CloneHero With Two Keyboards

So you've played CloneHero alone for a while, you loved how everything works and the incredible amount of songs available, but you can't shake the feeling of wanting that RockBand experience of playing with friends?

If so, then you're feeling exactly what I'm feeling. Let's create this experience.

Basic Idea
As I was trying to achieve dual keyboard functionality, I've come across a Reddit thread about using LuaMacros for intercepting one of the keyboards and thus mapping it's buttons to unused buttons, like F13-F24, and then mapping these new buttons in CloneHero as Player2 controls. Unfortunately, no matter what configuration of keys I've tried, CloneHero would outright ignore the intercepted key strokes and recognize the actual keys pressed, thus denying the ability to press Start on a second keyboard and having CloneHero detect it as a new player.

So I've figured, I need something that creates a virtual device, so CloneHero will recognize that keyboard as a device different from the other connected keyboards. As you might know, when you connect multiple keyboards, the OS usually doesn't really distinguish them, but rather treat all keys pressed, no matter from which keyboard, as plain key presses.

vJoy Virtual Controller
A working solution to creating a virtual device turned out to be this vJoy Virtual Controller software. It can map key strokes to a virtual device it creates which can mimic PS controllers, XBOX controllers, and more.

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Installation and Setup
First, download and install the Virtual Controller software from SourceForge.

Next, after you install and open the program, it'll look like this:
 * Stock Virtual Controller.JPG

Installing an XBOX virtual device

 * 1) Click on the Options button, followed by IO Devices, then Output, and finally Settings near the vXbox text.
 * Output Devices.JPG
 * 2. Tick the Enable box.
 * 2. Tick the Enable box.

3. Press the Install button, and allow any prompt that comes up afterwards. Finally, press OK and again press OK in the Options screen. 8. Click the Assign buttons next to the relevant xBox button to set a keyboard key for it. I've marked the 5 colored frets, the start and select buttons, and the strum up and strum down buttons.
 * VXbox device setup.JPG
 * 4. After the device installation, the vXbox page should look like this. If not, try refreshing it.
 * 4. After the device installation, the vXbox page should look like this. If not, try refreshing it.
 * Installed vXbox controller.JPG
 * 5. Press Controls on the main screen.
 * Main Controls.JPG
 * 6. Click on the Quick Binding button.
 * Bind Empty Screen.JPG
 * 7. Make sure the Output Device on top is 'vXbox 1'. If it's not present, make sure you've installed the vXbox 1 controller correctly in steps 2-4. Maybe reboot your computer.
 * Bind Empty Screen.JPG
 * 7. Make sure the Output Device on top is 'vXbox 1'. If it's not present, make sure you've installed the vXbox 1 controller correctly in steps 2-4. Maybe reboot your computer.
 * 7. Make sure the Output Device on top is 'vXbox 1'. If it's not present, make sure you've installed the vXbox 1 controller correctly in steps 2-4. Maybe reboot your computer.

Take note that most normal keyboards have an issue called Key Ghosting. It's explained in the CloneHero FAQ, but basically if holding two specific keys doesn't work for you, you need to come back to this screen and try mapping different keys, until you've hit a combo of keys that works good enough together.

9. When you're done, Close the screen and click Yes to save changes.

Now let's configure CloneHero real quick and we're finished.
 * Key bindings.JPG
 * 10. Click the Save button to save this layout somewhere where you'll remember.
 * Save Bind.JPG
 * 11. Close the Bind Manager screen and say Yes to save changes.
 * Close Binds.JPG
 * 12. Click the Run button.
 * Run.JPG
 * 13. If your joystick turned from red to green, you're done!
 * 12. Click the Run button.
 * Run.JPG
 * 13. If your joystick turned from red to green, you're done!
 * 13. If your joystick turned from red to green, you're done!
 * Green.JPG
 * }

Last Word
Just to make things clear, I did not create the Virtual Controller software, but I appreciate it very much as an excellent solution to this use case. This wiki page is uploaded when: Things might stop working when either one of these programs gets updated. I will try to update this page when that happens.
 * CloneHero in version Alpha 0.21.6
 * Virtual Controller in version 1.0.5.1