Rock Band ION Drum Rocker - Roland V-Drum Mesh Head Mod

[TheStranded100]

where can i get these mesh heads

[roseofjerichoband]

@TheStranded100 you can buy the heads at any music store like guitar center or online. they are roland v-drum mesh heads.

[wardaddy99]

how much has this cost??

[roseofjerichoband]

@wardaddy99 The mesh heads are around $40 each.

[Kerpaltheballer]

will any electronic cymbal work on the ion drum rocker?

[mbnasir6]

On the more recent videos, the drums are much quieter and have a lot of rebound. One of the main reason to have mesh is because it's quieter

[brandon9271]

so the question is.. IS this mod really worth doing if you just get slightly quieter and slightly more rebound? do they feel drastically better and more like acoustic drums? I actually bought a used Drum Rocker kit ($200) with the intention of getting a Roland TD-3 module and having a cheap edrum kit that sounds nice...

[roseofjerichoband]

They still don't feel like acoustic drums but they are closer. The real reason to do the mod is for 1) sensitivity and 2) i find the mesh heads strain my wrists less. So I would say its completely worth it.

[twgoldwood]

allrightthatsitthanks

[atomicpunk999]

so can you hook mesh heads up to any drum kit?

[roseofjerichoband]

I'm not sure I understand your question. This video shows a mesh head upgrade for specifically the ION drum rocker. If you are interested in upgrading a different kit I recommend visiting the link in the description.

[angryscottishdude]

there made for electronic kits

[GeeRat5]

If your pads' sensitivity is pwned. Do you think this will make the velocity sensitivity good again?

[roseofjerichoband]

As far as I know (on the XBox) a patch was released that disabled the velocity sensitivity of the ION drums so until they fix it, I don't have any way of testing velocity on the Roland heads.

[GuitarMage69]

So i looked at the link you gave on how to fit the new heads. I don't completely understand why you need to tear the drum apart and move the sensors. Why can't you just put the new head over the sensor the way ion did, maybe add the metal tape ring to make it snug and the pieces of foam/ear plugs. Did you do it exactly like that and was there a lot of trouble shooting, or did u get it right the first time. Thanks.

[roseofjerichoband]

I followed the instructions pretty much exactly except instead of ear plugs I used 1" x 1" x 1" cubes of high density foam. After I assembled everything there was no troubleshooting. It worked for me on the first try.

[roseofjerichoband]

There is a metal plate between the sensor and the ION head which would probably effect the mesh head. I have not tried just putting the Roland head without removing the insides but I assume karmajack (who created the mod) tried this and it did not work out. You should ask him though, since he would be able to answer your question better. Just post a question on the forums where the tutorial is and he will respond.

[GuitarMage69]

Ok, thanks for the info, i definitly need some new heads. Hopefully if i decide to hit them hard, here and there, i won't damage the sensors. But the ion is pretty tough. Do you have a comment for my first comment? Have you considered get some new cymbals, like pintech, or do u like the feel / sensitivity of the drum pads?

[roseofjerichoband]

I'm not sure if any 8" head will work, see the link the description for more information on other mesh heads. I do use a Pintech cymbal, for hi-hat but I still prefer the drum pads for sensitivity and feel.

[GuitarMage69]

Sorry, thought of some more questions.

How do you like them and are they better for fast rolls than the standard pads?

Another thing is my ion pads are bubbling up from constant playing. Will the Roland pads do the same thing? They ARE 8" right?

[roseofjerichoband]

The mesh heads are better for 16th notes since they are more sensitive than the ION heads. This means you can hit them a little lighter and still get the note to register. As for bubbling, the mesh heads do not bubble, but they will wear over time. The heads that I'm using in this video are the Roland MH-8 8" heads.

[GuitarMage69]

hello, how do thoseroland pads fit on, are they hollow at the back. I think i might buy some. Are all 8" replacement mesh heads able to fit the ion?

[karmajack]

Hey now, I've given you documented thanks. Granted this is not 100% my brain child, but I've held the rains on developing this mod with the Roland heads on the Ion pads. To be fair and clear, David here showed me a similar version that someone else did. Along with his, and a couple other peoples assistance, this was made possible. Those other people are stratocaster539, DocSocal, Bobert3222, and Jon2000.

[davidshek]

Just a joke, jack.

Oh, and it's "reins" ;)

[karmajack]

Thanks for doing the vid. This should be helpful for people interested in trying my mod.

[davidshek]

your mod? YOUR mod??  Bah! :)