Product Review: ION Rocker Premium Drum Set (PS3, XBox 360)

When the ION Drum Set was announced, the most common comment was ‘Who’s going to buy this thing?’

I’ll tell you who: me.

I’ve been patiently waiting for the PS3 version to be released, and now that it’s here, I’ll let you know if it’s worth it.

Full review inside.

My first impression of the ION Kit was ‘Where in the hell am I going to put this?’

Seriously, it’s huge, heavy, and doesn’t easily break down for storage. There’s also a lot more initial assembly than you would think.

Settle in for a long read, I’ve got a lot to say, but I’m going to start with some basic gripes… I promise, there will be good things too.

As I put the kit together (a process that took just over an hour) I began to worry about some of the connectors used. Don’t get me wrong, the thing is built like a tank. Hours of use, and equipment that usually collapses under my over-enthusiastic playing is still going strong. But I’m taking precautions. More on that in a minute.

The connectors are tightened and loosened using a drum key, which is also used to adjust drum and cymbal positioning. The process of getting everything placed perfectly is mostly trial and error. Play a song… decide that the red pad is a little high, and the yellow cymbal is too low. Loosen the connectors (some of them use wingnuts, so they don’t require the key), reposition the pads, tighten the connectors. Rinse and repeat.

Although it took about an hour for the original setup, it took about 2 additional hours to get everything positioned so that it felt ‘right’.

I can see where having multiple users on the set with their own preferences could get cumbersome, and could lead to potential damage. Here’s where the precautions come in. The connectors look like they could easily be stripped, no longer holding a pad in the proper position. This could happen if an overly anxious second player decided to ‘adjust’ the drums by force, rather than properly loosening the connectors, repositioning, and then tightening things back up. Therefore, the rule at my house is ‘don’t adjust the drums, and if you MUST, let Matt do it.’

If you get the kit, I suggest you do the same… it’s an expensive toy to have ruined because someone couldn’t wait 30 seconds to move a pad.

The second complaint I have is taken care of (for me, at least), but caused some consternation at first. During my initial play sessions, the drums would randomly disconnect from my PS3. After doing a little research, it’s apparent the XBox 360 version does the same thing. Searching through support forums, I tracked the problem down to static electricity. If you play Rock Band on a carpeted surface, you run the risk of carrying a static charge between the rubber cymbals, the metal kick pedal, and your fuzzy flooring. I read about several solutions to the problem, ranging from placing a piece of wood or vinyl floor mat under the pedal, all the way to soldering a ground lead from the pedal to your house wiring (I’m not EVEN going to attempt that one, sounds dangerous). What worked for me? Turning the cable around. Seriously, one end of the cable for the pedal has a 90 degree bend, and the other end is straight. I originally had the bent end stuck into the pedal, causing it to rub slightly on the carpet. By inserting the straight end into pedal, the rub went away, and so did my problem. Go figure.

The last annoyance I have with the ION set is the third cymbal; it’s not included, and must be purchased separately.

Although I did pick one up, so I can have the complete set (along with the Roadie 2 Double Bass Coupler), I find it an absolute crock that you have to place another order to get something that should be included. I mean, really? Would have killed you to put a third cymbal in the box and add it to the price of the whole kit? Would have saved me some shipping costs, and likely would have saved Alesis time and money.

So there you go, my complete list of complaints. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now on to the good stuff.

I grew up as a drummer, playing in various punk bands until parenthood stepped in. I wish my real drum kits felt this good, back in the day. Each pad is responsive, has a nice rebound to it, and doesn’t move an inch under the most brutal thrashing (once you have everything tightened properly). The spacing of each pad isn’t fixed, so if you don’t like the way they are positioned, just move them. The ‘rotator rod’ design allows for near infinite placement options; you’re bound to find a setup that suits your needs.

The cymbals were less responsive than the rest of the kit, and initially I had problems getting them to register hits… then I realized I was hitting them gingerly, like they were the Mad Catz cymbals, and might slip or spin. Once I started playing them like the real thing, no problems at all.

The stock pedal that comes with the ION is the Roadie… and it’s the best pedal I’ve owned. I’ve added the double bass coupler, with a matching second Roadie pedal, and I can’t think of a better Rock Band rig.

So how has it effected my scores? You wouldn’t believe it. Some songs I’ve struggled with in the past are now easy, I’m getting Gold Stars and 100% on a regular basis. Many of the difficult songs were only difficult because of pad spacing and fatigue. Once I had a comfortable configuration, most songs became MUCH more tolerable, and my scores reflect the change.

I also have an old Alesis ‘brain’ from a MIDI drum set lying around, and I tried it out with the ION as a trigger. I had to buy a few adapters (about $15 total at Radio Shack), but once I hooked it up, it was an excellent ‘real’ drum set. I could plug the thing into a guitar amplifier and go play some live shows. Other than the colored rings around the pads, nobody would know that it was anything other than a decent digital drum set. This is a feature I plan to use heavily as I record new music for our podcasts and videos. If you’re thinking of making a leap to playing drums in a real band, this wouldn’t be a bad way to go.

Was it worth the cash? For me, absolutely. I spend 6-8 hours a week playing Rock Band, and purchase very nearly every downloadable song… I play a lot. Add the real-world functionality as a MIDI drum set, and I think it’s one of the best investments I’ve made in equipment in a long time.

A little pricey, and overwhelming for a beginner, if you only play once in a while, or only at parties… you may want to skip this rig.

If you’re playing drums on Expert, and you’re not getting tired of the game, buy it now.

Links:

PlayStation 3 Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set
Xbox 360 Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set
Ion Drum Rocker Rock Band 2 Cymbal Expansion
Rock Band Roadie 2 Double Bass Drum Coupler
ROADIE U Bass Drum Pedal for Rock Band

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