Bass - some tones are always SUPER loud

[cpt cannibal]

TLDR -
Detailed explanation of the audio bug I always get, including troubleshooting attempts specific to my PC.

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EDITED:
This post originally described my problem as the bare-bones tone bug, but in reality its a problem where certain tones (like the fuzz tones) cause my guitar sound to be amplified like 200%. Its so loud that a single note drowns out all other sound in the game, including the music, making it impossible to play let alone enjoy.

I've tried everything I can think of and I'm going crazy. For me, the bug affects specific songs 100% of the time, independent of duration game has been on, cpu load, graphic/sound settings. As an example, Garbage's song "Only Happy When it Rains" has this problem (and therefore sounds aweful) 100% of the time I try to play it and regardless of mode (Guitarcade, Play a Song, etc). My guitar is so loud that just lightly touching a string or a light tap on the guitar body creates an extremely loud sound.

NOTE --- If I plug in my normal 6 string electric and play in emulated bass this problem disappears. I'm unsure if the changing of guitars fixes it (thus pointing to a problem with my bass guitar) or if playing in Emulated Bass mode removes the problem (due to possible difference in how the tones are loaded in that mode).




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I've never installed ANY unofficial DLC, though I have lots of DLC from the original and 2014 releases.

I tried uninstalling from my "game" hard disk, and re-downloaded and installed onto my 500GB SSD. (no change)

I've deleted all profiles, then started a new one. (no change)

I've checked with my motherboard manufacturer for updates to sound package. Its an Asus Crosshair Formula IV with VIA High Definition Audio with X-FI certified Creative Soundblaster software. Already all up to date.

Tried lowering all video settings even though I run a fairly powerful rig. (no change)

Tried changing windows audio from 5.1 surround, to 2.1 and headphones. (no change)

And many more, including switching between USB 2.0 and 3.0, redoing the calibration in the tuner, etc.

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MOBO: ASUS Crosshair IV Formula
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 (3.4GHz)
RAM: 16GB DDR3 PC1333
VID: AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB
DISK: Crucial MX100 500GB SSD / Maxtor 1TB HDD / Seagate 1TB HDD


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I'll load up the game later and play though each song to get a list of all songs that are exhibiting this behavior in the event that might help. I can only remember 1 specific song for sure, though there are at least 6 or more that do it.

BUGGED (for me) SONGS, 100% OF THE TIME:
Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains
Nirvana - Breed
No Doubt - Don't Speak

[905]

I'm curious. If you get into tone designer, can you load the tones from that garbage song? Or, does it show that any tones are even in that DLC when you bring it up? If you can load the tones, do they work?

There was an issue I remember in RS 1 for customs where some people used metal pack tones and if you didn't have the metal pack, the tones would be clean. It would be kinda stupid if RS did this, but is there a chance the tones in that one song rely on gear that you haven't unlocked yet? So how far have you got on the unlockables? I am very curious to hear if you can load the tones. If you can, you could try assigning them to the keys and manually change them.

I really hope the tone doesn't work, that might give you clues. You could try editiing the tone and see if you can figure out what effect seems to be screwing it up.

[MTZIGG]

I will load this song and try it i have two different PC's a couple of years apart. Interesting to know you get it 100% of the time on that song . List more if you have any others you have done the trouble shooting on. I have fixed this with a bigger buffer but it is up in the air for others. Also I read somewhere to not ever load a tone created it tone designer to slot 1 always leave it open for RS but is unconfirmed. 905 has an interesting point that it could be just 1 of the effects.

[cpt cannibal]

Thanks for both of the comments. I've never even messed around with the tone designer or custom anything. I started off knowing so little about guitar, I just turn on Guitarcade or Play a Song, and play the songs in their default modes.

EDIT / UPDATE:

Ok Whoa.. first off let me say I'm playing bass as I realize I hadn't stated that before. When I choose a song in the Tone Designer, it shows ALL tones like lead guitar as well? Or is it only for the mode you have selected, in this case Bass?

I notice my bass sounds very similar to what I meant in my OP when I choose certain tones and play on bass. Specifically, any tone named "Fuzz" sounds like super-duper amplified or something. Note, even the tone "Bass Fuzz" for Only Happy When It Rains does this so its not only lead tones.

If you open Magic Wands' song "Black Magic" you'll see three tones. When I select "High Gain" on my bass, that is the exact tone I hear on these many songs that I described as Bare-bones tone. Maybe certain songs aren't loading the proper bass tone? Dunno. Anyways, back to fleshing out the list of songs that do this. And yes, I'm playing in bass mode (not emulated) and most songs do work properly.


SECOND UPDATE:
Ok, can't play any longer tonight. So I think I'm wrong about the tones NOT loading, but certain tones (like any with the fuzz effect) are like quadruple amplified, to the point where if I even lightly tap anywhere on the body of my bass I hear thunderous cacaphony. My fingers and brain are tiried, i'll check back tomorrow.

[MTZIGG]

Could not get the bug from either song.Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains
Nirvana - Breed But I am out of town away from my bass right now and only have my guitar with me.

[905]

Sorry to take so long to reply. I wasn't around my game machine. Anyway, I only have the Breed song. I went to tone designer and saw what tones I could load in lead (that feels like a tounge twister). Anyway, it let me load the bass tone, it only showed me two tones by the way. So I'm guessing we see all the tones no matter what path we are on.

I loaded the bass tone for the song and checked. It only had three things loaded, Bass Fuzz, amp HW-300B and cabnet AT-810BC. Then I checked them against the list of rewards/unlockables in the guide. It turns out both HW-300B and AT-810BC are unlockable skins. The HW was really close to the top and the other was farther down. I had always assumed skins were not a functional piece but maybe you have to unlock them. Is there a chance you aren't very far in unlocking stuff? You get them by doing rocksmith reccomend items I think. Could this be why you get bare bones on these songs? I don't have the others, but you should check to see what gear shows up in the tones that don't work for you.

[cpt cannibal]

I also only see the 2 tones for bass on Nirvana's Breed. It shows all the equipment on the left, and it definitely loads a tone. Maybe I'm just a giant fool and everything is working right? It just seems 500% louder than any other tone in the game and is so sensitive that merely touching a string or slightly tapping the guitar body causes a very loud (seemingly overamplified) sound.

Could it just be my particular guitar? Does the game react differently to all the various guitars you can plug in?

I don't have another bass, but I have a BC Rich Mockingbird (6 string lead guitar) I can try that in emulated bass mode and see if it does the same thing, but I don't know if being in "emulated bass" would even be a fair test. Will edit in 5 minutes afer I try, anyways.

EDIT:

So yeah, plugged in my regular 6 string electic and turned on emulated bass mode. Tried out Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains and it sounds GREAT!!! Not 500% louder super amplified. It was normal volume, and had the tone loaded perfect. Now I'll try Nirvana's Breed this way.

EDIT 2:
Nirvana's Breed also sounded great, albeit in emulated bass. I'm thinking its one of two things at this point. Either my profound lack of musical knowledge is making me think there's a problem where there isn't. I don't think this is the answer, but it wouldn't shock me. Otherwise, its being caused by either my guitar's electronics, or the way the Realtone Cable reacts with my guitar.

[905]

That is weird. I don't have a bass and so I only can do emulated bass. Maybe you need to turn down the bass volume on the insturment on those two songs. I don't know why you should have to do that, but maybe it would make them playable/enjoyable for you.