AeroTrain
11-29-2007, 09:54 AM
A real kick pedal could be converted into a Rock Band kick pedal with just a little bit of effort and without ruining the pedal for real life use.
I'm a beginning RB drummer whose kick pedal is working fine so I haven't had the motivation to try this yet, but I've seen quite a few threads about broken pedals so I thought I'd post this solution for anyone who would like to give it a try.
If you have any kind of experience with rigging up electronics this should be a simple doable project.
Cost:
Free if you're willing to pillage your existing Rock Band pedal and already own a real pedal
Less than $10 if you prefer to keep your warranty in tact.
If your don't have a pedal already add the cost of one plus $10.
Theory of Operation:
If you've examined the RB kick pedal you've probably noticed that there isn't any visible switch. This is because a magnetic reed switch is used. A reed switch is two thin strips of metal inside a small sealed tube. If you look at the tip of the pedal you'll notice a small magnet on the underside. When the magnet gets close enough to the reed switch the magnetic field causes the the two strips of metal to touch closing the circuit and signalling a pedal hit.
The beauty of this is two fold. For the builders its cheap and reliable, there's no switch to get worn out as there is with the guitar. For us it means there no complicated signals going back and forth between the kick pedal making it easy to copy.
The jack on the back of the Rock Band drumset simply puts out a small voltage on one output wire and looks at the returning input wire to see if the reed switch is opened or closed. We'll be recreating the exact set-up used in the original pedal.
Skills need:
-Resourcfullness
-Ability to do basic soldering
-Multi-meter operation
-Basic mechanical skills
Supplies:
-Real Kick Pedal (if you're a drummer you probably have one already)
-Reed Switch
(This is where resourcfullness come in. Radio Shack's website lists them at $2.99, I'm
unsure if they stock them in store. If not, search around for local places that sell
electronic components. They should carry them. If you absolutley can't find them use
digikey.com or mouser.com to order one)
-Cord with mono jack.
(Radio shack will carry this one. Though it will likely have somthing on the other end
that you'll have to cut off and throw away.)
-Magnet, Small and strong.
Building:
If you've understood the post up until now you likely already know what to do.
-Strip the wire coming from the jack so that you have two exposed wires, making sure its
long enough to reach the pedal on the floor.
-Solder or otherwise attach each wire to each end (pole) of the reed switch.
-Tape or glue the magnet to the tip of your kick pedal
Now you'll need to experiment a little bit with how far the switch needs to be for the magnet to set it off. Try using practice mode and a song like Dead or Alive and slowing it all the way down. Once you've determinded the correct distance mount the reed switch anyway you see fit. Make it removable if you want to continue to use the pedal on your real drum kit.
Viola! You can now use your real pedal for Rock Band!
If your interested in doing this, post and let me know.
If anyone has idea's for improvements please post them. I'll try and answer any reasonable questions asked.
I'm a beginning RB drummer whose kick pedal is working fine so I haven't had the motivation to try this yet, but I've seen quite a few threads about broken pedals so I thought I'd post this solution for anyone who would like to give it a try.
If you have any kind of experience with rigging up electronics this should be a simple doable project.
Cost:
Free if you're willing to pillage your existing Rock Band pedal and already own a real pedal
Less than $10 if you prefer to keep your warranty in tact.
If your don't have a pedal already add the cost of one plus $10.
Theory of Operation:
If you've examined the RB kick pedal you've probably noticed that there isn't any visible switch. This is because a magnetic reed switch is used. A reed switch is two thin strips of metal inside a small sealed tube. If you look at the tip of the pedal you'll notice a small magnet on the underside. When the magnet gets close enough to the reed switch the magnetic field causes the the two strips of metal to touch closing the circuit and signalling a pedal hit.
The beauty of this is two fold. For the builders its cheap and reliable, there's no switch to get worn out as there is with the guitar. For us it means there no complicated signals going back and forth between the kick pedal making it easy to copy.
The jack on the back of the Rock Band drumset simply puts out a small voltage on one output wire and looks at the returning input wire to see if the reed switch is opened or closed. We'll be recreating the exact set-up used in the original pedal.
Skills need:
-Resourcfullness
-Ability to do basic soldering
-Multi-meter operation
-Basic mechanical skills
Supplies:
-Real Kick Pedal (if you're a drummer you probably have one already)
-Reed Switch
(This is where resourcfullness come in. Radio Shack's website lists them at $2.99, I'm
unsure if they stock them in store. If not, search around for local places that sell
electronic components. They should carry them. If you absolutley can't find them use
digikey.com or mouser.com to order one)
-Cord with mono jack.
(Radio shack will carry this one. Though it will likely have somthing on the other end
that you'll have to cut off and throw away.)
-Magnet, Small and strong.
Building:
If you've understood the post up until now you likely already know what to do.
-Strip the wire coming from the jack so that you have two exposed wires, making sure its
long enough to reach the pedal on the floor.
-Solder or otherwise attach each wire to each end (pole) of the reed switch.
-Tape or glue the magnet to the tip of your kick pedal
Now you'll need to experiment a little bit with how far the switch needs to be for the magnet to set it off. Try using practice mode and a song like Dead or Alive and slowing it all the way down. Once you've determinded the correct distance mount the reed switch anyway you see fit. Make it removable if you want to continue to use the pedal on your real drum kit.
Viola! You can now use your real pedal for Rock Band!
If your interested in doing this, post and let me know.
If anyone has idea's for improvements please post them. I'll try and answer any reasonable questions asked.
