Between the ever-declining economy and a less-than-satisfying third installment in what was one of my most frequently played franchises, I've decided to try selling my Rock Band and Guitar Hero products. And it didn't take long for someone to show interest in and buy my keyboard and guitar controllers. Now all that's left are the games and my worn drum set (so much so that the red pad is flimsy now). I do still have a soft spot for the series and will miss playing downloadable content, but it's seldom that content I'm interested in is made available (and even less frequent when I feel compelled to purchase). Not to mention I really don't like the change of game engine and the effect it's left on the calibration for the series (which, combined with my recently purchased HDTV, doesn't make for ideal playing). Even Pro Keyboard couldn't keep me coming back for long, and left me saying over and over that "Rock Band 3 is motivation for the wrong reasons" (it makes me want to take up real instruments, but I'd rather learn from an actual instructor than trial-and-error of a seemingly inaccurate videogame).

Plus, how often to covers and live versions of songs actually match the exact timing of the studio version anyway?

On a better note, I bought myself a new headset after my Skullcandy Hesh cracked:

I must say that these are quite comfortable and almost match the Bose and Beats headsets I've worn in that regard. The sound quality is pretty good too, though the highs feel too prominent even after letting the sound break in. So if I ever happen to listen to someone like Napalm Death they won't sound right, but I'm not a huge fan of lower tone genres so hopefully I won't be too bothered most of the time.