Upcycling Rock Band drums into SUPER CHEAP electronic drum pads

[@hollieellis256]

You know there's an app called rbmidi and midi drive that let's you plug the USB into your computer and play them through and drum software u have like addictive drums ect.

[@gailmiles7850]

I have this SAME kit, courtesy from my husband's recent trip to the recycling store. (I mentioned that I would love to learn to play the drums). God Bless him. He is not DIY minded, particularly with electricals, but at least I know it can be converted by an electrician. Thanks to you Jesse, all is not lost. What is a drum brain and where do you get one?? This late 70's gal is going to play these drums by hook or by crook.

[@joetowers4804]

Hello Gail! Each part of the drum kit (snare, hi-hat, toms, kick, etc.) has a piezo (some have more than one to trigger more sounds) disc which picks up each hit and is connected by a cable (as Jesse shows in the video) to the drum module, commonly known as the "brain". This module usually stores a bunch of samples (sounds) and as it translates each hit, then triggers the corresponding sound. The module usually can be connected to some sort of amplifier (there are some dedicated ones), but usually headphones can be plugged into them for semi-quiet playing (careful with your ears!). Cheaper modules come with a main connector which has a bunch of cables to connect the kit to. I believe the one Jesse has is a bit more practical than those because it has multiple inputs for each part of the kit and each cable can be connected individually to the corresponding module input. Drum brains can be found second hand on ebay. Hope I was able to clarify somewhat and that you have hours of fun playing.

[@gailmiles7850]

@@joetowers4804 Many thanks for your helpful comments Joe.

[@danielortizdecaracas]

why not use the midi port in the box?

[@jeanechevers2226]

What a useful video. You made it fun to watch as well. Thanks

[@peterlabine6824]

Can you “upcycle” the pedals as well?

[@RobinLyn1]

I just procured at Goodwill! TY. Have solder, will solder!

[@danielortizdecaracas]

tell me about latency or sensitivity?

[@danielortizdecaracas]

tell me compatible hardware alesis roland yamaha???

[@DMagurkus]

If I only had a drum brain.

[@EasyHeat]

Try an getting an Alesis Midi Trigger I/O or the current DDrum equivalent which is literally the exact same rebranded product. Then all you need is an old laptop that's capable of running the free Slate Audio kit or Ezdrummer. Sounds better that generic brain module sounds IMO, and less coin invested.

[@hollieellis256]

Plug it into your computer and use any drum software like addictive drums

[@chrish7336]

Jesse, I have to ask. What is the crosstalk like on this setup. I know its basic and not professional, but thought I would ask so I would know what to expect and how I may need to change things as I look to create myself. (I also have the cymbals that were part of the RB3 pro level drum kit.

[@DIYMusic]

well, it’s really not that bad… I have had worse cross talk with actual electronic drum kit frames, but you still have to dial in crosstalk elimination, like with any set of pads

[@jarettdellobuono8747]

Are the piezos in rock band drum kits velocity sensitive when you hook them up to a drum brain? I would like to use mine as a velocity sensitive midi-controller.

[@DIYMusic]

yes, they are velocity sensitive when hooked up like I show here! works great, as long as the drum brain supports velocity sensitivity (my Alesis DM5 does)

[@Quagmire8623]

@@DIYMusic 2 years later I just bought this exact drum brain (and also drum set) and did this same exact thing to add a couple inputs due to a couple missing drum heads and damn im impressed how well it worked. Didnt see this video till after so may have helped my process but i got same results. Thanks for sharing this info

[@keenankelly2370]

HI, i have 2 questions for you, I am trying to do something similar using two rockband kits to make an 8 piece 2 pedal kit. 1 how I detrermine if my pedals run on a megnatic switch or peizo (as they seem to do both depending on which kit you buy). 2 is connecting a magnetic the same process? I would like ideally to run piezo as a kick and mag as an on off for hihat open close, but struggling to figure out how to determine which I have, or if I can even run an on/off signal through a quarter inch. Thanks!

[@nicholaskaprielian3379]

Hello! Not the original poster and I know your comment was five months ago, but I am just seeing it; hopefully, my answer is still relevant! While I am not certain, I believe the magnetic switches are simply binary (on or off) switches. The reason the piezo switches work for this is that piezo switches actually generate a voltage when pressure is applied. Unless you can set a system up where there is a constant voltage potential and when the magnetic switch is enabled the voltage is passed to the drum brain, a magnetic switch will not work (and it definitely wouldn't be passive like this one is). Even if you did set that system up, it would be very difficult to manage the velocity of the input (you would need an external controller to manage how much voltage is passed through). Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear :/

[@keenankelly2370]

@@nicholaskaprielian3379 Hey, thanks for getting back to me. From my understanding the rockband pedal was a basic magneticswitch. So a attached a piezo disk for kick and used a FSR compressed under foam for my hi hat control.

[@EasyHeat]

This was surprisingly entertaining. It was a comedic heartwarming short story of thrift shop discovery, initial violent toy destruction for a greater purpose, that ultimately led to the fruition of a committed goal. I almost did the exact same thing with one a few years ago. Alas, I've been breaking, then fixing, then breaking, and then fixing again my slowly parted out electronic kit for soo long now? I'm finally considering just building my own mesh pads for my acoustic kit in storage, or some junior sized kit off Amazon. I mean, piezo discs are practically a freaking dime a dozen. I think it shouldn't be too much trouble with my Weller Iron and the last few remaining neurons I've spared myself? LMAO! I hit subscribe.

[@tochi2]

Hello, I have 2 rock band, one playstation by dongle and the other xbox by usb, I have used it to play on PC but I wanted to be able to use the bass drum pad of an electronic drum, is there a way to use it or should I make some modification or something so that this kick pad works as if it were from the same rockband??

[@charleslogan6566]

Curious what you mean by 'recycling using more resources than it saves'. Also, very handy video, thank you for sharing. I have a custom drum kit that works only with the Wii. People sell the PS3/PS4 brain (that would allow me to use on another console) for insanely inflated prices. Many times for the same price as I paid for the whole kit. What could I do to use this kit with USB on a PlayStation instead?

[@SoundToxin]

They say "reduce, reuse, recycle", and that's also the order of priority with recycling as a last resort. Most plastics don't recycle well/efficiently. I've heard aluminum recycles very well, but a lot of stuff takes more energy/money to recycle than it's probably worth. Also some stuff just ends up getting burned/buried even when you put it in a recycling bin.

[@Nonplused]

I am surprised there isn't an app for your PC. Maybe copyright or patent or something.

[@nicestrat]

Hey Jesse, thanks for the video. I picked up one of these drum pad things at a garage sale for my grandson. I think I have a Sony PS3 somewhere.....anyway, I am curious about the Alesis DM5...does this allow each pad to be programmed with whatever drum sound you so desire? Tom, bass, cymbal, etc.? Also, did yours have a drum foot pedal thing? If so, did you connect it? Thanks, man. My grandson is 5, loves the drums and the whole Rockband thing looks stupid in the real world of musicianship.....glad I found your video. Keep it up bro!

[@DIYMusic]

yes the dm5 allows you to freely assign any of its sounds to any trigger / pad input... and if you get the rock band kick pedal, you can use it as a hi-hat open/close controller on the dm5 (with a 1/8” to 1/4” adapter), but not as a kick drum pedal... for the kick, you’ll need another thing with a piezo in it that you can either stomp on or rig to hit with a real kick drum pedal

[@chrish7336]

@@DIYMusic Old post, but glad I saw this. Guess I Will need to design my own kick, but at least I now know I can use the RB Kick as open/close.

[@younghundead]

But does it run crysis?

[@DIYMusic]

not anymore, bro... I ripped that USB clean out

[@nateschmall8873]

Where do you get the "drum brains"?

[@DIYMusic]

you have to buy a drum module like an Alesis DM5 from somwhere

[@nateschmall8873]

@@DIYMusic Ohh ok

[@OmidRezaRajabi]

Hi I just got a drum kit exactly like the one you show in this video. Have no idea how to get it to work for my son. I don’t have play station or anything. Does it need to be connected to something to work? What is the cheapest way I can get the drums kit to work for my little son. Any information in this regard is appreciated. Thank you.

[@DIYMusic]

yeah, you either need to hook it up to the game console it was made for and get the game it was made for... or you can convert it like I show in this video and connect it to a Alesis DM5 or other drum brain--without hooking it up to something, it will make no noise

[@OmidRezaRajabi]

@@DIYMusic thanks for the reply. What is the cheapest I can buy? Game console or drum brain or this device that you mentioned?

[@ThAtCommENTeR23]

@@OmidRezaRajabi you should buy him a cheap Xbox 369/ps3, and Beatles Rockband, he can play the songs on there but also there’s a free drum play mode

[@ThAtCommENTeR23]

Might have better luck just buying a cheap starter kid drum set

[@austinl3802]

so many goodwill's will get business for this

[@Briansm15]

5:39 what where's the kick/bass pedal I think he forgot that

[@DIYMusic]

kick pedal is a switch, not a piezo trigger like the drum pads, so it can’t be wired like them-however, you can plug it into a drum brain with a switch-style kick selection, or as the drum brain’s hi hat pedal

[@BigDaddy-vp5iv]

U are very smart and intelligent

[@hyemort]

@Green Mamba Games 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@sahandrums]

It's called PEEEZO. Thanks for your cool video

[@valedonjos]

Peeh-ae-zah

[@The_RetroManiac]

if only i kept mine.

[@andrewhamel1]

A.K.A. destroy game controllers that aren't being made anymore while many manufacturers continue to build *real* ekits. It's hard not to be salty :P

[@DIYMusic]

real ekits: hundreds of dollars... this: $0.99 and no one was using or wanted it

[@jalel_z2867]

Are you drunk? This isn't even an insult I'm genuinely curious

[@DIYMusic]

I was not, just trying to be entertaining?