Every drummer always tries their best to get a drum pad that best fits their needs. Several factors determine which electronic drum set a drummer would buy. Among these factors include the price, ease of use, and its features.
Alesis Sample Pad 4 is another of the Alesis instruments that have become very popular among drummers. It is cheap, user-friendly and comes with some great features.
Alesis Sample Pad 4 | Compact 4-Pad Percussion and Sample Triggering Instrument
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Alesis Sample Pad 4 Review
The Alesis Sample Pad 4 is one of those instruments that are all-in-one percussion. It comes with amazing features such as ten preset kits and very responsive four LED-illuminated rubber pads.
Other than that, it also comes with a dual-zone trigger input. Moreover, it also comes with a library of most of the commonly used percussion and electronic drum sounds.
It also offers you the ability to browse through your kits as well as to load samples. Using your PC or USB, you can also drag and drop the samples you have made.
Who is this product for?
At times, not all backing tracks require access to many physically played samples. If you are a drummer runs such tracks, you will find Alesis Sample Pad 4 ideal for you.
This drum pad is also perfect for start and stop. With it, you can easily start, stop, and change songs. Moreover, you can also trigger samples from your background.
What is inside the box?
- 10 preset kits
- Four impact-dynamic play surfaces
- Stereo jack headphone
- Stereo jack input
- USB port for uploading samples
- 91 drum kits and about 512 sounds
- A USB midi interface to help you connect to a Mac or PC
- Illuminated pads to help you see better in the dark
- 25 integrated sounds
- L/R stereo jack outputs to help you connect to speakers
It also comes with a three-year warranty as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you need now which Drumsticks are the best check this article, 3 Best Drumsticks for Electronic Drums
What are the key features of the Alesis Sample Pad 4?
The Alesis Sample Pad 4 comes with several features that will interest you If you are a drummer. Here are a few of its features.
The pads
You can play the pads of Alesis Sample Pad 4 pads by use of either your hands or sticks. However, playing it with the flats of your hands can be a bit challenging.
There is a high likelihood of you hitting the cursor buttons of you play with the flats of your hands. As such, it is better to play with your fingertips if you have to use your hands.
The command module
The command module is quite easy to follow. If you want to select a pad for editing, all you need is to tap it. You can then use the up or down cursor buttons to select the present kit or the settings of the last pad that you hit.
Using the command module, you can perform several functions. They include:
- You can set the tuning of the kits.
- You can set the panning.
- You can set the reverb and the pad level.
- You can set the sensitivity and the trigger mode.
- You can set the mute group.
To change the parameters of another pad, you only have to tap it, and then you will be ready to reset it. You can set the maximum sensitivity, which is ideal if you are going to use your hands to play.
However, if you plan to use sticks, the default sensitivity will just be fine.
Sounds
Alesis Sample Pad 4 provides you with snares, kicks, and assorted percussion as the only sound presets. The percussion includes claps, wind chimes, congas and shakers
Moreover, you can also add toms and cymbals. However, you will have to import your own using an SD. The good news is that the kit has a large library of both hits and loops that can get you started.
The pad trigger
When using this drum pad, you also need to pay attention to the pad trigger modes. The drum pad has three different trigger pads.
The first trigger mode is the polyphonic mode. When you trigger this, you will not be able to kill the first sample when you trigger it a second time. Consequently, your sounds will end up overlapping.
The second pad trigger is the Mono mode. You can trigger when you want to kill the first sample after the second trigger.
The third pad trigger is the Loop mode. When you initiate this, your first sample will keep repeating itself until you hit the pad a second time.
Alternatives to the Alesis Sample Pad 4
In case you are not fully satisfied with what you are getting on Alesis Sample Pad 4, you can also consider other alternatives.
Among the favorite alternatives of this drum pad is the Roland’s SPD SX. The other alternative would be Yamaha’s DTX Multi 12.
However, these two alternatives are a bit more costly. They also offer you extra pads, additional sounds, as well as more features. The other thing you need to know about them is that you will need sticks to play them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add more pads to Alesis Sample Pad 4?
How can I transfer samples to the Sample Pad 4?
Will I need drivers to use along with the Sample Pad 4?
Can I connect Alesis Sample Pad 4 to my computer?
Does Sample Pad 4 support any SD card?
Conclusion
If you a looking for an affordable and straightforward-to-use drum pad, you can consider Alesis Sample Pad 4. It is the perfect drum pad for you if you are looking for one that allows you to start, stop, and change songs.
Moreover, it also comes with amazing features such as ten preset kits and a dual-zone trigger input. You will also find almost all the percussion and electronic drum sounds that are very popular with drummers.
