How do you check which set you have? Anyway, I bought these pads yesterday, and they work quite well. They don’t fit on the drums perfectly since they are as big as the whole drum, which leaves a sort of rim from applying them. Still, it isn’t that noticeable, and the sensitivity seems fine for me. I have to hit them a bit harder at times, though, but the quieting effect is awesome.
Take a flashlight and look beneath the drumset in the middle. There will be a hard to read serial number. Look for a serial number with EL or QM in it.
Mine is QM. Is there a significant difference? Is one considered better than the other?
Mine are QM, which I guess is better. Any idea about the newer kits, which are SL. Also, I should have read the original link above. Thanks for not making me feel stupid about that, MS. It’s refreshing for someone to just answer a question rather than remind me that I could have found the info myself.
How do you check which set you have?
http://www.fakeplasticrock.com/2008/04/08/how-to-identify-your-rock-band-drum-set/
A friend of mine spent less than $10 and about an hour making his own version of these. He bought some rubber matting, cut out circles and then attached them to the drums. Then he bought felt that matched the colors of the four drums, cut out circles of it, and attached it over top of the rubber matting.
It works well, cuts the noise way down, and I haven’t noticed any difference in the responsiveness of the drums.
Figured I might save some of you DYI type folks $10 ;)
I’ve used at least two different DIY solutions that worked okay but weren’t as good as the “official” pads because I could never find a reliable way to make them stick to the drums. I used Staples mouse pads, but the rubber cement I used tended to sink into them. I didn’t want to use anything more permanent and risk voiding the warranty.
The official pads also feel better than any of the homemade solutions I tried, except that my crappy EL set drops notes with them applied.
I’m putting in a warranty replacement request.
I got the pads before realizing I have an EL drum set. I’m no drum expert, I’ve been working my way through the Hard difficulty, and I’m pretty happy with it. Definitely quieter and definitely gives more bounce. I do miss notes here and there, Part of the reason may be because I’m not hitting the center of the drum - it’s harder to feel where you are since the pads remove the drum rims. If I was a superstar going for 100% gold stars then it may be a serious issue but I’m happy to hit the drum rolls better now.
Jerri I would like to know what they say about your request however.
I just picked these up though I have an EL set. I can reinforce the opinion that they work like crap on this set. Lots of missed hits. I barely 4 starred a song I can easily get 5 stars on.
It really sucks because I love the bounce and noise suppression.
Make sure you get them at Best Buy. Best Buy has them in a bundle with a replacement foot pedal and the Rock Band black branded drumsticks (that are slightly better than the pack-ins that come with the game) for the same price ($20) as anywhere else.
Wish I’d known that; my pedal is going south again.
Does anybody know the reason for these not working on the EL set? Is it because the edges are raised and they aren’t coming in direct contact with the drums around those edges? If I cut the pads to fit the surface of the drum, will that fix the problem?
I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. Something about the triggering mechanism or its assembly changed between the two versions, and those mods just damp the hit too much.
How much you wanna bet the Rockband 2 drumset has this material already built in?
Hopefully – though that doesn’t do much to assuage the pain of the people who bought the v1 set.
The top 3 problems with the original drumset are:
- Noisy as crap! Fixed by applying thin layer of gum rubber or neoprene ($20)
- Green and red drums have next to no structural support, so they vibrate like crazy and sometimes miss hits. Fixed by adding drum struts ($18)
- Bass drum pedal breaks under heavy use. Fixed by adding reinforcement pedal plate ($20)
So, yeah, here’s hoping they nail those three with the next rev. I guess adding up all the “fixes” you end up with the price of a new drumset anyway.
Wise fwom your gwave!
I saw a set of these at the store and decided to try them out. I haven’t installed them yet, though, because I’m not sure whether I have the right thing. The kit has four pads, each with the Rock Band logo in the centre and a colored rim. They might be neoprene, but I’m not sure. They’re about a quarter-inch thick. The back of each pad is covered with a large circle of waxed paper or something, with a pull tab on one side. So it sounds like the product that’s been discussed in this thread.
The thing is, the pads seem to be too big. If I centre them on the drum heads, they actually sit on top of the plastic rims. I have a drum set from a value edition of The Beatles Rock Band; it has a QM serial number stamped underneath.
What should I do with these pads? Should I trim them down? If I just smooth them down on top of the rim, they’re not going to lie flat: There’s going to be a ring of air trapped underneath and the pads will likely pull away from the drum head before long.
I believe being ever so slightly oversized is “normal” for these official drum silencing pads, yes.
Mine have been on, over the plastic rim, for about 8 months. Don’t worry about the air gap, the glue is good, and I haven’t had to reapply them.
Good to know; thanks. I’ll give 'em a shot.
not to derail thread too much, but what are the best drums out there?