PS3 Rock Band 2 Drum Issues

[Zoglog]

Hey all,

I just got my Rockband 2 set from BB today. Brought it home and for some reason the drum keeps on randomly hitting buttons even when i'm not touching it.

As an example i put it on pause to go get a drink in the middle of a song. However after a few seconds it self un-paused (my guess it self-triggered a button) and I failed the song.

In addition I noticed while playing drums that random hits will be registered even when i'm not hitting anything.

What's going on!? This is ridiculous quality for the price we have to pay for this drumset...

[Zoglog]

oh well, seriously don't want to deal with these kinds of issues at this price point. Just returned the whole set and i'm gonna pass on RB2 until harmonix resolves this issue.

I made a video in case people were wondering about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZU70AyGZGo

[bigsilvs]

Good post! This is a horrible ordeal for people who have dropped hundereds of dollars on both games, accessories, and download content they can't use.

[Zoglog]

I find this problem is way worse than the strum bar issue w/ RB1 and the general clankyness of the RB1 drums or the pedals breaking.

Plus I kind of excused those things since it was a unique product hitting the market. However I don't see how they can expect people to pay for upgrades w/ quality control like this.

[Shelbo]

I find this problem is way worse than the strum bar issue w/ RB1 and the general clankyness of the RB1 drums or the pedals breaking.

Plus I kind of excused those things since it was a unique product hitting the market. However I don't see how they can expect people to pay for upgrades w/ quality control like this.

I completely agree.

This really needs to get fixed, or HMX is gonna lose customers.



By the way, to the thread starter..I'm thinking about doing what you did. Returning it...getting my money back..and wait it out until SOMETHING gets resovled.

[collegehound1]

I was really hoping the new enhanced drum pedal would actually hold up. It lasted me 11 hours before it split in half along the bottom. Second I can't even use the wireless drums because I can't keep a multiplier going (thanks to the random notes hit in the song) and also my drumset completely cuts out mid-song. Everything is going great and then nothing registers at all. It's like it turned itself off even though the red PS3 light is still on. Rather disappointed.

I have reverted back to the Rock Band 1 wired set and my metal pedal I modded (at least that doesn't break in half!)

For the record, that makes 5 drum pedals I have personally broken, even after reinforcing them with metal plates. Hopefully the ION is a better quality product.

[Airek]

The thing is, the RB1 drums were loud... but they WORKED.

I'd rather drive an old beat up Chevy with a working engine than a Mercedes with none.

Fix this.

[Ex-ley]

I've got the same problem with my drums cutting out mid song. Worked great for a few dozen songs, and now every song it cuts out halfway through. I'm disappointed, especially since I've been waiting for this for a long time. I would've expected Harmonix to release a wired set rather than a faulty wireless set.

[Rabidhippo]

I cut a piece of cardboard from the packaging to fit into the battery compartment. Its a tight fit and kind of hard to close, however, after doing this I have been playing for hours with no disconnects, no drop outs. Perfection, give it a shot!

[Froggy]

I was really hoping the new enhanced drum pedal would actually hold up. It lasted me 11 hours before it split in half along the bottom. Second I can't even use the wireless drums because I can't keep a multiplier going (thanks to the random notes hit in the song) and also my drumset completely cuts out mid-song. Everything is going great and then nothing registers at all. It's like it turned itself off even though the red PS3 light is still on. Rather disappointed.

I have reverted back to the Rock Band 1 wired set and my metal pedal I modded (at least that doesn't break in half!)

For the record, that makes 5 drum pedals I have personally broken, even after reinforcing them with metal plates. Hopefully the ION is a better quality product.

You ever think that maybe...JUST maybe you shouldn't step on the foot pedal so hard?!?!? I mean...5 foot pedals, REALLY?!?! At some point it's your fault, own up to it.

[kymtastic]

Thanks for the note on the cardboard and the battery compartment; I'll be doing that song. My drums just started doing the same thing.

[ssracer]

I didn't get to use my RB2 drums long enough to worry about the foot pedal. They were hitting random things right out of the box and then quit in the middle of a song.

If they could at least get their site working for RMA instead of leaving you only a long distance number to work with.

[ssracer]

Did you also have the issue with the random pad hits, or did the cardboard only work for the dropout?

[russedmonton]

I am having the same pushing buttons without pushing buttons problem with my drums right out of the box.

Is there a support number to call?

I haven't heard back from the email support yet - even though they said I would hear back in under 24 hours.

[ssracer]

There is a long distance number you can call, but the support site is now working. I just created my RMA and sent my receipt.

[Zoglog]

what a pity, Once they fix all these issues I might consider buying the package.

[Zoglog]

well looks like activision released a statement for their drums, how about yours harmonix?

[Jamesk]

I just got mine from target and its doing the same exact thing. its hitting random buttons whenever it damn well pleases, and then in middle of songs will just stop working with lights on, in order to fix that in middle of song i have to turn it off and then back on and then it will work. As far as the random buttons, I got no idea what to do. Im thinking about going back and asking for a new one, i have tried this drum set at 2 houses and its done it on both hd and non hd's.

[phytochrome]

thanks dude! The cardboard has worked like a charm to keep the drums from unresponsive-ness.

[JWG]

Is this true for everyone or is this an RMA item:

My RB2 drum pads only register notes (unless hit hard)on the very center little "shiny" black dot on each pad. If you hit the pad on its outter edges it will not register a hit unless you're playing hard.

I know they're "velocity sensitive" (which I don't get why), but is this supposed to happen or does this seem like a problem? I tested them in freestyle mode to see if I had the "random hit" problem others had, and I appear to have the opposite issue. Doesn't register a hit unless you're dead square center on the pad.

This was not true on my RB1 drum pads, you could hit anywhere to register a hit and could do so softly (which is why mine a the original out of the box a year later).

Thoughts, suggestions, comments?

[JWG]

Ok, let's add yet a 2nd problem...

If the drums go to power save or lose connection with the PS3/dongle (you have to hit the PS3 button to turn them back on), they don't work unless you exit the game and start over?! Is this true for anyone else, too?

If they turn off (PS3 button stops glowing red), I hite the PS3 buttion and it comes on (glows red). But no buttons work. I then hit the button on the dongle and the PS3 button now works in game but nothing else does. I can navigate the PS3 menus, but nothing in RB actually works without exiting the game. I've tried turning them off and on at the switch, hitting the dongle button, etc. Nothing works other than the PS3 button and its menus (or the PS3 system menu).

Can anyone help identify the cause of this issue and a resolution? I think my guitar actually does the same thing.

[jaygrady]

I had to take my yellow and blue pads off because they weren't put on correctly (tab not in slot) so they had no give and wouldn't always register hits. This helped with that and I already put the cardboard in the battery pack. I don't have hits going off by themselves, YET!!

[CreepingDeath]

the cardboard in the battery slot works!! great idea!

[hockman5]

Like many others, I am also sending my complete drumset back because it
quits working mid song. I can not even play through a hole song before it freezes up and no buttons work. I have to power it off and then back on for it to work. I notice that before I had to push on the battery compartment to get it to work and sometimes, if I touch the bass pedal wire it freezes up the drums as well. This sucks!!!!!

[ssracer]

Hope you aren't in a rush. They apparently are on backorder at the warehouse. I submitted my RMA the day after release, still nothing.

[pitbull3374]

I also have problems with my drums cutting out in songs ( sometimes 2 or 3 times in the same song!) VERY FRUSTRATING!!!! u have to turn the switch off then on for them to work again. I wish they were still wired but with a longer cord.

[Doorselfin]

I just got my PS3 Rock Band 2 bundle today. One major drum problem: They won't connect at all.

I'm hitting the connect button on both the dongle and on the side of the drum kit.

Did anyone else have this problem or is it just me? Did you solve it? How?

[drag_racer]

Ok, let's add yet a 2nd problem...

If the drums go to power save or lose connection with the PS3/dongle (you have to hit the PS3 button to turn them back on), they don't work unless you exit the game and start over?! Is this true for anyone else, too?

If they turn off (PS3 button stops glowing red), I hite the PS3 buttion and it comes on (glows red). But no buttons work. I then hit the button on the dongle and the PS3 button now works in game but nothing else does. I can navigate the PS3 menus, but nothing in RB actually works without exiting the game. I've tried turning them off and on at the switch, hitting the dongle button, etc. Nothing works other than the PS3 button and its menus (or the PS3 system menu).

Can anyone help identify the cause of this issue and a resolution? I think my guitar actually does the same thing.

For me, most of the time it fixes it if I unplug the USB dongle thingy, wait a couple seconds, and then plug it back in.


At first I thought the drums cutting out issue was due to low battery power or the batteries getting knocked loose, but now I don't think so. Just a few minutes ago I was playing a song, where the drums would stop working (PS3 controller #1 light on as it should be), start hitting the drums and controller part and it started working. That happened about 2 or 3 times during the song. Also, later in the song, I could notice that all 4 lights were blinking for a second or two (what it does when it is connecting to the PS3), good thing it did that right after drum fills so there were no notes being hit at that time.


Seriously HMX, if you are going to make wireless drums, do it good or don't do it at all. I'd rather have wired drums than this piece of crap wireless technology in these drums. Or god forbid you could have asked Sony if you could tap into the Bluetooth for the controllers. The PS3 supports up to 7 Bluetooth devices for f*ck sakes, might as well use it.

Since we are stuck with these problems if we want to stick with the RB2 drums, they could at least see if it is detectable when the pads don't work when the controller is on, and have it auto pause when it does so we don't fail songs trying to get the drums working again.

[Richs63]

I was having this exact problem. I replaced the batteries and have been playing for hours without an issue. The only thing I can think is that I was not switching the drums off by the main switch underneath the controller and that was killing the batteries. Hope it works for you all.

[drag_racer]

I was having this exact problem. I replaced the batteries and have been playing for hours without an issue. The only thing I can think is that I was not switching the drums off by the main switch underneath the controller and that was killing the batteries. Hope it works for you all.


As for the fresh batteries thing, I tried putting in fresh batteries (right off the charger from charging overnight right into the drum set), and even though it didn't do the thing where it would stay connected and the pads not register, it was having to reconnect multiple times (4 lights blinking) within the first song after putting in fresh batteries.

[JonBobDenver]

I almost kicked the crap out the drum set this evening.

The drums are crap, that's all there is to it, pure crap, and it's the reason Hermie (harmonix) won't post a sticky on how to fix it. It's not dead batteries, I shut the set off after every use. It is poorly designed, that's all there is to it. I haven't tried the cardboard yet, I'll give it a shot later.

I can see Hermie shipping out thousands of little square pieces of cardboard. They should a put a picture of a turd on it, for accuracy.

[tukatu]

I just got my PS3 Rock Band 2 bundle today. One major drum problem: They won't connect at all.

I'm hitting the connect button on both the dongle and on the side of the drum kit.

Did anyone else have this problem or is it just me? Did you solve it? How?

I have sort of the same issue.

what i encounter is,

power on PS3, Dongle light up.
start up Drum set, led light up, connected (dongle light stays)

after like less than 30 sec, both dongle and drum set LED starts to blink non-stop. Tried to press the sync button on the drum doesn't help. (tested for like 4-5 times).

I tried to press the button on the dongle, the led goes off. No matter which port i change to, it wont light up.

If i were to restart PS3, the dongle led never comes on also.

I got to power down and wait for like more than 20mins. Power up PS3, then dongle LED will light up.

[trogex]

Good call on the cardboard - I just got through my first few songs in a while. It seemed to act up less when the drum kit was new, but I guess as everything loosens up the vibrations get more intense? Anyways, believe it or not Harmonix did provide me with the piece of cardboard I put in the battery compartment. I cut up the box they shipped my broken foot pedal to me in! I haven't played enough to know if this has solved the problem entirely, but it has improved.

I agree with the some of the posts already made. Don't ship a faulty wireless kit - I'd rather a working wired kit than yelling over the music at my friends on guitar to pause so I can reset the drums.

And an after thought - is there a way to download all the Rockband 1 songs into Rockband 2? There's a couple great songs in Rockband 1 I'd love to go back and play as part of the new game...

[reebzor]

cardboard didn't work. in fact it made my problem worse. My drums started disconnecting ever 3 seconds instead of every 5. This is completely unacceptable and I am going to call harmonix as soon as I'm done this post. If they don't send me a new (working) drumset I will begin working on a Class Action Lawsuit, that I'm sure many people will support.

[nerfwarriors]

Trogex,

Go to the Playstation Store. There is a $4.99 "Rock Band Export Key." Buy that, then put in your disc for Rock Band. Go into your Extras and hit "Export Songs." It will move almost all of the songs over so you can play them on Rock Band 2. A few songs don't transfer, but almost all of them do.

[4rm4tr0n]

Hi everyone,

I see it's been a while since the last post made to this forum, but I see this is still an issue. I just got the RB2 full band bundle this weekend (new and closed in its original package), and the drum pad has the random hits problem. I found out that it is the green drum pad (or the X button [PS3]) in the drum kit that randomly detects hits, even while left alone. It is very annoying, even outside the game, because this issue with the pad starts selecting things randomly... sometimes once every 30 seconds and other times up to 3 times every 2-3 seconds. If anybody still reads this forum, please be aware of this issue. And also, if anybody has a solution to this issue, please post a solution :) Thanks.

[ManiacMatt]

Does anyone know if the random triggering is a problem with the controller or the heads, I'm debating just building new heads for the drums but need to know if I'll need a new drum controller, thanks in advance.

[joe_bnd]

The drums are complete garbage for Rock Band 2. My drum set fails constantly. I've put cardboard in, and although it worked at first, it's worse now. Rock Band's instruments suck!