Guitar Hero WT vs Rock Band 2

Drum Kit Construction Comparison

Out of the box you can feel the difference between the two kits. When it comes to strength the GHWT (Guitar Hero World Tour) kit is superior. However, sturdier also means it is a bit heavier. The legs have a cross bar that helps prevents swaying from side to side. This causes a problem with the kick pedal if you prefer to sit up close and have the pedal further out as it can block your leg. The pedal works more like a drum pad than an actual bass pedal, and is less prone to breaking.

RB2 (Rock Band 2) has reinforced the old pedal from the first game with metal. It is a bit stronger than its predecessor but with only two support bars it has a tendency to sway. The pads are able to take more of a beating as they have used a new material for them, which also silences them quite a bit.

Set-Up of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band Drum Kits

A big debate among gamers now is the realistic set up of the drum pads. GHWT has three pads that run at a slight angle in half a circle around the player. and two cymbals sitting on top the kit. Many have said they find the GHWT kit to be more realistic than RB2. One thing to be wary of the different heights of the cymbals and pads can cause some off beats. Also, when really getting into it, one’s movements could become a bit wild and hit a cymbal while coming down to hit a pad.

Your aim will require work to get good on this kit.

RB2’s kit has four pads placed in a half circle around the player. There will be an add-on soon released in the form of attachable cymbals that correspond to a particular pad. You can get from one to three additional cymbals.These will have a little more flexibility on the placement and could help it compete with GHWT on the level of realism. This is not to say one might develop the same problems seen on the GHWT kit.

Remember with realism comes greater difficulty.

Cross Compatibility of Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour Drum Kits

One of the most important features is how well the kit plays on the competitor’s game. Because the RB2 kit has only four notes opposed to GHWT’s five, the game play on GHWT shifts to accommodate this, merging two tracks, specifically the orange and green notes are simply played on the RB2 green pad, into one and cutting down on some notes. It feels about the same, but losses something in the translation.

But this additional note also works against the GHWT kit when played on RB2, it becomes arbitrary and at times can get in the way of playing. Neither has any glaring problems with cross compatibility but for those looking to get the full experience of each game may wish to stick with its drum kit.

It’s a hard choice and mainly depends on where your comforts lie. Much like an actual drum kit you’ll want to be using the one that suits you and your needs.

Guitar Hero World Tour’s Drum Kit Problems

Though the game itself was received positively, there were many problems with World Tour’s controllers, especially the drum kits. Players should be aware of these issues if they plan on buying Guitar Hero World Tour, or its sequel, Guitar Hero 5, which can also use the microphone and drum kit peripherals.

Problems with the Drum Kit on Guitar Hero World Tour

When Guitar Hero World Tour was released, one of the game’s selling points was that the drums registered both hard and soft hits. But there were soon numerous complaints from angry players about the drum kit’s unreliable sensitivity. Shoddily-connected wires were blamed, and Activision and Red Octane made a drum kit tuning tool available to help tweak the software.

Not all the drum kits released had major problems, and it seems that Guitar Hero World Tour sets released later have had fewer issues. However, the build quality on the drum kits – supposedly designed for repeatedly being hit – remains an issue.

Sensitivity problems can still recur on drum kits after long use, while cymbals (and even the included drumsticks) have been known to break after regular playing.

Red Octane does have a 90-day warranty on Guitar Hero World Tour peripherals, and many major retailers, aware of the game’s issues, have allowed returns directly on defective World Tour sets. Yet buyers should keep in mind that these returns can be sold again as “refurbished” Guitar Hero World Tour sets, which, even if covered by their own limited warranty, are at even greater risk of breaking down.

Alternatives to Guitar Hero World Tour’s Drums

In response to the need for more durable drum kits for the Guitar Hero series, a number of third-party peripherals have been made available. Logitech makes a Wireless Drum Controller specifically for Guitar Hero World Tour on Microsoft’s XBox 360 or Nintendo’s Wii, which is more adjustable and has more durable parts.

Ion Audio also makes a drum kit for gaming, called the Drum Rocker. The Drum Rocker is available for the XBox 360, Wii, and Sony Playstation 2 and 3 and is designed for Rock Band 2.

However, Activision has made Guitar Hero World Tour compatible with Rock Band instruments (provided they are for the same system), and Ion confirms that this is the case with the Drum Rocker set. In addition, the Drum Rocker can also be used with professional drum modules (like the Alesis DM5) to become a “real” electronic drum kit.

Let the Drummer Beware on Guitar Hero World Tour

The Guitar Hero series is rightly praised among rhythm gamers. But peripherals like the drum kit, which were introduced for World Tour to compete with Rock Band, can have problems that cause extra hassles for players. It’s no wonder that some may even prefer to find better-made replacements.