My Rock Band Modifications and Accessories Page

1) Microphone

I have added an OnStage 7700 Tripod Boom Microphone Stand (MUP7700, price $19.95) along with an OnStage Universal Microphone Holder (Model MUPMY100, price $5.95).  I purchased them both from zZounds.com.  There are two huge benefits of having this: (1) it just makes it easier to sing without holding the microphone, and (2) you can now sing while you are playing the guitar or drums. 

This stand, with the "boom" part is perfect for being able to sing while playing drums as it comes out over the drum kit (the stand can be used with or without the boom).  Personally, though, I find it much easier to try to sing while playing the guitar.  The tricky part is the tambourine/cowbell taps which you can do by blowing quick bursts of air into the microphone if you are using your hands to play another instrument.   Although, interestingly, missing these taps doesn't count against you at all in the game in terms of your crowd score or getting kicked off the stage, so you can just forget about the cowbell taps if you want to with no real punishment.  As reported in the Rock Band forums, however, with the new $50 Rock Band Premium Microphone from Best Buy you can also simply tap the microphone STAND to do the cowbell taps.  So, for example, I can use my foot (like on the drum set foot pedal) to tap on the lower leg of the microphone stand and the cowbell taps work just fine with the new premium microphone.

But what I'd really like is a microphone that: (1) is cordless, and (2) has built-in controls on it (all we need is the X, circle, and an up/down rocker) eliminating the need to use a separate controller every time with the microphone. Until they make a microphone with controls built in, I have solved this problem by attaching my controller to the microphone stand.  The combination that worked for me was a K&M Microphone Holder ($44.99 from Guitar Center) which attaches to the stand, then I used the top clip from a  Hercules Stands MH100B Quick-N-EZ Microphone Clip ($6.99 from Guitar Center) along with the bottom screw-type neck from a Musicians Gear Clip-Type Microphone Holder ($3.99 from Guitar Center).  It looks and works great.  The top clip from the Hercules Stands Microphone Holder is a perfect and very sturdy fit for the Playstation controllers (both the standard PS3 Sony controller, one and also my Logitech Cordless Precision Controller for PS3). Too bad the Hercules Microphone Clip comes with the wrong type of neck connector, and the Musicians Gear one with the right connector has a clamp that doesn't work well, but that's why it takes parts from both to make this work.  I also love my new Swirlygig Microphone Stand Drink Holder ($13.99 from Guitar Center) which works great to hold my drink while I play.

2) Guitar

Adding a real guitar strap really makes playing the guitar more comfortable.  I've tried quite a few, and can say that my absolute favorite is the very comfortable (and nicely matching) Fender Monogram Guitar Strap (I got the black, yellow, and brown one, FENA9906, price $12.95).  It's the one on the right in the picture.  Again I bought this at zZounds.com and there are many colors to choose from.  I also have an official Rock Band "skulls" pattern package that came with a skulls strap, decal for the guitar, and a pair of black rock band drumsticks, recently installed.

My other nice, and very worthwhile, addition is my 2Way Rock Band Guitar Stand, Black with Hot Flames from Steve at Measure Twice Products (available directly from him, and also on eBay, price $30).  It holds my two guitars perfectly and looks great.  With the heavier straps this works well if you put the strap on the arm first, then put the guitar in the holder.  I have two guitars, both working simultaneously on my PS3, so one person can play lead guitar and the other the bass guitar (one of them is a Rock Band PS2 guitar that does indeed work perfectly on the PS3, and just for the record, the Rock Band PS2 drum set and microphone also work on the PS3).

3) Drums

I have done the most modifications to my drum set.  I purchased a real drum seat (called a "throne"), the Mapex T270A Double-Braced Drum Throne (MAPT270A, price $39.95 also from zZounds.com).  It's good and inexpensive, but is not very easy to adjust the height on a frequent basis.  It's a nut and bolt type of adjustment.  So if you can leave it in one position, it's a great one, but if you need to be able to adjust the height of the seat on a regular basis as different players play, you might want to do some more shopping to find one easier to adjust.  The new official Rock Band drum throne just recently made available looks almost identical to the one I have, but has a Rock Band logo on the seat edge, and I think is the same price.

I also upgraded my drum sticks.  I purchased, from a local music shop, a pair of Vic Firth - Scott Johnson "ScoJo" Practice Sticks (SSJ3, price $14).  They are easier to use, more fun, and simply sound better and not like plastic when they are being played (and they are also much better than the newly released black official Rock Band drumsticks that came with my guitar skull package.  The immediate problem with going with real drum sticks is that because they are thicker, they no longer fit in the drumstick holder built into the Rock Band drum set.  After much trial and error I finally found a real drumstick holder (called a "stick depot") that is for use on a real drum set that does work.  The problem with most of the ones available is that they are meant to clamp onto the much smaller diameter cymbal stand for a real drum set, not the thicker diameter legs to the Rock Band drum set.  One that works, and looks great for me is the Pro Mark Stick Depot Drumstick Holder (from Activemusician.com, MC.SD100, price $15.95).  I've got it clipped onto the back side of the left leg, so that the tips rise up from behind the drums and are within easy reach.  It's very adjustable and sturdy, and matches the drum set nicely.

I just recently installed the new official Rock Band drum pad silencers (not shown in above picture, but click here to see example).  They seem to work just fine, and come in many different designs.

Despite having a perfectly good, and unbroken, drum bass foot pedal, I decided to reinforce it with the Rock Band Bass Pedal Fix- PEDAL METAL BILLET with HINGE available on eBay from (seller: rasehead, price $29.95).  This turned out much better than expected.  Instead of replacing the metal hinge rod in my pedal, I simply added this onto it in addition, effectively giving the pedal a double hinge.  I didn't even have to take the pedal apart to put it on (as was instructed), instead I just put the top metal and bottom metal pieces on with screws (drilled holes first, which worked great) and then put the hinge plate between them as in the directions but without removing the original hinge pin.  The bass pedal now plays much smoother, easier, and the sound is also much better (less click and more smooth tap sound) when it's played.  The reason I picked this specific one (the "billet") among the different pedal plate options was because it was the only one with the screw heads flush mounted.  On some of the other models, adding this plate results in having screw heads that stick up higher than the face plate, and so your feet get caught on them.  This one has an entirely flat surface as there are holes in which the screw heads go down into.  Since I purchased mine there now appears to be a carbon fiber one.  In any event, I'd strongly recommend the one that comes with the new hinge reinforcement, and the heal plate, as it's turned out really good for me.

4) Future Accessories?

There are a lot of other interesting accessories I have not yet tried, and some I have tried not worth much mention (for example, oddly my replacement USB hub uses an AC adapter, while the one that came with the PS3 game did not).  Top of my list is probably the really cool "skins" for the instruments that come with the fake drum that you can have your band's name on from Digital Camo.  They come in many different colors and patterns.

Of course, there is a lot more that can be done.  Like adding a soundstage, thousands of watts of power, and a real drum set.  If you haven't seen this type of setup yet, you have to check it out on youtube.  You won't believe it.  It looks really awesome, particularly the real drum set and the separate monitors for each player.  There are also videos on youtube of modifications to the guitar (using a string, for example, or a real guitar body with the electronics), so search on youtube for "rock band modification" and you'll get some more ideas.  And, if you haven't heard, the new Guitar Hero IV: World Tour is coming out Fall 2008 with vocals, two guitars, and a drum set that has five (rather than four) pads to hit.  It was reviewed in detail in the June 2008 issue of Game Informer Magazine (from Gamestop).