Alesis urge mesh kit is a product of Alesis Company. The company has a solid reputation for building music-related items.
The information in this review will help you understand all about the Alesis mesh kit.
Alesis Surge Mesh Kit Review
- It has a USB MIDI support
- 385 sounds 60 Play Aong Tracks
- 4 post chrome rack
- kick drum pedal (included)
Typically, the Alesis surge mesh kit is an electronic drum set with a few notable features. I will also let you understand if this kit is right for you. Before that, you will have to take into account some specific factors.
This eight-piece electronic drum kit has a silent feature that enables one to play it at home. In other words, you can use it as if it were an ordinary acoustic drum kit. Moreover, it has mesh heads that will give reasonable responses by altering the tone.
Interestingly, this electronic drum differs from other acoustic drum kits. The Alesis surge mesh kit is compact and highly portable. One can easily store it when not in use. Most of the users make use of it when going for high-quality recording.
I will take you through so that you may have an in-depth understanding of it. You will get to know its features, sounds, and build. As a result, you will be in a position to make choices based on the underlying facts.
Pros
- Has huge programs for the user to produce the best sound.
- The mesh heads are incredibly affordable hence it is affordable.
- It has a simple set-up design that is user-friendly to any beginner.
- The silent design of this kit will prevent sound distraction from any neighbour.
Cons
- Cymbals may fail to register as you involve then to end the sound
- The kick pedal is relatively small hence not favourable to people with big feet
- The price is slightly higher
- You cannot use it immediately once out of the box. It must undergo some settings.
At this point, as a beginner, you may ask:
What is the Alesis kit? Well, the answer is simple. Alesis surge mesh kit is a five-piece and eight pad, electronic drum kit. Furthermore, it features mesh drum heads that are ordinarily quiet. Also, it has an incredible natural response.
The cool thing is that the kit comes in a pleasant four-piece chrome rack. However, you can mount most of the attached components on this chrome rack. The catch is usually on the capability and design of drum pads.
The Alesis Kit Review
Alesis kit is an upgrade of an ordinary drum set. Precisely, it is a better version of the Nitro mesh kit.
Most of the five pads, toms, snare, and bass drum, will offer excellent service. They came with tensional low sound mesh drum heads.
The new version comes with multiple benefits. The mesh heads offer a realistic head response and low-noise. However, one can tune each head as if you were working on a standard drum head.
Nonetheless, each drum has four lugs that you can loosen or tighten with a standard drum key. Such a design makes replacement of the mesh heads an easy task.
Alesis surge mesh kit has a mesh that is on the bass drum pad. The arrangement makes it superior to any standard rubber pad. The sizable tower will comfortably accommodate either single or double pedals.
Uniquely, this product has a bass drum pedal in the kit. Besides, it has a hi-hat, which is free-floating. It will directly connect to the Alesis drum module. The footboard has adjustable spikes to secure it in one place while performing.
The same hi-hat measures 10 inches, which is similar to a crash cymbal and the ride. Both the crash and ride convenient; hence it is easier to kill the sound. The player can use the foot pedal to control the hi-hat.
The big drum pad is the snare, which has a diameter of 10 inches. One can assign the rim and the head to various sample sources—the three toms boats of an 8-inch diameter each.
Who needs this product?
Alesis surge mesh kit will suit a variety of drummers. For instance, it can be a favorite choice for beginners who will enjoy learning about it. The catch is that it will offer a range of sounds. The mesh heads will behave similarly, like drum heads.
Generally, the surge mesh kit happens to be a high-end product. Both advanced and intermediate drummers will like to play it. It is an excellent electric kit that one can use to practice at home.
If you are a beginner, the module has a training mode. You will use it to learn. Luckily, the mode will award the user a score when you complete it. It is practical as you use a timer to determine your efficiency.
As you complete the phase, you will graduate to the next level. You will now be an intermediate. The level of your determination will determine how effective you will grow with this kit. There is more room for growth as you master the conceits.
The good news for everyone is that the kit is fit for all categories of people.
What is in the box?
The Alesis surge mesh kit comes with several other items in the package. They combine perfectly to help you produce a desirable output. Examples of the attached items include:
The box comes with the following vital pieces to make it functional:
- Surge drum module that has 40 kits.
- 385 unique sounds
- 4-piece chrome rack
- Drum key, sticks, and cables
- Mp3 player
- Three 8 inch dual-zone tom pads
- 10-inch cymbals being hi-hat, crash cymbal and ride
- USB
- Kick pedal
- Cable snake
- Dual-zone technology
- Headphone output and stereo line inputs
Generally, this kit contains heads for the drums to enhance a natural feel. Interestingly, the package also has pre-loaded sixty play songs. You can use it for both performing and practicing.
One will use the LCD screen to customize this kit. You have the freedom to change the effects and recordings as you perform.
The Features of Alesis Surge Mesh
The electric drum has various features to make it functional. Let us take a closer look at them in full detail.
Drum Pads
The Alesis kit is an eight-piece kit. It consists of three cymbals and five kick drum pads. The snares and the toms are 10 and 8 inches, respectively. The four drums are the uniquely dual trigger. As a result, both the rim and the head are playable.
The kit also has a kit tower. However, it measures only 8 inches, which is typically small but sturdy. Besides, the kit has a bass drum pedal.
This electronic drum head can either be mesh or rubber. The mesh heads are popular since they restore better effects than rubber. Still, you can tune the mesh oriented kits as you do to acoustic kick drum heads.
Cymbals
The Alesis surge mesh kit has three cymbals. They all have a diameter that measures 10 inches. Unfortunately, the size of these cymbals may not be the best. They appear to be a bit smaller. Do you know that other cymbal pads measure 15 inches?
Precisely, the cymbals only manifest in a single trigger. The toms and snares will always come in the double trigger. Such a design will help one to achieve head playing. Nonetheless, the crash and the ride are ideal for choking.
Sound Module
The sound module is always active in the surge module. It has similar properties to those in the Nitro model. However, this new version is an upgraded kit. Also, this module comes with a 6 centimeter LCD screen.
One can easily navigate the system due to functional page navigation features. The page is easy and straightforward to follow. For instance, you can move across the training menus, the surge kit, and the song easily.
The bottom part of the module has rubber buttons. The buttons will correspond to various parts of the surge kit. The cool thing is that their configuration is simple. They will light up whenever you strike any pad.
The design allows one to switch between instruments conveniently. Also, this module features 40 kits. One can break down into 16 user kits, and 24 presets. Moreover, the module has 385 drum sounds.
Still, this electronic drum module has built-in songs that may range to 60. You can take advantage of them to enhance your practice. The surge drum module has elaborate connectivity. It has various jacks and inputs an example being mini-jack headphone.
Besides, it has an aux-in with right and left master outs. Lastly, there are USB connections and the MIDI in and out. You can connect the Alesis surge mesh kit with a 25-pin cable loom. Plus, there are additional inputs, a fourth atom, and an extra cymbal.
Hardware
The kit uses a four-post chrome rack. It is super easy as you put together. The design of this rack makes it give outstanding service. It will correctly hold every aspect of the kit. Still, it will minimize movements.
One can quickly assemble the rack. The only difference that you may find in this rack is that it lacks slotted holes. You can reliably use it as it will minimize any unwanted movements.
Surge drum module features
The Alesis surge drum module will allow one to record performance. In other words, you will record what you are playing. The presence of onboard metronome is suitable for timing as you track drums.
You can use aux-in to work with any audio source. For instance, it can be a phone, laptop, or tablet. It is a fantastic tool if you treasure home recording.
The Hi-Hat
The layout of this kit is more straightforward. The user will not take a lot of time before getting to know how it entirely operates. The kit has dual-zone pads, which will restore flavor to your rhythm.
The interesting phrases and addictive grooves will make your practice a great fun. The hi-hat is simple to use. You will encounter the half-open option. The downside with that option is that it may not be natural.
The kit has a wealth of learning features for any novice. I am sure your neighbors will be happy too. The equipment will not produce distracting sound.
Tutorial on how to use this Kit
What are the other Alternatives?
Suppose you are looking for a small priced kit, then chose Alesis Nitro mesh kit. The drum set has three cymbals and five pieces. It may lack several features like the ordinary kits. Specifically, it does not have the dual-zone-toms and bass heads for the electronic drum.
You can also choose the Yamaha DTX402K electronic drum kit. Indeed, its pricing is almost similar to the Alesis surge mesh kit.
It uses rubber pads instead of mesh heads. It also has free-floating foot pedals. The equipment is more portable and has lower noise. Uniquely, the drum set has an app that has all operational features.
You can also go for Roland Td-1K, which has free-floating tools. The kit has rubber pads across the toms and snare. The drum has training features onboard. Furthermore, the equipment will produce impressive sound suppose you like the mesh design.
Ronald TD-1K comes with competitive prices.
What are the downsides?
This kit may have some stock sounds that appear in the module. They lack the dynamics that other kits have, like Roland.
The user will not replicate everything that one can do on an acoustic drum kit. The pricing of this kit is high as compared to other options. One is likely to get additional options in the market. They can also produce the same output. In that regard, it should come at competitive prices.
Another downside is that the sound module and the kit have numbers. It will become challenging to memorize what to do using numbers.
As you purchase this product, it has to go through some settings. You will not sue it immediately; it comes out of the box. If you are a beginner, it can be demanding as you need proper orientation before you start to use it.
FAQs
Alesis surge mesh kit, how to hook up to speaker
The process is rather simple. The Alesis surge mesh kit has an output audio hole. Locate the jack from the speaker and insert it into the audio output hole. If done correctly, the speakers will begin to produce the sound.
What cymbals can I use with an Alesis surge mesh kit?
The Alesis surge mesh kit uses two cymbals. Firstly you can use a 10-inch hi-hat cymbal to accomplish to control the sound. As if that is not enough, one can use a 10-inch crash cymbal for choking effects.
How to change hi-hat pedal to bass pedal Alesis surge mesh kit
The hi-hat happens to be a continuous variable pedal. It will allow close, half-open, and open hi-hat sounds. You can press down and release to allow changes to happen.
How to get to percussion on Alesis surge mesh kit
Power on this kit. Use the pedal and the hi-hat to produce the percussions. The method is best while practising or performing. Continue to adjust the settings until you attain your desired output.
How to factory reset Alesis mesh kit
Begin by turning off the module. Press and hold both Enter and Stop buttons as you power up the module. Continue until you see the word “Resetting factory Defaults.” You can wait for 5 minutes as you let off the buttons. At this point, the model will be operating on default factory settings.
In Conclusion
Music plays a critical role in our lives. You can use it to nourish your soul and induce more meaning to your activities. Some play music when they need encouragement.
But that is not all. You can use music to pass a message of hope to a distressed individual. In that regard, you must have a proper tool to play your music effectively. You can start the journey by learning how the play drums.
Alesis surge mesh kit is an electronic set that will restore value to your song. It provides rhythm and flavor so that your song becomes more interesting. If you like playing, then make it your choice.
It has excellent features that will restore value to your music life. Moreover, some of the built-in features will help you program it to your advantage. You can manipulate it to produce your desired sound.
In case you are a beginner, the training mode is helpful. You will learn the kit and gradually master its content. Concerning that, you can make it as an ideal drum set for your artistic work.
The review is a selection from the article: Best Electronic Drum Sets under 600
