Paradiddle VR – A Virtual Reality Drumming Game

Paradiddle VR – A Virtual Reality Drumming Game

Paradiddle is one of several drumming VR apps that aim to make virtual drumming a realistic experience. It’s a great option for drummers looking to practice without worrying about the mess and noise of a real kit.

This app features USB and MIDI drum kit support, as well as various calibration and compositing tools to allow users to use their electronic drum kits in the game. It also features a built-in rhythm game mode and lessons.

Build your own drum kit

Paradiddle is a VR drumming game that lets you build your own kit. The game has a palette of different drums and cymbals that can be dragged, dropped, and scaled to create the set you want. Each element in the set also has a variety of sounds, depending on how hard it’s hit or its location (for example, ride cymbals sound different when they’re moved closer to the kick drum).

The game also features a rhythm game mode and a series of beginner-friendly lessons. In the rhythm game mode, you can play through thirty built-in songs to see how high you can get your score. Alternatively, you can create your own custom songs and play them with friends. Paradiddle also supports MIDI input and output, which allows you to connect your own electronic drum kit.

Using your mouse or trackpad to select a new drum from the palette will bring up a menu that shows you its sound and location. You can then drag the drum to its desired position in your scene. If you’re using a controller, press the right trigger to grab the drum and drag it towards or away from the left trigger. Once you’ve finished arranging your drum set, you can start playing by pressing the trackpad or thumbstick again.

Unlike many other drumming games, Paradiddle has a very flexible and responsive virtual environment. You can drag and drop drums to create your ideal set, play on realistic-sounding drums that react based on various factors (including how hard they were hit), record & share your creations, and more.

In addition to the basic control mapping in the app, you can also use pedal peripherals that support keyboard emulation for different drums and cymbals. For instance, you can map a pedal to emulate Ctrl for the hi-hat, and another to emulate Space bar for the kick drum.

The game is available now on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. In the future, the developer plans to expand it to support additional hardware systems and add more features.

Learn to play

Designed for VR, Paradiddle allows you to learn and expand your percussion skills without having to worry about making noise or buying equipment. Pick up the basics with ten beginner lessons, or flex your skills in the built-in rhythm game mode with adjustable difficulty settings.

Choose from a library of 50+ realistic and responsive instruments including drum kits, mallet instruments such as the glockenspiel and marimba, and auxiliary percussion like bongos and tambourines. Easily drag and drop drums into your kit palette to create a personalized setup that works for you. And with MIDI input and output support, external pedals and other peripherals can be integrated to control Paradiddle. Play with friends and compete to see who can drum the best! All the Fun, None of the Racket!

Rhythm game mode

Paradiddle is a VR drumming game that has been out for PCVR on Steam and Meta Lab since 2016. It’s now getting its first update for the Meta Quest store, adding new features to this already impressive virtual reality music game.

This version adds a rhythm game mode with custom song support, and a lineup of lessons to help you learn how to play the drums. The game also includes 50+ realistic percussion instruments, including five full drum kits, mallet instruments like the xylophone, marimba and glockenspiel, and auxiliary percussion such as bongos and tambourines. Unlike some other VR Rhythm games that rely on quick movements, the gameplay in Paradiddle is more about precise timing and careful placement of your fingers.

The game’s music selection is extensive, and there are a variety of difficulty levels to choose from. You can even create your own rhythm games with a built-in editor. The game is compatible with MIDI controllers, so you can use your own drum pads or external cymbals and keyboards to control the drums in the rhythm game mode. It also supports USB pedals for controlling the kick and hi-hat.

AUDICA is a different sort of VR Rhythm game, but it’s still great fun and offers a fresh take on the genre. It’s similar to Beat Saber and Pistol Whip in that you’re shooting at rhythmic targets, but it feels more closely tied to the song itself and doesn’t require the same level of constant reaction that those other two do. There’s also a bunch of big grey blobs that fly towards you that you need to hit to break them up, which adds a nice visual touch.

Finally, Ragnarock is another interesting take on the genre that lets you ride a Viking hammer to beat drums that match the beat of the song. It’s a bit more freeform than other VR rhythm games, but it also has some inspired visuals to set itself apart from the pack. The game can be a little tricky to master, but it’s well worth the effort.

Multiplayer

Paradiddle is a drumming app that turns your Meta Quest into a portable drum set. With the ability to simulate more than 60 percussive instruments, this virtual reality application is perfect for anyone who wants to practice their drumming skills without disturbing the neighbors or having to buy expensive equipment.

Paradiddle has received a major update for its Meta Quest release that adds multiplayer support and more. The app is now available for Meta Quest 3, 2 and Pro, with a variety of new features including a multiplayer mode, new songs, and enhanced augmented reality passthrough and MIDI input/output. The update also provides a number of camera tools that allow players to record videos from inside the app while maintaining full visibility of their physical surroundings.

The game’s new multiplayer mode allows up to four players to play together in Freeplay or Competitive modes. Using a simple setup menu, each player can select their favorite drums and cymbals from a palette to create a custom kit. Players can even share their custom kits with friends and other Paradiddle users.

Other improvements include a 3rd person camera tool that lets players easily position a virtual camera within the app to record from an external perspective. Various smoothing and FOV alteration settings are also provided to give the user greater control over the quality of the recorded video. The app is fully integrated with LIV, which provides a range of calibration and compositing options to help users get the best looking results from their recordings.

Developed by Emre Tanirgan, Paradiddle first launched on PC VR in 2016 and was expanded with a ‘V1’ launch last year on Steam and Meta’s App Lab. It’s now getting a full launch on the Meta Quest Store this month with an extensive update that includes multiplayer support and mixed reality enhancements. The latest update adds 13 new steel drums to the game, bringing the total to 67 instrument types, along with a variety of other auxiliary percussion.