Revolutionizing the music industry over time with ground-breaking electronic percussion and other equipment, Alesis is the music brand whose passion for innovation remains unmatched. Now, American music technology pioneer Alesis has become a major name in the field of electronic drums. Offering a wide range of these drum sets, Alesis has designed drum kits for professionals as well as beginners. Opting for an Alesis drum set is, indeed, a smart decision considering the quality and value for money that the drum kits offer.
If you’re a novice beginning your drumming journey or just searching for a decent e-kit to learn your first tracks, this is the drum set for you. Also, if you are a pro, looking for a gigging and recording workhorse, then Alesis drum sets are undoubtedly the brand you can invest in. Much like Yamaha and Roland, Alesis won’t disappoint you in performance and price.
With several models of drum kits available, you can pick one that matches your budget and skills perfectly. However, understanding the features and specifications of the drum kits is essential so that you pick the right product but it can be overwhelming at times with numerous available options. Hence, this expert guide lists out the best Alesis drum sets to help you pick your ideal electronic drum set.
Best Alesis Drum Set – Comparison and Reviews
Product Highlight
The Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit is the newest addition to the widely acclaimed all-mesh kit roster from Alesis. This drum set offers the most authentic play experience, which most contemporary drummers demand.
Overview of Features
The Alesis Nitro Mesh is a full 8-piece electronic drum kit based on the latest generation Alesis Mesh head drum technology. Mesh heads are the clear favorite of pro-drummers when they play electronic kits due to their natural feel and ultra-quiet reaction.
Further, the Alesis Nitro Mesh features an 8″ dual-zone mesh snare drum and three 8″ mesh toms. It contains everything from three 10″ cymbals, a custom-made Alesis hi-hat pedal, kick pedal, and a sturdy 4-post aluminum rack. It also includes all wiring, power supply, and drum key for fast configuration. Besides, you can connect all these to the powerful Nitro electronic drum module, which includes hundreds of percussion sounds, 40 different kits, and 60 built-in play-along tracks.
What We Like About Nitro Mesh Kit
The most outstanding trait of this drum kit is its Nitro electronic drum module that is known for its excellent collection of sounds. It comes with 40 traditional and new ready-to-play kits, which you can use to rock your practice sessions. Plus, you can easily tweak any existing kit or build your own with the 385 Superior Drum, cymbal, and percussion sounds included in the Nitro module.
Besides, you’ll also find useful extras inside the Nitro module. Built-in coaching features 60 play-along music tracks and an onboard metronome to develop your skills. There’s also an advanced sequencer and an output recorder to broaden the music-making ability.
Apart from this, the Nitro Mesh Kit comes with computer and mobile device compatibility so you can utilize this as well to create your own music.
What We Like Don’t Like About Nitro Mesh Kit
Well, coming to the major shortcoming of Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit, the play-along tracks seem to be quite cheesy. This can, in turn, impact the learning of beginners.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Full 8-piece electronic drum kit 8″ dual-zone mesh snare drum and three 8″ mesh toms Custom-made Alesis hi-hat pedal Connected to Nitro electronic drum module |
Too cheesy Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit |
Product Highlight
Alesis understands that modern drummers don’t want to settle for anything less. Hence, it introduced the Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit, which is a complete 7-piece electronic drum kit, and a true genius of electronic drum kits.
Overview of Features
Based on Alesis Mesh Head Drum Technology, this Turbo Mesh Kit delivers an overwhelming performance as expected by drummers. The Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit includes an 8″ mesh snare drum and three 8″ mesh toms alongside other requirements for a full drum kit, which comprises three 10″ cymbals, custom-made Alesis hi-hat and kick pedals, and a sturdy steel rack.
Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit also comes with wiring, drumsticks, power supply, and drum key for fast assembly, so you can start practicing immediately, as you open the kit. Besides, all four pads have tunable tension rods, which allow the tightness of the head to be changed. These Mesh heads are sometimes really bouncy so you have to take them down a little and this will often make you feel more natural when playing the drums. The included cymbal pads are all 10′′ in size and are dual-zone, giving both an edge and a bow signal. And lastly, it is quite affordable and perfectly suitable for beginners.
What We Like About Turbo Mesh Kit
The best thing about this drum kit is its heads that are made of mesh. Mesh is a stretched element that replicates the skin of acoustic drums; however, the sounds produced are no less than the acoustic ones, which pro-drummers often look for. These specific drums also have the option of tuning and changing the stress of the heads.
If you’re a novice, playing mesh instead of rubber drum heads are going to do a lot for your growth. Besides, there are one zone triggers within all the meshes, but you just can’t find more in this price range.
Apart from this, the kit has adjustable features to suit different players. And, the last yet another essential feature that we were impressed with, was the Turbo module. It is the simplest module of all! It includes 10 preset kits and has easy control. Moreover, there are 120 drums, cymbals, and percussion sounds.
Above all, to encourage and help the learning of an inexperienced drummer, the Alesis Turbo kit comes with three great learning tools with a module — a metronome, drum coach, and 40 free lessons from Melodics.
What We Like Don’t Like About Turbo Mesh Kit
On the downside, the Turbo Mesh Kit uses a kick foot pedal instead of including a kick tower pad. But in the longer run, you would have to shift to a kick tower pad to get the right feel when playing with a simple footswitch. Besides, unlike other models, the Turbo model comes with only 10 kits, which is quite less especially for beginners.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 4 tunable pads
Adjustable kit for different players 3 great learning tools with the module Affordable |
Uses kick foot pedal instead of kick tower pad
The module includes only 10 kits |
Product Highlight
A complete 8-piece electronic drum kit, Alesis Surge Mesh Kit, is truly an ideal drum set for new learners. Besides, it features three tom pads, a snare pad, kick pad, two cymbals, and a hi-hat.
Overview of Features
This 8-piece kit consists of five mesh drum pads, three cymbal pads, three toms that are 8″, and a 10″ snare that is larger than other models. So, without a doubt, all four drums are dual-trigger (from head and rim) and this is rarely the case at this low price point.
Further, it also includes auxiliary input, which allows you to connect your smart device and play as per your choice. Its Surge Module is loaded with 40 kits, 60 play-along songs, and 385 unique sounds.
Above all, the kit also consists of a four-piece chrome rack, cables, sticks, drum key, and power source.
What We Like About Surge Mesh Kit
A great specification of this drum kit is its module, which is quite similar to the module of Nitro Mesh Kit. Moreover, this module resembles a metronome and even features a backlit LCD screen. This screen enables you to customize the kit using its embedded buttons. Well, this is quite an essential trait to consider because with these you can adjust effects and sounds to produce something of your own.
Moreover, you can reassign pads and create kits with much ease. Also, you get 40 ready drum kits in the module. Another thing that we liked about this kit is that it’s loaded with plenty of percussion sounds, approximately 60 play-along tracks. So, using this kit your practice and learning drums won’t be compromised at all.
Additionally, the dual-zone pads fetch an extra component to performance and enable drummers to assign additional percussion sounds and effects.
What We Like Don’t Like About Surge Mesh Kit
The only serious grievances many users have about this electronic drum kit are the stock sounds provided by the drum module. They appear to lack the dynamics and gradual improvements in the velocity study that Roland and others have embraced in recent years.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ideal set for new learners
Features three tom pads, a snare pad, kick pad, two cymbals, and a hi-hat Effects and sounds are adjustable The module includes 40 ready drum kits |
Stock sounds lack dynamics |
Product Highlight
The Strike Pro is a flagship electronic drum kit manufactured by Alesis. It comes with eleven parts and mesh heads, which make it an outstanding case for drummers who require a rehearsal and stage kit.
Overview of Features
The Alesis Strike Pro is an updated 11-piece version of its iconic Alesis Strike progenitor drum kit. It contains an extra dual-zone tom pad as well as 3 extra dual-zone crash cymbals, both with choke features. In reality, its aesthetic qualities are based on a typical acoustic drum kit. From its familiar shape to the inclusion of genuine wooden shells and mock hardware, Strike Pro showcases a replica of the acoustic drums.
Besides, it has a 14″ bass drum, a 16″ crash cymbal, and 3 bouncy crash cymbals with pounded, large bell-surface areas to play with. Moreover, it comes with a premium 4-post chrome rack, complete with all mounting hardware, stands, power supply, and valuable accessories, such as all-important drumsticks. Undoubtedly, the Alesis Strike Pro is a drum kit that is both affordable and of high quality.
What We Like About Strike Pro Drum Kit
The best feature of the Strike Pro kit is the Strike Performance Module, which runs the device and features over 100 new drum kits that have been artificially generated from over 1,600 multi-sampled instruments, suitable for a wide range of genres. It comes with proprietary tools that provide access to the most important yet limitless sample sounds.
Also, it has a color LED screen to aid visually with simple access settings and changes. Moreover, the drum kit even provides an SD card reader for storage, as well as USB and MIDI DAW recording connectors.
Apart from this, the preset library is quite comprehensive and provides a variety of sampled sounds with special timbres to create exciting, diverse rhythms for a variety of musical genres. And lastly, the onboard sampling and free software editor enables you to build custom kits via virtual resources and actually improve the 110 kits to virtually limitless realms.
What We Like Don’t Like About Strike Pro Drum Kit
Even though Strike Pro is a great model, the Hi-Hat is one issue that can impose a problem for the users. The Hi-Hat doesn’t work properly and is a major disappointment for many users. Also, at times the kit fails to provide an accurate response as well.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Based Alesis Strike progenitor drum kit
Comprehensive preset library Strike Performance Module with 100 new drum kits Includes dual-zone tom pad, 3 extra dual-zone crash cymbals |
Disappointing Hi-Hat performance |
Product Highlight
Presenting a complete 8-piece electronic drum kit, the Alesis Command Mesh Kit, is another model, which includes all specifications that current drummers look for in a drum kit to play like a pro.
Overview of Features
The Command Mesh Kit does not disappoint and promises to get you to play drums. For a simple, hassle-free setup, the drum kit has all the cabling, a power supply, drumsticks, and a drum key. With 600+ drum and cymbal sounds, the Command Mesh Package has a core sound-set ready for any genre you throw at it, expertly curated into a series of 70 ready-to-play kits.
Further, you can also transmit MIDI information directly to a computer with the USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out ports of the Command Mesh Package. Not to mention, you can unite your synthesizers, drum machines, and more for extended performance potential or load any 3rd party with it.
Moreover, since the WAV sample comes loaded with the kit, you can allocate it to any zone on any mesh pad of the Command Mesh Kit – it could not be any easier to load drum, melodic, bass, play-along tracks, and FX samples.
What We Like About Command Mesh Kit
The Command Mesh Kit is the ultimate tool that gets the most out of your performance with its 60 built-in play-along tracks, a sequencer, metronome, and performance recorder. The Command Module is similar to the Alesis Crimson II pack but very easy to use. You do not even need to read the manual to know how to configure preset kits. You can easily pick a pad, adjust its tone, and even change its volume. You should also use a USB flash drive to load your sounds into the module.
However, you would need to format the drive to the FAT32 file system first. Through this formatting, the module will support you. Lastly, the module itself contains up to 15 MB of files internally. You can activate sounds from the USB drive if you want to increase your memory.
What We Like Don’t Like About Command Mesh Kit
With its range of cymbals, the Command Kit does disappoint to some extent. The 10-inch pads are lightweight and don’t seem to be very durable. Moreover, the playability of the bigger cymbal pads is lacking. In particular, the riding cymbal has no playable bell field.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Hassle-free setup and affordable
Command Mesh Package includes 600+ drum and cymbal sounds, 70 ready-to-play kits Excellent bass drum pedal |
Lacks playable and durable cymbal pads |
Final Verdict
That being said, if we had to pick one as our top drum set, then it would be the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit. Without a second thought, it is the best Alesis drum set and the newest addition to the widely acclaimed all-mesh kit roster. A full 8-piece electronic drum kit based on the latest generation Alesis Mesh head drum technology, this drum kit contains everything to make a full drum kit as mentioned before. At a reasonable price, the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit is the best for novice and contemporary drummers.
Besides, if you like any other Alesis drum set, then you can surely go for it if they meet your needs. All of them have a great built and are affordable!
