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I purchased the XCell Drum Pads for my Rock Band 2 Drum Kit from RockBandParts.com when my set came. I’d read storied about problems with the RB2 kit drum heads having problems if you didn’t have pads on them, and I knew I liked it better with quieter drums when I wasn’t playing them. So, $20 dollars later, (plus $5 for shipping) they were on my way, and arrived in less than 5 business days from when I ordered them. I wrote most of this review when I got them back in May of 2009, and I’ll write a follow up of my thoughts now (April 2010).
Then: They came in a padded shipping envelope, and then inside a sealed ziplock bag, so even if they had gotten wet, they would have been fine. My mailman shoved them in the mailbox, but they weren't bent, only curled slightly, and they flattened out immediately when pulled out. They smelled a bit of fresh rubber/neoprene, which wasn’t a big surprise. They're soft and smooth to the touch, but they have a bit of grip to them, do it's a sticky smooth. They have a very sharp and clean black that doesn't seem to stain, dent, or otherwise blemish during use. They look sharp. In the bag were a small set of instructions. Pretty basic, but good, as installation is a breeze. My RB2 set is brand new other than a quick test play (that I quit once I'd hit all the pads at least twice), but I cleaned off the stock pads with some rubbing alcohol, let it dry, and then applied the pads. Centered them while having them touch the bottom of the pad area. Strangely, I had a little bit of extra room on all 4 pads, but nothing problematic. The gap is tiny, maybe an eighth of an inch, and you have to be looking for it to see it. The sticky material is fantastic. They stick securely once pushed, but they are easy enough to pull off and adjust as needed. I played with them a while, and then adjusted the red pad just a bit, no problems what so ever. I wouldn't be afraid to pull these off the set like another set of pads I've used (more on those later). I did a few rebound tests, and compared them to the stock RB2 drums. They add a bit of rebound. On the RB1 set, I think they'd add more rebound, but the RB1 kit doesn't have much to begin with. I compared them on my table to just my table (not stuck), and it was a more noticeable difference. Fired up the game and started beating on them. Admittedly I've not used the RB2 kit much, but wow, it was amazing. The extra rebound made it easier to deal with quick hits, and once I got used to it, allowed me to drum with less impact on my arms/wrists. I'm not an expert drummer, but I managed my first drum full combo (not missing a note or hitting an extra note) on medium, and never felt I was missing notes that I should have been hitting. I ended up drumming for 2 hours straight, and 3 hours overall, which is more than I usually do, and I think I'll probably do a bit more drumming in the future. The drums are amazingly quiet now. I'm using the RB aftermarket sticks with the silicone silencers, but they make hardly any difference in sound now (compared to my RB1 kit where they did). It made playing a lot more fun and a lot easier to hear the music. It was also more enjoyable for my wife when she was watching. My previous kit was the Wii RB1 kit with the Drumshhh pads. The Drumshhh pads were basicly a felt-like material with a sticky surface to adhere to the drum head, and held up well over a few months, looked nice (I got them in colors), and helped a bit in quieting the drums down, but they were nothing like the XCell pads. The extra rebound is very nice, and the sound dampening is superior (relying on my table tests for a fair comparison). The XCells were a little bit more money, but well worth it. Conclusion: I give them high marks. They made me want to play more drums, and I'd recommend them to anyone. Easy to install, quiet, sharp looking, and reasonably priced. The only minor complaint I have is that there is no colored ring to mark which head is which, but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out while playing. Now: I still haven’t changed my mind, I love these pads, but here’s some follow up on them. The pads haven’t worn in almost a full year of use. No indentations, dimples, or marks beyond some white hit marks from long drumming sessions, and these go away with a cloth and water (probably dust from the drum sticks). They’re still as quiet and rebound as well as ever. The sticky part on the back still holds the pads on, and I’ve been able to reapply two of the pads after they were removed (one by myself to adjust it’s position, and one by a toddler), though not quite as well as they were held on by the original application. Cleaning of the pad and back with rubbing alcohol brought back most of the stickiness though. I recommend these for anyone looking to extend the life of their drum kit, looking for a little extra rebound, or simply want to quiet down their drum set. Discuss this review. |
