Alesis Drums Surge Mesh Kit - Electric Drum Set with Mesh Pads, 385 Electronic / Acoustic Drum Kit Sounds and 60 Play Along Tracks

Product Information

High-hat pedal – the pedal connects to a cable to electronically control the high-hat open/close sound The hi-hat pad is a single zone pad and works along with the included foot pedal. This isn’t the most dynamic sounding hi-hat pad to play, but it gets the job done for a budget kit. The foot pedal is a little springy but it is also smooth and functions just fine. There aren’t a lot of subtleties in the hi-hat positions on with this pad and pedal. You pretty much just get open, closed and half-open sounds. Depending on what type of drummer you are this may or may not be an issue. I believe the Alesis kit uses the exact same sample across all dynamic ranges; it just changes the volume rather than the actual sample. Module user guide – the built in user guide is ok, see our note below about more detailed, unofficial user guides The Surge Mesh Kit is a complete 8-piece electronic drum kit that includes everything a drummer needs to play like a pro. Not only do the mesh heads deliver unmatched response and playability, the compact size means the Surge Mesh Kit goes where larger kits can’t. This article answers popular questions about the features and functionality of the Alesis Surge Mesh kit.

If you already own the Surge Mesh, or a similar kit, it’s very easy to expand the sounds of your drums. The real appeal of the 'special edition' is access to the trimmed down version of BFD. Alesis are fully aware of the brutal brown sounds emanating from their ancient drumming module, so to release this kit without making the advertised software available is a bit of corporate robbery imo.The Surge drum module allows you to edit some overall kit characteristic as well as individual sounds. This allows you to do a little bit of sound editing and craft the sound of the kits to your liking. To play and be scored, press Start/Stop,After a count-in 9 (EXM will appear on the display) the beat, rhythm, or pattern will play once without the drum part. Play the drum part as accurately as possible. In the end, you will receive a score (SCO) based your accuracy. To improve your score, practice the beat, rhythm, or pattern without being scored (see above) and try again! For beginners, the module features a training mode for learning and even will give you a score upon finishing. It’s super helpful for getting your timing to be spot on. To adjust the volume of the drum part - Press Song, Then press the Song/select until DRM appears on the display. Then us the < and > to adjust the volume. The dual-zone pads bring an extra element to performance and enable drummers to assign additional percussion and effects

Alesis offer 40 free drum lessons with this kitfrom Melodics their software partner. Once connected, the software recognises the drum kit and will show the players performance and progress in real time. Many styles are covered and it makes learning fun. Note: This appliance is not equipped with a main powerswitch. Even when the appliance is turned off,the power supply to the appliance is not completely turned off when the power adapter is plugged in. Disconnect the power adapter when not using the appliance for long periods.Using drum VST plugins, you can get different software like Addictive Drums 2, EZ Drummer, Steven Slate Drums, or GetGood Drums. Yes! you can connect up an MP3 player, phone, Tablet to the Aux input on the module and be able to play along with your favorite tunes. Now don’t get me wrong. I do like a lot of products that Alesis makes, but I have never been too big on their electronic drum kits. They have always seemed very cheap to me, but I believe they are beginning to turn themselves around. Dynamic expression is slightly limited but playability is plenty good enough for a beginner through to intermediate drummer. The hi-hat pedal response is basic. There is a half-open option, although it’s not the most natural, whilst splashing the hi-hat proves a little too much for the module and produces some unwanted triggering.

I think it’s hard for people to grasp this concept, but this is exactly why this kit sounds like a machine gun to me. BUT, this isn’t a deal-breaker.To practice without being scored, press Play/Practice( PRAwill appear on the display) After a count-in, the beat, rhythm, or pattern will repeat so you can practice it.

It has come to my attention that I was originally a little bit too harsh on the Surge Mesh. Having realized what great value lies in this kit, I have updated the review. Alesis is a fantastic company that makes everything from keytars, to MIDI controllers, to electronic drum sets, at an affordable cost. Now that being said, it is rather difficult to replicate everything you can do on an acoustic drum kit, so I’m still happy with what you get with the Alesis Surge Mesh. Why do the more expensive Roland electronic drums sound so much better, you may ask? Press Record. The button’s LED will flash and the metronome will turn on automatically. This means the module is record-armed. All three cymbal pads are 10-inch pads with rubber trigger zones all facing the drummer. The pads look the same, but function a little different for each cymbal. More expensive electronic drum kits from Roland, for example, feature mesh heads that feel much better than traditional rubber pads.The crash pad is also a single zone pad and it also has a choke. It plays like a basic rubber pad and there’s nothing really all that special here. The Surge Drum Module equips the kit with a powerful brain that brings your playing to life. Play one of 40 drum kits (24 presets and 16 user kits) that feature 385 individual sounds that can be custom-assigned to any pad trigger or cymbal. While the Surge Mesh is a fine electronic drum set for a beginner, we think you should consider looking at Roland or a higher-end model from Alesis.