An intermediate kit for the budget-conscious...
Most drummers, in fact anyone who had any kind of music lessons at school, will have at some point played an instrument bearing the name Percussion Plus. Back in 2009, the company launched into the drum kit market with their entry-level Sonix series, available as either fusion (the 924 range) or rock (the 925 range) set-ups. On the back of the success of these kits, Percussion Plus have introduced a mid-level Sonix kit, the 922 range. With a retail price of £519 they offer an intermediate all-birch shell kit at an affordable price. So we were intrigued to find out more.
In detail
All the shells of the kit are made from six plies of birch and have a highly lacquered ‘natural honey’ finish. Strangely, the middle (12”) tom looks slightly lighter in finish than the rest of the kit, but I put this down to the outer ply of birch used on that particular drum. The bearing edges are all very smooth and sanded, and all shells are perfectly round. The kit is supplied with Remo UT branded batter heads (similar to a pinstripe), making set-up and tuning the kit very easy, although the resonant heads throughout the kit are unbranded and very thin, but this caused no real issue. The snare drum has a coated batter head (very similar to a coated Ambassador) and features 10 oval-shaped lugs, which are cushioned from the shell via rubber insulation. Triple-flanged hoops are used across the kit (Die-cast on the snare), and a simple yet effective lever-type snare throw-off which controls a 20-strand snare wire also features. The undrilled (no tom mount) 22” bass drum features eight lugs front and back, with matching wood hoops holding in place a twin-ply Remo UT batter head and a very thin, ported front head, complete with Sonix logo. All three toms have six lugs top and bottom, with the two rack toms having solid isolation mounts. Finishing off the package is a full set of double-braced hardware: snare stand, hi-hat stand, two boom cymbal stands with integrated ball-and-socket tom mounts, and a dual-chain-drive bass drum pedal. This is essentially the same as the Techtonic 600 series hardware we reviewed back in issue 90.
In Use
Once set up, this kit sounded great – the bass drum offered up a very deep, punchy note, especially once some dampening was placed inside, with a really nice, warm tone coupled with good levels of attack. Feathered strokes were conveyed perfectly, with every stroke being articulated clearly, while really laying into the drum produced big-sounding tones that projected very well, giving this drum a real gut-thumping solid kick. The snare drum responded best when cranked up fairly high, giving a crisp, clear note with a nice depth of tone, and was very responsive at all dynamic levels, sounding funky and dry, perfect for funk-type musical settings. Ghost notes were perfectly clear and precise due to the drums’ superb articulation, while rim-shots were very loud and well projected, with almost ear-splitting tones being produced with ease. Finally, rim clicks were full and fat, and very clear and warm-sounding - perfect for R&B-type grooves as well as big power pop ballads. Onto the toms and all three sound fat and warm thanks to the combination of birch shells and good-quality heads. All three offered up good projection and response and sat perfectly well together sonically. Initially there was a slight ringing overtone, particularly from the floor tom, but after a little dampening with some Moongel this was sorted, leaving some very nice-sounding drums indeed. Together as a set, these drums performed very well. The supplied hardware performs equally as well: all stands, once set, remained firmly in place, with the kick and hi-hat pedals feeling smooth and responsive.
Conclusion
This really is a nice-sounding kit, particularly for the price, which I didn’t actually know until after I’d reviewed the kit. Years ago an all-birch kit would have set you back a considerable amount more than this. The drums sound superb, while the hardware is strong, heavy-duty and well constructed. My only slight (and it is slight) niggle is the thin front head and the thin resonant heads supplied, but even then they were easily controlled with some damping. All things told, this is a fantastic kit that will benefit anyone looking to upgrade from their starter set to a much nicer, intermediate set-up. And at such a great price, this is exceptional value for your hard-earned money!
Copyright © 2012 Drummer Magazine - 01926 339808