help?

[BORNWILD]

I would disable the asio drivers and just use the sound drivers on the motherboard that should solve the problem. Rocksmith is very picky about audio drivers.

[QuietLikeSnow]

Ever heard of the need to just vent?

The tone cable was plugged directly into the computer. The audio interface is USB in the sense that it plugs into a USB port itself. It's only other ports are a pair of RCA in jacks (taking the AUX out of my mixer) and a pair of RCA out jacks (running to the AUX return on my mixer...my speakers are connected to the mixer). Oh, and a headphone jack.

As for why I gave up instead of asking for help I read through the forums:

1. Because it took 30 minutes to get the cable working plugged directly into the computer with horrid sound and then another 45 to tune because of said horrid sound even though I tuned my guitar with an electronic tuner beforehand (nearly every time I struck a string it gave me the strike one string message and showed me 999+ sharp even if I'd intentionally over loosen so that I always tuned up as you should) to even get to the sound options to try to use hints from the forums such as turning off exclusive or changing latency I was about ready to quit before I could even try to fix things (piss poor design requiring me to fix sound to get to the options to fix sound).

2. Many of the suggestions, when tried via options or ini file (such as turning off exclusve) required a restart and often the restart hung with those values.

3. The game acts as if it is plug and play when it clearly involves tweaking a lot of settings. I'm okay with tweaking. You use any modern DAW and you buy into that. However, they, unlike Rocksmith, give you help to do so. For example, my cable unplugged problem was solved by going into the Windows properties for the recording device and upping the levels. However, they never mentioned that and since Windows, at the device view level, showed inputs it was pretty far down the list in my trying.

From reading the forums I came to believe the game was an endless puzzle of setting tweaks and at two hours the most fun the game provided was an uninstall. I might try again given I'm stuck with it (no refunds on open software) but having looked forward to it since I saw it in November I doubt I'll get beyond disappointment.

[BORNWILD]

The game was plug and play for me. The only time I had a problem is when the game refused to run. Both Rs 1 and 2014. I had been playing with some music software and it added a virtual sound driver to my device. Disabled it and all is well again.

[QuietLikeSnow]

Originally posted by Old Man:

I would disable the asio drivers and just use the sound drivers on the motherboard that should solve the problem. Rocksmith is very picky about audio drivers.

That might be correct but in that case the game's value is degraded greatly. I have nothing plugged into the mother board sound and no speakers to do so. In fact, I had looked to get a sound free motherboard originally. This machine was built with audio production in mind and in the same way no serious gamer would use onboard video I never planned to use onboard audio

It would have been nice if Ubisoft said "hey, this music learning software only uses builtin sound." I would have skipped it.

I think the real issue is I approached Rocksmith as a musician looking for a learning tool and not a gamer looking for Guitar Hero that uses a real guitar.

[paperboy2000]

Originally posted by QuietLikeSnow:

Ever heard of the need to just vent?

Of course. I haven't had any real problems with RS, but I know a lot of people have had some serious frustrations. Unless I misread your OP though, it wasn't clear that you were using the "official" cable.

[QuietLikeSnow]

Originally posted by paperboy2000:

Originally posted by QuietLikeSnow:

Ever heard of the need to just vent?

Of course. I haven't had any real problems with RS, but I know a lot of people have had some serious frustrations. Unless I misread your OP though, it wasn't clear that you were using the "official" cable.

Looking back I see how that happened. Much as my approach to "is this worth buying" I posted how I was setup in an audio production mindset instead of a gaming one. So, I gave information that would make more sense at Tweak's place (big audio forum) instead of here.

[caldaar]

I installed it without any tweeking on my laptop... and also on both of my kids laptops. Win7 on mine, Win 8 on both of theirs.

But, it is software on a computer. It is impossible for a company to test every single hardware configuration. And it is impossible to plan for all of the possible conflicts with the millions of different software that is out on the market.

Alot of people have different sound cards that are working. It isn't limited to onboard sound. But, there is a possibility that your soundcard is not compatible. There could be alot of junk on your computer taking up resources that the game uses. Who knows.

So, when you get past the point of venting, and you want to play... Come out here and some of us might be able to help.

[caldaar]

Originally posted by QuietLikeSnow:

Originally posted by paperboy2000:

Of course. I haven't had any real problems with RS, but I know a lot of people have had some serious frustrations. Unless I misread your OP though, it wasn't clear that you were using the "official" cable.

Looking back I see how that happened. Much as my approach to "is this worth buying" I posted how I was setup in an audio production mindset instead of a gaming one. So, I gave information that would make more sense at Tweak's place (big audio forum) instead of here.

Here we deal with the constant questions of "can I use my other cable and ASIO4All?"... So, we are used to answering No, you have to get the required cable.

[Bluetac]

Just to confirm the use of add in sound cards for those that are looking to buy this product , i use a creative soundblaster recon 3d with mine and it works fine.

[Cpt.Koma]

From an Audio Engineering Point of you, which you use. It should be simple for you to check if the game works with onboard Sound on you're system. Sounds like you know how to do the wireing. Same thing applys to the Tweaking part.
I use Rocksmith in Windows, Mac and Playsation. all Systems were Plug and Play for me. Most likely it is a Problem of Latency which could come from the external Audio Interface.
Just check if it works with onboard sound for you.