I love Guitar Hero, but my biggest complaint about it is the click of the strum bar. Some people like the auditory feedback, but for me, it detracts from hearing the music, and the game is all about the music. So although many people don't like the Rock Band guitar, I love the fact that it's quiet so I can hear the music coming from the TV, or at least I can until the drums start tapping. Drums can be fairly loud instruments, but on Rock Band, unless you crank it up (and wake up the kids), you won't hear the virtual drums over the drum controls (which may be loud enough to wake up the kids).

The answer here is simple, and Premium Drum Covers has answered with, you guessed it, Premium Drum Covers. (I know. It's these cryptic Web 2.0 companies whose odd names give no hint as to their actual product!) The sturdy cloth covers wrap around the drum heads to provide a tight-fitting, good-looking solution.

The box includes two plastic bags, one with the four covers, and one with 16 liners. The covers are fabric, a coarse material for the "skin" and smoother stitched material around the sides. All of the fabric is sturdy and seems relatively dirt resistant. (We don't recommend throwing liquids at them, as they must be hand washed (washing instructions included), not to mention the damage to the drum set!) They are currently available in Wii white (our set) or black to match the other consoles' sets. The faces come in colors corresponding to the set colors, but solid instead of just outlined, allowing players to see the colors with peripheral vision and enhancing accuracy. An all-black set is available for those who play by position only, and the company informs me that they plan a Designer Series in the future with leopard print, faux fur, faux leather, denim, or other distinct designs. (I'm thinking studded leather would go over well or silkscreened designs with custom business logos, hippy flowers, etc.) I look forward to seeing their Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour designs.

The covers tie on tightly. When I saw the images for the first time, they looked a bit bulky, but having tied them on myself, I can say that they fit as tightly as you can tie them and fit almost like the skin on a baseball. At the same time, they're easy to remove for any reason--just untie the knot.

With 16 soft felt drum liners, you can customize the amount of dampening to rebound ratio you prefer. We found no noticeable dampening difference between 3 and 4 liners per drum, and the rebound doesn't change all that much unless you're a professional drummer or playing for hours on end. That said, with 3 liners, the loud taps become muffled thumps, and for the first time, we could actually hear the drums on the TV.

At $39, we highly recommend these pads for all Rock Band fans. It literally adds value to your game, as you can actually hear the music, which is, of course, the whole point! It may seem a bit pricey, but these are quality covers that will likely last for years and allow you to discover Rock Band all over again.