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Rock Band 2 Is Only as Great as Its Instruments (Which Look Great)
Posted by Mark Wilson at 4:57 AM on July 17, 2008
A normal game demo features a kiosk, maybe a couch, and it's all a pretty ho hum experience save for the fact that you're usually playing a game that won't be released for anywhere from a several months to a few years. But when testing out Rock Band 2, it's set up on a stage with professional lights, mixing boards and speakers. And, of course, their add-on fog machine. It all reminded me how freaking expensive this whole music game madness has become, but also just how far it had come.
Seeing the full-sized Fender/Squire branded Rock Band guitar/base is kind of a trip, too. At first I thought the display case was just showing off their touted new guitar alongside a full sized guitar. Nope. Those full-sized, true wood instruments had subtly incorporated buttons. And Harmonix's new guitar looked like the same thing made for a kid (even if a closer inspection reveals the wood is, of course, veneer).
Playing on the new guitar wasn't quite as different as I'd expected it. The fret buttons feel identical to the current Rock Band guitar. But a difference can be felt in the strum bar, a magnet-based system redesigned to be tougher and more accurate. It just felt right, with double strum timing that was right on.
The biggest improvement, however, was one I could have never seen with my own eyes. An integrated light sensor and mic allow automatic timing calibration with any television. So you always know that it's you, not the game, that is screwing up. (I'm a bit obsessive about my calibration, manually tweaking it to death).
As for the drums...
The new US$299 Ion drum kit looks fantastic, but I didn't get a chance to play it or the new stock drum kit. What I like about the Ion is that it's not another fake instrument. It's a midi drum kit that has been retrofitted with an adaptor to work on the 360. (Which is, if you think about it, similar to what Rock Band did with their original drum kit but in a more discreet manner.)
But even with all the promised improvements to all the instruments, I'm not sure that even I can justify the repurchase. Those starting anew, however, will be scoring some nice gear.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Rhainor
Posted 5:28 AM 17/7/08
@talkingsandwich: The $300 drum set is a standalone, optional, "premium" thing, not the standard. The basic drum kit will be much like the RB1 drums, and a good deal cheaper.
Rhainor
Jimbuck
Posted 5:27 AM 17/7/08
That new bass is calling my name....
Jimbuck
MilktruckHeist
Posted 5:26 AM 17/7/08
@talkingsandwich: It depends on if you are talking acoustic or electric.
Acoustic wise, you can get a crappy starter set for $300-400 or so (a decent set is anywhere from 700-1000), but that is usually without cymbals which, in a multi-pack, can be around $100 if you go cheap (real cheap)
Electronic sets with the same number of pieces usually go for around 500 or so, but that's with the module too which produces all the sounds.
So it doesn't seem like too bad of a deal, as long as you can hook it up to your comp and record with it and such. And believe me, as a drummer that can play almost all of the songs on Rock Band 1 in real life, but suck at the game, having the pads for the cymbals and drums separate will make it a million times easier.
On a side note, sorry for writing a novel in the comments.
MilktruckHeist
mr_bradley(s)
Posted 5:24 AM 17/7/08
with the drum kit...I heard that it can also be used as a real drum set, that's why it is $300. And I am pretty sure rock band 2 is coming with the smaller fender, but I wonder how much the full-sized one will be
mr_bradley(s)
GeekyNerdGuy
Posted 5:13 AM 17/7/08
@talkingsandwich: You can get a total POS drum set with crappy cymbal and hi-hat for about $300. Anything starting to resemble something that sounds good enough to be used in public is $600+.
I think MIDI kits start about $200, but good ones are almost $1k.
GeekyNerdGuy
dandaman247
Posted 5:12 AM 17/7/08
@WEGGLES90: Only while supplies last or in other words...M$ cleans house to bring in the "real" $349 system.
And a $300 dollar drum set...that's too much for me!
dandaman247
Rain-man
Posted 5:09 AM 17/7/08
I'm all for music game peripheral-neutrality. Who's with me?
Rain-man
WEGGLES90
Posted 5:05 AM 17/7/08
The 360 is 300 now, the 20gb model atleast.
WEGGLES90
Boatski
Posted 5:05 AM 17/7/08
sell your old rockband stuff!
Boatski
talkingsandwich
Posted 5:01 AM 17/7/08
$300 drum set? seriously? thats well on its way to a whole xbox system...
I wonder how much a starter real drum set is...
Dont quote south park on me either, i know it better than you.
talkingsandwich
Capt Castellanos
Posted 5:59 AM 17/7/08
bonus points:
this looks suspiciously like Simmons SD5K Drum Kit.
[www.simmonsdrums.net]
except instead of a kick pad, the hi-hat pedal is used at the kick pedal, but no hi-hat pedal anymore...
Capt Castellanos
Capt Castellanos
Posted 5:56 AM 17/7/08
@Capt Castellanos: hmmm, i forgot to question whether or not this includes a module (the drum voices) or if its only midi.
if it has a module, Bonus!
if its just midi, its still pretty awesome, just gotta get a module, or have it connected to a computer with various music programs on it
Capt Castellanos
Mark Wilson
Posted 5:55 AM 17/7/08
@erichg14: Yes, you could.
Mark Wilson
Capt Castellanos
Posted 5:54 AM 17/7/08
@erichg14: yes you can!
thats the beauty of it!
its a regular midi electric drum set + a rockband kit
for $300
which is awesome, because the cheapest electric drumsets i've seen go at the lowest around $500
a midi drumset in itself for $300 sounds good to me.
the rockbandness is the added bonus!
Capt Castellanos
erichg14
Posted 5:46 AM 17/7/08
So if the drumset is just a midi kit with an xbox adapter, can I use it as a midi kit with garageband? If that's the case I'd consider purchasing it. I have a midi kit that I use now, and I also have the standard rock band set. If I could get a two in one, I'd be sold.
erichg14
catheriz
Posted 5:36 AM 17/7/08
That drumset is calling my name.
catheriz
takoattack
Posted 6:32 AM 17/7/08
@erichg14: My guess is that the set will have 1/4" jacks for each of the pads, and you will have to prodive your own trigger module like this: [www.musiciansfriend.com]
for around $150. I wouldn't think for $300 they include anything midi.
good news is, those 1/4" jacks plugging into the controller module can be re-routed to my drumKAT (midi controller) coupled with a decent sound module for some really cool sounds, in a unsuspecting "out of the box" package. I cant wait to get this and play it on stage, toys + midi are the best.
takoattack
aR-Tard
Posted 6:13 AM 17/7/08
Guitar looks AMAZING...I won't be updating the other instruments (drums?), but I'll get a new guitar for sure when I pick up RB2.
aR-Tard
Soulgenesis
Posted 6:50 AM 17/7/08
It's a midi drum kit that has been retrofitted with an adapter to work on the 360.
that's exactly what i did to make this possible xD (yes that's my drum kit. a roland td-9sx)
+ Watch video
Soulgenesis
DaveExile
Posted 6:44 AM 17/7/08
ewww, Squier. How did that get out the door.
DaveExile
EdgesRazor
Posted 7:10 AM 17/7/08
I for one can't afford to buy new peripherals every time these guys release a game. I'm 32 years old, and my collection of plastic instruments sitting in my office has people starting to wonder about my use of my free time...
EdgesRazor
G for GRENADE
Posted 7:07 AM 17/7/08
@Soulgenesis: Needs more cowbell
G for GRENADE
Pay_Me_Or_Pay_Me_No_Attention
Posted 10:55 AM 17/7/08
I'm donating my old RB1 equipment and buying the ION drums...
Pay_Me_Or_Pay_Me_No_Attention
dnzperson
Posted 11:28 AM 17/7/08
Seeing the full-sized Fender/Squire branded Rock Band guitar/base is kind of a trip, too.
Typo maniac to the rescue.
(I'm sorry)
Nice to see the drums can be useful beyond Rock Band.
dnzperson
senorbelly
Posted 3:28 AM 18/7/08
Midi drumset??!?!?!?!? I die with glee
senorbelly
g2drummman
Posted 5:29 AM 17/7/08
DO NOT BUY THIS KIT! I have played drums for 20+ years, and I have unfortunately used this kit for a few (crappy) projects. This is a terrible drumset, and I cannot believe this is the kit they would try to sell for RB2. It would be much more worthwhile to sell the adapter so it can be used with a REAL e-kit, like a Roland. Oh, and if you do purchase this kit, expect to have problems with it within the first couple weeks. It is a POS product.
g2drummman
Atsumi
Posted 7:49 AM 18/7/08
@talkingsandwich:
Probably $80 or so, just like the RB1 Drumkit.
The reason the ION is so expensive is because it functions as an entire electronic drum kit. Which is pretty cool. But not for me. XD
Atsumi
Rob C
Posted 3:45 PM 18/7/08
@dnzperson:
Uh, spelling nazi FAIL. (or "typo maniac" as you say...)
Bass is right. You sir are an idiot.
Rob C
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
Posted 6:27 PM 18/7/08
Thanks sooo much for all of the great E3 coverage on RB2 and GH4 ya'll! I bought myself RB today for my PS3 after following all of your coverage about RB2! I can't wait for it to come out this Fall, thanks again!
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
Captain_Sarcastic
Posted 1:37 AM 21/7/08
Drum set looks amazing, looks less and less like a "game" and more like training. Hopefully it'll decrease the amount of "lulz play a real instrument" comments.
Captain_Sarcastic
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 6:36 AM 22/7/08
RockBand 3 will probably have a real DrumKit with stuff that will convert the sounds to digital signal...
Bokusatsu_Tenshi