Guitar Hero / Band Hero Dongles for PS2

• 

  silverrat23 on 18/09/2022 - 16:44

  1. A USB hub should work.
  2. There are no generic dongles that will pair with a PS2/PS3 guitar controller.

  Do you know which models you have? Describe or upload a pic and I can identify them with keywords that'll help in your search.

• 

  tunzafun001 on 18/09/2022 - 20:44

  Ok, guessing it will need to be a powered USB hub.

  I have a Red Octane, Kramer, Les Paul and Live.

  Plenty in the US for around $15 (Playstation 2 controller port dongles). But if a hub works, then I guess I could use the ps3 USB type.

  • 

    silverrat23 on 19/09/2022 - 19:36

    +1

    • Red Octane (white body with black pickguard) is it's common name and is also known as the Mayflash, an arcade controller manufacturer. That particular dongle is white and plugs into the PS2 controller port, which looks like this. Pretty much almost impossible to find, given that Red Octane also manufactured other guitar controllers too.
    • Kramer Striker was only released with PS2 versions of Guitar Hero III, which sold very well here in Australia. Like the Mayflash, this also plugs into the PS2 controller port and is easy to find. Looks like this, note the specific name.
    • Les Paul's dongle has a short wire and plugs into a USB port, compatible with the PS2 and PS3. Looks like a guitar pick.
    • Live is only compatible with Guitar Hero Live on newer consoles, as it was never released on the PS2. Strangely the controller is not console-specific, rather the dongles are. Each of the consoles are denoted by the coloured sync button which are; Black-XB1, Blue-PS4, Green-360, Grey-PS3+WiiU. Here's what they generally look like.

    If the Mayflash and Kramer dongles are found, a USB hub is not needed as the microphone and drums would plug into the only two USB ports on the console.
    If buying from overseas, don't forget to account for higher shipping fees and tax. These dongles get lost all the time and without them, render them almost useless and are offloaded for cheap, hence the situation here. Don't throw them away though.

    • 

      tunzafun001 on 19/09/2022 - 20:19

      +1

      Cheers legend. Massive effort. Much appreciated.

      My Red Octane guitar is the fire tone one, here

      https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/313915036503664424/

      Realised the PS2 is only 576p and difficult to read the lyrics on a modern big TV. So a newer console would be handy.

      Also, discovered that the drum controller (usb dongle) wont allow single player mode. It is an option in the game menu, but it says no drums detected in single player mode. Works fine is Band mode. Perhaps there is a PS2 drum set out there with a controller type receiver?

      Must be a heap of these sitting in the bottom drawers. Lots of guitars for sale, not many dongles.

      • 

        silverrat23 on 20/09/2022 - 00:50

        No worries, glad I could help.

        My Red Octane guitar is the fire tone one, here

        Prime example of the confusing names - hence the Mayflash.
        That one linked is the World Tour (WT) model, released with Guitar Hero World Tour. The colour scheme is commonly known as the Sunbusrt, though that alone shouldn't the definitive method of ID-ing a controller, as it had swap-able faceplates. Unlike the Les Paul, the PS2 & PS3 models are separate and can be identified by the center of the Dpad.

        • If it's a transparent piece of plastic, it's the PS2 version and its dongle uses the PS2 controller port - note the non-descriptive name.
        • If it's a button with the Playstation logo, it's the PS3 version and plugs into the USB port on the PS3. Like the PS2 version, it also has a non-descriptive name.

        Also, discovered that the drum controller (usb dongle) wont allow single player mode

        It should work out of the box, in the same way the guitar will. A PS2 version of the WT drum kit does not exist, as a PS3-branded kit comes included with the PS2 Band-in-a-Box bundle back in the day.

        Must be a heap of these sitting in the bottom drawers. Lots of guitars for sale, not many dongles.

        Absolutely. Doesn't help they're mostly black and non-specific-looking, just like every other type of cable that gets thrown in the cable box.

        Realised the PS2 is only 576p and difficult to read the lyrics on a modern big TV. So a newer console would be handy.

        Skip the Wii and go for the Xbox 360. They connect directly to the console, negating the use of dongles all together (thank goodness). However, they are generally pricey as they are also the preferred controllers to connect to a PC (that's another can of worms to open).

        • 

          tunzafun001 on 20/09/2022 - 00:54

          @silverrat23: Interesting..ive been looking for Playstation kits, and mostly seen Xbox 360kits.

          "Can of worms" I assume the Clone Hero or whatever it is called wouldnt be straight forward

          • 

            silverrat23 on 20/09/2022 - 01:05

            @tunzafun001: Two main reasons,

            1. Xbox 360 was the console of choice for Guitar Hero/ Rock Band back then, due to its robust online service and region-free games. All the enthusiasts then ditched the 360 kits and upgraded to an Electronic Drum Kit (like, a Roland or a Yamaha).
            2. Their build quality was straight-up terrible (less so with the Band Hero/ Warriors of Rock model, but even then).

            Yes, it's Clone Hero. Aside from the lack of band animations and issues connecting a controller to a PC, this is the Guitar Hero game to play. It even runs on a potato.

            • 

              tunzafun001 on 20/09/2022 - 10:49

              @silverrat23: Runs on a potato :).. Might have to look into it and use an old laptop.

              As for quality, the drums I got had 2 dead cymbals (the elbow plugs were somehow corroded completely internally).

              Then the cymbals snapped the first time they were used (replaced with some conduit PVC tubing i bent and slid over the top by heating with a candle).

        • 

          tunzafun001 on 26/09/2022 - 13:38

          @silverrat23: Hi bud, I managed to find 2 x Red Octane PS2 dongles. However, they are both for Kramers. Got a Kramer guitar from a friend, works perfect.
          But no joy with the Red Octane Sunburst guitar. I was trying to find a way to open the dongle, and see what sets the communication pairing for each guitar.

          Don't suppose you know of any information on anyone who has modded a dongle to work with a different guitar? Wouldn't be that hard, but would like some background before I crack it open. Will list it on here as a swap as well before that.

          Lastly, my original copy of GH World Tour loads poorly. Just tuned the laser with an Oscilliscope, so it's not the laser. Would like to back it up before it gets worse (my laptop made an iso just fine). However, its over 4.7gb and wont fit on a normal DVDR. Any idea where all the PS2 Ripkits have gone? Used to be heaps of them. I found plenty of dead links, but the big repositories have gone?

          Cheers

          • 

            silverrat23 on 27/09/2022 - 13:29

            @tunzafun001: Most haven't dived into the dongle's electronics because it is simply not worth the time and effort, given a $40-$50 dongle from ebay is still cheaper than troubleshooting.

            However, there are people modding the guitars themselves to be wired via USB, forgoing the dongle issue altogether.

            Guitar Hero World Tour (and later games) were poorly ported over from the Xbox 360/PS3 versions and is notorious for long load times and even worse quality than the Wii.

            For modding the PS2, it's even simpler now with a modified memory card running FreeMcBoot. Have a look online, no hard-mods required.

            • 

              tunzafun001 on 10/10/2022 - 17:17

              @silverrat23: Sorry to be a pain. I found another Kramer striker to match the dongle I have. So now have 2 Kramers and 2 dongles.

              Both work fine on single player mode, or in band mode with drums + mic. So I know both guitars, and dongles work fine.

              However, I can't get the 2 Kramers going at the same time (but the game shows you can have 2 guitarists).

              Tried Kramer in controller port 1, and the other in controller port 2. No go.

              Tried putting a Multitap in port 1, and then putting the 2 Kramers into the multitap. No go.

              Any ideas?