I would strongly suggest trying to find an e-kit. It’s going to be much more durable than any game kit and a more realistic experience.

I’m not qualified to give an opinion on that, you’ll have to wait for a more experience drummer to chime in. But from what I’ve seen, the recommendations tend to be for (the pricier) Yamaha and Roland e-kits. I use a Roland HD-1 myself, and I know a few others on here use Roland kits as well.

$500 or so isn’t much of a budget, to be honest. Quality e-drumming components cost a chunk of change, even used. Cheap stuff will eventually fall apart under use (don’t even ask me how many inferior pads I’ve destroyed while getting to my current – mediocre – skill level). A lot of trial & error has shown me that most Roland gear, higher-end Pintech pads & cymbals, and most Yamaha components are the things you should aim for. A decent Roland brain (TD-3, -4 or -9 for example) would eat up most of your budget, but would make a solid basis for a Rock Band-compatible kit.

And we haven’t even started talking about things like kick pads & pedals, and a rack to mount all of this stuff.

Although an ekit is the way to go over say the ION kit or any mad katz kit, be prepared for cross talk frustrations.

This was the main factor in replacing my Alesis DM5 with an Ion brain!

definitely something I need some time to think about because I HAVE been dieing to get into the realm of Pro Drums http://rockbandparts.com/?product=rbp-u … nd-as-well

there’s that too but I’ve heard about the unreliability with them so I’m not sure either way thanks everyone step by step

Some won’t agree but with all the trouble I had getting my kit “my way” I would recommend starting with an Ion brain and piece it together, this guy has RB drum parts.

http://www.newenglandmusicsupply.com/index.php

I do most of my RB business with him because I get a discount, he will treat you right!

I use the Roland TD-4KP and it is the most amazing thing ever. Worked straight out of the box with my MIDI adapter (though I had to swap the crash and hi hat plugs), and once I got the adapter fine-tuned, crosstalk is nonexistent. Didn’t need to mess with the brain or anything. It was the most painless thing ever.

Also in favor of the TD-4KP is that it’s a portable kit; I chose because I run bar nights and needed something easy to transport. It folds up like a Transformer and comes with a bag that carries everything. You can literally fold it up, put it in the bag, and walk out the door with it over your shoulder. Plus it takes up no space in my closet when I’m not using it. The only downside is that the snare drum is squarely in the middle of the kit, which for actual drummers is normal but it can sometimes confuse Rock Band newbies. You get used to it quick though since it actually makes drumming a lot easier.

This kit is a little pricier than your budget though, I think I got mine for $799 CAD plus the bag and kick pedal which were another $200. So it’s about $1000 all told for this setup, but honestly, it’s so hassle free and durable that I feel it’s a fantastic investment. I’ll need to replace my Xbox long before I need to replace my drums.

You can find some slightly cheaper kits such as the Aleisis DMX7 for around $500, but I dunno if they’re compatible with the MIDI adapter. That’s also one reason why I chose a Roland TD kit.

I tell you, though, once you try Rock Band with an e-kit you won’t wanna go back. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

I use the Roland TD-4KP and it is the most amazing thing ever. Worked straight out of the box with my MIDI adapter (though I had to swap the crash and hi hat plugs), and once I got the adapter fine-tuned, crosstalk is nonexistent. Didn’t need to mess with the brain or anything. It was the most painless thing ever.

I was looking at this model a few days ago and searching if it would work well with the MIDI adapter. Thanks for posting this.