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

Product Information

Connectors: (1) 25-pin cable input (9-trigger cable snake) (1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo output (headphones) (1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo input (auxiliary) (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) trigger inputs (Tom 4 & Crash 2) (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) outputs (main left & right) (1) 5-pin MIDI input (1) 5-pin MIDI output (1) USB Type-B port If you already own the Surge Mesh, or a similar kit, it’s very easy to expand the sounds of your drums. 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. To start recording, press Start/Stop, or hit any pad. The Record LED will light solid. (To cancel recording instead, press Record again.)

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.I have bought this drum for my home studio. I live in the apartment so I have to keep things quiet. This is an ok drum in it's budget range. But don't expect a superb product because it's not. The module sound/kits are cheesy (but let's be honest - so is 99% of other modules), so I recommend using the VSTs. With this kit you get a free BFD Player + basic library (Mahogany Kit). The VST is also ok, but nothing spectacular (has basic options for mix, but honestly - that's all you need, especially if you just want to jam out or you don't want to spend an eternity to mix your own drums in the song). The only downside of this VST is that it has some kind of "humanize" option added to it which I couldn't turn off, so the hi-hat varies in loudness when you play it. I guess they didn't want to have that machine gun effect, but they got carried away with it. 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. Even though the kit doesn’t sound completely like a real drum set, you’re getting amazing value with the Surge Mesh. High-hat pedal – the pedal connects to a cable to electronically control the high-hat open/close sound 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!

After a small amount of mixing (mostly turning the cymbals way down), the kit balance sounds good and every note is complemented by the feel of the mesh heads. The hi-hat pad had a little too much movement for our liking but this was easily rectified by adding an extra felt to hold it in a more secure position. The selection of kit patches is decent, although there are a few, let’s say less inspiring, choices - particularly the toms on the jazz-style kits. 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.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.

I believe the Alesis kit uses the exact same sample across all dynamic ranges; it just changes the volume rather than the actual sample. 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.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? The dual-zone pads bring an extra element to performance and enable drummers to assign additional percussion and effects 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.