Officially jealous. Be sure to report your findings back here on the ION kit, please.
Summary at the bottom for all the D personalities out there...
Got the kit Tuesday. Unboxed and put it together - 1 hour. It was straight forward, just a lot of pieces. Good construction, solid, everything adjustable (everything. Including the X-Box controller).
The pads are larger, and the sound has been reduced, but is still there when you wack them. I had an old RB1 set that I put the pad layers on, and the ION set is softer - which is a plus. There's a short cymbal arm for the yellow cymbal (high hat, on your left over the snare or red pad), and a long one for the green cymbal (crash, on your far right).
The set is larger than the RB1 set. There are two arms that come out that are adjustable from 0 to 90 degrees that hold the snare / high hat on the left and the crash / low tom on the right (more on this in a bit). Put the cymbals on, and you can really tell the difference.
I'm waiting on my ride cymbal (blue) to show up - it was an extra, along with my 2nd kick petal.
Since everything was adjustable and bigger, I popped in RB1 and set it up to a great calibration song - GG&HT on medium. Simple, consistent rhythms for long periods of time to figure out if everything was working properly, and if the pads / cymbals were in the right spot. Play / adjust / play / adjust / play / adjust - that took about 30 min.
The adjustments are very easy to make on this set - it's a big plastic wing nut for most every attachment that you would normally adjust (pads & cymbals), so it takes seconds to move something. The permanent members have a hex head, so it takes a bit longer (all the tools for assembly were included in the box).
First impressions on Ion vs RB1 drum set - massive improvement on the kick petal. Smoother, easier, had rubber pads on the bottom as well as adjustable spikes to keep it in place. It just sits where ever you put it, so it's much more comfortable IMO vs. the RB1 kick where it had to be right in front of you. Steel construction - which is much appreciated!
It's a bit faster too - I use the heel down method (I know that I will have to learn the heel up before too long) for bass, and previously, on quick bass beats (like the 1 and; around 160 BPM) I'd miss the second beat. No longer - it was easy to hit them both. When I get the 2nd petal, I'm gonna be a bass beating machine!
The bigger pads are nice, especially considering that you're fighting that muscle memory that you developed playing RB1 on their set for so long. Cymbals, when set properly, are a blast to play. I love coming down full force on the crash.
I wish that the set went just a little higher - but I'm 6'5", so everything is a bit small for me. Adjusted quickly.
Great rebound on the pads - they feel good to play on. They are velocity sensitive, and there is only a thin color ring which is removable. Cymbals take a bit of getting used to, but once properly adjusted (found that out by hitting nothing but air more than once) where you're hitting the rim consistently, it's a piece of cake.
The hardest part learning to play this set is getting used to the idea that you're supposed to be up top 90% of the time, not on the pads (other than the snare), and sometimes you do stupid things. It's the process of learning, though.
A friend of mine is a drumming nut, and he's coming over on Sunday to watch the game. I'll get his opinion (since one of the major selling points of this set was that it could be hooked up to a drum brain and be taken on stage IRL) then.
A few of the bad things - it appears that the pads are just a bit too sensitive, I've had songs where I score a 100% and barely make 4 stars. Going to freestyle mode in RB2 in practice, I think I have to retrain on the force of hitting the pads. Cymbals - it's easy to miss or hit the nut if they're not adjusted properly. Wish it was a bit taller. Doesn't break down at all - it's a permanent fixture in your living room. Your arm will get tired playing the high hat all the time.
I'll post more about RB2 & the Ion set the more I play. RB2 has some great features, including the ability to tell during the fills what item your hitting - that gives you a snare, hi mid & low tom, plus the high hat and the crash. Makes a major difference in game play. The Drum Tutor is AWESOME - 76 rhythms w/ variable speeds from 45 BPM to 200+ BPM. Import from RB1 took 400 credits from XBOX live and about 5 minutes - easy to do. Some improvements in the tour as well. Working my way through the play list now.
Summary:
Good: Fully adjustable. Kick petal is awesome. Bigger pads. Feels & looks like a real drum set.
Bad: Cost. Doesn't break down. Everything is wired.
Is it worth it? As soon as I get my sticks on a standard RB2 and/or a GHWT drum set (the Ion is supposed to be compatible with GHWT since it is compatible with RB1), I'll let you know. $350 vs. $100 is a big difference.
