LED Drumsticks for Rock Band and Guitar Hero
September 16, 2008 | 1 Comment
Because game drumming simply isn’t silly enough (and that’s coming from someone who totally digs it), you can now wield a pair of illuminated sticks, The Ant Commandos. They’re made of plastic, come with AA batteries, and will set you back 19 bucks. Best of all, the LEDs actually get brighter as you play harder.
Super cheesy. In the good way.
Ion Rock Band Drum Kit Review
September 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Rock Band 2 is officially out today, and the lucky thumpers over at IGN got their sticks all over an Ion premium kit. It’ll cost you over $200 more than the standard Rock Band drums, but if you’re even remotely interested in having the most realistic drumming experience possible, the Ion appears to be the best off-the-shelf bet. From the review:
At the end of the day, the Ion Drum Kit is a fun peripheral to play with. It almost never misses a note when played properly (even when the pad is completely missed and only the rim of the pad is struck), and the cymbals certainly add a dynamic feature on its own. Even the pads themselves are leaps and bounds ahead of Rock Band’s standard kit. Not only are they incredibly quiet (great for those of us who live in an apartment), but they have the feel of practice drum pads that snare players and drummers learning their rudiments will be familiar with. This allows real rolls to be executed (although they are seldom used in Rock Band 2), giving the set a much more realistic feel than the standard Rock Band 2 kit.
Neil Peart Sucks at Rock Band
July 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Wow, so much for the theory that diligent Rock Band practice can make you a superstar drum stud. Here’s a vid of Neil and the boys butchering “Tom Sawyer” on expert level. It was caught on camera before their appearance on the Colbert Report last week.
Rock Band 2 Premium Drum Set
July 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Game kits are looking—and presumably playing—more and more like real electronic drums (…so very post-metamodern that electronic drums have become the referent for the “real,” eh?). Have a gander at the upcoming premium kit from Ion. It’ll set you back $300, which is a fairly nutty price given that you can snag this Simmons set for only 200 bucks more.
[via Kotaku]
Mad Catz Drums for Rock Band
June 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We missed the announcement that third-party accessories were green-lighted for Rock Band, so stumbling across the news of Mad Catz’s upcoming drum gear was akin to discovering dad’s softcore nudie mags in the closet (i.e., pretty freakin’ sweet).
There are two items of interest to drummer-gamers. The first is a portable drum set that will retail for $49.99. What exactly “portable” means in this context we haven’t a clue, but the pads will apparently be smaller (duh). The second item is a full-scale Rock Band kit with some cool (and completely necessary) extras: a hi-hat pedal, a couple cymbals, and fully adjustable pads. Unfortunately, it’ll cost you $149.99, and it isn’t wireless. Still, though, the kit sounds like a definite improvement over the stock model.
We await your YouTube vids.
LED Drumsticks
June 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Manufacturers have been trying to unload light-up drumsticks since the 1980s, but for most drummers, you’d have to pry the old-fashioned wood models from their cold, dead hands. But Rock Band enthusiasts?….Clearly not so picky.
Maybe Firestix will make enough cash to set up a website now.
Roy Haynes, Video Game Star
May 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Jazz legend Roy Haynes may be 83 years old, but he still knows what’s hot. The drummer puts in an appearance as a DJ in Grand Theft Auto IV. The game features 16 in-game radio stations, one of which is JNR 108.5, “Jazz Nation Radio.” Haynes plays himself in a guest voice-over, spinning tunes such as Chet Baker’s “Let’s Get Lost” and his own “Snap Crackle.”
Very swank, Mr. Haynes, very swank.
Smith, Copeland, and Barker Demo New Guitar Hero Drum Kit
May 24, 2008 | 1 Comment
Game haters, prepare to get that stick out of your bum. Three genuine drum heroes—Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, and Travis Barker—think GH’s new kit is pretty slick shit, and there’s even a video to prove it. We experienced some server hang trying to watch it (every 14-year-old drummer on at least four continents is clicking that link right now), but be patient: it’s worth the wait.
Drumming quote of the day: Commenting on the kit’s durability, Chad says in the video, “If it holds up to me beatin’ on it, it should do pretty good.”
[via Engadget]
Cymbal Pads Coming for Guitar Hero IV Drum Set?
May 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Guitar Hero might become the drum game of choice if this rumor pans out: cymbal pads! Two freakin’ cymbal pads! The kit is reported to grow to a 6-piece and thus will be a tiny bit closer to the real thing. Now, about that kick pedal….
[Update 5/14/08: This rumor has been confirmed, although the Guitar Hero drum kit will look decidedly more game-y than we had envisioned (i.e., fervently hoped). It’s also only a 5-piece (not counting the hated kick controller), and the cymbal pads have adopted the styling found on low-budget e-kits. Pisser.]
Wood Rock Band Drum Mod
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We have seen some cool mods of a Rock Band drum kit, but this one is sticks down the most impressive yet. The builder/author over at edrums.info has provided detailed photos with instructions if you want to have a go at making your own. Be sure to check out the site for other DIY tutorials as well. Really good stuff.
[via Console Hero]
