Rock Band drum kit hacked for Windows

Not that it comes as much of a surprise after past Guitar Hero hacks, but it seems that the Rock Band drum kit has now found its way into PC land as well, with it at least one enterprising individual having hacked it for use with Windows. To do that yourself, you'll have to either follow some relatively simple directions, or take your chances with the install file provided at the link below, which promises to do most of the work for you. Head on over after the break for a video of the drum kit in action, such as it is.

[digid @ Jan 29th 2008 8:56AM]

Somebody Really needs to write a program that converts the rockband Drum controller straight to midi to be used in programs like Fruity Loops. something with a fairly user friendly interface. hell, if I knew anything about programming, I'd write one myself.

[Edo333 @ Aug 12th 2008 11:58PM]

Uh midijoy?

[Ubercore @ Nov 10th 2008 12:10PM]

I'm working on a cross-platform (linux, window, mac) library/program to turn the rock band drums into a real configurable virtual midi port. No shenanigans with controller drivers or anything. Anyone interested in helping me test it out?

[rb2midi @ Jun 23rd 2009 11:37AM]

I got annoyed that there wasn't already a freeware program to make the Rock Band 2 drums easy to use as a midi controller, so I ended up writing my own:

http://www.mattgrounds.com/rb2midi/

Bad news: it is for Windows only, and will only work with Xbox 360 versions of the drum kit
Good news: it can detect the velocity of hits on the Rock Band 2 kit, and also works with the optional Mad Katz cymbals you can add.

[Robbie96 @ Jul 17th 2009 10:02AM]

Guys, I plugged in my drumkit, for PS3, in the device manager, it shows my drums, with a black exclamation point inside of a yellow circle. It doesn't work. So, I clicked it this time and chose to re-install the driver. It installs a driver for USB Human Interface Device. Still doesn't work with drum machine. I am running service pack 3. Also, I have been told to install Xinput Common Controller. It says "Installation did not complete"

[Dom Einhorn @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:14PM]

nice

[Alexander @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:21PM]

Yea, now lets see the Wii Gibson support in Frets on Fire... Then we'll talk.

[weasel C. @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:40PM]

I cant wait till that day. its definitely possible since u just need to sinc it to a bluetooth adapter. but i dont know how to set it up correctly

[buddy @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:50PM]

it does dude, "glove pie" is your friend

dun dun dun
http://www.guitarzero2.proboards78.com/index.cgi?board=tutorials&action=display&thread=1194119766

only just use it for FoF and not GZ, or just map it to keyboard keys.. you get the idea.. same thing for using the ps3 les paul with the PC game

[Alexander @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:17AM]

Neat... Any Linux support?

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:33PM]

Nice work!

Always cool to read about this kind of hacking.

[QUOW @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:36PM]

The wii Les Paul is supported on the PC...the wiimote is a standard bluetooth device, and all you have to do is download a program called GlovePIE and configure it as a keyboard device.

In fact, the default .pie file included in GlovePIE (wiimotetest.pie) is actually perfect, it configures the green/red/yellow/blue/orange buttons on the Wiitar to be they keyboard letters A/B/X/Y/R. Just open Frets on Fire and configure the keyboard. The strum even works by default.


/sitting here playing both FoF and GHIII for PC with the wiitar.

[mik @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:42PM]

nice, but will it work with my HTC touch?

[ark_v2 @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:43PM]

Imagine playing CSS with that XD

[KnuxSonic @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:48PM]

Nice, but does it play doom?

[Qsat @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:39PM]

I dream of the day were people will STFO with that response. It was funny the first time, just a little bit fun the second time, stupid the 3rd time, sarcastic the 4th, but now after the 1000th time, it's just annoying, every single day someone has to bring this, and ''will it blend''. SHUT UP LOOSER

[ethana2 @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:46PM]

Ok, first, cool off just a little.

Second, there is a place for such questions. If it isn't that place, do not ask them.

...this is not that place. A simple prerequisite for you: if it doesn't even have its own CPU, then no, it will not play doom, and it will not blend. If you ignore that fact again, you will get freaked out at again.

[greymullet @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:42AM]

@Qsat

It's "loser".

[JTM @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:08PM]

The drums for Rock Band PS3 work fine on my PC without any hacking at all.

Just plug it in and it works as a game controller.

[Rollins @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:14PM]

I use Logic Express for the Mac for some hobby-level music recording. I'd love to see something that makes the 360 RB drum kit available for use as a MIDI controller. I know it most likely wouldn't have any pressure sensitivity (i.e. it'd just be note on/note off) but it'd still make a fun (and relatively cheap) drum controller. Any chance of this? I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard.

[thedvs01 @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:31PM]

Would be better if someone hacked it to send MIDI note data and added a MIDI plug

[Maximiliam @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:53PM]

Ever heard of focus?

[Vincent @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:29PM]

Ever heard of print screen!

[Maximiliam @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:54PM]

Hey, I am able to hack, but I am unable to focus!

[ethana2 @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:49PM]

Luckily for you, that's hardware accelerated if you just hold the thing still for a second or two.

[Saq @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:32PM]

WHOA MAD HAX0R1NG D00D!!1 Umm so yeah, i plugged in my drums and my guitar last night to try them out, both worked and vista installs the driver automatically. No hax involved :P On an interesting note, it looks like harmonix swapped the order of two of the buttons on the guitar, making it unplayable on guitar hero. So to all those people that were saying SHAME ON ACTIVISION/THQ FOR NOT LETTING MY ROCK BAND GUITAR WORK ON GH3, it is in reality Harmonix that made it so that the rock band guitar wouldn't work on guitar hero.

[QUOW @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:36AM]

Dude...if you're talking about GHIII on the PC, you just go in and configure the keys...it's not that difficult.

[Saq @ Nov 23rd 2007 4:16PM]

no I am talking about how the 360 rock band guitar doesn't work on guitar hero 3 for the 360

[therpham @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:17PM]

I can't wait to play with setting this up with a drum synth - it's going to be awesome.

...As soon as I develop rhythm skills that don't depend on coloured bars.

[WickyWoo @ Nov 23rd 2007 2:12AM]

You can't use it as a midi controller for drums, well not as one that'll be any good as a drum kit

They're not velocity sensetive, it's either on or off. Digital, not the analog you want

[Scott @ Nov 23rd 2007 10:39AM]

Damn that both makes a lot of sense and sucks balls. Oh well maybe next version.

[Doug @ Nov 23rd 2007 3:08AM]

Interesting that this claims you need a hack for it to be recognized... I just plugged mine in and Windows installed the regular Xbox 360 controller driver... voila... tested it and it works.

[Henry @ Nov 23rd 2007 5:21AM]

looks like fun

[Macindows @ Nov 23rd 2007 8:03AM]

Is it some kind of unwritten law, that people who hack or spy stuff need to make blurry photos of it? I mean where are the 10MP cameras for christ's sake?

[Ruffy @ Nov 29th 2007 4:00PM]

What no one seems to mentian is that the ps3 versions require no driver hacks.

Both the Guitar and the drums work right off the bat. I'm sitting on my PC right now with my PS3 wireless strat. Shows up as Harmonix Guitar for PS3 in the gamepads. All buttons work. Just map to whatever game you want (aka frets on fire or GHIII PC)