Premium Drum Set for Rock Band 2 Now Available

Premium Drum Set for Rock Band 2 Now Available

Drum Rocker High-End Drum Kit Doubles as Standalone Electronic Drums

CUMBERLAND, R.I., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- ION (ionaudio.com), a leader in consumer audio and entertainment technology, announces that Drum Rocker, the officially licensed Premium Drum Set for the Rock Band 2 video game, is now shipping to customers and retailers. The Xbox 360 version is shipping first, and models for use with other gaming systems are planned for release in the coming months.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080912/LAF034)

The revolutionary drum set, which was developed specifically for Rock Band 2, is also compatible with the original Rock Band video game, as well as Guitar Hero: World Tour, thanks to the fact that GH:WT will be supporting Rock Band peripherals.

The first Drum Rocker kits have already shipped to customers who placed preorders on the company's drumrocker.com website, and additional orders placed on the site are being shipped daily. Drum Rocker will be available for sale in major consumer electronics retailers and online in the coming days.

In addition to allowing customers to purchase Drum Rocker directly from ION, the drumrocker.com website contains video and still images of Drum Rocker, descriptive text, and an extensive FAQ section.

Drum Rocker delivers the most realistic drumming experience available to any gamer and enables Rock Band drummers to take their playing beyond the video game. Designed for durability under the demanding conditions to which drums are subjected, Drum Rocker is fully adjustable and configurable, with drum and cymbal pads mounted individually on a professional aluminum drum rack. ION offers accessory components for Drum Rocker, enabling users to create custom setups.

Drum Rocker is not only a game controller; it also enables players to add a professional drum module, such as the Alesis DM5, turning Drum Rocker into a professional electronic drum set. The Alesis DM5 offers over 500 professional drum, cymbal, and percussion sounds built-in, as well as 12 inputs for drum and cymbal pads. Drum Rocker is also compatible with many other professional drum modules.

Gamers will discover a new degree of realism with Drum Rocker's four drum pads, each of which features a playing surface that is extremely quiet. Drumsticks rebound off of the pads naturally and consistently. The pad housing is made of high-impact plastic, aggressively tested to withstand errant hits.

Drum and cymbal pads are both velocity sensitive, enabling drummers to play at varying levels of intensity, with corresponding volume levels from Rock Band 2.

Two color-assignable cymbal pads are included with Drum Rocker, offering the same benefits as the drum pads: realistic feel, mounting adjustability, and velocity-sensitive response. With Drum Rocker's separate cymbal pads, music gamers can learn to play the drums with traditional drum set layout and movement. Drum Rocker can be expanded with a third cymbal pad and mounting hardware, an additional foot pedal, a drum throne, and the Alesis DM5 sound module, all of which can be purchased from drumrocker.com.

Drum Rocker's entirely metal bass drum pedal is built-to-last and designed with an appropriate amount of tension to replicate the feeling of playing an acoustic drum pedal. The pedal's VELCRO strips and retractable spikes keep it firmly in place on carpeted surfaces even under energetic playing conditions.

"Since we announced Drum Rocker, the demand has been overwhelming, and we're excited to be able to put the kit in the hands of the Rock Band community," said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, ION. "Thanks to our strong partnership with Harmonix, ION is thrilled to be able to add even more realism to the gameplay experience that Rock Band and Rock Band 2 offers."

Drum Rocker has a U.S. MSRP of $299.99.

Rock Band(TM) and Rock Band 2(TM) are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.

Xbox 360(R) is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation
VELCRO(R) is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries B.V.
Guitar Hero is a trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc.

About ION Audio

ION Audio manufactures a full line of consumer audio and musical instrument products. By leveraging its strengths in digital, analog, semiconductor and transducer technologies, the premier brand provides audio and music consumers with revolutionary product solutions. For more information, visit ionaudio.com; images are available at ionaudio.com/media.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080912/LAF034
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: ION

CONTACT: Audrey Sahl, FORMULA PR, +1-212-219-0321, sahl@formulapr.com, for
ION Audio

Web site: http://www.ionaudio.com/

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