First Impressions: Rock Band 2 Drum Kit

Many Rock Band fans are considering the new Rock Band 2 drum kit, but are on the fence as to making the buy on the product. Some people want to feel it out first, see if it holds up better than the last one and is worth the buy more than just for the lowered decibel ratings.

As a huge fan of Rock Band and the original drum kit, there is a few key elements that make this a must have product if you’ve got USD $90.00 to throw around. Besides the future extendability with the snares, this kit shows off a lot of “lessons learned” by Harmonix.

Have you played the Rock Band drums on a hardwood floor? A subtle update to this kit adds little rubber feet, which we didn’t find on the original kit, allowing the kit to stay stationary after a long hard beating rather than skipping across the floor with each kick. Much more professional and well thought out update.

Have you busted your kick pedal? They’ve re-enforced the pedals with this release with a plate, screwed down to the pedal and much more polished and professional than the wooden ones people (like us) were buying on eBay.

Less “Thwack.” There is no getting around the fact that a drum kit for under $3,000 is going to be a bit audible when it comes to the beat down. The difference between this kit and the original is noticeable. You’ll get a bit more “bassy” thump and less smacking sounds, which should help you focus on hard Who drum solos.

Wireless! The age of wireless is upon us. Why the original had a long dangling wire without a break-away cable is beyond me. This feature alone is priority one for us and probably anyone else with a drum kit in the middle of the room with toddlers or little kids.

New Look. The look is fresh dope; No, seriously, it’s a bit more black and mimics a few of the color designs of a professional drum kit with less options and less cost.

Will the drum set meet all of your desires? It’s a toy, that is not going to change. This kit is, however, a worthwhile upgrade for those that broke their old one, want something a bit quieter for when the spouse is sleeping or, much like us, love fresh new tech gadgets.

All of our initial complaints from the original drum kit were solved without us vocalizing our desire; someone must have been paying attention to play testers and the forums around the world. If you’re considering the upgrade for any of these reasons it’s definitely something to take a closer look into.

0 thoughts on “First Impressions: Rock Band 2 Drum Kit”

  1. Can you tell me the price of this Rock |Band Kit II in Europe???
    I would like to know it as here in Brasil it is around US$ 350,00.

    Thanks

  2. Can you tell me the price of this Rock |Band Kit II in Europe???
    I would like to know it as here in Brasil it is around US$ 350,00.

    Thanks

  3. Thanks for the great review of Rock Band 2 Drum Kit. I ended up buying this a couple of years ago and I still play with it from time to time. I’m looking forward to reading a lot more of your site in the future.

  4. Thanks for the great review of Rock Band 2 Drum Kit. I ended up buying this a couple of years ago and I still play with it from time to time. I’m looking forward to reading a lot more of your site in the future.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

Rock Band 2 DLC For WiiRock Band 2 DLC For Wii

Although it’s cute to say, the truth of the matter is this: Rock Band 2 for the Wii has DLC. We’re talking full online downloadable content matching the behavior of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Why is this significant?

The Wii has been the bastard child of rhythm music playing since its inception. If you’ve got the Wii and one of the other consoles (sans PS2) you’re probably more likely to purchase for the 360 or PS3 because you can extend the game with great downloadable songs. Breathing new life into your console one dollar at a time can be a life saver if you don’t typically buy a lot of games; let’s face it, Wii gamers don’t buy a lot of games.

This news also brings on the announcement of real online play like the other consoles. The Wii will have online play matching that of the 360 and PS3; without the ability to talk to your fellow band mates we’re guessing. Is it fun to play in a band with a bunch of mutes? Better than nothing I guess.

This begs the question, how will it store all the DLC? As a Rock Band addict I must admit to having several hundred megabytes of downloadabe songs. Will this be all resident on the SD card? We also wonder, will this allow us to play Rock Band DLC on our DSi sometime in the future?

(Thanks, Kotaku)

Rock Band 2: Full Set ListRock Band 2: Full Set List

It’s now official, written in stone… or, on a the Rock Band forums at least, the full song list for their next title. The track listing looks excellent, a few old hits I’d love to play, a few songs I’d rather not see and a list of excellent memorable tracks that are must have for a sequel!

The full list of Rock Band 2 songs are:

1. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” 1970s
2. AFI “Girl’s Gone Grey” 2000’s
3. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” 1990’s
4. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box” 1990’s
5. Allman Brothers “Ramblin’ Man” 1970’s
6. Avenged Sevenfold “Almost Easy” 2000’s
7. Bad Company “Shooting Star” 1970’s
8. Beastie Boys “So Whatcha Want” 1990’s
9. Beck “E-Pro” 2000’s
10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s
12. Blondie “One Way or Another” 1970’s
13. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” 1970’s
14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s
15. Cheap Trick “Hello There” 1970’s
16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
17. Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” 1990’s
18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” 2000’s
19. Dream Theater “Panic Attack” 2000’s
20. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1980’s
21. Elvis Costello “Pump It Up” 1970’s
22. Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” 1970’s
23. Foo Fighters “Everlong” 1990’s
24. Guns N’ Roses “Shackler’s Revenge” 2000’s
25. Interpol “PDA” 2000’s
26. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” 1980’s
27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s
28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s
29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s
31. Judas Priest “Painkiller” 1990’s
32. Kansas “Carry On Wayward Son” 1970’s
33. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” 1990’s
34. Lacuna Coil “Our Truth” 2000’s
35. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” 2000’s
36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s
37. Lush “De-Luxe” 1990’s
38. Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen” 2000’s
39. Megadeth “Peace Sells” 1980’s
40. Metallica “Battery” 1980’s
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s
42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
43. Motorhead “Ace of Spades” 1980’s
44. Nirvana “Drain You” 1990’s
45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
46. Panic at the Disco “Nine in the Afternoon” 2000’s
47. Paramore “That’s What You Get” 2000’s
48. Pearl Jam “Alive” 1990’s
49. Presidents of the USA “Lump” 1990’s
50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s
51. Ratt “Round & Round” 1980’s
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s
53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s
54. Rush “The Trees” 1970’s
55. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye” 2000’s
56. Smashing Pumpkins “Today” 1990’s
57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
58. Sonic Youth “Teenage Riot” 1980’s
59. Soundgarden “Spoonman” 1990’s
60. Squeeze “Cool for Cats” 1970’s
61. Steely Dan “Bodhitsattva” 1970’s
62. Steve Miller Band “Rock’n Me” 1970’s
63. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” 1980’s
64. System of a Down “Chop Suey” 2000’s
65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
66. Tenacious D “Master Exploder” 2000’s
67. Testament “Souls of Black” 1990’s
68. The Donnas “New Kid in School” 2000’s
69. The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” 1980’s
70. The Grateful Dead “Alabama Getaway” 1980’s
71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s
72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s
73. The Offspring “Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)” 1990’s
74. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” 1980’s
75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s

Bonus Artist Bonus Song Title Decade
76. Abnormality “Visions” 2000’s
77. Anarchy Club “Get Clean” 2000’s
78. Bang Camaro “Night Lies” 2000’s
79. Breaking Wheel “Shoulder to the Plow” 2000’s
80. The Libyans “Neighborhood” 2000’s
81. The Main Drag “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter” 2000’s
82. Speck “Conventional Lover” 2000’s
83. The Sterns “Supreme Girl” 2000’s
84. That Handsome Devil “Rob the Prez-O-Dent” 2000’s

Any you’re itching to try out? Don’t forget having backwards compatability with old DLC and such!

(more…)

Led Zeppelin Refuses Master Tracks for Rhythm GamesLed Zeppelin Refuses Master Tracks for Rhythm Games

Rhythm Games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero will go without original masters of Led Zeppelin because the remaining band members don’t want to see their most valuable possessions in the wrong hands.

For Activision and MTV, original master tracks are the most valuable asset they can get their hands on. Cover bands work well and many do great justice (sometimes better) to the original artist but masters are where it’s at! What if those tracks are ever “lost” while mastering them for a video game?

Page and the crew aren’t looking to take that risk, no matter what Activision and/or MTV is ready to pay for those original tracks. Led Zeppelin is a classic rock band, perhaps stuck in old ways, but they’re lively hood is in those master tracks; it’s the heart of the Led Zeppelin sound.

To Led Zeppelin it’s not worth the risk in losing those masters just go get their songs in a video game.

The band isn’t comfortable with the prospect of granting outsiders access to its master tapes, a necessary step in creating the games. “It ain’t about the money,” Mr. Mensch says. (WSJ)

Can you fault them for the mistrust? Risking everything you’ve worked on since 1968 just to get your product in a video game isn’t an easy decision. Many folks, Aerosmith included, probably see this as a great opportunity to get their songs into the youth, market themselves on a new medium and make a few bucks while doing it. There is definitely going to be some ego involved with being able to see your songs grow on a brand new rock medium, but not everyone thinks the same.

To some artists, music isn’t all about marketing and popularity. To each his own, but it’s upsetting to know we won’t be rocking out to any classic Led Zeppelin with a wailing Robert Plant and beating the drums like one of the most respected drummers in the industry: John Bonham.