Drummer at heart

[bigjimslade]

Hello, my name is Jim and I'm here to learn more about edrums.

I've always had a love of music and took guitar lessons when I younger. I didn't stick with it and sold my guitar in college. In 2004 I tried picking up guitar and bass again but alas ADHD is a pain in the arse :-). Got a decent Yamaha keyboard a few years ago for my son and step daughter for Christmas. After getting divorced they keyboard has come to my house to live but again I've not learned to play anything on it (did I mentioned the ADHD).

So then a little over a year ago Rock Band comes along. At first I would not play the drums. I had the hardest time with it. Now I'm the best drummer in the groups of people I normally play with...not counting my friend who actually plays drums...in a band.

So now my son says he wants to play drums. I thought about getting a cheap set of regular drums. Then I thought I should just get a lower priced edrum set (think those sold at Target, Sams) so we wouldn't have to worry about the noise. After doing more research I find out about interfacing electronic drums with Rock Band. So the interest has grown. Plus I think drumming will mix better with the ADHD ;). Now I just need to find some money.

[fignewton]

Welcome aboard.

[OverLord]

Finding the money holds us all back! Welcome.

[bigjimslade]

Thanks. Yeah I was thinking about getting an Ion drum controller for RB then picking up the DM5. I figured if I was going to spend $600 I could probably get a little better kit. Since I just tore apart my GHWT drum kit to make a midi interface controller I'm all set. Though I've been reading up on the Midi Rocker interface and with it's programming ability that might be the better way to go.

[ghostman]

Hello, my name is Jim and I'm here to learn more about edrums.

I've always had a love of music and took guitar lessons when I younger. I didn't stick with it and sold my guitar in college. In 2004 I tried picking up guitar and bass again but alas ADHD is a pain in the arse :-). Got a decent Yamaha keyboard a few years ago for my son and step daughter for Christmas. After getting divorced they keyboard has come to my house to live but again I've not learned to play anything on it (did I mentioned the ADHD).

So then a little over a year ago Rock Band comes along. At first I would not play the drums. I had the hardest time with it. Now I'm the best drummer in the groups of people I normally play with...not counting my friend who actually plays drums...in a band.

So now my son says he wants to play drums. I thought about getting a cheap set of regular drums. Then I thought I should just get a lower priced edrum set (think those sold at Target, Sams) so we wouldn't have to worry about the noise. After doing more research I find out about interfacing electronic drums with Rock Band. So the interest has grown. Plus I think drumming will mix better with the ADHD ;). Now I just need to find some money.

Hi Jim! I'm James!
I hear you about ADHD, I claim to have it, too. Though I think I am just lazy! I am on a similar bend - except I was an e drummer in the 90's, and I am re-connecting with my drumming and edrums as of late.

I am also looking at alternative rockband / guitarhero drums, and I have come up with this plan:

1) Don't buy the cheap drumkit - I have friends who have them, they suck!
2) build my own - or rather, re-purpose some of my existing kit for it.
3) yay! less landfill usage!

The pinnacle of the plan, however was XBox vs. PS3. I went PS3 for one reason, there is a guy out there who is building MIDI-PS3 adapters specifically for the GH/RB games. and, it turns out he can't build one for the Xbox360 because M$ has encrypted the messages from the controllers.

What he's doing may not actually be legal - he reverse engineered the controllers to build the adapter, and I am sure to sell something like that commercially, he'd need licenses and stuff, but I figure if I get one before someone stomps him down, then goody for me. LOL!

Anyway, with my current ekit and (pads, cymbals, & Alesis I/O) and the adapter, I am 85% of the way there. I plan on building a smaller rack just for the 'game kit'.

That said, welcome to the board, and I'd like to see how your path goes.

Oh, and one more thing, the 'ION pro drum kit for rock back' - sucks arse. As do most e-drums under $500. If you really want something to bang around on, you really should look at maybe the Roland TD-4 at the minimum. Or the Yamaha DTXpress or similar. Or look on the boards or ebay /craigslist and find something used for a decent price.

Or of course, there's always DIY! Buy a cheap acoustic kit, mesh heads, triggers, module.. still may hit the $1000 mark, but it's a kit to be proud of!

[Racer52]

Hey there BigJim - welcome... until you find the money, you can study up on this edrum stuff. by the time you have the money you will most likely know how to build yourself a kit from some relativly inexpensive stuff. keep an open mind - some of this takes a moment ,or two, to sink in :)

I even know of some that have taken those table top model edrums and connected their own DIY edrum set to the table top unit. It makes for a kind of low end edrum brain/module with a high end feeling edrum kit.


So welcome, look around, ask questions...have fun!

[fignewton]

Hey
are you Big Jim Slade the former tight end for the Kansas City Chefs?
Insert Kentucky Fried Movie reference here.

[bigjimslade]

"In the event of premature emission, the Joy of Sex also comes equipped with Big Jim Slade!" ... yep that's me :D

Got the nick name from a guy I used to work with. Real name is Jim he just kept calling me Big Jim Slade then Slade for short so I started using it on the net. I look nothing like him but if you can't satisfy your girl I'll try crashing through the wall to help out. ;)

Hey guys thanks for all the suggestions. I'm investigating DIY and used sets right now. Did find a used Roland TD-6 setup for $600 locally. It's well used so I'm having a hard time taking it. Also looking at a lightly used Hart Prodigy with Roland TD-3 brain for about $500. It's out of state so if I can get a friend to pick it up for me and bring it when he comes to visit I might get that. Plus he plays drums so he can try it out for me and tell me what he thinks.