Alesis Nitro Mesh is another fantastic 8-piece drum set from Alesis. The presence of mesh heads gives this drum set the feel and natural response of an acoustic set. As such, it delivers the most realistic drumming experience as compared to its predecessors.
This drum kit has everything you need and is ready to play right out of the box. It comes with 40 ready-to-play kits. Moreover, it also comes with 60 in-built play-along tracks. Also, it has 385 percussions, cymbal, and drum sounds.
This review has everything you need to know about the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit.
Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit Review
The Nitro Mesh is quite an impressive kit. It comes with a Nitro module, four tunable pads, and a kick pedal.
It also comes with a hi-hat pedal, a small kick pad, and three cymbals.
The Nitro Mesh is also an upgrade of the original Nitro kit that featured rubber pads prominently. The heads are the main upgrade for this drum kit. The rubber pads in the original drum set are no longer viable in today’s market.
Who is this product for?
The Nitro Mesh drum is a good introductory kit for beginner drummers as well as intermediate players.
What is inside the box?
- · Nitro drum module
- · One 8″ dual-zone snare pad
- · Three 8” tom pads
- · One 10” hi-hat pad
- · One 10” ride pad
- · One 10” crash pad with choke
- · One hi-hat pedal
- · One kick pedal
- · Kick pedal tower
- · Two drum sticks
- · Drum key
- · Cable snake
- · Power supply
- · Four-post aluminum rack
- · Cable wrap strips
- · Warranty manual
- · Assembly guide
- · User guide
- · Drum throne (not included)
- · Headphones (not included)
What are the key features of the Alesis Nitro Mesh?
The Nitro Mesh kit has a similar design to that of other Alesis drum kits. However, it is quite cheaper compared to many others.
As such, you may not expect it to have advanced features found in some top-of-the-line kits. However, it is still unique in its way. Let us look at some of the features of this electronic drum kit:
Cymbal pads
This electronic kit comes with three cymbal pads. They include a ride cymbal, hi-hat, and a chokable crash. With the chokable crash, you kill crash strikes by gripping the outer end of the pad.
All the cymbals have a diameter of 10 inches. They also have a playable rubber-type surface.
For the hi-hat pad, you connect it to a free-floating controller pedal. The advantage of this is that you can place the pedal anywhere that best suits you.
Mesh Drum Heads
The mesh drum heads are the main selling point of this Alesis drum set. You find the mesh heads on four out of the five drum pads.
Again, you can easily tune the mesh heads by adjusting the tension of the head. The adjustment will allow you to customize the drum to your feel.
All the pads have a diameter of 8 inches. The snare drum is a dual-zone pad. With the snare drum, you can get different sounds from the mesh pad and the outer rim.
However, the tom pads are single zoned.
Drum Rack
This Mesh kit is mounted on a very sturdy drum rack. The rack has seven aluminum posts. It is very lightweight and therefore very easy to carry around.
You can also mount the snare, and the tom pads to the rack then adjust them for height and angle appropriately. Moreover, you also attach the three cymbal pads to the rack using adjustable cymbal arms.
Sound
The drum module of this mesh kit is attached beside the hi-hat cymbal pad. This positioning makes it easy to reach and use; only an arm’s length away.
The module is also the source of all the sounds, as well as every connectivity with the drum set.
The drum kit module comes with several drum and percussion samples. In total, you will find 365 sounds in the Nitro kit module.
The sample sounds include those of acoustic drum sets as well as from cymbals. You will also find digital kits, world percussion, and FX sounds.
In the Nitro kit module, you will also find 60 built-in play-along backing tracks. The backing kits range from styles such as rock, pop, Latin, jazz, blues, and many more.
Software
The Nitro drum module also comes with some extra features. It allows you to record your playing to refer to them in the future.
The drum module also comes with a tempo button. With this, you can effectively control the metronome and adjust the pace of backing tracks.
You will also find an aux input in the module. In case you want to play along with external audio, the aux input will come in handy. It will also be of help in case you may need more than the 60 backing tracks provided.
Also, the Nitro module comes with a backlit LCD screen. You can, therefore, navigate the menus and sound banks with much ease.
Alternatives to the Alesis Nitro Mesh
If you are not fully satisfied with Nitro kits, you still have other options to consider.
The first option is Roland TD-1K. Although slightly expensive than the Nitro Mesh, it is also an entry-level drum set. It is light in weight, basic and offers you good use of space.
The Roland TD-1K has 15 preset drum kit sound banks. It also has a USB MIDI connectivity. However, it does not have mesh heads.
The other option you may want to consider is the Yamaha DTX402K electronic drum set from Yamaha. It plays and has a similar appearance to the Roland TD-1K. The setup and the cost are also similar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Alesis Nitro good?
Also, Alesis Nitro comes with 40 pre-set kits, 60 play-along tracks, and 385 cymbals, drum, and percussion sounds.
How Big is the Alesis Nitro?
Can I connect the Nitro drum to a computer?
Do I need extra drivers to use along with the Alesis Nitro kit?
What is the difference between Alesis Nitro and Alesis Nitro Mesh?
Conclusion
If you are looking for a good entry-level electronic drum set, the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit is your best option. It is very affordable, thus very suitable for you as a beginner.
Although it may not have many advanced features, it has the essential features. Its sound may also not be the best, but it is still good.