The Grand Theft Auto 4 Multiplayer Experience!

 

GamerVision.com

Yesterday I found myself in the extremely unpleasant predicament of not knowing what game to play. I ended up throwing in Grand Theft Auto 4 only to remember that I had already completed all of the story mode, as well as the side missions and I was not in the mood to spend my time mindlessly killing civilians. I ended up deciding I would try out the online multiplayer. Although I have played GTA 4’s multiplayer mode in the past, I have never really been able to get the hand of it. I find the match making system to be awful and slow, and I rarely could find a lobby worth staying. The host system is a bit of a disaster as well due to the amount of power over the game type and parameters given to the host.

Despite these flaws I still love the game so I wanted to give it another shot. To mix it up, I entered into a racing match. It took considerably less time to find a race than it has for me to find a deathmatch in the past. The first match I entered was a helicopter race around Alderney. I did not exactly win… but I found it to be extremely fun. I ended up playing many more matches of different racing game types. Needless to say I played way to late and had to force myself to get off to go to bed. I plan to continue to play more online GTA 4 in the future and hopefully I will continue to find it fun and exciting.

What do you guys think about Grand Theft Auto 4’s online multiplayer? Do you like it or is it just to bazaar to really play seriously? Let me know in a comment!

Escape The Fate and Attack Attack Co-Headlining This World is Ours Tour

FearlessRecords.com

This spring Escape The Fate along with Attack Attack are heading out on a co-headlining tour with supporting bands including The Word Alive, Mest and Secrets. The tour is titled This World is Ours and will making its way all the way across the U.S., as well as stopping in Argentina and Canada.

There will be a stop in Los Angeles at the House of Blues on April 21 and I would very much like to go. It would not be too difficult to make it to LA.,as it is only an hour and a half drive form where I live in Santa Barbara. I have always wanted to see Escape the Fate live and I think that Attack Attack would also be very entertaining. From what I have heard both bands seem to be full of energy and have a very strong stage presence. As a musician, Escape The Fate is one of my favorite and most influential bands and for that reason I think it would be great to get to see them live and in person.

I can’t say for sure if I will be able to make it, but with tickets starting at $22.00 for general admission I am seriously considering it. What do you guys think about this tour? Are you going to go or is this lineup just not for you? let me know in a comment!

Angry Fans Protest the Ending of Mass Effect 3!

Shocknews.com

As many of you have probably heard, the infamous Mass Effect 3 did not exactly go as expected. Specifically, I am referring to the story’s ending. If you are a fan of the game or have been on any gaming forums recently, you would know that players of the game were very disappointed with the ending. Without spoiling the game, I will just say that the decisions you make throughout the story have practically no effect on the outcome of the game.

Angry fans ended up making online petitions requesting that BioWare, the creators of the game, change the ending. Although, at the time, it seemed as if this was just a waste of time, as it turns out BioWare may actually be considering changing the ending. They released a statement saying that they were seriously considering their fans concerns and that they will look into make a change to the ending.

I think that it is incredible that the fans were actually able to sway the decision of a huge company such as Bioware. It really shows that the power is in the consumer’s hands and not the company’s. I don’t really have an opinion on the games ending as I have only spent a small amount of time playing the game, but I am very interested in following this story and seeing what comes out of it.

So tell me what you guys thought of Mass Effect 3’s ending? Did you mind the way the story concluded or are you one of the thousands of gamers who added their name to an online petition requesting that Bioware change the game? Let me know in a comment!

Another Escape the Fate Guitar Cover!

Yesterday I was in the mood to play guitar, and I decided I would record yet another guitar cover. This cover is also of an Escape the Fate song, but it is much older. The song is Dragging Dead Bodies in Blue Bags Up Really Long Hills off of their first EP. I learned this song quite a while ago, but I thought it was worth it to record and upload a cover, as it is one of my favorite songs.

I used my Line 6 UX1 to record and I played on my LTD H-1001 Deluxe. I don’t have tabs but due to the extreme popularity of this song I am sure you can easily find them online. I hope you enjoy this cover and if you listen to Escape the Fate, tell me what some of your favorite songs are.

Asking Alexandria – The Final Episode (Lets Change The Channel) (Guitar Cover)!

I would like to share one more guitar cover I have uploaded on my YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/DistinctGuitar. This is a cover of Asking Alexandria’s song The Final Episode (Let’s Change the Channel). This song is incredibly fun to play as the riff is fast paced and very melodic. I learned the majority of this song by ear as well as watching other guitar covers.

I recorded using an Epiphone Les Paul Custom through a Line 6 UX1 (Click here for a review of this product along with other Line 6 products). I filmed the audio and video separately and aligned them in GarageBand.

Let me know what you think of this cover in a comment and tell me if you think I should continue to incorporate guitar covers in this blog!

Line 6 has Forced Guitarists to Rethink the Solid State Amp!

Line6.com

I thought for today’s post I would continue to talk guitar tech. Specifically, this post will focus on Line 6 products. I know that many guitarists have a moral issue with playing on a sold state amp, and to an extent I agree, but I think that Line 6 may just be the exception to this rule.

Line 6 amps and most sold state amps in general are terrible for high quality at high volumes. I would never suggest any of Line 6’s sold state amps for live performances, and their few tube / combo amps are not anything special. But if you want to be any good at live performances you have to practice, and this is where Line 6 is the king of the market. Their practice amps are amazing for heavy distortion at low volumes. Although some would argue that the sound is a bit flat, Line 6’s practice amps are still more rich in tone than any other solid state practice amps.

Not only does Line 6 own the bedroom shredder market, but it also has some of the highest quality and inexpensive guitar recording equipment. I bought a Line 6 UX1 when I was going on an extended vacation and I didn’t want to go without a guitar. Large amps were out of the question, and although there are conveniently sized practice amps for specific situations such as this, I wanted something that also had powerful distortion and supported headphones so I could play without disturbing anyone around me. Line 6’s UX1 fit the bill perfectly, and because it operates as an audio output for my computer, I was able to play along with my favorite songs while hearing my guitar relayed through my headphones.

I currently use this device for recording guitar for my band (click here for a sample of how it sounds). It comes with a program called PodFarm, a VST plug-in that operates as a virtual amp simulator. I can record a dry input signal from my guitar directly into my digital audio workstation, and then add any amp/pedal setup I want from Line 6’s extensive list of different customizable amps.

To conclude, I feel like Line 6 does not compete with any of the major tube amp companies such as Mesa or Marshall when it comes to live performing. This is simply due to the fact the solid state cannot compete with real tubes when you are talking about both volume and tone. But if you are looking for recording quality guitar tones for professional use, or just for your own enjoyment, Line 6 is the right choice. Anything from the UX1, which goes for around $90.00 onLine, to the Pod 500, which goes for around $500.00, Line 6 provides quality and affordable recording for guitar, or any plug-in instrument.

This is just my opinion. What do you guys think about Line 6? Do you have any Line 6 products? Let me know in a comment!

The Mainstage Lineups for Warped Tour 2012 Have Finally Been Announced!

aeglive.com

This post will continue my Warped Tour coverage. Today the first main stage bands were announced and I can’t exactly say I was blown away by the lineup. So far the lineup is mediocre at best, with some of the highlight bands being Falling in Reverse, Of Mice and Men and We the Kings. For those of you who don’t know, the Van’s Warped Tour kicks off in Salt Lake City on June 16th, and will continue to move west to east across the U.S. Presale tickets are already available at VansWarpedTour.com, along with a complete list of all the bands that will be performing.

So how do you guys think of this year’s Warped Tour? Are you going to go? Tell me why or why not in a comment!

Guitar Strings: Dunlop VS. Earnie Ball!

As you may know if you follow our blog, I play guitar. I know that there a lot of you that also play an instrument. This post is specifically focused on guitarists that want advice on choosing the best type of strings for long lasting, bright and vibrant sound.

I have spent a long time trying out different strings and experimenting with different gauges. Depending on what type of music you play the type and gauge of string will vary greatly, but for anyone in the rock / hard rock / metal genre, this post will be helpful.

I am only comparing the two different string companies that I have the most experience With: Dunlop and Earnie Ball.

Dunlop:

guitarstrings.sncstores.com

Pros:

• Extremely long life / vibrant sound
• High quality manufacturing prevents rust / keeps strings smooth for extended use
• Individual packaging keeps strings fresh while on the shelves

Cons:

• Slightly more expensive
• Some guitar retail stores do not carry them

Earnie Ball:

therockinn.com

Pros:

• Very clear and vibrant sound
• Easy to change / color coordinated
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Sound fades quickly
• Production quality low / rust quickly

Overall I prefer Dunlop medium-heavy (gauge 11-50) over any other strings. This is simply because of their extended lifetime and the heavy sound I get from higher gauge strings. I do not enjoy wasting time I could spend playing guitar changing strings, and for this reason Dunlop are the strings for me. No matter how long I put off changing strings, I always find that Dunlop’s strings stay bright and clear and help to bring out the tone of my guitar.

That is just my opinion. If you play guitar or any stringed instrument, let me know what type of strings you use and what gauge in a comment!

John Carter is Everywhere!

IMDB.org

On Sunday I was at Ryan’s house, and somehow we ended up on the Sci-Fi Channel only to find that The Princess of Mars, a movie based on the novel of the same name by Edgar Rice Burroughs, was playing. If this name rings a bell its because this is the same author who invented the character John Carter and incorporated him in many of his works of fiction, including this one. Being the enthusiastic movie critics that both Ryan and myself are, we had a lot of fun watching this bazar specimen of a movie. Everything from the acting to the special effects were completely out of this world, and not in a good way. Although I don’t actually know much about the story of John Carter, from what I gathered he is a guy that somehow ended up on Mars only to find weird, Tusken Raider-like sand monster people that enjoy drinking sweat and eating caterpillar poop. If you were to see this movie with no prior knowledge of its history, you might assume that is was made some time in the 80’s, thus accounting for its lack in special effects and overall production quality. But low and behold it was released in 2009 as a direct-to-dvd release. I am sure that most of you have heard that a new release of the original John Carter story has been released through Disney.

So what do you guys think about Disney’s attempts to recreate a story as strange and bazar as John Carter? Are you going to see the movie? Have you already seen it? Let me know in a comment!

Sam and Ryan’s Magical Van’s Warped Tour Experience!

Ryan and I at Warped Tour 2011

Last year I attended Van’s Warped Tour with Ryan, and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the freedom and versatility of a festival type concert, and it was great being able to roam around listening to bands that I loved, and new bands I had never heard of before.

I think one of the major things Vans focused on when planning out Warped Tour 2011 was making sure they did not stick to one genre of music. Instead they had a huge assortment of different bands and artists performing for a wide range of different audiences.

One of my favorite stops was actually at the Earnie Ball stage. This stage featured local bands who were taking their shot at becoming rockstars. I heard a lot of incredible talent and was amazed at the young ages of some of the bands.

On the main stages I saw Asking Alexandria, Black Veil Brides, A Day to Remember, Simple Plan, 30h!3, and many other great bands. Although I did get to see some of my all time favorite bands last year, there still were a few bands I wished were there. Unfortunately neither Paramore or Falling in wReverse played at the Ventura, California Warped Tour stop even though they had other slots at different stops on the tour.

I am very excited for next year’s Warped Tour. There are a few headliners I am really looking forward to seeing such as Mayday Parade, Sleeping with Sirens, Senses Fail and many more. Although I am sure that the shows will be amazing, I still feel like a few key bands are missing such as All Time Low or Escape The Fate. I know that these bands are big enough to sell out their own shows, but it would be nice if Warped Tour attempted to incorporate more Bands in this year.’

Overall I think Warped Tour is a great way for fans to get to see a lot of their favorite bands at one concert and to also experience new and upcoming bands they may have never heard of.

So tell me about your Warped Tour experiences if you have ever been before? If not, let me know if you plan on going next year!