Customer Reviews

Rock Band 3 PRO-Cymbals Expansion Kit

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

For everyone on here who can't figure out how to assemble these (which is understandable, because the directions are terrible):

Each clamp comes in two pieces, with a slight space between them. Take them and SQUEEZE THEM TOGETHER as hard as you can until you hear two loud pops, one on each end. Don't worry, you didn't break it. You're just putting it together. If you don't do this, the tightening nuts won't work, no matter how much you try to turn them. Now they don't slide down when you hit them! No tape necessary!

Now. Speaking as an actual drummer, these are the best accessory for Rock Band ever. Quieter and more responsive than the RB2 cymbals. As for the hi-hat clamp length issue, here's what I do. To set up like an actual drummer, you need to connect your crash and your hat on the LEFT side of the kit. Put the green crash on the tall tube. Connect it to the set with a short clamp. Now connect the hat to that tube with the long clamp, putting the hi hat on a short tube to the left of your snare. Now put your ride on the right side. There. May take some adjustment, but you're playing like an actual drummer. HAVE FUN!

I purchased this RB3 Cymbal kit to go along with my RB2 drum kit to use in Pro Mode in Rock Band 3. Out of the box these cymbals are WAY too sensitive to be even remotely fun to play. I was extremely frustrated at double-hit notes coming through constantly. I searched around online for an answer and found a partial solution. If you look for the "Penny" mod it will clear up a lot, but not all of the issues (although it will void your factory warranty). I added some extra foam padding above the actual sensor and now the cymbals work perfectly. So, as an out-of-the-box item these cymbals are pretty much useless for the precision needed for RB3. With a couple of simple mods, though, these puppies work great. Granted they should have worked great straight from the factory but they are so much fun now I'm willing to overlook the simple mods I had to do to make them work properly. A worthwhile investment if you don't mind doing a little work to get them to function properly. Hopefully Madcatz will clear this issue up with future releases of the cymbals.

The cymbals are very easy to set up if you use the instruction manual. So all you people out there who think is was hard to set it up. Stop acting slow, the instructions are all you need to know what to do(and a bit of common sense.) The cymbals are over sensitive and will register 2 or 3 hits per 1 hit. So the solution would be to cut a hole in a rag and place it on top of each cymbal.( Anything would work, T-shirt etc..)This dampings the vibrations your hit causes and makes the cymbals work the way they should. If your into stuff that works outta the box, dont buy this. If you dont mind solving or fixing small problems, buy this!

I was a little skeptical to buy the cymbal expansion kit. I read reviews where there had been problems with stability and the cymbals generally not working correctly. I've been using these for the past couple of months now, and they work wonderfully! They are completely sturdy when attached the CORRECT way, and add a whole new dimension to an already great game! I am very, VERY pleased that I went with my instincts to buy the expansion kit over getting a whole new set. I am not disappointed at all! Highly recommend!

I have read several reviews here saying that this was giving double hits, but I want to say that I do not have that problem. I have set up the drums as specified in the instructions and besides that I think I'm fairly hard hitter, and I haven't seen double hits come up when I play.

Overall I think this is a quality product and an essencial add-on to anyone who plays drums on Rock Band.

EDIT (november 2011): About a month ago one of the cymbals (the one I use for YELLOW) stopped working. Apparently a broken cable. So now this is a 4-star instead of a 5-star.

I have both Triple-Cymbol sets for Rock Band 3 and Rock Band 2. They both work really well. Here are the differences that I notice:

RB3 set: looks like a cymbol compaired to the RB2 set (no pie look on cymbol), I like that I don't have to adjust the screw to keep it tight, the cymbol is louder when you hit closer to the screw and softer on the ends.

RB2 set: works really well, can adjust screws with the foam to give the cymbol play or make tight, only problem is when playing the set hard is the screw becoming loose and making it difficult to catch the hit on time or too early.

Both sets are great and I'd prefer the RB3 cymbol set over the RB2 one. I knocked it down one star because of the yellow screws threads weren't machined correctly and can't screw down all the way. I'd buy this set though!

I also have the cymbals they made for RB2 drums (Rock Band 2 Double Cymbal Expansion Kit), but I only got the two pack. Once I got RB3 and they introduced PRO drums I wanted to get the third cymbal. I remember when I got my RB2 cymbals, there were some people who got some with a very sensitive trigger that would end up registering double hits. Mine were not of that ilk and worked perfectly. Unfortunately, with my RB3 PRO Cymbals, I do have one that seems to double trigger. Looking online for solutions, it appears this is a problem for many. However, I see some 5 star reviews here that don't mention those problems. My yellow one seems to have issues also when doing sixteenth notes (quickly alternating hands). One other thing I don't like is the suggested setup. I like my ride right in the center between the yellow and green (since I do use that for open hi-hat). The brackets and instructions end up putting the blue more above the green. Still in the center, but too far right and too high for my liking. I was able to use the brackets and get the blue roughly where I want it.

One advantage this has over the RB2 cymbals is that they do seem quieter than the RB2 cymbals.

Overall, I would give this higher marks if I didn't get one that had such a sensitive trigger. I'm currently trying to figure out if I can resolve the issue or go through the warranty for a replacement. I may end up switching two of them back to the RB2 cymbals, but wish I didn't have to because I do like how quiet these are. Wish me luck. Feel free to comment if you have the same issues - I'm curious as to how you resolved it.

I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my daughters and when installing it on the Rock Band drum set the wing nuts either stripped or they broke. I will have to run to the hardware store now and find better nuts and bolts that aren't made of plastic so I can secure the cymbals to ensure they don't slide down or move while playing. I hope to add to the review once I can actually get them working.

These cymbals add an exciting, more realistic aspect to playing the drums. Especially in RB3 pro mode. However the assembly instructions are HORRIBLE but after 30 minutes I figured it out.

I posted installation pics at the top of the product page.

You need to snap the black connectors together otherwise the poles holding the cymbals will slide down when you play. You may need to use a pair of channel lock pliers to squeeze the two sides together (just don't break it).

One thing I'm confused about are the cymbal locations. The box shows that the Blue cymbal should be on the left side, then the Yellow and then Green. Can anyone explain this? Look at my pics.

First off, I'm not a real drummer, I just play one at home. When I heard there was going to be an actual "Pro" mode in Rock Band 3, I bought this in a heartbeat. First the good news. These are awesome. Just awesome. If you play drums on Expert, you need these. It's like playing a whole new game. It's just that...

They didn't work out of the box. They are *very*, *very* sensitive for me. Unfortunately, this makes it unusable (I guess it's hit or miss with people; mine was terrible). That said...I found a workaround online which involves unscrewing the ten screws that hold the sensor together on each pad (doing this voids your warranty though), and placing a penny / dime in between the spring and the screw door. Voila. I can play now....EXCEPT the green cymbal just *does not work*. It ALWAYS registers double hits no matter what I do. I have to try to fix this, I don't know what's wrong with it. My setup is using a dual kick pedal with a switch. I've read this may be causing the problem, I don't know...

Finally, the instructions...holy crap. Absolutely terrible. No "instructions", just a giant picture showing you random stuff. Not to mention I wasn't really clear on "which" pad to place where. The front of the box shows the wrong config. Whatever...it's "yellow, blue, green" from the left.

I will say, for me, this was an absolute nightmare to setup. It took me probably two hours just to get this to work...at 66%. I'm hoping I can find a solution for my green cymbal problem, but it's not *that* big of a deal since the crash isn't unique (or doesn't appear to be).

Final word...awesome. Just a nightmare to setup. Your mileage may vary.

Edit: Oh one last thing. The actual setup itself either...yeah, not very fun. I have to admit I had to go with electrical tape to get mine to stay put; otherwise it just kept falling down. Pay attention to the other reviews though, I guess all you need to do is SNAP the clamps shut and THEN screw them on. There was no snapping done for me basically because THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE TERRIBLE. That is all.