The beat of the digital drum

INBOX:MY FIRST drum kit was bought with pocket money. I cannot tell you the hours of fun I had, pretending I was Larry Mullen jnr with some U2 tracks on headphones the size of basting dishes. Now, in my early 30s (okay, late 30s), the options for a wannabe drummer are limited, especially when considering house, children and neighbours, writes Mike Butcher.

The Ion iED05 USB Digital Drum Kit, an electronic kit, has come to my rescue. As someone who still remembers bands like Duran Duran, electronic kits were a big no-no. Sounding more like a row of upturned buckets than a real drum kit, all but the most expensive electronic kits were to be avoided at all costs.

However modern digital sampling techniques have caught up with our eardrums and it's becoming more difficult to tell the difference between a real kit and an electronic one, at least in a blind test.

The prices have dropped dramatically as well. Electronic kits used to be more expensive than real kits, today they can often be cheaper.

The Ion iED05 USB Digital Drum Kit is aimed at home users, but there's no reason why you couldn't gig with it.

At a reasonable price (about €150 from Maplin's and other online retailers), the kit needs a PC to work. You load the software on to the PC, set up the kit, then plug it in via the USB port. The kit then plays through your soundcard and speakers and even draws its power from the USB port.

If you don't want to annoy the neighbours, just plug in some headphones for a quiet practice.

It's easy to set up and move around (unlike a real kit), and it's portable as it packs into a carry case. Although the clamps for the pads have plastic turners, which makes them a bit weak, they could be replaced easily if you break one.

The set comes with sticks, a software tutorial and a video file to get you started - you'll need your own drum stool though.

The kit is also pretty intelligent. The 7½-in pads have a "choke" feature, which means you can use the cymbal for "crash" or "ride", (to the use the kind of technical terms that make boyhood drummers weep with nostalgia).

Don't expect too much from the plastic pedals or complex drum tones. But if you're looking for an introduction to the drums and a good way to practise without waking up the neighbours, the Ion iED05 is worth considering.