Complementing the alterations to the actual game are those being made to the instrument peripherals themselves. The biggest change is to the drum set where more padding has been added to dampen noise during play. Additionally, the pads have been configured for velocity-sensitivity; simply put, how hard you hit the pads determines the volume of the sound.

Minor changes have also been made to the guitar, although mostly visual. The improvements to the drum set are definitely welcome, although we're more impressed with what Rock Band 2 offers with regards to its gameplay modes and soundtrack. Expect more details to trickle out as we get closer to its November release. In the meantime, you can check out the confirmed 84 songs to be released with the game.

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