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[GUIDE!] How to Install Rock Band 3 Custom Songs!
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yamamoto114  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 2:13 pm    Post subject: [GUIDE!] How to Install Rock Band 3 Custom Songs! Reply with quote



This is a COMPREHENSIVE, STEP-BY-STEP tutorial that will walk you through enabling custom Rock Band 3 music on your Xbox 360. It will only work with the Xbox 360 version, and only applies to Rock Band 3.

Overall, the process is pretty easy and only takes about 15-20 minutes, maybe even less. So please don't be overwhelmed by the mass of text that's about to follow; I just like to be very detailed in my instructions so no one makes mistakes or gets confused. =)

This method is perfectly safe and does not require a modified Xbox 360. There is nothing in this guide that might put you at risk of getting banned from Xbox Live or getting your Xbox disabled by Microsoft.



If you're running Rock Band 3 Title Update 5 (which is very likely), you'll need to revert to Title Update 4 in order to play custom songs, since TU#5 makes it impossible to play customs. Luckily, that's what this guide is about. It's easy to do, and I will guide you through this.

Note that while running Title Update 4, you will NOT be able to log onto Xbox Live or download music from the Music Store. It's either customs or online; never both at the same time. Fortunately it's easy to switch between the two.

This guide is split into two parts. Part one will discuss how to enable custom music on your Xbox 360 by reverting to Rock Band 3 Title Update 4.

WARNING: This does NOT work with the Games on Demand digital copy for sale on the Xbox Games Store. This also doesn't work with physical copies of the game that have the MadCatz logo on the box. Both of these versions have TU#5 hardcoded into the game, which permanently disables customs. Craigslist and Ebay are the best places to find a used copy of the game.




When you're finished with this, you will have a flash drive that is Xbox 360-compatible and ready to accept custom songs. You will not be able to access Xbox Live and play customs at the same time, but switching between the two modes will be simple. I'll explain at the end of this.

Your savegame data, DLC, and other such memorabilia will carry over just fine.

Things you will need:
  • A physical copy of Rock Band 3 with the EA logo on the box. (The downloadable On Demand version, and the MadCatz re-release, have TU#5 built in and cannot be modded.)
  • Your main drive. (This is whatever you're currently using to store your data, be it the hard drive, another flash drive, or Xbox 360's cloud storage.)
  • An empty flash drive, 2GB minimum, 4GB recommended. (I use an 8GB MicroSDHC card with a USB memory card reader, so that works too)
  • Party Buffalo, a program that will let you modify files on an Xbox-formatted drive. Download this and extract it anywhere you like. (I suggest "C:/rockband", but it's up to you!)
  • Title Update #4. Keep this file handy. (Again, I suggest putting it in "C:/rockband")

Steps:
  • Step 1: Start up!
    Plug both your main drive and your flash drive into your Xbox 360 and turn it on. Log into Xbox Live.
  • Step 2: Format your flash drive.
    Go to "Settings" > "System" > "Storage" > "USB Storage Device", and select "Configure Now". The Xbox will begin formatting your drive for its exclusive use. Once the screen says "Device Configured; Your device is ready...", then you're done with Step 2. Press OK. You'll be brought back to the Storage menu.
  • Step 3: Copy your AV settings to your flash drive!
    Open your main drive, then navigate to "Games and Apps" > "Rock Band 3" > "Rock Band 3 Audio/Video Settings". Click "Copy" and select your flash drive to copy this file over to it.
  • Step 4: Installing Title Update 4!
    This is a multi-step step, so let's take this step by step. Steppity step step. You must be logged into Xbox Live to do this part.
    • Step 4.1: Delete Title Update 5 from your main drive.
      Open your main drive, the navigate to "Games and Apps" > "Rock Band 3" > "Rock Band 3 Title Update #5". Click "Delete".
    • Step 4.2: Download Title Update 5(?!) to the new flash drive.
      Insert Rock Band 3, and start it up. When it asks you to update, click "Change Storage Device" and select the new flash drive, then click "Download Now".
    • Step 4.3: Plug the flash drive into your PC.
      Once the download's finished, turn off your Xbox 360, unplug your flash drive, and plug it into your PC. Ignore any pop-ups you get.
    • Step 4.4: Party Time!
      Open Party Buffalo. On the menu, click "File" > "Open" > "Device Selector". A new window should pop up with a list of your connected devices; select the flash drive. A file tree will pop up, showing you your flash drive's contents.
    • Step 4.5: Delete Title Update 5
      In the file tree, navigate to "Content" > "Downloads" > "Rock Band 3" > "Installers". There should be a file inside titled "tu00000001_00000000".Delete it! Leave Party Buffalo open.
    • Step 4.6: Manually Install Title Update 4
      Download Title Update 4 from here (unless you already have it). Once it's finished downloading, drag-and-drop it from its folder into the open "Installers" folder in Party Buffalo.
  • Step 5: Wrap it up!
    Click "File" > "Open/Close Drive" and then close the Xbox 360 Device Explorer window. Remember to do this EVERY TIME before you unplug the flash drive from the computer.
And that's it! The hard part is over, and your flash drive is now ready to accept Rock Band 3 customs! Whenever you start the game, press Cancel when the game asks you to update.

How to restore access to Xbox Live and the RB Music Store

If you want to regain access to Xbox Live and the music store, simply unplug your flash drive, start up Rock Band 3, and update to Title Update #5, then play the game.

How to switch back to playing custom music

To switch back to customs, simply navigate to "Settings" > "System" > "Storage" > (Your main drive) > "Games and Apps" > "Rock Band 3" > "Rock Band 3 Title Update #5". Click "Delete". Then plug in your flash drive, start the game, and skip the update if it asks.




This is really super-duper easy, and you can follow this tutorial every single time you want to add new songs into Rock Band 3.

There are multiple sources for downloading songs, but the number one biggest source is the Software board on ScoreHero.

BRONIES! Every song available for My Little Rock Band can be downloaded from [url=https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?resid=B4C826B44FA60349!2087
]this list here[/url].

Songs will come in one of two formats: rb3con or RBA. Rb3cons can be installed immediately; RBAs will require a conversion to rb3con first.

IF YOU HAVE RBA FILES: How to convert from RBA to rb3con


  • Step 1: Download and install Magma.
  • Step 2: Download RB3Maker, extract it, and install it using Setup.exe (if it asks you to install .NET Framework 4, download and install it from here.
  • Step 3: Place the .RBA file inside of an empty folder by itself somewhere on your computer. Make sure it's in a place where the file path has no spaces. (I suggest C:\rockband\songs\[songname]\).
  • Step 4: Open RB3Maker. On the menu bar, select "Options" > "Convert RBA".
  • Step 5: A folder navigation window will pop up. Navigate to the folder where you placed the RBA file.
  • (If a new window opens up asking you to locate MagmaCompiler.exe, navigate to the Magma install directory (C:\Program Files\Harmonix Music Systems\Magma v2\). You will only need to do this once.)
  • Step 6: RB3Maker will produce several files in the folder, including an rb3con; ignore the rest, all you need is the rb3con.


IF YOU HAVE RB3CON FILES: How to install custom songs

  • Step 1: Plug your custom flash drive into the computer
  • Step 2: Open Party Buffalo, click "Explore a device", click "File" > "Open/Close Drive".
  • Step 3: Navigate to "Content" > "Downloads" > "Rock Band 3" > "Game Saves".
  • Step 4: Simply drag-and-drop all of your rb3con files into the Game Saves folder and wait for the file transfer to complete!
  • Step 5: To eject, click "File" > "Open/Close Drive" again, then close the window and unplug your drive.
  • Step 6: Plug it into your Xbox and you're ready to go! Have fun!


-----

And that's it! You now know everything there is to know about installing Rock Band 3 customs! Now HAVE AT IT!

(This guide was written primarily for the incredibly kind, loving, passionate members of SoCal Bronies and Equestria LA. You guys are awesome!)


Last edited by yamamoto114 on Tue Sep 17, 2013 7:31 pm; edited 13 times in total
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raynebc  





Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 992

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been told that you don't have to disconnect the hard drive in order to play customs off of the flash drive. This might be worth investigating because constantly removing and reconnecting the hard drive will make the involved connectors wear out faster.
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LyokoFreaks  





Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 691
Location: Las Vegas, NV

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

raynebc wrote:
I've been told that you don't have to disconnect the hard drive in order to play customs off of the flash drive. This might be worth investigating because constantly removing and reconnecting the hard drive will make the involved connectors wear out faster.

You don't have to remove the HDD. The game will read customs off the HDD and the flashdrive at the same time without a problem.
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raynebc  





Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 992

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And how do you control which patch version of the game is run?
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yamamoto114  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

raynebc wrote:
And how do you control which patch version of the game is run?


That's the problem, and why it becomes necessary to constantly remove the HDD. Rock Band 3 will always prioritize the newer version over the older version. So if you have TU#5 on the HDD, it'll load that.

Edit: I LIED! Removing the HDD is only necessary if you want to keep TU#5 on the HDD for XBL and Music Store purposes. You can delete TU#5 on the HDD, have it be completely unpatched, and it'll just load TU#4 from the flash drive.

All of this can be avoided by using Method 2, which involves using an Xbox 360 Data Transfer Cable to connect the HDD to the computer and installing TU#4 directly to the hard drive. Naturally, this will disable XBL and the Music Store whenever you run Rock Band 3, and you'll have to constantly update and revert between TU#4 and TU#5 in order to toggle access to XBL, which will require you unplug your hard drive repeatedly anyways.


Updated post with Method 2! Feedback is appreciated!


Last edited by yamamoto114 on Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:48 pm; edited 3 times in total
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raynebc  





Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 992

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a pain. It won't even load update 4 from the flash drive if the hard drive is completely unpatched? If my memory serves, the title updates cannot simply be copied between storage devices in the console's memory management, requiring the use of the transfer cable as you suggested, right?
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yamamoto114  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

raynebc wrote:
What a pain. It won't even load update 4 from the flash drive if the hard drive is completely unpatched? If my memory serves, the title updates cannot simply be copied between storage devices in the console's memory management, requiring the use of the transfer cable as you suggested, right?


I actually tested it just now, and what I said was wrong; if there's no patch on the HDD, then it'll load TU#4 from the flash drive. That actually makes things a lot easier, and I'll have to revise my guide, since that means that toggling between customs and XBL-enabled RB only requires deleting and updating TU#5 on the HDD.

By Celestia's beard, I can't get over how much easier that makes things. Hoooollyyyyy craap.

And yes, transferring the TUs between drives will indeed require a Data Transfer Cable; you'll get an error every time you attempt to transfer, but based on this new information, that won't be necessary anymore unless you're using Method 2.


Last edited by yamamoto114 on Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:47 pm; edited 2 times in total
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espher  





Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 1777
Location: Fredericton, NB, CA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You kind of missed the best method, which is using two flash drives. There are a couple of ways to work with the two flash drive method, but the simplest is as follows:

Keep all your DLC on your hard drive.

Set up one flash drive (the XBL one) with Title Update 5, your save file, and optionally your XBL profile.

Set up the other flash drive with Title Update 4, all of the customs, a new, offline-only Xbox Live profile, and the save game/settings tied to that profile.

If you want to play online or with leaderboards, plug the first drive in. If you want to play customs, unplug the first and plug the second drive in. Each drive will have its own save file, its own settings, and its own song cache. Hard drive stays there the whole time -- be sure to delete Title Updates from it.

$$$

Edit: Also, I moved TU4 from my hard drive to my custom USB drive before updating to TU5, and then moved TU5 from my hard drive to my XBL USB drive... so idk.
Edit 2: I also use Party Buffalo instead of Modio, but it really comes to down to personal taste.
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yamamoto114  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

espher wrote:
You kind of missed the best method, which is using two flash drives.

Two flash drives plus one hard drive? That's an interesting combo! I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps I'll add it to the guide in the future. Thanks for the feedback!


espher wrote:
I also use Party Buffalo instead of Modio, but it really comes to down to personal taste.

Yeah, there's like 20 billion 360 format-editing programs out there, like Horizon and whatnot. I use Modio just because it's the only program I know of that affixes "labels" to all of the folders instead of just leaving them as a random assortment of numbers and letters. I'll have to give Party Buffalo a shot though. Modio can be pretty glitchy when it wants to be =_=
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farottone  





Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 164

PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

espher wrote:
You kind of missed the best method, which is using two flash drives. There are a couple of ways to work with the two flash drive method, but the simplest is as follows


Yeah, this is what I've been doing since TU5 came out. I only insert the USB with TU5 when I want to buy new songs, basically.
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yamamoto114  





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PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Updated Method 1 with all the new information that makes unplugging the hard drive and migrating DLC / save data unnecessary. Happy days!
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PolishWeener  





Joined: 01 Feb 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I personally have one built-in hard drive and a flash drive. I obviously transfer customs from my laptop to my xbox using the flash drive. TU4 is installed on my xbox hard drive with a backup on my laptop. I keep TU5 on the flash drive, so I can play online with the flash drive in. I find this to be the easiest way to juggle both TUs at the same time.
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yamamoto114  





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PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As far as I can tell, if there's a TU on both the hard drive and the flash drive, the Xbox will prioritize the hard drive's title update first. Either that, or it'll load the newest title update it can find. Having a hard drive with TU#5 plugged in while trying to play customs off a flash drive won't work for me.
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DorkmasterFlek  





Joined: 14 Oct 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMO the entire "Converting RBA to rb3con" section should read "Use RB3Maker".
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Dante77  





Joined: 27 Jul 2011
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, I've been making customs since before TU#5 and after the update, I was able to set up my hard drive so I could play customs again. Months passed since last time I put a custom in the game, and now it stopped working.
It seems that the game updated on it's own or something. But customs don't work anymore, they throw the "Disc unreadable" error. I did what I could to fix it but I only made it worse and now every time I try to play RB3, the game won't start and show a black screen instead which won't disappear until I reset the Xbox.

Anyone knows of a possible solution before I have to buy another disc?

tl;dr customs used to work, now they don't and I think I broke RB3.
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