[Setup Guide] Using Raphnet Wii Classic Adapter in RPCS3 for GH/BH Drum Kits

Introduction

This tutorial will show how to setup your Guitar Hero/Band Hero Drum Kit for the Wii in RPCS3 using the Raphnet Classic Controller to USB adapter - V3.



The drum kit is essentially a re-oriented standard controller, where each drum pad corresponds to a button on the gamepad. Since there is no pressure-sensitive input for drums, the kit does not use analog triggers.



The adapter converts the signals to DInput, which can be picked up by any application that supports it like emulators (e.g. RPCS3, Dolphin) or native PC games (e.g. Clone Hero). If you already have a Wii drum kit, you can easily set it up for a wired connection to your PC.

Raphnet Adapter

Plug the Wii connector into the adapter. It uses a USB Mini-B cable on the opposite side.



Plug the other end of the cable to a USB-A port on your PC. Dock in my case.



You are set. No re-programming required.

RPCS3

Guitar Hero/Band Hero Drum Mappings:

• Square = Blue (hit blue drum pad)
  
• Triangle = Yellow (hit yellow cymbal)
  
• Cross = Green (hit green drum pad)
  
• Circle = Red (hit red drum pad)
  
• R1 = Orange (hit orange cymbal)
  
• L1 = Kick (step on pedal)
  
• D-Pad (or Left Stick) = Analog Stick
  
• Select = (-)
  
• Start = (+)
  

The mappings can also be found in the official RPCS3 Wiki for configuring instruments.

Intructions:

1. Select any available player tab. My drum kit is configured on Player 3.
   
2. Select the new SDL handler.
   
3. Select Raphnet Wii Classic Adapter 1 under Devices.
   
4. Select Drum/Guitar Hero under Device Class.
   
5. Clear all key mappings by right-clicking on each button. Empty mappings appear as hyphen (-). Leave everything else to default.
   
6. Map the drum kit as indicated above.
   
7. Save your configuration.
   

Your final configuration should look like this. The actual button mappings may look all over the place, but remember you are mapping based on the colours of the drum pads.

   
(Click to enlarge)

If you did everything right, you should be ready to rock!



Other Options

Another new adapter gaining popularity is the RetroCultMods V3 Wii Adapter, which was actually my initial wired setup in Dolphin. It should work almost the same as Raphnet when configuring in RPCS3, but requires re-programming for the drums. The port placement and tilt sensor make the RCM better suited for guitars. If you are only interested with the drums, the Raphnet may be the better and easier option if you simply want a direct plug-n-play experience.