22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good for the money., February 14, 2009
This review is from: Ion Computer Drum Kit Nic (Electronics)
First, I wanted to say that the product pictured here is not the actual product being sold. Apparently, Ion has updated this set as the design is a little different. The heads are circular now, instead of the "D" shape that the picture implies.
In previous reviews I've seen for this set, users say that the pads slip while playing, and that the plastic wing nuts break constantly. As for the wing nuts, I've tightened them down about as much as I can all over the drum set and have not had one break... or even feel like it was going to break. The bolts themselves are metal with a thick, solid plastic head. They bolt not into plastic, but into a metal nut on the other side of the plastic clamp. Since I can tighten them down so well, I haven't had any of the pads slip while playing.
Unfortunately the software it comes with is crap. It's the least configurable software I've ever dealt with. I've tried EZdrummer, and Session Drummer 2 with it but despite the "unconfigurable-ness", the included software interfaces with it the best.
I've managed to pull off pretty decent drum rolls on this, but while the software isn't sophisticated enough to make it sound like an acoustic drum roll, the pads are sensitive enough to pick up every hit. It takes a little time to learn how the pads need to be hit in order to give you the best sound out of it.
The foot pedals are still pieces of crap however, but they can be fixed. There's a video on youtube entitled "USB Drum Kit" where the user makes modifications to an older version of this drum kit, including the pedals.
All in all, if you want to learn to play the drums, or want to keep practiced, this is a pretty good buy.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good kit, July 11, 2008
This review is from: Ion Computer Drum Kit Nic (Electronics)
Pros: Cheap
Uses home computer
variable drum sounds
Can use headphones
Can fold to a wall
Cons: drum heads don't create good rebound
annoying to assemble even with instructions
Clamps slip during use
pedals don't create a good enough feel
All in all its not a bad kit. Fine for beginners to get some practice on but if you want that authentic feel its just not going to cut it.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for young aspiring drummers, February 21, 2009
This review is from: Ion Computer Drum Kit Nic (Electronics)
This was our 12 year old son's Christmas present a couple Christmases ago. (Edited Sept. 2009: He still uses this two years later and is now a drummer in band.) It's great because it's a quiet way for our little drummer to "rock out" without disturbing us or the neighbors. We can hear the tappity-tap-tap that is the equivalent of the rubber training pad for snare drums that school bands use for drum practice, which is pretty quiet outside the other rooms. Our 12 year old likes it because he can tinker with the different sounds and even plug his iPod headphone into one year and the drums headphone on the other to hear himself "playing" along to his favorite song. This feels much more like an entry level "real" drum set than a cheap electronic toy.
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