ION Audio Drum Rocker Rock Band 2 Drum Set - for Xbox 360, with Free Hat and Drum Stick Depot Item #: ION IED07 PAK 

• Complete drumset for Rock Band 2
• Four gum rubber drum pads with mounts
• Two gum rubber cymbal pads with mounting arms
• Drum pedal
• Game controller
• Pro-quality drum rack for mounting all pads and controller
• All necessary cables
• One pair of drumsticks

How can I use two kick drum pedals? Can I use two kick pedals with Rock Band and the Alesis DM5 sound module?
For use with Rock Band, you can chain the accessory pedal to the original kick drum pedal, which then gets plugged into the controller module. Users adding a DM5 module will likely want to add a Kick Drum pad to their kit, along with a traditional kick drum pedal (which can be a single or double-pedal). The included pedal then becomes your hi-hat pedal.

What type of pads are used on the Drum Rocker? Are they single or dual strike zone – I’m asking because I’m at Expert Level on Rock Band 1 and will be eventually purchasing the DM5 sound module to start a band.
The pads are velocity sensitive, single zone pads.

Are the color rings removable should I decide to permanently make this my drumming solution for non-Rock band use?
The color rings can be removed using a simple allen wrench.

Are these sold in any stores or only online?
We are speaking with all of the major gaming and consumer electronics retail channels, and expect that you’ll be able to buy Drum Rocker from your favorite retailer, either in their store or on their website.

Will I be able to "silence" the cymbals when hooked into a DM5 sound module?
The cymbals are single zone and do not include "choke" functionality.

Does the kit have a MIDI Out port, or will it use a USB interface to jam with the Alesis DM5?
When using a DM5 with Drum Rocker, the DM5 is substituted for the controller module that connects the pads to your gaming console. As such, you plug the drum and cymbal pads directly into the DM5, which then has MIDI output for connecting to a wide variety of sequencing and synthesis systems.

Will it be possible to remap the hi-hat to red for the appropriate songs? (such as Run to the Hills, Orange Crush, Outside...)? Even if we could plug in the hi-hat cymbal to the red snare drum's input jack or something, that would be great.
There is no cymbal input that corresponds to the red input for the game, and the sensitivity level of the cymbal input is different than the input for the pads, so you can’t simply plug the yellow cymbal into the red pad input and get the effect you’re after. In those rare instances where Rock Band maps the hi-hat to the red pad, you will have to play the part on the red Drum Rocker pad, just as you would with the standard Rock Band kit.

I want to use Drum Rocker as a real electronic drum set. What will I need to be able to do that?
While there are many "drum brains" that accept the 1/4-inch outputs of the Drum Rocker drum pads and cymbals, Ion recommends using the Alesis DM5 drum module with Drum Rocker. The DM5 is a professional drum module with (12) 1/4-inch trigger inputs and more than 500 professional quality sounds. Its trigger inputs are well suited to handle the output levels of the Drum Rocker pads. If you decide to use a DM5 with Drum Rocker, you'll also likely want to purchase a kick pad and regular kick pedal, which will let you take advantage of the increased control that the DM5 offers. The drum pedal that comes with Drum Rocker can then be used as a hi-hat pedal.

Is Drum Rocker wireless?
Drum Rocker is a wired game controller. We figure that drums are by nature a stationary instrument, and don’t need to be wireless. However, the cable is 4 meters long, which will give the player flexibility in determining where the kit should be setup. Drum Rocker is also quite easy to fold up for storage as well.

Does Drum Rocker work with other games, or just Rock Band?
Drum Rocker is designed to work with Rock Band 2, and is compatible with the original version of Rock Band as well. If other music games choose to use the standard drum controller layout that was pioneered by Rock Band, then Drum Rocker should work with them. If other games choose to use a different drum controller layout, those games will not be compatible with Drum Rocker. For example, Activision has stated that Guitar Hero World Tour will work with Xbox 360 Rock Band drum controllers, which means that Drum Rocker should work with Guitar Hero World Tour in the same way that the core Harmonix drums will work.

Is there a plug for the headset/Mic?
Yes, there is on the Xbox 360 version.

When will the PS2, PS3 and Wii versions be available?
There will be three (3) specific models, one for PS2/PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. The Xbox 360 version is available now. ION hopes to have the PS2/3 and Wii versions on shelf later in the year.

If I want just the brain without the rest of the drums, will that be available for purchase separately? If so, when and how much?
ION has not finalized plans to sell the Drum Rocker controller module separately, but expect that they will do so later in the year. However, it’s important to note that they intend to do so to allow Drum Rocker users who own multiple consoles to use a single Drum Rocker kit with all of their systems, not for people to use the controller module with other electronic drum and cymbal pads. The module was designed specifically for use with the Drum Rocker drum and cymbal pads, which have a unique set of output characteristics (as do all electronic drum and cymbal pads). Lots of work has been done to ensure that Drum Rocker is optimized for Rock Band performance, in terms of trigger sensitivity, crosstalk rejection, latency, and more, and the design of the module has been tuned to deliver the best possible performance in conjunction with the Drum Rocker pads. Plugging another set of pads that happen to have 1/4-inch outputs into the Drum Rocker module will not yield the same results as using a Drum Rocker kit, and in fact may not work at all. However, if your goal is to have a single electronic drum set that can be used with your existing drum module and Rock Band as well, you can go at this from another angle. ION suggests that you get a Drum Rocker set, and use the Drum Rocker pads with your existing electronic drum module. If it's got 1/4-inch inputs and its input sensitivity can be adjusted, you should be able to combine the Drum Rocker pads with your existing module, and have exactly what you're after - a single kit for playing games and playing music!

When this comes available for my PS3 will I be able to use it on my original rock band game?
Yes, Drum Rocker is fully compatible with Rock Band and Rock Band 2.

Is Drum Rocker compatible with Guitar Hero 4:World tour?
Drum Rocker was designed specifically for use with the Rock Band franchise. However, if other music games use the same standard drum controller mapping that Rock Band uses, then Drum Rocker should work with those games as well.

Is there a way to differentiate between the cymbals and the toms while playing in game?
The gameplay in Rock band doesn't differentiate between cymbal and tom pads, so you're free to hit whichever feels most comfortable to you. There are some gameplay modes (like the new drum trainer in Rock Band 2) that use software to intelligently determine when you are hitting a cymbal vs. a drum, and provide the appropriate sounds accordingly. This produces incredibly realistic, full drum kit sounds and realism.

Is there a diagnostic mode so I can make sure all the drums and cymbals are working properly?
Drum Rocker works just like the Harmonix drum set in terms of calibration and diagnostics.

Is there a controller to convert the set into real drums? If so, how much does it cost?
While Drum Rocker pads can be used with any drum module (or "drum brain") with 1/4-inch inputs, you will get the best results from a module that has adjustable input sensitivity, so it can be "tuned" to the output of the Drum Rocker pads and cymbals. ION recommends the Alesis DM5, which has been tested with Drum Rocker. The Alesis Trigger IO can connect Drum Rocker to a PC to use software as a sound source.

If I have my own electronic drum pads, like the Alesis Dm5 Kit, will I be able to plug them in to the Drum Rocker controller?
While you may be able to plug your existing pads into the Drum Rocker controller module, turning your existing electronic kit into a Rock Band Controller isn’t as simple as that. The module was designed specifically for use with the Drum Rocker drum and cymbal pads, which have a unique set of output characteristics (as do all electronic drum and cymbal pads). Lots of work has been done to ensure that Drum Rocker is optimized for Rock Band performance, in terms of trigger sensitivity, crosstalk rejection, latency, and more, and the design of the module has been tuned to deliver the best possible performance in conjunction with the Drum Rocker pads. Plugging another set of pads that happen to have 1/4" outputs into the Drum Rocker module will not yield the same results as using a Drum Rocker kit, and in fact may not work at all. However, if your goal is to have a single electronic drum set that can be used with your existing drum module and Rock Band as well, you can go at this from another angle. We would suggest that you get a Drum Rocker set, and use the Drum Rocker pads with your existing electronic drum module. If it's got 1/4" inputs and its input sensitivity can be adjusted, you should be able to combine the Drum Rocker pads with your existing module, and have exactly what you're after - a single kit for playing games and playing music!

Can the cymbals be silenced / stopped with the hand?
Rock Band does not have provisions for "choking" cymbals, so Drum Rocker doesn't have that capability.

Is there a way to re-initialize the product back to factory specification?
Drum Rocker is a controller and doesn't include any software or "settings". All of the settings related to Drum Rocker are found inside the Rock Band game, so there is no need to reinitialize Drum Rocker itself.

Does the Drum Rocker use the same connection (as the standard Harmonix Rock Band kit) for the foot pedal? The reason I ask is because I've already purchased a pair of Omega pedals.
Yes, Drum Rocker is fully compatible with Rock Band and Rock Band 2.

Does the drum rocker come with a MIDI output?
Drum Rocker ships as a gaming controller. You can use it as a MIDI device by purchasing a "drum brain" with MIDI output (such as the Alesis Trigger iO or Alesis DM5).

GamePro Review   November 2008