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Wiring a wireless RB2 kit.
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Beez808  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 253
Location: XBL (Beez 808)

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:36 am    Post subject: Wiring a wireless RB2 kit. Reply with quote

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've been in the Hardware forum. Haven't needed to be, drums are working great. I've been planning to upgrade the RB1 drum chassis to the RB2 chassis for my GoodWood heads.

Here's my concern: Batteries.

I play enough that I'll be changing batteries probably twice or three times per week. That's not good for my pocket book, or for the environment. Rechargeable is not really an elegant solution as it's still batteries but with more hassle. So, what I want to do is convert a wireless drum kit back to a wired version. I'm sure it's possible. I'm sure I don't have the technical expertise to do it alone.

Has anyone tried to do this? Has anyone done it successfully?
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rpeet687  





Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 557

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

is it possible to wire a usb to the drums to go to the xbox for power
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Friedmannn  





Joined: 30 Mar 2008
Posts: 842

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think this is possible, due to the massive difference between the Wireless and Wired Les Paul, and how it was proven impossible to wire a wireless LP.
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TinPusher  





Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is VERY possible, I've done it. I use it. I love it. In fact you can do this and you don't even have to open your guitar/drums so your warranty stays intact.

Just think outside the box. What you need to do is wire the instruments for power while still allowing them to communicate with the console wirelessly.

USB supplies 4.5-5 volts DC so what I did was create two wooden "batteries." from half-inch dowel. One of the "Batteries" has only a positive terminal. The other has only a negative terminal. I just used an old usb cable I had and soldered the black wire to the negative terminal, and the red to the positive terminal. Put the wooden "batteries" in the top and bottom slot (leave the middle slot empty) plug in the usb cable to your USB port and power everything up. Voila! You now have a wired instrument. To be clear your instrument will still communicate wirelessly but will receive its power from the console or the powered usb hub, whichever you are using.

I have been considering making and selling these, but they're so simple I would feel like I was an asshole just ripping people off.

NOTE: The below is to prevent others becoming assholes just ripping people off.

Now for the legalese,
I do consider this to be my invention and I retain all rights to commercial production and distribution. Any attempt to manufacture, market, and profit from the above will result in legal action to the fullest extent permissible by law. Blah, blah, blah.
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pheonix  





Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 225
Location: Sydney Australia

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i wouldnt mind wiring my wireless instruments but not like that
i would much rather it connect like other wired instruments, gettin power from the console

just to make sure that all lag is gone too
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rpeet687  





Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 557

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TinPusher wrote:
This is VERY possible, I've done it. I use it. I love it. In fact you can do this and you don't even have to open your guitar/drums so your warranty stays intact.

Just think outside the box. What you need to do is wire the instruments for power while still allowing them to communicate with the console wirelessly.

USB supplies 4.5-5 volts DC so what I did was create two wooden "batteries." from half-inch dowel. One of the "Batteries" has only a positive terminal. The other has only a negative terminal. I just used an old usb cable I had and soldered the black wire to the negative terminal, and the red to the positive terminal. Put the wooden "batteries" in the top and bottom slot (leave the middle slot empty) plug in the usb cable to your USB port and power everything up. Voila! You now have a wired instrument. To be clear your instrument will still communicate wirelessly but will receive its power from the console or the powered usb hub, whichever you are using.

I have been considering making and selling these, but they're so simple I would feel like I was an asshole just ripping people off.

NOTE: The below is to prevent others becoming assholes just ripping people off.

Now for the legalese,
I do consider this to be my invention and I retain all rights to commercial production and distribution. Any attempt to manufacture, market, and profit from the above will result in legal action to the fullest extent permissible by law. Blah, blah, blah.

lol, your idea sounded awesome, just to kind of clear it up a bit, could you post pics?
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Friedmannn  





Joined: 30 Mar 2008
Posts: 842

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TinPusher wrote:
This is VERY possible, I've done it. I use it. I love it. In fact you can do this and you don't even have to open your guitar/drums so your warranty stays intact.

Just think outside the box. What you need to do is wire the instruments for power while still allowing them to communicate with the console wirelessly.

USB supplies 4.5-5 volts DC so what I did was create two wooden "batteries." from half-inch dowel. One of the "Batteries" has only a positive terminal. The other has only a negative terminal. I just used an old usb cable I had and soldered the black wire to the negative terminal, and the red to the positive terminal. Put the wooden "batteries" in the top and bottom slot (leave the middle slot empty) plug in the usb cable to your USB port and power everything up. Voila! You now have a wired instrument. To be clear your instrument will still communicate wirelessly but will receive its power from the console or the powered usb hub, whichever you are using.

I have been considering making and selling these, but they're so simple I would feel like I was an asshole just ripping people off.

NOTE: The below is to prevent others becoming assholes just ripping people off.

Now for the legalese,
I do consider this to be my invention and I retain all rights to commercial production and distribution. Any attempt to manufacture, market, and profit from the above will result in legal action to the fullest extent permissible by law. Blah, blah, blah.

Wow, I never would have thought of that. Like you said, it's still wireless but just gets power from the console, wouldn't this cause extra strain on the console and possibly cause it to overheat? Also... *runs to copyright office* jkjk






i think
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TinPusher  





Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ill take your questions in turn.

First, would this cause extra power to be drawn from the console?

Yes it would, however, the console is designed to supply 5 volts from each usb slot so is well within the limits of the hardware.

Second, would it cause it to overheat?

Nope. Again, this is well within the design specifications of the hardware.

If you are still concerned about it though, just plug it into the powered USB HUB that was supplied with your kit. That way, the power is not being drawn from the console. Instead it is being drawn from your homes power outlet.
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rpeet687  





Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 557

PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

is it possible to feed to much power in or does it stop as soon as the controller turns off
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ricecake  





Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 1890
Location: Linthicum Heights, MD

PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Someone on the official RB forums posted instructions (with links to pictures) for hooking up an AC adapter to the RB2 drums:

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88775

In the thread someone else mentions the same idea of hooking it up to the USB port.
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Beez808  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 253
Location: XBL (Beez 808)

PostPosted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the links and responses guys.

Will pick them up and try it out.
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Please... It's "might've" or "might have" not "might of". Unless you're talking about giants.

Drummer and Path-Man for Drunk n Hammock (RB2 scores)
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Chucklestyle  





Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 657
Location: Wauwatosa, WI

PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I applied this mod a couple of days ago and I love it. I ended up using:

A USB riser from a PC chassis I had
an A/A male male USB cable
A couple pins from a pinout I had lying around

Removed the riser from its plate so it became just a cable with a female A type USB port. Soldered the pins into its connector (the end that normally would plug into the USB header on a PC motherboard) and, since I'm one of the fortunate ones with an RB2 kit with the port underneath the batteries, I plugged the bad boy in and sliced a tiny hole in my battery cover to run the cable out of. Ziptied it to the leg of the kit, and plugged my A/A cable into it and then into the 360.

Booyah! No more batteries dying in Score Duel/ESL! I can probably get some pics if anyone wants 'em.
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Rainault  





Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 31

PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chucklestyle: I'd actually like to see pics of your mod. That sounds like the route I'd like to take.
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Beez808  





Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Posts: 253
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Chucklestyle: Did you have any trouble with noise in your headset when connected to the drums?
I find while I have the cable connected, there's a bit of background hum that is not present when using batteries. I'm sure it's due to mismatched power sources.
I'm thinking maybe a trim pot or something similar to step down the power just a little bit will kill the noise. Just haven't gotten around to it.
_________________
Please... It's "might've" or "might have" not "might of". Unless you're talking about giants.

Drummer and Path-Man for Drunk n Hammock (RB2 scores)
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TinPusher  





Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beez808 wrote:
@Chucklestyle: Did you have any trouble with noise in your headset when connected to the drums?
I find while I have the cable connected, there's a bit of background hum that is not present when using batteries. I'm sure it's due to mismatched power sources.
I'm thinking maybe a trim pot or something similar to step down the power just a little bit will kill the noise. Just haven't gotten around to it.


The most likely culprit of the noise you are experiencing is the noise generate by current flow. If you use a well shielded usb cable it should take care of it.
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