It's not every day that a new game brings about new hardware. Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the only real exceptions, because they do so well that new hardware isn't just required, its wanted and craved. But how much better is the hardware? Based on what we've seen at E3 and our playtest of Rock Band 2 for our preview, we can safely say that they work great. 

But how much quieter are they, really? For anyone who hasn't broken their drumset playing too hard already (yes, the can shattered on the inside), the drums can be pretty loud, but so can the guitars. Sure, the Stratocasters are nothing in comparison to the noise-inducing Guitar Hero Les Pauls, but they still help deafen us still playing guitars.

Joystiq goes through all the scientific data to find out just what the difference is between the second generation of Rock Band 2 hardware, and their findings are mostly what we expected, but also somewhat surprising. Hit the jump to take a look at their easy-to-understand charts and diagrams that will make you feel even warmer and fuzzier inside because you pre-ordered the full kit.

Joystiq