Get your Rock Band Guitar working with Guitar Hero 3 (PC) PART 2

Rock Band Guitar and Guitar Hero 3 on PC from Tim Kinnaird on Vimeo.

If you are having trouble please see this post.

Still can't figure it out? Feel free to shoot me an email and I'll be glad to help.

The Glow!

It took hard work, it was a way of life. After many years I have finally achieved the power of "The Glow." Actually I was thinking about a few awesome 80's movies today and it got me wondering about how they did this special effect in Barry Gordy's: The Last Dragon. Well, just like my man Sho'nuff (The Shogun of Harlem) I have realized the true power of layers in Photoshop!

AudioSurf + Go West (Original) = Great Pop + Game

Only four work days remain before we’re on a jet plane to Cancun for my brother’s wedding. With that being said you can imagine it was difficult for me to rise this morning. My family left for Mexico this AM, so we have the pleasure watching their two puppies for the remainder of the week. Of course to Maya (our pup) it’s like Christmas day, as she’s not accustomed to visitors- let alone on her turf. She got up twice in the middle of the night to jump off the bed to say hi to her friends, just sitting there in front of their cage wagging her tail.



I checked out Audio-Surf this weekend. I think I set records against the vast Internet on U2’s “Mofo” and Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland 1945.” You should definitely check it out if you’re a rhythm game whore (like me). I’ll attempt to do a video of fast-paced puzzle goodness at lunch- need to think of the perfect song.

Not a bad little run there... Had some trouble near the end.

Rock Band Fun!

Here is a clip from the archives of the Kinnaird Estates. First part is the band performing "Pleasure" by Bang Camaro (me on vocals), then E.Monsma and the crew rocking "When You Were Young" by The Killers.

Maya Moo Moo!

Hi- I'm Maya. I totally love trying to bum people food off of my parents. I'm hanging out in the office closet tonight. Check out my new pink shirt Mommy got for me!


I love to chew on squeak toys while my Dad works on the computer. He just loves the sound soooo much after an hour!

Random Monday Thoughts

I’ll be returning my copy of Burnout Paradise. After about ten minutes I quickly determined I should probably just be playing Forza 2. Burnout is exactly what I was expecting- a series of random crashes and no real sense of skill involved.

We saw U2 3D again Saturday night. Bono did Luciano Pavarotti justice on his rendition of “Miss Sarajevo.” That last bit of Pavarotti’s part was incredible.

This weeks 1UP Yours was excellent. If you’re into gaming, you should definitely listen to that podcast. The best part- it’s free!

The Good Charlotte song “I Don’t Wanna be in Love” is trying so very hard to sound like The Killers. This probably explains why it’s the first song from them I wasn’t forced to listen to. Thanks to Madden 2005 I somehow know all the words to their hit “The Anthem.”

Coffee Talk.

I’m surrounded by many coffee enthusiasts at my place of employment. Many people actually brew their own coffee in our break room. If you accidentally pick up the wrong coffee pot (with their coffee) they are not shy to tell you get your effing hands off. I drink three cups of coffee daily. That amount of consumption would lead someone to believe that I actually like coffee. I don’t mind coffee, but I think my primary reason for consumption is I believe it makes me more accurate in my work. Taste has never been an issue for me. I’ll drink any type of coffee that is presented in front of me, as long as it’s free. In fact, I believe my taste buds may not be functioning properly because I can’t tell the difference between Starbucks and that “Freeze-dried Tasters Choice Bullshit” that is offered for free in our break room. Maybe it’s that I don’t want to taste a difference. Honestly, I get a mildly subversive feeling inside when I sit across from someone sipping on their six dollar grande and throw down my free cup of generic coffee. It makes me feel superior- when it absolutely shouldn’t.

McAlmont + Butler = Good V-Day Music

The ex-Suede guitarist and the man with the golden voice perform "Falling" live.

Happy Valentines Day!

U2 3D

We saw U2 3D last night. It was actually quite awesome, surprisingly it didn’t reek of “U2 Cash-in” like many of their other recent projects do. The setlist was a bit weak, which featured some of their newer stuff and a few classics you would expect to hear at any U2 show. There were certainly instances where I kept imagining how awesome this 3D/sensory overload idea would have been if it had been done on their ZooTV or Popmart tours.

I had always considered the whole 3D concept kind of gimmicky- but after last night I just realized that I’d never seen it done properly. The atmosphere achieved nearly everything you would expect from a U2 show. Even with the U2 fans sitting in the theatre, you could hear people singing along and clapping to the beat. Creepy moment of the night goes to the lady sitting in front of me, she was literally reaching out into the screen to touch Bono’s hand. I think at that moment the U2 hardcore in attendance collectively cringed.

Under the Sea.

So I’ll be finishing BioShock tonight. I literally was at the doorstep of the end boss before my gaming session was cut short by the powers that be. I’ll start off by saying that the art direction is simply incredible- the 1940’s film noir style is definitely underdone in gaming. This, accompanied by properly placed music and ambient sounds throughout, it really benefits having a Dolby 5.1 sound system for this title.

The pacing is excellent, as there really is no penalty for death; it keeps you cruising along without hesitation. There was however, a few moments where I found myself highly irritated with a few of 2K’s design choices. The in-game security system is annoying as hell- this is very reminiscent of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. It’s more or less “Oh great, I was detected again… guess I better spend five minutes running around and hiding from the computer AI.” Fortunately, halfway through the game you obtain a power up that allows you to stand still and hide from security once detected. To me, this is almost an admission from the developer that “yeah we know this is annoying the shit out of you.” Even after the power up you’ve just got to wait there for about a minute and half before you can continue on. This is just enough time to get up, check your phone, let the dog out, whatever.

This design flaw isn’t enough to drastically derail the experience, because BioShock stands alone in terms of narrative in the First Person Shooter genre. The story and the characters are memorable, and you actually care about what is happening, instead of running around and shooting everything that moves. I see why so many people are quick to label BioShock as game of the year, the first fifteen minutes alone are probably some of the most gripping and intense moments of gaming I’ve ever experienced. This high level of quality is continually presented throughout, making BioShock easy to recommend to any fan of the FPS genre.

The Ascent of Tim

I’m recuperating from the North American Sales Conference this week. Actually I think my liver is recovering- to be a little more precise. After witnessing sales people get smashed all week long I’ve come to the conclusion that “being able to pound alcohol” should be a prerequisite for any sales job. And yes- I’m the guy who is heckled for choosing water over my fifth beer. To complicate the situation, the Telemarketers approached me at the end of the night and said “Dude, we’ve got an Xbox 360 setup in our room and more alcohol…” and my response? “Dudes, I’ve got to get home to my wife and dog.” Wow- just wow.

Oh yeah… I almost forgot to mention a big “eff-you” to the managers at the Park Meadows Best Buy. These clowns tried to deny me the return of my 16 GB iPod Touch, issuing a bunch of nonsensical policies and restocking fees. It was a hard fought battle, at the end of day I stood alone on the battlefield clutching nothing but a 32 GB iPod Touch.

You lose again Best Buy- why do you insist on this war with me? Could it be because I’m the only man alive who actually knows my rights when I sign up for the Performance Service Plan?

Oh well, the war is over for now- they’ve neutered the Performance Service Plan, and with improved technology I’ve decided to go without. Thanks for the six new iPod’s over the last eight years Best Buy.

New Music - January 2008

Along with my goal to blog more, I’ve also made resolutions to listen to new music. My initial goal of five new albums a month may seem a little lofty, considering I probably only listened six or seven new albums all of last year. Here I am after a month:

Yael Naim – Yael Niam – 4.2/10

Half of the songs she sings in French, which feels lost on me- although I can appreciate a good melody. At moments her voice sounds like Liz Frazier (Cocteau Twins) or Beth Gibbons (Portishead) it’s almost interchangeable as Yael switches back and forth. The format in which 90% of the album is presented is very singer-songwriter, which is something similar you might find on a Tori Amos album. For me, the memorable moments are: Too Long, New Soul, and Toxic (yep a sulky slow-beat trip-hop esque cover of Britney Spears). The Toxic cover is worth the price of admission alone and “New Soul” is the song featured on the MacBook Air commercial- so you will be familiar with it.

The Cardigans – Best of – 6.7/10

I know technically compilations shouldn’t count, but there are about 5-6 of these songs that are new to me. Not enough people actually care about The Cardigans, but they should, as they really hit their stride in the latter part of their musical career. Unfortunately we live in a society where Lovefool, Erase/Rewind, and My Favorite Game are all they will be known for. When the reality of it is “Long Gone Before Daylight,” their second to last album, is an absolute gem. This would explain why it is so well represented on this Best of collection. Not really a review, but more of a rant. The Cardigans are great, and I feel like I’m the only person who actually believes this.

Feist – The Reminder – 3.3/10

My wife loves those VH1 top twenty music video shows, so after the millionth time hearing “1234” I decided to give the album a shot. Heartfelt- I must admit. It’s got that “after the rain” vibe down perfectly, but unfortunately it doesn’t leave a lasting memory. As I sit here and reflect after 3-4 listens I can’t recall anything that is worth talking about. When I asked my friend Scooter about Feist he called this album a “take it or leave it” experience. I think I’ll be leaving it.

Brian Eno – Music for Airports – 5.6/10

How can I call something new when it came out almost 30 years ago? Well it’s new to me, and it’s coming from the ambient genre which isn’t very well represented in my collection. Music for Airports is work music, nothing abrasive enough to distract you from the task at hand. It’s difficult to really describe this album, as it doesn’t follow conventional music structure. It’s a cleansing and refreshing experience, that does its thing while you do your thing, if that makes any sense (which I’m sure it doesn’t). I’ll just let Brain Eno properly describe this- “I'm struck by the insidious, computer-driven tendency to take things out of the domain of muscular activity and put them into the domain of mental activity.” –Eno

That’s about right.

32 GB iPod Touch! :(

Leave up to Apple to screw me on my recent purchase of my iPod Touch. A couple weeks back I used my Best Buy warranty on a 16 GB model, in which I’ve absolutely fallen in love with. What happens? A new 32 GB version is now in stores for a mere 100 dollars more. This is absolutely worth the extra cash to double the memory, especially once you hack and jailbreak the Touch. I may try and pull some shenanigans if my local Best Buy actually has these in stock. I don’t know why this would be a problem, considering I’m giving them more money. That is the unfortunate thing about purchasing a product made by Apple, you know eventually you’re gonna get hosed with new releases and better deals, you just don’t expect it to happen two weeks later.