Alesis Nitro? - Band Investment - Is it decent?

[lewis]

So we are really at the stage now where we feel we will be way more productive as a band, by starting to "record-write" the songs we do already have. (i.e start doing the production and re-write stuff AS you record them)
and to make things alot simpler, we want to invest in a Digital drum kit to use midi programming in our DAW.
(I have Ez drummer 2 and Superior Drummer)

Just to get the hits in the right place and to know it can interact with the software properly via Midi, I was looking at Alesis. (all the midi signals are already assigned properly within the software once you choose Alesis from a drop down - simple)

this seems the best bang for the buck they offer which also includes a kick drum tower so we can use our own Demon drive double kick with it.
Even has 2 extra inputs if we want to enlarge the kit.

Does anyone have any experience with this kit?
and is there a better, cheaper version that includes a kick tower to just simply lay down midi beats for recording?

OR shall we bite the bullet and just grab this?

 

[Defyantly]

Does your drummer already have a kit? If so it would probably be better to use mics instead of a e-kit. For some drummers switching to an e-kit takes a bit to be able to be as proficient as they are on an acoustic kit. As for using the nitro I would invest a little more and either get the dm10 or a used roland kit. Way more options and just better instruments all the way around. I have played on the nitro and although it is a good kit for the price range it is still a rubber pad kit which I dislike.

In regards for just using it as a midi controller it would work fine for your purposes but you will probably be spending just as much time "fixing" the midi hits as you would if you were putting them in just through ez drummer or SD. just my 2 cents though....

 

[odibrom]

I'm not experienced with that e-drum kit, but I have a bad experience with Alesis. Their product are usually well designed and with good specs, however, a while ago, I had an audio interface that crapped on me within 2 years of soft use. I had it repaired within the warranty, but it NEVER became as it should. It was simply unreliable.

So, this to say that I hope Alesis has upped their game in quality, but as far as I know, I WILL NOT EVER AGAIN BUY ALESIS PRODUCTS.

... and for e-drum kits, you can't go wrong with Roland, it's like with MIDI guitar, go Roland...

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

The tower that comes with that set might be a bit shakey with heavy double pedals if your drummer is a hard hitter like I am; I'd prepare for a heavy re-adjustment period.
I would also echo @Defyantly on his point of simply using mics if they are an option. That said, as someone who recently had to switch to an electric kit, I understand quite well that isn't always the case.

As far as Alesis goes, they're ok. They've really done a great job at cornering the 'budget to midrange' market- I would think of them as the WMI-tier manufacturers of eKits.
The Strike Pro kit trades blows with Roland kits at twice the price range, so I wouldn't let the brand name bring you down. However, that is a very low tier kit, and eKits are something that you really have to go big or go home on, especially if you're doing real-time playing. I'm not exactly a perfectionist when it comes to my drum gear, but I found that I was absolutely, unquestionably, unhappy with anything less than a flagship kit to the point where anything else felt borderline unplayable.

IF you will STRICTLY be using it for MIDI triggering, maybe. I would still err on the side of caution, or try to spring for something more in the 700-1000 range at least if that's an option. If you guys are the creative type, folks get excellent results on the cheap by turning an actual acoustic kit into an eKit using mesh heads and triggers.

A great channel I would recommend checking out is 65drums on YouTube. He's one of those 'always optimistic / seeing the good side of a product' types, but if you binge on his channel and learn way more about eKits than you had any intention to, you'll be much more informed. Unfortunately eKits aren't like guitars where a cheap instrument will still be a capable instrument, cheaper eKits tend to just feel like toys.

--
Something else to note is that almost all pads (save for Yamaha) are cross-compatible. If you're craigslist / reverb / ebay savvy, this could really help you 'frankenstein' a kit to your needs on the cheap. I once saw an old Roland TD10 flagship kit on CL for $400, with a module. You could have bought a TD30 module for $1200 and effectively had a $4000 TD30KV for $1600. At the least, I'd definitely recommend trying to find a big, mesh kick tower (Roland KD120/KD85s are good), a big mesh snare pad, and the biggest ride pad you can find.

tl;dr- I'd try and find a used, older flagship set. It will feel much more natural and playable.

 

[TedEH]

What about using triggers on the acoustic kit instead? (I assume if you have a drummer, he has a kit.) Throw one or two cheap mics up to grab cymbals/overhead/room/etc, and trigger the rest. For writing purposes it doesn't have to be perfect.

 

[ThePIGI King]

I've got the next step up from the nitro (I think), the Crimson Mesh kit. I liked it a lot at first, but now I wished I'd saved more and got the Roland. Even after playing with the control panel and adjusting settings the way Alesis customer support recommended, some of the triggers/sesnors will either miss a hit (while playing fast) or add an extra hit (mostly when playing fast, sometimes when moderately slow).

Another issue is the cymbals dont quite bounce like real ones. And the sensor for the rim of the "ride" cymbal is not very reliable.

Other than that stuff it's nice. Until I have a larger space its all I can have, so if it is for learning drums or practicing, it's nice. Recording? Maybe not as much.

 

[Defyantly]

However, that is a very low tier kit, and eKits are something that you really have to go big or go home on, especially if you're doing real-time playing....... If you guys are the creative type, folks get excellent results on the cheap by turning an actual acoustic kit into an eKit using mesh heads and triggers.........A great channel I would recommend checking out is 65drums on YouTube..

^^^These three comments x10000000^^^

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

I've got the next step up from the nitro (I think), the Crimson Mesh kit. I liked it a lot at first, but now I wished I'd saved more and got the Roland. Even after playing with the control panel and adjusting settings the way Alesis customer support recommended, some of the triggers/sesnors will either miss a hit (while playing fast) or add an extra hit (mostly when playing fast, sometimes when moderately slow).

Another issue is the cymbals dont quite bounce like real ones. And the sensor for the rim of the "ride" cymbal is not very reliable.

Other than that stuff it's nice. Until I have a larger space its all I can have, so if it is for learning drums or practicing, it's nice. Recording? Maybe not as much.

Honestly, this just sounds like eDrum stuff. I have a flagship Roland kit that cost me an arm and a leg, along with countless hours of tweaking, and I still encounter these issues.

 

[Jeff]

It's worth noting the Nitro kit is now mesh head, for $350. Pretty tempting, to start playing around with.

 

[Heavy Ed]

I just ordered the command kit. I was looking at the nitro and surge kits, they seem great for the price, but after some research the bass pad pad for the nitro is almost too small for a double pedal and takes a lot of fiddling to get to work (for double pedals) while the rack isn't very sturdy. The surge kit has complaints about the bass pad crapping out and having to be replaced. Guess I'll find out if the command has any issues.

 

[klimbo]

I've got the next step up from the nitro (I think), the Crimson Mesh kit. I liked it a lot at first, but now I wished I'd saved more and got the Roland. Even after playing with the control panel and adjusting settings the way Alesis customer support recommended, some of the triggers/sesnors will either miss a hit (while playing fast) or add an extra hit (mostly when playing fast, sometimes when moderately slow).

Another issue is the cymbals dont quite bounce like real ones. And the sensor for the rim of the "ride" cymbal is not very reliable. Pnr Status TextNow VPN

Other than that stuff it's nice. Until I have a larger space its all I can have, so if it is for learning drums or practicing, it's nice. Recording? Maybe not as much.

i think another issue is not the cymbals...
thanks