Just took delivery on the keyboard bundle and the mustang for the Wii. Can't wait to give them to his kids.

Very exciting!

:D

We will all be excited to hear how it goes Skyp1e :)

So today was the party and I put the keyboard bundle and mustang on the gift table. Presents were not opened at the party (which took place at Chuck E Cheese, blech). I was invited to stop by his house afterwards with my own kids and did so.

He's living at his wife's grandmother's house while his home is being repaired after Sandy. I was informed that the Wii is still at his house.

I let him know that he'll need to retrieve it for the gifts that I gave his boys. They still hadn't opened the presents before we left so I don't know what the reaction is going to be yet.

Hopefully I'll hear back about it soon and can report here what they thought.

Cannot Wait...

So I don't really have good news here. I just got off the phone with Norman. His kids love the gifts "they dance around the house with them pretending to play", he tells me.

"Why aren't they playing Rock Band with them?" I ask.

"They haven't been interested in doing that, at least yet" he tells me. Which sounds really strange to my ears.

After a few minutes of talking about other things, like movies etc. I segue into that I'm considering getting the WiiU when I move back home, and "Won't it be cool to log on and play together from our own living rooms?".

He explains that he hates Rock Band because he's a real musician and plays a real guitar. I quickly point out (AGAIN) that you can play real music with Rock Band 3. That when I'm attempting to play Roundabout that I'm trying to play the parts that Rick Wakeman played in the song and not just arbitrary color coded gems that correspond to a few buttons. He says, "Yeah, but I'm a guitarist, not a keyboard player".

I tell him that the Mustang I got him will let him play the guitar parts for many songs and that they are charted to be accurate.

"Sounds too complicated for me. I'd rather just plug my guitar in and play. Besides I like to play with other people".

I remind him that he can play with ME or anyone else on the Wii with RB. That it's not a stand alone game, unless you want to play it that way. That you can pretty much find someone to jam with anytime of the day or night.

He again says it sounds like it's too much effort and not something he could ever see himself doing. That he would feel "silly" playing guitar in a video game. That's "not what he's about".

I let it go at that point saying, "Well, maybe once your kids start really getting into it, they'll want daddy to play with them. You might feel differently about it if it becomes a family thing to do. I play with my kids almost every day and we all have a really wonderful time".

After that we discussed the latest crop of kid movies, like Wreck It Ralph and others, showering them with high praise for being not only kid friendly, but fun for all ages, etc.

All in all I'm getting more bummed, though. First the end of DLC on the horizon, and now this very poor response for the gift of Rock Band that I had such high hopes of being a huge hit at his house.

Blah...

Maybe... maybe not. Like you said, once his kids start playing with it, he may have a change of heart. Everyone (especially "real" musicians) have to figure it out on their own as to whether or not they like the "game". He either will or he won't but I bet either way, you and/or your kids might soon find yourselves playing with his kids whether he wants to join in on the fun will be up to him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tnevaker

i hate to break it to you, but if he's as experienced a guitarist as you've described, i don't think he'll be too impressed by the mustang. if he thinks the 5-button guitar is just a plastic toy, the mustang will seem like just another small plastic toy with a lot more buttons. there's no real comparison between the mustang and even something like the RB squier, let alone the much nicer and more expensive guitars he's probably used to playing, to someone who already plays guitar.

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That depends, the mustang is a great MIDI controller, any guitarists who doesnt play keyboard would like to get the hands on that, if they wanna mess around with MIDI, that is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alternity

That depends, the mustang is a great MIDI controller, any guitarists who doesnt play keyboard would like to get the hands on that, if they wanna mess around with MIDI, that is.

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MIDI has been something he's always been trying to do, but has never been truly satisfying. Nothing he's ever purchased for the task has ever been able to track him, he plays that fast.

His fingers on the fretboard have been compared to an air hockey puck zig zagging over the entire surface as if friction didn't exist. I forget what local paper wrote that review, but it's appropriate.

I haven't screwed around with the Mustag much, but I can say that FL studio and Reaktor registers everything withou a problem with my keyboard, so I don't see why it wouldn't with the mustang. Yes, I play fast on a keyboard. Must be the computer, and not the software, IMHO.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alternity

I haven't screwed around with the Mustag much, but I can say that FL studio and Reaktor registers everything withou a problem with my keyboard, so I don't see why it wouldn't with the mustang. Yes, I play fast on a keyboard. Must be the computer, and not the software, IMHO.

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I play uber fast on my keyboard as well. But tracking for a keyboard and tracking on a MIDI guitar are separate animals.

The MIDI guitars Norman has translate audio to MIDI data, hardly a direct relationship at all.

I agree the Mustang would track him without any problems, but get him to see that. He'd have to actually try it.

Why would the Mustang outperform his GK1 for example? Because there's not translation, it's direct button to MIDI triggering. If the button is hit, the MIDI is sent. End of story.

And yeppers I play fast. Just wanted to say that again. :D