Rock band drums vs real drum kit for a VERY casual user

[blizeH]

Hi all,

I've wanted to get a drum kit for ages, and my girlfriend almost talked me into getting one the other day, but then I thought, why not Rock Band? I already have all three games (though haven't even opened RB3 in the 2 years I've had it!) and the Guitar Hero: World Tour drum kit which seems to do the job, though I could do with a replacement pedal at some point, preferably one with double kick. Anyway, sorry to ramble, just a few questions:

1) Would Rock Band be suitable for me, or should I get a proper (electric?) drum kit?

2) Is there anything that's somewhere between, ie Rocksmith for drums? My main issue is the Rock Band library, I like heavy music but not metal per se, so the RB track listing, even with DLC, doesn't do a lot for me.

3) Is there a drum kit I can get that won't break the bank, but is compatible with the Rock Band games on 360? I remember being tempted by the ION Rocker a few years ago, but I can't find it in stock anywhere now.

Thanks

[Zawash]

With a Pro adapter, you can use any e-drum kit with a MIDI out.
I bought an Alesis Dm10 kit, and I love it.
Be warned - an Alesis kit requires that you spend time with the trigger settings to reduce crosstalk and tune the kit. If you want something that just works out of the box (but with less functionality) - buy a Roland or similar. The older TD4 kits are being sold quite cheap these days - well, cheaper than the TD-11 kits, at least.

I'd buy a nice e-drum kit with MIDI out and a Mad Katz Pro adapter.

[blizeH]

Thanks Zawash! When I was looking a few years back, I was tempted by an Alesis but honestly I would want something that works out of the box like the Roland you mentioned.

My main requirement I guess would be to have a double bass pedal, and cost as close to £400 as possible... £500 I could stretch to, but it's a bit much for a very casual hobby, especially when I think about how often I've used my current GH:WT drum kit!

Out of interest, would it work with the Guitar Hero games also if I got that Mad Catz adapter?

[blizeH]

Quick bump... sorry

[LoopyChew]

There's no point in getting a double bass pedal for Rock Band if you're not going to delve into the ridiculously heavy songs on RBN (of which there are specific 2x bass pedal versions). All official songs are charted for single-pedal.

I honestly have no idea what the prices of e-kits are like in the UK, but most people seem to get by just fine with the entry-level kits. More advanced Yamaha brains allow you to program individual patches, but those might be out of your price range, meaning you're still stuck with hitting the crash if you have a charted open hi-hat.

I don't think GH games work with the Mad Catz adapter, not even in four-pad mode. Anyone care to correct that statement?

[jibjqrkl]

There's no point in getting a double bass pedal for Rock Band if you're not going to delve into the ridiculously heavy songs on RBN (of which there are specific 2x bass pedal versions). All official songs are charted for single-pedal.

well, unless you just aren't good at 1 pedaling and want to cheat a bit.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

I honestly have no idea what the prices of e-kits are like in the UK, but most people seem to get by just fine with the entry-level kits. More advanced Yamaha brains allow you to program individual patches, but those might be out of your price range, meaning you're still stuck with hitting the crash if you have a charted open hi-hat.

Not true with Yamaha anymore. The DTX500 (DTXplorer replacement) lets you assign all the pads and cymbals.

The DTX400, the new entry-level module, does not even have MIDI out, only USB.

Roland won't let you assign open/closed hi-hat independently on all but their top-of-the-line TD-30 module. They used to have that feature on lower-end modules, though.


It's probably cheaper to buy the entry-level kit and MIDI Solutions MIDI Processor than it is to step up to a module that allows it. I'm pressed for space, so the Roland TD-4KP is looking very attractive. Otherwise, I would go with Yamaha.

[LoopyChew]

well, unless you just aren't good at 1 pedaling and want to cheat a bit.

Oh hell no. If you're bad at 1-pedaling, 2-pedaling is going to be WORSE.

[TheHundredDollarHeadache]

^I think she means songs that are just a little fast for one pedal. "In The End" is the first song I can think of.

[LoopyChew]

^I think she means songs that are just a little fast for one pedal. "In The End" is the first song I can think of.

And yet Tre and Travis manage to one-foot that. It's a matter of practice, and 2-foot at faster speeds WILL mess you up when you're busy with everything else at that speed.