Can I play Guitar Hero or Rock Band on my PC?

Question

Is there any way to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band on my PC?

I also wonder if there's a way to get the instruments working on a PC.

Any suggestions?

Asked by Ivo Flipse

Answer

Several of the Guitar Hero games have been released for Windows and Mac, including Guitar Hero III, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and USB-based instruments should work natively with them. None of the Rock Band games have been released for PC, however, and intercompatibility is generally bad.

Try Frets on Fire for a free and open source Guitar Hero-style game which works with all the console instruments. For full details, drivers, and the like, see the Frets on Fire Wiki page on using Guitar Hero and Rock Band controllers. Many of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series songs have been converted for use with Frets on Fire, and there is an enormous base of user-created content: see the wiki for details on available song packs.

Answered by Ignis Umbrae

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What does 'Pitch Correction" do in Rock Band 3?

Question

I just started playing Rock Band 3 and I noticed that there is an option for vocals called "Pitch Correction". What does this actually do? Does it change the scoring at all?

Answer

No, it doesn't have any effect on scoring, it just makes your voice sound better coming out of the speakers. Joystiq puts it this way:

The game will use iZotope's real-time pitch detection and correction to make you sound less like yourself and more like someone who can hit a damn note occasionally.

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Is Rock Band needed for the Rock Band track packs?

Question

Does that mean I need Rock Band to play the track packs? Or can I just purchase a track pack without having owned Rock Band 1 (or 2 or 3)?

I mean since I'm on a Wii, will it need to sense a Rock Band save (since you can't put in two discs at the same time) for it to know that I own the original?

Answer

No, the track packs are standalone games, and you can play them without owning any of the other Rock Band games.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 is a standalone gameplay companion to Rock Band, the collaborative, competitive, and single player music game.

(On the linked page, you can see a similar blurb on each of the packs)

Do note that on the Wii, you won't be able to export tracks from a track pack into any of the other Rock Band games. (The Green Day version is the exception. You can export that to RB3 on Wii) This means that if you later buy Rock Band, Rock Band 2, or Rock Band 3 for Wii, you'll have to put the Track Pack disc back in the console to play the songs that came with it.

You can view the full export table on the Rock Band website.

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What songs from the Rock Band discs don't import into later versions?

Question

I know there are certain songs that cannot be imported from one version of Rock Band into another due to licensing issues. What songs from Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are restricted in this way?

Answer

These songs can't be exported and played in other versions of Rock Band:

Rock Band 1

• "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
• "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath
• "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden
• "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers *

• "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden *

  *: This song can be exported and played in Rock Band 2, but couldn't be played in Rock Band 3 when it was released. However, it can be played after installing a patch released November 8, 2011.

European version

The above, plus:

• "Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel
• "Hier Kommt Alex" by Die Toten Hosen †

• "Rock 'n' Roll Star" by Oasis †

  †: This song can be exported and played in Rock Band 2, but can't be played in Rock Band 3.

Rock Band 2

• "Any Way You Want It" by Journey
• "Battery" by Metallica
• "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Let There Be Rock" by AC/DC
• "Spoonman" by Soundgarden

Free downloads

These songs can't be exported from Rock Band 2, but were made available as a free download for everyone. (Xbox Marketplace link)

• "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" by The Main Drag
• "Conventional Lover" by Speck
• "Get Clean" by Anarchy Club
• "Night Lies" by Bang Camaro
• "Rob the Prez-O-Dent" by That Handsome Devil
• "Shoulder to the Plow" by Breaking Wheel
• "Supreme Girl" by The Sterns
• "Visions" by Abnormality
• "Welcome to the Neighborhood" by Libyans

Lego Rock Band

Everything can be exported!

Green Day: Rock Band

Everything can be exported!

Rock Band track packs

Everything can be exported! (That's kind of the point.)

The Beatles: Rock Band

Nothing can be exported! Music by The Beatles is only playable in The Beatles: Rock Band, and vice versa.

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Do Guitar Hero peripherals work with Rock Band and vice versa?

Question

I own the Guitar Hero instruments. Can I buy a Rock Band game and use the instruments from Guitar Hero to play the game? And vice versa?

Answer

It depends on the instruments.

Here is a really nice compatibility chart that I found when I had the same question.

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How can I reliably activate vocal Star Power in Rock Band?

Question

I'm new to Rock Band (played Guitar Hero a fair bit though), and I'm having trouble activating star power consistently using vocals. My screaming is apparently not loud enough or something. I seem to have to whack the mic against the furniture (or my Wiimote) to get it to detect me trying to activate it, and even then it doesn't always work. In Guitar Hero, I can press a button to activate it, but that's apparently not the case in Rock Band.

Anyone have any bright ideas for a more foolproof method?

Answer

You don't need to shout into it - just any loud noise when there isn't meant to be singing. Maybe hold it near the drummer :P

In all seriousness, I usually just hit the mic too.

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Tips for activating vocal star power in Rock Band?

Question

I'm new to Rock Band (played Guitar Hero a fair bit though), and I'm having trouble activating star power consistently using vocals. My screaming is apparently not loud enough or something. I seem to have to whack the mic against the furniture (or my Wiimote) to get it to detect me trying to activate it, and even then it doesn't always work. In Guitar Hero, I can press a button to activate it, but that's apparently not the case in Rock Band.

Anyone have any bright ideas for a more foolproof method?

Answer

You don't need to shout into it - just any loud noise when there isn't meant to be singing. Maybe hold it near the drummer :P

In all seriousness, I usually just hit the mic too.

Check more discussion of this question.