Solution for flimsy pedals and double bass pedal

[mslaney]

Hi,

I just wanted to let everyone know of something I came up with. If you want to keep from having to replace your bass drum pedal for Rock Band, or if you want to have double bass drum pedals, it is really, really easy.

Real life keyboards have detachable sustain pedals. These function exactly the same way as the pedal for Rock Band. The only difference is that the sustain pedals use a 1/4" jack and Rock Band uses 1/8". You can buy a pedal here:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/keyboard-amplifier-pedals?N=100001%2b304714&Ns=P_Price%7c0&page=1
(http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/keyboard-amplifier-pedals?N=100001%2b304714&Ns=P_Price%7c0&page=1)

and an adapter here:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hosa-Mono-14-F-Mono-Mini-M-Adapter-Jack?sku=333092

You can also get them from any music store.

To do the double bass mod you need a 1/4" Y adapter.

Also note that they have normally open and normally closed (Roland) pedals. Rock Band uses normally open.

Also note that if you try the double bass thing, it won't work well unless you always pick your foot up very quickly. If you leave one down, the other won't register when you press it down because the circuit is already complete.


One final thought... If you want to get really serious, you can actually use a pedal from a real drum kit. The pedal works by completing the circuit when you press it down. If you run one wire to the pedal and one to whatever you put it next to to hit and line them up so that they touch each other when you press the pedal and then solder the wires to an 1/8" plug, you've got a Rock Band compatible kick pedal. Unfortunately to pull that off you need metal hitting metal, which is probably going to be very loud and annoying, but it will fell so much better.



Have fun,

Matthew

[xmenotux]

Hey I was just wondering if you've actually tried the double bass drum using a splitter and it actually works. I already have a sustain pedal (probably won't feel right when I use it though), and I'd be interested in trying this as I've noticed instances where it would really help to have two pedals.

[bonehead848]

hey works perfect! I would not try this as a double pedal solution though, one angles back and the other forward, makes it awkward.

[xmenotux]

Okay thanks.

[mslaney]

menotu, I have not tried the double pedal because my sustain pedals are actually the other polarity that you can't use with Rock Band

bonehead, My idea was simply two seperate pedals... What do you mean by one angles back and one forward?

[benwax]

Hello,

Could you please give me some guidance as to which specific sustain pedal I can get (cheaper is better) that will work with Rock Band? I'm afraid if I'm left to picking one off the website I'll choose the one that isn't "open" and I'll be 20 bucks in the hole with the wrong equipment.

Also, how is the sustain pedal setup working for you? Do you find it easier to work that the normal RB pedal? I have the darndest time working the foot pedal quickly, and hoped that something sturdy that I could "tap" instead of stomp would allow me to go more quickly. Also hoping that these durable looking sustain pedals may hold up better (and be replaceable) compared to the shoddy looking plastic pedal with Rock Band.

Thoughts appreciated from those trying this mod.

Thanks,
Ben

[maxx77]

This might be the single greatest "hack" for Rock Band ever (or, at least up to now). I have a Roland drum set (TD6V-SW). It has its own "floating" kick pedal, much like Rock Band's pedal, except it's metal and the tension is adjustable. It uses a 1/4" plug. That'll be a great alternative to the plastic, way too tense Rock Band pedal...

But if that really works, then I have an even better solution. My Roland drums have a bass drum pad. It's basically like the pads on Rock Band, but it sits on the floor and sits perpendicular to the ground. It's made of much better rubber. It senses something striking it and sends the signals out through a 1/4" jack.

You use any kick pedal you want that would go to a "real" drum kit. Both single and double bass pedals work with it. Actual, real pedals, ones with mallets that swing when you push down. If this works, these are the pedals I'll be able to use in Rock Band:

http://images.guitarcenter.com/products/original/DW/633165935159760943.jpg

I'm going to run to the store today and pick up one of these converters, and then tonight I'm going to test it out. If I get all this working I'll post pictures of my setup. If this works, it won't be a cheap mod for people without an electronic drum kit, but for those who do have one, this is going to be perfect. Hopefully I've explained this well. The pictures will probably make more sense than my description.

[maxx77]

I bought that 1/4" to 1/8" adapter yesterday. I got home and hooked the hi-hat pedal from my drum kit to the Rock Band pads. Worked like a charm. The Roland pedal is far superior to the Rock Band one. The spring isn't as powerful, plus it's adjustable. It's also made of metal, so no chance of it breaking any time soon. I was able to play several songs with it without my foot or leg getting tired. Roland pedal hack FTW. It's definitely better than the midi keyboard pedals that you can buy, but it's probably not cheap if you wanted to buy one by itself.

Unfortunately, my other Roland pedal thing, the bass drum pad that is compatible with real bass drum pedals, doesn't work with Rock Band. I don't know exactly why, but I suspect that it doesn't transmit a simple "on" or "off" signal. I think it actually sends a waveform, indicating just how hard the pad is being struck. Rock Band simply doesn't understand that. It's either that, or the signal is transmitted so fast, Rock Band misses it. If I had a voltmeter I could test this out, but unfortunately, I don't. A more elaborate hack is in order to get this configuration to work. I probably won't figure it out, but if I do, I'll definitely be posting some youtube videos of it in action. True double-bass with Rock Band. Someday it'll happen.

[Kian2]

So are you saying that this pedal *will* work on Rock Band?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MPM-Sustain-Pedal?sku=450428

thanks

[SCARBORO_SAVAGE]

I was under the impression that the base drum pedal worked on a normally closed circuit...Does anyone know if this is 100% correct/incorrect?

[Kian2]

I was under the impression that the base drum pedal worked on a normally closed circuit...Does anyone know if this is 100% correct/incorrect?

99.9% incorrect. It works on Normally Open circuit. I just bought the SP-2 Sustain Pedal and there's a switch on the bottom for Normally Open and Normally Closed.

look at my youtube video for proof that it works. :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6VgG3fNf3c