Xbox 360 Rock Band Stage Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked this up after several weeks of considering it to be a very expensive novelty...$100 for an audio-sensing light show and fog machine?Heck...you can pick up a ton of stuff at a local Spencer's Gifts for that price, so why bother with this?It was only when I read that the kit actually SYNCS with the music in Rock Band 2 that I took a closer look.

This kit does NOT use cheap audio sensors to work, e.g. the lights aren't dependent on the beat to function like some cheap novelty light from Spencer's.Instead, each song in Rock Band 1/2 has a specific light show that has been specifically programmed to match, and the kit automatically senses and responds to the songs you've selected.The synchronization is UNCANNY.The strobe fires in JUST the right parts, and is used very sparingly so as not to diminish the effect.The timing of the fogger kicking on is also quite good.For example, it will automatically turn on a few seconds before a killer guitar solo so that you have a great cloud around you when it begins...NICE.

Pros:
1.Now that I have played RB with this kit, playing without it is NOT the same.I'm spoiled with this kit...it makes fake-rocking-out SO much more fun.The fun factor of Rock Band, which is great to begin with, goes right over the top with this kit.
2.Setup is fast and easy.Simply plug the LED unit into the fogger, then plug the fogger into the wall and power up the heating element.It takes perhaps 30 seconds or so to reach operating temperature.Plug the kit into one of the USB ports on the Xbox, and power it on.The unit will do the rest.
3.The fog that came with the unit seemed to dissipate pretty quickly, and was essentially odorless, however I have cathedral ceilings where the unit is used, so a smaller room would likely be much more concentrated in terms of the density of the fog.After about 45 minutes of playing, the entire lower level of my house had a nice haze, but it was completely dissipated after about 15 minutes or so.
4.Durability seems pretty good on the fogger.It seems to be solidly built and resembles the nicer foggers you see for sale around Halloween.
5.As stated above, integration with the game is EXCELLENT.Lots of different patterns with the LED kit, and once you've got some decent fog in the room, the lights really add an interesting dynamic to the game, almost resembling lasers when the lens is set to maximum focus.

Cons:
1.The container of fog solution that comes with the kit is perhaps a half-liter, and does not last long at all.I spent the entire bottle in under an hour, and some songs definitely use more fog than others.I'd recommend buying additional water-based fog solution (I have been unable to locate any official RB fluid locally) ASAP...you will go through the starter bottle very quickly.I ran out and now need to go to Guitar Center or a local party store to buy more.
2.The red and yellow LEDs in the unit are pretty underpowered, though the blue and green are quite bright.It would have been nicer had the red/yellow LEDs been brighter, but they still work quite well in a darkened room.(note - any significant ambient light in the room will heavily diminish the effect, so play in the dark!)
3.The fog machine is a bit noisy when it is firing, but that's nothing that turning up the volume won't fix.:-)
4.The cable that connects the fogger to the LED unit is ridiculously short, perhaps 3-4' max.This forces you to put the units rather close together...not a bad thing, but it limits some flexibility unless you get a longer cable.

Overall, this unit is a great addition to Rock Band 2 if you can afford the price.Were it not for the syncing of the music to the kit, I'd say it was overpriced, but now that I have the kit, I don't regret the purchase at all, and my kids absolutely LOVE it.

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Product Description:
Transform your jam session into a full-on rock show with smoke and light effects. Light and smoke automatically synchronize with music from the game. Synchronized light & smoke effect show for your Xbox 360. The kit includes: Fogger with built in strobe light, led array and a small bottle of liquid fog solution. Compatible with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 (Game Sold Separately).

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Guitar Hero World Tour Replacement Cymbal Wire Cable Left and Right Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Our cymbal cable was accidentally broken when a guest accidentally turned the cymbal too far and the cord ripped.We called the manufacturer and they were extremely UN-helful.They said there was nothing they could do to fix the cymbal and told us we'd have to buy a whole new drum set!Seriously, whoever we spoke to either didn't know what they were talking about, or was just trying to make another sale.

We looked on Amazon and found the replacement cable within a couple minutes.It arrived very quickly and was a snap to install!It works perfectly and solved our problem for a fraction of the price a whole new drum set would have cost us!I highly recommend this if you've run into the same problem as we did.

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Product Description:
Replace your destroyed cymbal cable with the original part! This is for BOTH left and right cymbal cables. They are plug and play, no soldering or cutting required.These cables will work for Guitar Hero World Tour drum set in all platforms (Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)

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Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the serious Rock Band drummer, these drums bridge the gap between the video-game plastic drums and a real electronic kit.Each 4 pads and two cymbals (a third can be added, sold separately) can be adjusted, tilted, moved, and spread apart to feel more like playing a real drum kit.

PROS:
-Spot-on accurate with no missed notes or any kind of crosstalk between the parts
-velocity sensitive in Rock Band 2
-wide range of positioning of all main parts
-good build quality and solid for $300 e-drums (except *)
-assembly was quite easy, albeit intimidating and lengthy with the numerous parts (between hour and 90 minutes)

CONS:
-HATE the *kick pedal... noisy and cheap feeling.
-velocity doesn't have much dynamic range between light tap and hard bang -- minor point
-somewhat noisy, especially the high hat yellow cymbal
-customization/positioning can lead to confusion and frustration

On that last point:there's a reason the stock Rock Band drums are positioned the way they are... the 4 pads close together makes it easy to play the game, especially for non-drummers.This kit allows moving all the parts around, which is nice for creating the feeling of playing a real drum set -- but once back in the game, it becomes harder to play.Plus, adding cymbals makes additional (albeit optional) targets that take getting used to, so there some "swing and a miss" to overcome.Having a closed high hat cymbal "yellow" to the left of the snare pad "red" is cool to play crossed arms, but during the game yellow is always to the RIGHT of red.Also, the reach to hit "open high hat" on the blue tom is far from yellow cymbal, and it doesn't feel quite right.

There is a learning curve to get used to, and it takes a couple hours of playing and adjusting to get everything just right.Once all the parts were where I wanted and I replaced that awful kick pedal (a high-hat controller on other kits!...minus 1 star) with a Pearl "Omega Pedal" (mini to 1/4" jack needed), this kit becomes INSANELY FUN in Rock Band 2!!!!

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Product Description:
The wait is over for the next generation of musical gaming equipment. Whether you are an aspiring amateur, or a practicing professional, Ion's award-winning Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set for Xbox 360 lets Rockband players finally jam out with ease, letting your inner rockstar come out screaming.


The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum set can be customized to fit your drumming style. View larger.

Professional-grade design allows you to unleash your inner rockstar. View larger. The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set Features:

Completely customized set-up.
Ultra-quiet velocity-sensitive drum pads.
Sturdy, all-metal kick drum pedal.
Professional design from Alesis, one of the largest electronic drum manufacturers in the world.

Game Critics Awards Winner
Rockband, which took the gaming world by storm in late 2007, was followed by the highly-anticipated sequel, Rockband 2 that was released in September of 2008. With Rockband 2 came Ion's Drum Rocker Set, which quickly took the Game Critics Awards top spot in 2008's Best Peripheral/Hardware category.
Professional-Grade Aluminum Rack and Pads
While other drum controllers force you to use their configuration with a pre-molded, plastic array, the Drum Rocker's professional-grade aluminum rack lets you position your snare, tom and cymbal pads the way you want. Not only can you play your hi-hat with a right-hand crossover by placing your cymbals anywhere around your kit, but by mounting your pads to the drum rack with the included metal L-arm and clamp system, you can tilt, swivel, raise and lower the cymbals to whatever position you want.
Drum Rocker's velocity-sensitive drum pads feature an ultra-quiet playing surface and a more natural and consistent stick rebound than your average pad. The pad housing is made of a hi-impact plastic, which means that no matter how much you punish them night after night, they will always be ready for more.
The Drum Rocker's all-metal kick drum pedal is also designed to take abuse. It offers the perfect amount of tension to replicate the feeling of a real drum pedal. And keeping in line with its set-up flexibility, the kick drum pedal comes with Velcro and retractable spikes, allowing you to place it in the most comfortable position.
Go Beyond Gaming into Real Music
Built by the engineers at Alesis, one of the largest manufacturers of professional electronic drums in the world, the Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set delivers the most realistic drumming experience available to a gamer.
But when you're ready to move from playing the game to playing in a real life, you can swap the game controller module with one of the professional drum brains made by Alesis, such as their DM5 drum module, or any other drum brain that accepts a quarter-inch output. (Drum modules are sold separately.) And with the option of purchasing a third cymbal, you can round out your kit and move beyond gaming and onto the stage.
The Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set is compatible with both Rockband and Rockband 2 for the Xbox 360.



The Drum Rocker comes with cymbals, kick pedal, and drum pads.
View cymbal, kick pedal, and drum pad.
What's in the Box:
Aluminum drum rack, 4 drum pads, 2 cymbals, drum pedal, all mounting hardware and connecting cords, and 2 drumsticks.

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