While I'm sure the folks over at the 1UP offices have been enjoying Rock Band, not all is well. You see, the Xbox 360 hardware only has three USB ports, and Rock Band utilizes four USB instruments at once. Harmonix and Electronic Arts have solved the problem by including a USB hub with the bundle that ships this November.
Unfortunately, 1UP is quick to point out that the USB hub will require external power. That's right, it might be time to free up some room on that overflowing power strip or surge protector you've already been abusing. PlayStation 3 owners shouldn't have an issue -- there are already four USB ports right in the front of most PS3 consoles (the 40GB model only has two).
While I'm not going to say that this is going to turn me off from picking up the game as soon as humanly possible, (I played some of it again this weekend, and I haven't washed my hands since), it's a frustrating little detail. Maybe some of our tech savvy readers can clue us in as to why one might need a power adapter for a USB hub, but even with a logical explanation, there's still plenty of room to whine.
[Via Game|Life]
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Contest:
6:51 PM on 10.30.2007
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*NEWS FLASH FROM THE FUTURE*
"Some idiot dies after plugging in over 20 electrical chords into one wall socket. Stay tuned to see how video games are to blame."
Wait, scratch that. EXTREMELY retarded. I'll most likely end up pushing myself through it though.
I have to plug my USB Xbox 360 controller into a USB slot on my PC, because if I plug it into the USB slot on my Logitech G15 keyboard, I get a message saying that there is not enough power to use my controller.
This is not a design flaw. It's not a throwback to the past. You're unpowered USB hub will probably not work.
The instruments will most likely need the extra power. Suggesting that your unpowered hub will work is like suggesting that you could probably power four wireless 360 controllers off 2 AA batteries. It won't work.
So would it be safe to plug all of the instruments into the standard USB ports on the 360 then?
This is fucktarded.
Now here's something that might work, try and use 2 USB hubs if you don't want to power those suckers up with a big brick of an AC adapter. USB hubs are practically given away now as Free After Rebate items from many tech/electronics stores, so its possible you might know someone with a spare or 30 sitting in a box in the garage.
Thats just crazy
More than likely if you're only playing with 1 or maybe 2 controllers you probably do NOT need to plug in the power adapter. If the game seems unresponsive then plug in the AC Adapter.
You can ALSO find USB cords that would plug into both USB ports on front of the xbox, and might provide more power to the USB hub so you may not need the power adapter, at all.
Not sure how risky this is, but I assume if your instruments aren't getting enough power then they simply won't work. (Had this experience with USB devices on PC.
The problem comes when you plug in a hub, which splits one of those ports into four. The same voltage from that one port must be supplemented for most devices to work. (Even one device plugged into an unpowered hub can have issues.)
If the controllers have lower than standard power requirements, you could try using two unpowered hubs plugged into different 360 ports, with two controllers on each. I'm pretty doubtful about your chances of success, though.
And SourGr8pes, it will be a giant AC adapter block, because the voltage into the hub requires conversion to 5 volt DC from 110 volt AC (in the US).
Blame Microsoft for only having 3 USB ports. Who includes an odd number of USB ports, anyway? I thought they always came in pairs.
Not that big a deal, though. Jesus. It's not something to light the torches, wield the pitchforks, and tie the nooses over.
I knew Rock Band was too good to be true... singing... drums... bass... guitars...
Do not you understand gamers? I have no outlets handy, you---you--- (expletive(s) deleted)
Now I feel better. :D