Rock Band Drums - model number check!

Basq

Check which model number you have here.

I assumed we'd be getting the revised QM or SL model numbers, but obviously not!

Mine (which I bought in Gamestop yesterday) is an EL model. Bought just the drums set, not the instrument pack!

Everyone else care to report theirs just as a matter of interest!

EL Model Info wrote:

These pads are regarded as the first version of drums and the least sensitive. The travel between the pad and the sensor is large and can have a tendency to deteriorate with play. Fast rolls are picked up better on an EL model due to sensor damping, but can require harder hits, which in turn causes dented heads. The EL also has a bad tendency of not registering all hits.

Wonderful!

EDIT: For those with an EL model, there are little tricks and mods available to improve sensitivity such as:

The Nickel Mod (a 50c piece would probably work just as well!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtHN1YE_mYc

The Sock Mod

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWczPjSEoYQ

Makaveli

Mine are QM.
edit - Bought in Zavvi and came in the instrument pack.

Basq

Cheers Makavelli. Lucky fecker.. definitely meant to be better alright (in terms of sensitivity).

Unless the QM come only in the instrument pack. Keep those model numbers coming lads.

Mr Freeze

where do find that model number??

Basq

CKWPORT wrote: »

where do find that model number??

Shows you how to in the link in my initial post.

Asmodean

I have the EL model too. Bought them seperately in XV.
Looks like we got the cast offs lol

Mr Freeze

Crap...have the EL Model too....

Not Good....was thinking they didnt pick up everything....Bought them seperately from gamestop

Lot of money for castoffs......

faceman

I have EL model too. Bought in Zavvi. Pi$sed off at this.

Im going to email harmonix.

Basq

faceman wrote: »

I have EL model too. Bought in Zavvi. Pi$sed off at this.

Im going to email harmonix.

Let us know how you get on.. but the problem is despite the fact that the EL model have slight problems, they've never been discontinued or taken off the market.

All of the models each have their own problems.. except for the newest model (SL) which is quite new and if they do have any problems, haven't been discovered yet.

I didn't notice dropped beats until I was playing 'Epic' by Faith No More and when I hitting the red and yellow together, it wouldn't pick up me hitting the red every so often. Even though I was hitting them with the same precision and power each time.

Mr Freeze

Not happy about this either....But i dont think there is a whole lot we can do...

I have noticed the missed beats problem too, and i wanted to get drum pad mufflers too to limit the noise, and they are not recommended for the EL models and it will make the missing notes problem worse...

Let us know how that email goes anyways....

Mr Freeze

Just Read this here;
http://www.rockbanddrumsoft.com/?gclid=CO6yiKfl2pMCFQ88QwodHHs8Zw

"We have also found that out of a testing group of 10 drum sets, all but 2 of the EL models began to lose sensitivity after several months. Harmonix and Rock Band have been very generous in their return policy for these drums and have offered to replace them"

Blood-Martyr

Just checked , I got a EL model too.

My Yellow pads seems to have gone to the ****e too..

cedomination

Sh*t! I have an EL and I bought it seperately in Gamestop.
I always found that I had to hit them in the centre to make it register

Mr E

If cedomination is right, then I don't even have to look - I have EL too.
I have to hit the pad within 2 inches of center to register.
I'll confirm when I get home.

Edit: Yup... EL.
Gamestop standalone drums.

Mr Freeze

it seems there might be 2 versions of the EL drums...the 1st ELs and new better ELs!!!

i dont know if this is true or not yet...

Read it in the RockBand technical support forum...waiting on word on how to identify the old from the new now...

grimm2005

I have the EL version, came in the instrument pack from HMV grafton st.

I did notice missing some of the double beats when i coulda sworm i hit em at the same time although i kinda put that down to me sucking at the drums

cedomination

Just wondering,what are we meant to do?
Bring them back to the shops?

Mr Freeze

cedomination wrote: »

Just wondering,what are we meant to do?
Bring them back to the shops?

I dunno!
I wouldnt bring mine back unless it breaks or is missing loads of beats.

ironictoaster

I got QM drums..Bought the instrument pack in Xtra-Vision in the Blanchardstown SC. It definitely looking like you get QM drums with the instrument pack only.

johnny_ultimate

Bought the instrument pack in Zavvi Blanchardstown today - QM pads by the looks of it.

NunianVonFuch

EL bought Drums Only in Gamestop Liffey st. Really need to get sound mufflers but since they're EL the sensitivity will be feckered. Slightly OT: You dont need the box to return them if they go bad do you?

Mr Freeze

NunianVonFuch wrote: »

Really need to get sound mufflers but since they're EL the sensitivity will be feckered.

You could use the sock mod???

Has anyone actually tried the sock mod??????

cedomination

i put some scotch tape on the red drum now it seems to be working fine.

NunianVonFuch

CKWPORT wrote: »

You could use the sock mod???

Has anyone actually tried the sock mod??????

I saw the sock mod but.... I'm superficial so I ordered from Premium Rock Band Drum Covers. After checking out the nickel mod posted here I reckon they should do the job and if the sensitivity goes I can through down a 50cent or two and she'll be back in business. I'll post again when I receive the covers to say how well they work with the EL brand.

Cully

Well I'm kind of annoyed.... I got an EL in Gamestop Henry Street on release day. Full pack. I have the problem with random misses and I've tried the coin mod and it doesn't seem to help. One way to test is to find some song that has a section with a lot of beats on one drum, then go to practise and set only that section and put it on 90% so you don't hear the music. Mod it, then test the pads...

For an EL, I wouldn't recommend anything that'll dampen the sound... It'll kill your pad sensitivity. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to fix these stupid things... I'm gonna play around with it some more later and maybe switch the green sensor with another colour seeing as that's the one you get most rolls on.

Also... My bass pedal snapped in the middle. I've read a lot of reviews and they said stuff about not "if" it breaks... "when" it breaks.... Although, they do say that it only breaks if you play it on hard or expert. Mine is currently splinted together with 2 metal chopsticks and tape. I will buy the metal reinforcement off amazon as I hear that's very good.

cedomination wrote: »

Just wondering,what are we meant to do?
Bring them back to the shops?

On that note.. have you noticed that they've modded the broken pedal in HMV Henry Street with Cardboard, and just sellotaped it in HMV Grafton? That's a good advertisement for the game. "Buy this and it'll break in 2 weeks"

CKWPORT wrote: »

You could use the sock mod???

Has anyone actually tried the sock mod??????

Sock mod is only good on QM models. It'll make the ELs worse.

NunianVonFuch wrote: »

if the sensitivity goes I can through down a 50cent or two and she'll be back in business. I'll post again when I receive the covers to say how well they work with the EL brand.

I doubt the ELs will improve with covers.

It's typical though about the 50c.. You have to pay a lot for the game, then pay a lot for the controllers, then pay a lot (€160 ish) for all the downloads... and now you have to pay more in order to mod it... Typical

Mr Freeze

NunianVonFuch wrote: »

I saw the sock mod but.... I'm superficial so I ordered from Premium Rock Band Drum Covers.

Same as that, I haven't tried the sock mod either, I look stupid enough already playing those drums without taping socks to it....

NunianVonFuch

Cully wrote: »

I doubt the ELs will improve with covers.

Theres a comparitive review of the different covers up on the Rock Band forums done by Cenachaingang54. So I just ordered the ones he used with the ELs. They're not going to get increased sensitivity with covers but since you can tie them down to the cover of the drum you shouldn't lose much. :cool: Heres a link:
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47272

Plus playing without muffling the sound isn't really an option for me.

Also they sound like coconuts wtf???

Mr Freeze

where did you order the drum mufflers?

ironictoaster

The rubber gum pads are meant to be the best supposedly.

faigs

Mine are EL's and I bought just the drum package in Virgin on Times Square, NY last week.

NunianVonFuch

CKWPORT wrote: »

where did you order the drum mufflers?

I ordered from:
http://web.mac.com/tapin2/rockband/Premium_Rock_Band_Drum_Covers.html

Review comparing all the types of mufflers:
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49835

cedomination

Cully wrote: »

On that note.. have you noticed that they've modded the broken pedal in HMV Henry Street with Cardboard, and just sellotaped it in HMV Grafton? That's a good advertisement for the game. "Buy this and it'll break in 2 weeks"

I was just playing on that last week when I was there

Still managed to pass maps on hard with it :cool:

Oh and here's a nice trick for anyone who is playing in rock band in a shop,at the main menu press back and it will bring you to the "press start" screen,hit r,y,b,r,r,b,b,r,y,b and it will unlock all songs :pac:

Mr Freeze

NunianVonFuch wrote: »

I ordered from:
http://web.mac.com/tapin2/rockband/Premium_Rock_Band_Drum_Covers.html

Review comparing all the types of mufflers:
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49835

Thanks, let us know what they are like so & how long they took to arrive!

Might invest in a set if they are any good, badly need them...the noise is a total pain....

NunianVonFuch

CKWPORT wrote: »

Thanks, let us know what they are like so & how long they took to arrive!

Might invest in a set if they are any good, badly need them...the noise is a total pain....

They arrived today which is 6 days from order and that includes a weekend so...4 business days! Really fast! I had a quick test of them before heading to work and whilst they pretty much get rid of the "coconut effect" theres still a noticable bass in the room underneath. I'm going to try mounting the drums on a towel or some cushions or something like that later on to see if I can get rid of this.

They recommend only using 2 covers for the EL model which I have but you really have to use 4 to quieten it enough for playing. Since it's tied so tightly it doesn't seem to effect the sensitivity of the drums too much but I only played through 1 song (Beatlebum on Easy) and didn't miss any notes due to the drums. I'm going to have to test it more before I can determine if there's any lost notes but for sound elimination I'd definitely recommend them!

I no longer put my bandmates off with my loud playing and it didn't effect the mic of the singer anymore when I was playing so thumbs up!

NunianVonFuch

To follow up my last post - the covers haven't negatively effected my performances at all. As for dampening the sound through the floor, my advice is not to waste your time. I put down the drums on a large wooden board on top of a 1ft thick packing foam (the looks I got carrying that home on the train!) twice the area of the drums and then put that on top of a mattress.

From the room underneath it still sounded like someone was knocking on the floor!

Mr Freeze

I might have to invest in these as the noise is brutal, i think its better worse, they are beginning to rattle too...anyone else getting the rattling?

No Idea what the noise is like downstairs from the drums, I wont be asking the person that lives there anyways...

Mr E

I'm in a house and my xbox is on the ground floor - no problems!

I just wanted to follow up on NVF's comments (and thank him!) for his recommendations on the drum mufflers.

Ordered last Thursday or Friday, and received yesterday. Incredibly professional and well made - plenty of extra padding for customising the sound to your preference (16 padded disks in total - you can add 4 under each drum cover - I just used 2). They make a big difference to sound, but definitely affected the sensitivity of the drum heads (I have ELs). I'm going to do the coin trick (as posted by basquille in the top post of this thread) and see if that helps.

I took off one of the drum heads last night, so its a piece of cake to do. I'm away until the weekend, so I'll do it then and report back.

Basq

Left me know how the coin trick works Dave. Just finishing GTA IV now so some heavy doses of Rock Band is next up!

Might order the drum mufflers also.

Mr E

Hang on until I try the coins Brian... the reduction in sensitivity is a game killer if the coin trick doesn't work. I'll let you know on Friday night...

Mr E

OK did it last night and it worked a treat. I created little bundles of 5c pieces using sellotape and put them behind the drum heads as mentioned in the OP. I actually passed the track I was stuck on too, first time, so I'm back rocking.

Watch out for the oil on the drum head connectors though... keep a teatowel or something similar nearby to wipe your hands.

Basq

Excellent Dave.. thanks for that.

Will give it a shot tomorrow.

NunianVonFuch

Cheers for the info. I'll be sure to do that too if I notice any sensitivity loss.

Cully

The coinmod works awesomely on the ELs. I am a bit wary of the covers on an EL though.... Do any of you guys with the EL covers play on expert? I'm not really interested if you think it works and you play on easy or medium (sorry, but I believe that you can only really test it properly on scary stuff)

cedomination

I think i'll try the coin-mod on my EL drums later today,is there anyhing i should know?