The Alesis DM10 MKII Pro set is a ten-piece premium electronic drums. It delivers an unbeatable realistic drum feel that duplicates that of acoustic drums. Its natural rebound is better than that of its predecessors.
Just like their other musical instruments, Alesis designed the DM10 MKII Pro to sound great and last long. It brings out the best in any musician, be it in practice, studio recording, or live performance.
In this review, you will find everything you need to know about this drum set.
Alesis DM10 MKII Pro Review
The Alesis DM10 MK2 Pro is the latest addition in the DM series from Alesis. There are two different variations of the DM10; the DM10 MK2 Pro and the Alesis DM10 MKII Studio kit.
The Alesis MK2 is an excellent mid-range drum featuring a new drum module and large mesh pads. It also features a triple-zone ride cymbal, a stand-mounted snare, floor tom pads, among other incredible features. Its bass drum pad is big enough for double bass.
This 10-piece electronic drum kit from Alesis comes with tightly-woven mesh drum heads. The mesh heads enhance the natural feel and playing response of the drum.
The Pro’s module comes with 80 preset drum kits, 700 drum, cymbal, and percussion sounds, and 100 play-along songs.
In addition to the built-in songs, the drum module also has an aux input and a USB/ MIDI output.
As such, you can plug in your preferred audio device and play along.
Who is this product for?
The Alesis Kit is perfect for semi-professional and professional musicians. Its design and features make it fit for recording and live performance. Its pads are larger as compared to most electronic drums in the market. Consequently, it has a feel and response like that of an acoustic drum set.
It is also ideal for drummers looking for a practice kit. Its mesh heads produce less noise as compared to rubber pads and are less costly.
Though beginners and intermediate drummers may use this kit, they may not make full use of all its functions. It is also an expensive option as compared to other beginner kits like Alesis Nitro and Surge Mesh.
What is inside the box?
- Two 14-inch crash cymbals
- One 16-inch ride cymbal
- One 12-inch hi-hat cymbal
- Three 12-inch mesh pads
- Two 10-inch mesh pads
- One 8-inch mesh kick pad
- Two 12-inch floor toms
- Two 10-inch rack toms
- One 12-inch snare
- The DM10 MKII Module
- Module mount
- One fully adjustable snare stand
- A chrome quick-lock rack of 4 posts
- Real hi-hat pedal
- An Alesis Logo Plate
- Drum Key
- Drum Sticks
- Power Supply
- Cable Snake
- Cable Wrap Strips
- Safety & Warranty Manual
- User Guide
- Kick pedal (not included)
- Drum throne (not included)
What are the key features of the Alesis DM10 MKII Pro?
Advanced Drum Sound Module
The greatest asset in theDM10 MKII is its sound module. The module features 80-preset drum kits (50 factory kits and 30 user kits) and 100 play-along songs. It also comes with 700 cymbals, drum, and percussion sounds.
The module allows you to adjust individual sounds to suit your preference, for instance, pitch, reverb, or muffling. As such, you can custom-design your drum sounds or create a perfect sound mix.
If you don’t want to use any of the built-in drum sounds or kits, you can transfer your samples via a USB memory stick or download others. When transferring a file via USB, it must not be more than 15MBs. The file should also be in the Fat32 file system and 16-Bit wave format.
The ability of the sound module to import samples is a great way to increase your kits. Besides the USB, you can also use a thumb flash drive or an external hard drive.
With the DM10 MKII electronic drum module, it is easy to assign any sample loop to a drum pad. Doing so makes it easy to start or stop backing tracks with the touch of a drumstick.
The DM10 MKII sound module also features an onboard sequencer with a built-in metronome, 100+ patterns, and 120 play-along songs.
Drum Pads and Heads
The MKII electronic drum comes with bigger dual-zone tom and snare pads than drums in its price range. Being a dual-zone drum, you can get sound by hitting the rim, the head surface, or a blend of both.
The drum pads of the DM10 MKII are of dual-zone sensing technology. They come with an adjustable knob, which facilitates fine-tuning.
The kit’s black mesh heads are tightly-woven. They deliver an excellent stick rebound and response, which is identical to that of a real acoustic drum.
Their noise level is minimal and conducive for rehearsals and recording. You can practice without producing too much sound and compromising the intensity of your drum strokes.
The kit comes with a tuning key, which allows you to tweak the individual pad’s tension to suit your desired sound. However, it is important to note that the higher the tension, the more bounce you will get from the drum sticks when playing.
You can also make adjustments on the pad’s response, sound, and trigger via the drum module.
The DM10 MKII Pro comes with four cymbals. They include 2 crashes, 14 inches each, a hi-hat, which is 12 inches, and a ride cymbal with a diameter of 16 inches.
Although the cymbals are big, they don’t offer a 360-degree playing surface. Nonetheless, you can angle the cymbals in a way that you will have the playable area close to you.
The cymbal pads respond to dynamic cymbal techniques. As such, you can incorporate a variety of techniques, such as bell strokes, bow, and edge, in your playing style.
The snare pad has a large diameter of 12 inches, which makes it enjoyable to play on. You can play rim clicks and shots on this snare. Also, the snare drum comes with a fully-adjustable drum stand. The stand offers flexibility, stability, and playability. It makes repositioning easy, and there is no worry of the mount getting loose.
The other two 12-inch drum pads serve as floor toms. You can also play rim shots on each tom or reassign the rims for samples. Unlike the snare, you mount the drum pad on a drum rack.
Besides the two floor toms, there are two front rack toms. Each of them is 8-inch in diameter and have dual-zone triggering.
The bass drum of the DM10 MKII Pro is 8 inches. It mounts on a bass drum tower, which can accommodate a single or a double bass drum pedal. It is recommendable to place the drum tower on a drum mat/ carpet to prevent slippage.
Connectivity
The DM10 MKII supports USB/MIDI connectivity. As such, you can load your WAV or MP3 samples via a USB memory stick and play along. This feature also allows you to record your live performance on the spot.
You can also trigger virtual instrument plugins and software using the USB-MIDI Out. With this feature, you can add sounds from your library or the internet.
Also, the MKII Pro comes with a 1/8 Aux input port, which allows you to plug in your laptop or smartphone. In this case, you don’t need to have the USB thumb drive.
The Chrome Rack
Unlike most electronic drums, Alesis has an excellent solid chrome rack for their DM10 MKII set.
The 4-post quick-lock chrome rack features integrated cymbal arms, which keeps the entire kit solidly anchored. No matter how hard you play, the kit cannot fall apart.
Alternatives to the Alesis DM10 MKII Set
If you can save up some more money, the Alesis Strike Pro electronic drum kit is an excellent alternative to consider. This kit is superior in quality, features, and looks.
Strike Pro is an 11-piece kit that comes with mesh heads and a 4.3” color LCD screen. It is an excellent performer on stage. This drum kit features four tom pads, four crash cymbals, a kick pad, a snare pad, and a hi-hat controller.
As for sound quality, Roland TD-11K is a better alternative to Alesis DM10 MKII Pro. Nonetheless, this does not mean that the MKII set has poor sound quality. What I mean is that when comparing the two, Roland is far much better.
If the price is the issue and you need a cheaper alternative, You can consider the Alesis Surge Mesh (full review here). This kit is on the same level as the MKII Pro but with a slightly lower price tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Alesis DM10 MKII Pro and DM10 MKII Studio?
The MKII Pro has two 10-inch and two 12-inch dual-zone tom pads. On the other hand, the MKII Studio has one 10-inch and two 8-inch dual-zone tom pads.
Does the DM10 MKII Pro kit come with any play-along tracks and built-in sounds?
Do I need to adjust any settings when using the kit for the first time?
Can I use pads from another electronic kit with the MKII Pro?
Does the DM10 MKII Pro support double-kick pedals?
Do I need drivers to connect my DM10 MKII Pro kit to a computer?
How do I create kits with the DM10 MKII Pro?
Play with the pitch of each cymbal/ drum sound and add effects like reverb. If you are happy with the overall sound, store the drum kit to one of the user preset slots.
Conclusion
From our review, it is clear that the Alesis DM10 MKII Pro kit looks great. It has a large cymbal and drums as compared to its counterparts with a similar price tag.
Its four-legged frame and overall size makes it ideal for stage/ live performance. Large drum sizes and kit footprints, especially for electronic drums, look professional on stage.
This drum kit is suitable for professional and semi-professional musicians more than beginners/ intermediate drummers.
Although its sound quality may not match that of Roland or Yamaha, the use of Virtual Studio Technology works wonders.
It comes with top-notch drum sounds that you can incorporate into your drum module and cause it to sound great.