THANK you for finally saying that "nonsense kits" are predominately missing from this module! I get so tired of modules wasting space for dogs barking or some dude saying, "Hey!" over and over.
Well.. when you get 200-500 kits plus 1000's of sample. You can only record so many Maple, Mahogany, Birch, Cherry, Walnut, Acrylic & Whatever else DW's John Goodman come's up with. So kit #498 is for the dog lover, 499 is for the Cat lower and 500 is almost always for James Brown ! Yeow !😂🤣😂
My only two real gripes with the module is the lack of outputs if they where smart they could have used db25 conectors and you could easily added 16 outs the other issue I had is the small hard drive 120 gigs most phones have twice that built in now seriously I can buy a terabyte hardive for $30 all day
Sure, you say that, but I can't tell you how many times I've needed my entire kit to sound like different size dogs barking. Believe me, you'll miss it once it's gone 😅
Agreed but I feel like the market is shifting away from standard modules anyway. A lot of people use VST’s like ezdrummer which sounds better than even the most premium modules so I can see future kits using a standard midi interface and introducing some kind of software they can charge a subscription for.
Fun fact: the guy from Drum Center of Portsmouth said some of the sounds were, **probably, recorded from their drum inventory. As Alesis rented some of those kits. This looks like Alesis is finally stepping up their game. Nice, Justin, as always!!
He didn't say that. He said that Alesis "rented" some of their drums, and it's likely the reason was to record samples for the Strata. However, he didn't say he knew that was the case for certain.
@@482jpsquared So why would Alesis be renting drum's from DCP ? Maybe their Co executive's like banging on Shane's super expensive kits ? 🤣 Because why bother sampling them right ?😛 Got it 😂
Honestly they should make a cheaper 4 Piece version of this and I think it would sell like mad. Not everyone wants and can really fit such big kit in their homes/apartments
These are already selling like mad. Called Sweetwater the other day and they mentioned they sell a ton of these. They did a very good job marketing this kit.
Hi Justin, Great review like always. I'm a professional musician and I used the Alesis strike pro for years on stage and I I feel there's something you don't mention. Alesis customer service is horrid for the average Joe. My module didn't turn on anymore recently and Alesis did not show any support to my problem. I was out of warranty so they acted like it wasn't their problem anymore, I live in France so maybe the customer service is not that great for us on the old continent which I understand but they didn't even mention that they were going to release this kit. I went for the mimic pro instead. I can't count the number of soldering I had to do because of the poor built quality, two rides dead in less than 2 weeks (finally went for Roland cy15r), the hi hat broke fast, the crash broke, ALL the cables going to the center and rim piezo's on the toms, kick and snare broke. I had to constantly glue the foam rods back. That was a pain in the ass. I hope the built quality and especially the soldering quality has changed on that one. On the Module, software updates and follow up side, same thing I hope for Alesis users it will be fixed. The software updates on the strike pro were minor at best (there were no rimshots on that module and never were because they didn't think to bring this up in any of their updates). The only advantage of the strike pro was that I could import my own multilayer instruments and the number of outputs I got for the price, but even in that regards that new strata prime feels like a step back, not being able to go for a proper multitrack, even through a snake cable like the mimic does and now that pearl allows you to build multilayered instruments (because they do care about improving their module) I don't see any advantage to the strata. Not having positional sensing is another worry, will it be fixed through software updates ? I wouldn't be so sure given my experience with Alexis, you'd better be happy with what you have because it won't change for ten years. Last point (sorry for that hell of a long comment). For all those Edrum companies out there I hope they'll understand that having to buy a completely new modules each time is not possible anymore. We live in the era of AI and technology, why don't they offer big updates with additional hardware and software when really needed to go from an older kit generation to a newer ?
@65Drums The reason Alesis only lists their own hi-hat in the trigger menu is because their hi-hat is different from most others. It's a Hall effect sensor. Those have been around for a long time but not used in other modules except the 2Box. A hall effect sensor varies incoming voltage when a magnet is brought into its proximity. Effectively what they call "active" means that it requires power, as optical sensors do - as with the EFNOTE and ATV hi hats. So "active" simply means "powered". It's not any more complicated than that. Given that it needs power, other hi-hats simply will not work with the Alesis. So, it's a lot like the EFNOTE in that sense. It requires power and the module sends that power. However, the other thing about Hall effect sensors which makes it different from optical sensors (as with the EFNOTE and the ATV) is that the voltage is inverted. So, when you press down on the pedal, voltage goes UP whereas with Roland, ATV and EFNOTE (for example) hi-hat controllers, voltage goes down, because they use resistance. For these reasons you can consider the Alesis hi-hat controller effectively "proprietary" for all intents and purposes. Hope this helps.
So, could you create an adapter cable that inverts the Tip/Ring to reverse the voltage direction? I would like to be able to use my ATV hihat if I buy the module only.
@@reezlaw The Gewa sends a voltage also that powers the ATV HH. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working until I unplugged the Dc power supply an found it was still on and working correctly.
@65Drums. Thank you for your review. An an owner of a Strike Pro SE, the biggest (titanic) downside of that kit was the very poor triggering of the module. Sadly, for me the only way to overcome this was to buy a Roland TD30 module to use with my Strike Pro SE hardware. A notable absence from your review was to comprehensively interrogate the triggering of this new module, which I believe is (or should be) a key factor for everyone when making a decision on which high end e-kit to buy. Without that, I certainly wouldn't consider buying this kit.
Great review! Here are a couple of personal thoughts I wanted to share... 1) I am perfectly fine that an e-drum set doesn't necessarily look like an acoustic set. The overall diameter of the drum heads and cymbals need to be the same or very similar when comparing the two so you can easily transition back and forth from e-drums to acoustic. Alesis really nailed this kit with the 14" snare and 8", 10" 12" and 14" toms. The fact that the depth of the aforementioned drums are much smaller compared to acoustic drums, well, that is actually ok. In fact, I really like the different look of e-drums! 2) Why isn't anyone making a drum rack system where there is an open portion/cut away of the tube rack where all of the cables can be tucked away? This would provide a much cleaner and organized look. "All of the cables nestled in their little home!" If the cut-away was wide enough and the diameter of the rack tubes were large enough, the cables could be easily pushed in and pulled out of the hollow tubes. But, hmmm...maybe most people prefer to see the messy cables draped and zig-zagged across the drum rack.
I've been watching your video's for a few years now, and they really help. I'm considering an electronic kit. And since I've been playing acoustic for 50 yrs, ( yes I started real young). I couldn't possibly have any idea what's new on the market without your help. I've been patient because all the companies are always coming up with newer and better. Thanks for all the help. Great job, Cheers.
I owned the MK DM 10 MkII and it was a decent kit to play but within 2.5 years 4 of the drums had issues with their piazos breaking. I contacted the vendor and was told it would be 6 months to maybe get a replacement. I decided to buy a Roland kit. No issues yet. They feel better built for sure.
Justin is the best in my opinion giving reviews. Very thorough and informative and I’ll add honest in his assessments. One thing I wished you had said was, is the extra $1K worth it over the Strike SE. kinda looks like it might be but want your opinion. Thanks again for all the great reviews.
The real ? Is the module worth the extra $1000 ? No digital snare-no positional sensing, that wobbling hi-hat is annoying, not to mention no digital hi-hat or ride cymbal, and if you saw DCP's review, a lot of cross-talk generating from pads to cymbals. This kit needed to be right at $2999. Its not better than the TD27 for my needs. The Alesis is a lot prettier though. There is that 😁
Today mine arrived. My first impressions are that it is very big, much bigger than I initially thought. The quality surprised me, apparently it is good. Because of my work, I know a lot about plastics and the ones Alesis uses are of good quality. On the other hand, I would highlight the rack, once assembled, it is solid. Finally, I would say that once assembled it is beautiful. In a little while when I have it all ready, I will see how it works.
I loved that you mentioned you don't need any plugins. This is why I won't buy a high end Roland. I don't feel like dropping another 500 bucks on a plugin and even more than that on a laptop that can run it. One of the reasons I love my Strike Pro SE is that I don't have to worry about any of that!!
Yeah, I think as drummers we need to remember how lucky we are that we can use a great module that has many different sounds. It’s like having 50 different drum sets in one. To me, that’s good enough. Keep the VST’s for midi only.
I’m going to wait a bit to see if Roland finally releases their new platform but otherwise I think this one is it. I’m looking for more of a computer experience than the cheap 3$ lcd screen from Roland on a 8000$ kit
I totally agree. I have a roland vad but I dont like the sounds in the TD-27 module. Have to use Superior Drummer and it's kind of a pain. I'm thinking about selling it and getting the Alesis.
@@richardmiller191Do it! There is nothing like just sitting down at the drums, turning the module on and start playing. Plus there isn't any analysis paralysis you get with a VST.
Fantastic review (again), Justin! I can't say enough about how helpful your reviews are to the drumming community. I know it's a lot of effort on your part!
I think I might be obsessed with this drum module especially the idea behind it, I love how when if Alesis has the opportunity, they up the anti so too speak, and the next thing you know there who's come up with a really good idea and then everyone competes with Alesis, now that's what I call competition is, just for the idea behind this drum module I would purchase this set, nice job Alesis! 🤯🤘❤
Good review, I watched the drum center of Portsmouth review this morning and they left out a lot of information that you covered, really appreciate that. At first it really didn't seem worth it but you covered some things they missed and now I can see where the extra money has went. They didn't even mention the cymbals having three zones, kind of a big deal.
They didn't mention the snare didn't have positional sensing. They didn't mention the wobbly hi-hat or ride isn't digital. Nor did they mention the slow-as molasses load times. Bad enough Shane had to say you'll need a new stand. The only guy who seemed to enjoy playing the kit was the Pizza Guy, everyone else looked like they had bitter beer face ! 🤣
@@dilankarun9172man with a bitter face here… we did cover some of this, and I believe that there is some confusion, we didn’t say you needed to buy a new snare drum stand, rather that the one included isn’t of the highest quality. We did our take on the video, and luckily, there are many others out there that cover some of the other details that you’re referring to.
@@tinterlande You didn't have "bitter beer face" when you pulled out that Keplinger snare 😛I bought a BB Brass version from y'all after watching your Ludwig Snare demo's. Its so gorgeous & awesome, makes me feel how blessed my life is ! 😇. Oh and the Paiste Mark II ride's on my "Buy list" after watching your demo. Tom's got me thinking about the Mel Lewis ride ! See when you guys luv something. I believe it. When Shane say's this Strata kit "Probably" needs a new wrack. We believe it Which is why I luv DCP ! 😍
Thats what Im thinking too. When they fix hihat compability, this could really make the mimic pro seem very expensive, well it already is, but. You get it.
@@jimwilson5545 That was my thought exactly- about the Mimic. I don't really need new triggers, and I've got the Strike Pro module dialed in pretty well to my liking at this point, but I could part with it if the Strata module is not too pricey.
Just got word that Alesis is not selling the Strata module separately and have no plans to do so.... Think they're making a mistake, but what do I know (besides the fact that I'm not forking out $3500 for the whole kit when I don't need the triggers). Cheers!
Interesting kit and a great review as always. If this had of come out at the beginning of the year, I might have taken a punt on it. As it so happens, I bought another eFnote 3x as I gave my original one to my son. I do like the module and the sounds are good. I'm not so keen on a drum rack though. I think the eFnote lambda stand are superior.
I tried them earlier and they play nicely, but IMHO they look like Frisbees. There's a good reason for that though. The edges have TWO zones. One outer zone is for swells. The one inside of that is for "edge" sounds. It's a good arrangement.
the internal setup and components look a lot better. even if some part of the internals fail, you don't have to peel off layers and layers of obstructions to get to it
I wonder if Alesis actually read comments from people… hopefully they do. Love this review. For my personal knowledge I’d rather buy kit extensions somewhat later than paying such a price tag and get a bunch of things that I would surely unmount. A 5 piece kit, plus hh, crash and ride would be enough. Additionally, why sticking to that same boring rack thing? Smaller jazz-like Tom sizes without that boring rounded rack would definitely have make me sell both of my Roland drum kits to get this one. I find that 80’s fashion big round kit vibe a bit boring; something that Roland, Fnote, DW, even some Chinese cheap retailers FINALLY understood!
I really love the approach they took regarding the sound. I would go this route based on sound alone. Unfortunately, there are other issues to consider. I would never buy an expensive Alesis product. I have an old Alesis keyboard from the late 90s that still works fine (as does an even older reverb and drum module). Every other Alesis product I’ve owned since (2005 and later) has failed and couldn’t be replaced or repaired. If the module dies, can it be replaced 3 years from now? Only time will tell if Alesis is going to adequately support these products. I hope they do. Really impressed by what I’m seeing here. This is exactly the kind of e-drum product I’ve been waiting for. I just wish a different company was making it.
Justin, I have been following your videos since the beginning of your channel. Aside from fantastic reviews…. It’s been really cool to see your progress as a drummer. You have gotten really good man. Keep it up
The expanded kit is a 7 pad, 6 cymbal setup for not a crazy amount more compared to other brands - very impressed by Alesis for the price point and features, especially the heavier weight
the settings not automatically saving is actually really nice if you have different drummers using the same kit like in a church. one person messing up some settingsisn’t permanent, the sound tech or next drummer just restart the device and it’s back to normal
The SE was the gateway drug. There's so many Alesis haters but theyre coming for you, thats for sure! Also looks like sweetwater has an extended edition with an extra cymbal and a 5th tom for $4500
Hahaha, finally a proper sounding edrum with a dedicated drum library from BFD. Which is what we really do with e drums, using your computer to trigger multi layer samples. So far I like it.
We really need a more on depth analysis of the performance of the hi hat and snare, and what features they even have (which I conspicuously haven’t seen anywhere) in order for the to be the case. The module itself looks pretty amazing though. Agree Roland may have to step up their game or lower their prices to stay competitive on that front.
19:01 The Korg Kronos (which is an Intel Atom based computer underneath) takes 2:30 minutes to boot. I'd say 20 seconds to boot is only slight slower than a modern computer. 22:42 It's weird they didn't decide to go the EFNote Pro route and give you every single output possible in the module, though their stagebox solution is more elegant IMO.
Alesis… make a hybrid kit… shell options (poplar, birch, maple, bubinga), go full shell, keep mesh top and bottom, make it so that the user can put actual acoustic heads on so that a user can practice at home and then take that same drum set on tour or to gigs without there being any deficiencies and difference in feel for the drummer. Also make module options… I’ll say this make module options for all your sets, I love the Nitro Pro XL but having the Nitro Max head/module was not what I was expecting. Make those upgrades and that set would be AWESOME! Also, PLEASE sell the individual pieces for your higher grade sets like Alesis Strata pro that I can slowly update my nitro pro XL kit slowly over time to improve the experience.
I like the sound of this. As a blind user who loves computers, linux running on the thing could mean good things. I'm wondering if the orca screen reader or some thing based on it could be made to run on top of the ui of this system? If that were true, it would mean accessibility for blind people for the first time on a touch screen drum system. I know it's far fetched, and some people might say it's not really necisary since this is made for the masses and not for the blind people out there like me but I think it could be possible.
This review has some great "heads up" moments especially saving your trigger setups, and the load time lagging issues. I do have a soft spot for Alesis, having a great experience with my first dive into electronic drums with the D4 module.😊
Of course they needed to do this. They needed to bring out a postdecessor model to the Pro Strike SE not even 2 monts after I finally bought the SE after thinking it over for almost 3 years and then finally made up my mind... :@
Also, how does the feel of the snare, hi hats and ride compare to the digital ones on the 27 & 50 ? I think that's why I went with Roland. The feel of those 3. You can pretty much get good sounds from multiple places, but it won't have the feel. Thanks for another great video ! Oh, and I forget where it was in the video, but there were a few cool beats that you played too !!!! 👍😁👍
There's a few beats I liked but the one around 12 min is kinda like Faith No More - The Real Thing, but it's a little different. Love it !!!! Oh and I lost it laughing AGAIN when I saw the squeeky cymbal at 2min in !!!! That's pretty funny.... I don't know if you meant it to be funny, but it definitely was like an SNL skit to me. Hahahahahahaha That's awesome !!!!! 🤣👍
Really nice review. I've been almost ready to pull the trigger and buy a Strike Pro kit. But seeing this review, and I might pick up some extra shifts to come up with the extra cash to buy this kit. Thanks so much for the honest observations!
Are you sure the audio inputs are not stereo? They are listed in the manual as TRS. The mono on the left input is usually just an indication of what input to use if you only have a mono source.
Was hoping you had an early access to this kit to do a release day review. Good, long, detailed review as always. You did skip 2 in my opinion very big and important factors. I want a much more detailed analysis of the snare and hi hat. Does it do rim shots? Cross stick? How is the performance of the hi hat? How does it compare to the VH14? These are obvious, highly anticipated, and common questions that I think lots of people want to know. I’ve watched 3 videos on this kit now and not all only did none of them address these questions, but they *almost* seem to be actively avoiding them. Their absence is becoming conspicuous. What’s going on? For $3,500, exactly the price of the td27kv2 whose strong suit is the snare and hi hat, any smart consumer needs to know theses answers to make an informed decision. Really direct comparison videos are needed, though that obviously can’t be done on release day. That being said, if my hypothesis is s correct, I think this is likely more on Alesis than the individual reviewers.
I’m glad you addressed the cymbal choke issue. I’m having the same thing happen. Hopefully it’ll be addressed in a dire update. I absolutely love it otherwise.
Excellent review! Very nice battery! Surely in the future, they will re-release it under the name "Strata Prime SE" (with a drum and two more cymbals). I believe that the size of the drums is due to the total weight of the set, it has to compensate on the one hand, so that it remains comfortably transportable.
Ha! I saw a store here in Canada advertise it a few hours before the embargo was lifted but there was no info on this kit. It’s 5K in Canada which I think is 5-6 hundred too much. That’s EFNote 5x territory and you get a much better looking kit.
After assembly drill a hole and install lock pins so the rack doesn't fall apart. He says really tighten it down. I say that isn't enough. I was playing an Alesis kit at a club and the entire right wing backed out and fell to the floor. The other standing pieces became really unstable. Lock pins fixed this issue permanently.
Thanks Justin, great review. Although I'm really disappointed the trend to touch screen modules continues. As a blind drummer, a touch screen is an instant no go. With physical controls, like on my old Rolland TD9KV2, I can memorise how to do most things. With smart phones there's screen readers, but I can't see a drum module ever having one of those. When I get round to upgrading I suspect this may be a bit of an issue for me.
The reason i got the Roland TD-50K2 is because it is compact in size (compared to other electronic drum kits) while still giving me a kit that works perfectly for what i need it to do and in turn with the right practise (and time) allows me to become a better drummer
So about a month ago I managed to get a vad504 - second hand and it had hardly been used and I got it for less than half retail price. I saw one of these Alesis kits in the music shop today and had a play, this kit suffered from a few triggering issues on the bass drum, but overall felt great to play. I was very very impressed with the sounds though; that module looks and sounds fantastic- but I rarely gig my e kit so to get the module maybe an extravagance as the Roland vad performs flawlessly every time and has done since I unpacked it - Maybe I should treat myself to a new set of pedals like a Pearl Demon XR3005 😂😂
Hope your theory about them releasing a new one later in the year is correct. If they release a more acoustic looking version I may pull the trigger on this instead of the VAD504 I'm saving for.
As a live performing Strike Pro SE and Strike MultiPad owner, the touch screen is a welcome addition… however, the reliability would make me think twice before pulling the trigger. A nice upgrade overall to the Strike Pro SE… but I’d still go Roland out of pure reliability. I’ve even begun to make the switch to Roland for this very reason with some important gigs coming up. But for home use, I’m sure this will be tremendous bang for buck.
I would rock this kit for sure. Cymbals and kick look way cool + extra bonus points for touch screen. 🤘(disclaimer- I play a roland td- 17 w/lemon cymbals)
I actually prefer the mono plugs for the Aux Input because they're balanced. I prefer having the option of Y cable for input while keeping the balanced inputs.
Roland/Boss doesn't like nice practical GUI's aka HUI's so a blind guy like me doesn't have to fart around a postage size screen menu diving. Props to Alesis.. Its not just Rolands Drum Modules, Their Loopers, Guitar Muliti-effects etc all look outdated. At this price range, I'd still go with the Roland TD27, Digital snare with Positional sensing, Best Digital hi-hat & ride (So far). And I don't have to get irritated watching that Hi-hat wobble all over the place (That was annoying). Plus I run SD3 so I don't really fart around with the Roland module😛 . So far best review on this kit. Great job Justin. 🙏
✅Discount Link To e-Drumcenter
edrumcenter.com/discount/65Drums22
Cool! Could you plug the Strike SE drum kit into this module?
How would you compare this set to a Roland TD-27KV2 or a Roland of similar price\features? Great video and thank you!
@@1111Paiste I'm also interested in this. I wouldn't see why not. The SE is just a bunch of triggers.
THANK you for finally saying that "nonsense kits" are predominately missing from this module! I get so tired of modules wasting space for dogs barking or some dude saying, "Hey!" over and over.
But how are you going to play songs that need a space laser sounding snare drum?
Well.. when you get 200-500 kits plus 1000's of sample. You can only record so many Maple, Mahogany, Birch, Cherry, Walnut, Acrylic & Whatever else DW's John Goodman come's up with. So kit #498 is for the dog lover, 499 is for the Cat lower and 500 is almost always for James Brown ! Yeow !😂🤣😂
My only two real gripes with the module is the lack of outputs if they where smart they could have used db25 conectors and you could easily added 16 outs the other issue I had is the small hard drive 120 gigs most phones have twice that built in now seriously I can buy a terabyte hardive for $30 all day
Sure, you say that, but I can't tell you how many times I've needed my entire kit to sound like different size dogs barking. Believe me, you'll miss it once it's gone 😅
So true, the only one I use on the SE is the Rock Guitar Kit. That one is fun with the growl. We have fun with that one at rehearsals.
The module is seriously impressive. Finally something that looks like it was developed post Covid in the electronic drum market.
* post iRiver
I wonder if it has Audio over USB
Agreed but I feel like the market is shifting away from standard modules anyway. A lot of people use VST’s like ezdrummer which sounds better than even the most premium modules so I can see future kits using a standard midi interface and introducing some kind of software they can charge a subscription for.
Fun fact: the guy from Drum Center of Portsmouth said some of the sounds were, **probably, recorded from their drum inventory. As Alesis rented some of those kits.
This looks like Alesis is finally stepping up their game. Nice, Justin, as always!!
He didn't say that. He said that Alesis "rented" some of their drums, and it's likely the reason was to record samples for the Strata. However, he didn't say he knew that was the case for certain.
@@482jpsquared probably misunderstood. Apologies.
@@482jpsquared So why would Alesis be renting drum's from DCP ? Maybe their Co executive's like banging on Shane's super expensive kits ? 🤣 Because why bother sampling them right ?😛 Got it 😂
Its just great to see Alesis upping their acoustic sound game.
Honestly they should make a cheaper 4 Piece version of this and I think it would sell like mad. Not everyone wants and can really fit such big kit in their homes/apartments
100%, 1 crash, 1 ride, 2 piece hi hats, actual acoustic looking shells and it's a 504 killer
the sizes are great but i would like an option for a small bass tower instead of the big one so u can get closer to a wall for example
@@loganrunaways Make that 2 crashes. :)
It certainly won't be $1500. More like $2500-$3000 if you're lucky
These are already selling like mad. Called Sweetwater the other day and they mentioned they sell a ton of these. They did a very good job marketing this kit.
Hi Justin,
Great review like always. I'm a professional musician and I used the Alesis strike pro for years on stage and I I feel there's something you don't mention. Alesis customer service is horrid for the average Joe. My module didn't turn on anymore recently and Alesis did not show any support to my problem. I was out of warranty so they acted like it wasn't their problem anymore, I live in France so maybe the customer service is not that great for us on the old continent which I understand but they didn't even mention that they were going to release this kit. I went for the mimic pro instead.
I can't count the number of soldering I had to do because of the poor built quality, two rides dead in less than 2 weeks (finally went for Roland cy15r), the hi hat broke fast, the crash broke, ALL the cables going to the center and rim piezo's on the toms, kick and snare broke. I had to constantly glue the foam rods back. That was a pain in the ass. I hope the built quality and especially the soldering quality has changed on that one. On the Module, software updates and follow up side, same thing I hope for Alesis users it will be fixed. The software updates on the strike pro were minor at best (there were no rimshots on that module and never were because they didn't think to bring this up in any of their updates). The only advantage of the strike pro was that I could import my own multilayer instruments and the number of outputs I got for the price, but even in that regards that new strata prime feels like a step back, not being able to go for a proper multitrack, even through a snake cable like the mimic does and now that pearl allows you to build multilayered instruments (because they do care about improving their module) I don't see any advantage to the strata. Not having positional sensing is another worry, will it be fixed through software updates ? I wouldn't be so sure given my experience with Alexis, you'd better be happy with what you have because it won't change for ten years.
Last point (sorry for that hell of a long comment). For all those Edrum companies out there I hope they'll understand that having to buy a completely new modules each time is not possible anymore. We live in the era of AI and technology, why don't they offer big updates with additional hardware and software when really needed to go from an older kit generation to a newer ?
@65Drums The reason Alesis only lists their own hi-hat in the trigger menu is because their hi-hat is different from most others. It's a Hall effect sensor. Those have been around for a long time but not used in other modules except the 2Box. A hall effect sensor varies incoming voltage when a magnet is brought into its proximity. Effectively what they call "active" means that it requires power, as optical sensors do - as with the EFNOTE and ATV hi hats. So "active" simply means "powered". It's not any more complicated than that. Given that it needs power, other hi-hats simply will not work with the Alesis. So, it's a lot like the EFNOTE in that sense. It requires power and the module sends that power. However, the other thing about Hall effect sensors which makes it different from optical sensors (as with the EFNOTE and the ATV) is that the voltage is inverted. So, when you press down on the pedal, voltage goes UP whereas with Roland, ATV and EFNOTE (for example) hi-hat controllers, voltage goes down, because they use resistance. For these reasons you can consider the Alesis hi-hat controller effectively "proprietary" for all intents and purposes. Hope this helps.
Very interesting. Does that mean that my Strike Pro SE hi-hat wouldn't work either? And no 3rd party HH at all? That would be a bummer
So, could you create an adapter cable that inverts the Tip/Ring to reverse the voltage direction? I would like to be able to use my ATV hihat if I buy the module only.
@@shep00703 probably not if the module is sending a voltage to the sensor, you might even damage your HH
@@reezlaw The Gewa sends a voltage also that powers the ATV HH. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working until I unplugged the Dc power supply an found it was still on and working correctly.
482jp, i like the cut of your jib, my friend. Subbed to you in case you put any videos out.
I love that each cymbal is 3-zone. That's what ALL e-drums should have for those who like to play all the bells on cymbals.
The first alesis kit I'd consider.
I was researching endlessly for best module to go with just yesterday and today this! wow!
I love the UI of the module. Every brand should have one like that
Makes the 3k Roland 50x module screen look ridiculous!
@@darrinthorpe9292 because it is!
As always, the best real review.
Thanks Justin. Your honesty is appreciated.
@65Drums. Thank you for your review. An an owner of a Strike Pro SE, the biggest (titanic) downside of that kit was the very poor triggering of the module. Sadly, for me the only way to overcome this was to buy a Roland TD30 module to use with my Strike Pro SE hardware. A notable absence from your review was to comprehensively interrogate the triggering of this new module, which I believe is (or should be) a key factor for everyone when making a decision on which high end e-kit to buy. Without that, I certainly wouldn't consider buying this kit.
Probably one of the most critical reviews of this I’ve ever seen. Every other review that I’ve watched people love this. I’m still going to buy it.
The moment Alesis drop the Strata Prime, I searched right away for you. Thanks!
Great review! Here are a couple of personal thoughts I wanted to share... 1) I am perfectly fine that an e-drum set doesn't necessarily look like an acoustic set. The overall diameter of the drum heads and cymbals need to be the same or very similar when comparing the two so you can easily transition back and forth from e-drums to acoustic. Alesis really nailed this kit with the 14" snare and 8", 10" 12" and 14" toms. The fact that the depth of the aforementioned drums are much smaller compared to acoustic drums, well, that is actually ok. In fact, I really like the different look of e-drums! 2) Why isn't anyone making a drum rack system where there is an open portion/cut away of the tube rack where all of the cables can be tucked away? This would provide a much cleaner and organized look. "All of the cables nestled in their little home!" If the cut-away was wide enough and the diameter of the rack tubes were large enough, the cables could be easily pushed in and pulled out of the hollow tubes. But, hmmm...maybe most people prefer to see the messy cables draped and zig-zagged across the drum rack.
I've been watching your video's for a few years now, and they really help. I'm considering an electronic kit. And since I've been playing acoustic for 50 yrs, ( yes I started real young). I couldn't possibly have any idea what's new on the market without your help. I've been patient because all the companies are always coming up with newer and better. Thanks for all the help. Great job, Cheers.
Personally I would recommend the roland td27kvx2 if $3000 is your budget, if it’s $1000/2000 I would go with td17kvx :)
I owned the MK DM 10 MkII and it was a decent kit to play but within 2.5 years 4 of the drums had issues with their piazos breaking. I contacted the vendor and was told it would be 6 months to maybe get a replacement. I decided to buy a Roland kit. No issues yet. They feel better built for sure.
I still have my Roland stuff from 15 yrs ago. That's why Roland has a huge re-sell value. Alesis not so much.
Thank you for your honest reviews.Been my e kit go to guy since you started.
Justin is the best in my opinion giving reviews. Very thorough and informative and I’ll add honest in his assessments. One thing I wished you had said was, is the extra $1K worth it over the Strike SE. kinda looks like it might be but want your opinion. Thanks again for all the great reviews.
The real ? Is the module worth the extra $1000 ? No digital snare-no positional sensing, that wobbling hi-hat is annoying, not to mention no digital hi-hat or ride cymbal, and if you saw DCP's review, a lot of cross-talk generating from pads to cymbals. This kit needed to be right at $2999. Its not better than the TD27 for my needs. The Alesis is a lot prettier though. There is that 😁
Thank you sir. I appreciate your input@@dilankarun9172
Today mine arrived.
My first impressions are that it is very big, much bigger than I initially thought.
The quality surprised me, apparently it is good. Because of my work, I know a lot about plastics and the ones Alesis uses are of good quality.
On the other hand, I would highlight the rack, once assembled, it is solid.
Finally, I would say that once assembled it is beautiful. In a little while when I have it all ready, I will see how it works.
I loved that you mentioned you don't need any plugins. This is why I won't buy a high end Roland. I don't feel like dropping another 500 bucks on a plugin and even more than that on a laptop that can run it. One of the reasons I love my Strike Pro SE is that I don't have to worry about any of that!!
Yeah, I think as drummers we need to remember how lucky we are that we can use a great module that has many different sounds. It’s like having 50 different drum sets in one. To me, that’s good enough. Keep the VST’s for midi only.
I’m going to wait a bit to see if Roland finally releases their new platform but otherwise I think this one is it. I’m looking for more of a computer experience than the cheap 3$ lcd screen from Roland on a 8000$ kit
I totally agree. I have a roland vad but I dont like the sounds in the TD-27 module. Have to use Superior Drummer and it's kind of a pain. I'm thinking about selling it and getting the Alesis.
I wasn't crazy about the TD27 module sounds either@@richardmiller191
@@richardmiller191Do it! There is nothing like just sitting down at the drums, turning the module on and start playing. Plus there isn't any analysis paralysis you get with a VST.
Fantastic review (again), Justin! I can't say enough about how helpful your reviews are to the drumming community. I know it's a lot of effort on your part!
Thanks Steve!
I think I might be obsessed with this drum module especially the idea behind it, I love how when if Alesis has the opportunity, they up the anti so too speak, and the next thing you know there who's come up with a really good idea and then everyone competes with Alesis, now that's what I call competition is, just for the idea behind this drum module I would purchase this set, nice job Alesis! 🤯🤘❤
Good review, I watched the drum center of Portsmouth review this morning and they left out a lot of information that you covered, really appreciate that. At first it really didn't seem worth it but you covered some things they missed and now I can see where the extra money has went. They didn't even mention the cymbals having three zones, kind of a big deal.
They didn't mention the snare didn't have positional sensing. They didn't mention the wobbly hi-hat or ride isn't digital. Nor did they mention the slow-as molasses load times. Bad enough Shane had to say you'll need a new stand. The only guy who seemed to enjoy playing the kit was the Pizza Guy, everyone else looked like they had bitter beer face ! 🤣
@@dilankarun9172man with a bitter face here… we did cover some of this, and I believe that there is some confusion, we didn’t say you needed to buy a new snare drum stand, rather that the one included isn’t of the highest quality. We did our take on the video, and luckily, there are many others out there that cover some of the other details that you’re referring to.
@@tinterlandeThis or td27kv2? Where would you put your $?
@@tinterlande You didn't have "bitter beer face" when you pulled out that Keplinger snare 😛I bought a BB Brass version from y'all after watching your Ludwig Snare demo's. Its so gorgeous & awesome, makes me feel how blessed my life is ! 😇. Oh and the Paiste Mark II ride's on my "Buy list" after watching your demo. Tom's got me thinking about the Mel Lewis ride ! See when you guys luv something. I believe it. When Shane say's this Strata kit "Probably" needs a new wrack. We believe it Which is why I luv DCP ! 😍
Wondering if the module is available separately at this time... Thanks for the review and info, as always!
Yeah, I’m not sure if I wanna buy the whole kit either!
Thats what Im thinking too. When they fix hihat compability, this could really make the mimic pro seem very expensive, well it already is, but. You get it.
Module is all im interested in buying for the strike pro kit
@@jimwilson5545 That was my thought exactly- about the Mimic. I don't really need new triggers, and I've got the Strike Pro module dialed in pretty well to my liking at this point, but I could part with it if the Strata module is not too pricey.
Just got word that Alesis is not selling the Strata module separately and have no plans to do so.... Think they're making a mistake, but what do I know (besides the fact that I'm not forking out $3500 for the whole kit when I don't need the triggers). Cheers!
Thank you for the learning, it helps checking the product with a shorter time. Cheers!
Interesting kit and a great review as always.
If this had of come out at the beginning of the year, I might have taken a punt on it. As it so happens, I bought another eFnote 3x as I gave my original one to my son.
I do like the module and the sounds are good. I'm not so keen on a drum rack though. I think the eFnote lambda stand are superior.
love the video as always keep up the great work
I really dig how the cymbals look
I tried them earlier and they play nicely, but IMHO they look like Frisbees. There's a good reason for that though. The edges have TWO zones. One outer zone is for swells. The one inside of that is for "edge" sounds. It's a good arrangement.
Thanks so much for yohr review justine, when iever i get your notication i have to look
the internal setup and components look a lot better. even if some part of the internals fail, you don't have to peel off layers and layers of obstructions to get to it
Auto Save, Undo, and Reset to Default would be really helpful going forward. Great review, Justin!! Liked, Subscribed, and Loved!! 🖖😄
I wonder if Alesis actually read comments from people… hopefully they do. Love this review.
For my personal knowledge I’d rather buy kit extensions somewhat later than paying such a price tag and get a bunch of things that I would surely unmount. A 5 piece kit, plus hh, crash and ride would be enough. Additionally, why sticking to that same boring rack thing? Smaller jazz-like Tom sizes without that boring rounded rack would definitely have make me sell both of my Roland drum kits to get this one. I find that 80’s fashion big round kit vibe a bit boring; something that Roland, Fnote, DW, even some Chinese cheap retailers FINALLY understood!
Wow! Excellent review! Looks like a lot of fun!
I really love the approach they took regarding the sound. I would go this route based on sound alone. Unfortunately, there are other issues to consider. I would never buy an expensive Alesis product. I have an old Alesis keyboard from the late 90s that still works fine (as does an even older reverb and drum module). Every other Alesis product I’ve owned since (2005 and later) has failed and couldn’t be replaced or repaired.
If the module dies, can it be replaced 3 years from now? Only time will tell if Alesis is going to adequately support these products. I hope they do. Really impressed by what I’m seeing here. This is exactly the kind of e-drum product I’ve been waiting for. I just wish a different company was making it.
Looking forward to trying these at the uk drum show!
Justin, I have been following your videos since the beginning of your channel. Aside from fantastic reviews…. It’s been really cool to see your progress as a drummer. You have gotten really good man. Keep it up
The expanded kit is a 7 pad, 6 cymbal setup for not a crazy amount more compared to other brands - very impressed by Alesis for the price point and features, especially the heavier weight
the settings not automatically saving is actually really nice if you have different drummers using the same kit like in a church. one person messing up some settingsisn’t permanent, the sound tech or next drummer just restart the device and it’s back to normal
The SE was the gateway drug. There's so many Alesis haters but theyre coming for you, thats for sure!
Also looks like sweetwater has an extended edition with an extra cymbal and a 5th tom for $4500
Really great run down of these drums. That module is freaking sweet too! I guess it should be at that price level.
Congrats on your drumming!
Hahaha, finally a proper sounding edrum with a dedicated drum library from BFD. Which is what we really do with e drums, using your computer to trigger multi layer samples. So far I like it.
This drum set will change everything for Roland.
If its reliable. Thats the most important thing for me in edrums and their previous sets werent at Roland level yet.
We really need a more on depth analysis of the performance of the hi hat and snare, and what features they even have (which I conspicuously haven’t seen anywhere) in order for the to be the case. The module itself looks pretty amazing though. Agree Roland may have to step up their game or lower their prices to stay competitive on that front.
Not really, a roland pad will last 20 years, an alesis pad? Not so long…
Yes. Roland needs to make a module with better sounds and is more user friendly so not so much menu diving.
@@JustanEdrummer You saying this from experience or is this just hyperbole?
19:01 The Korg Kronos (which is an Intel Atom based computer underneath) takes 2:30 minutes to boot. I'd say 20 seconds to boot is only slight slower than a modern computer.
22:42 It's weird they didn't decide to go the EFNote Pro route and give you every single output possible in the module, though their stagebox solution is more elegant IMO.
Thank you so much for the awesome review as always Justin, did I hear a nod to Faith no More there??
Alesis… make a hybrid kit… shell options (poplar, birch, maple, bubinga), go full shell, keep mesh top and bottom, make it so that the user can put actual acoustic heads on so that a user can practice at home and then take that same drum set on tour or to gigs without there being any deficiencies and difference in feel for the drummer. Also make module options… I’ll say this make module options for all your sets, I love the Nitro Pro XL but having the Nitro Max head/module was not what I was expecting. Make those upgrades and that set would be AWESOME!
Also, PLEASE sell the individual pieces for your higher grade sets like Alesis Strata pro that I can slowly update my nitro pro XL kit slowly over time to improve the experience.
I like the sound of this. As a blind user who loves computers, linux running on the thing could mean good things. I'm wondering if the orca screen reader or some thing based on it could be made to run on top of the ui of this system? If that were true, it would mean accessibility for blind people for the first time on a touch screen drum system. I know it's far fetched, and some people might say it's not really necisary since this is made for the masses and not for the blind people out there like me but I think it could be possible.
This review has some great "heads up" moments especially saving your trigger setups, and the load time lagging issues. I do have a soft spot for Alesis, having a great experience with my first dive into electronic drums with the D4 module.😊
this module is actually blowing my mind
This kit looks and sounds amazing! I've been using the Strike Pro SE for a while and looking to upgrade to the Strata Prime soon!
Another awesome review! Thanks for the excellent detail.
Of course they needed to do this. They needed to bring out a postdecessor model to the Pro Strike SE not even 2 monts after I finally bought the SE after thinking it over for almost 3 years and then finally made up my mind... :@
Feel for you, man T_T
Thanks for the review
Excellent Review Justin! How do the sounds compare to a TD-27 or TD-50X
Also, how does the feel of the snare, hi hats and ride compare to the digital ones on the 27 & 50 ?
I think that's why I went with Roland.
The feel of those 3.
You can pretty much get good sounds from multiple places, but it won't have the feel.
Thanks for another great video !
Oh, and I forget where it was in the video, but there were a few cool beats that you played too !!!!
👍😁👍
There's a few beats I liked but the one around 12 min is kinda like Faith No More - The Real Thing, but it's a little different.
Love it !!!!
Oh and I lost it laughing AGAIN when I saw the squeeky cymbal at 2min in !!!!
That's pretty funny.... I don't know if you meant it to be funny, but it definitely was like an SNL skit to me.
Hahahahahahaha
That's awesome !!!!!
🤣👍
Really nice review.
I've been almost ready to pull the trigger and buy a Strike Pro kit. But seeing this review, and I might pick up some extra shifts to come up with the extra cash to buy this kit.
Thanks so much for the honest observations!
save your money and go roland you will thank me later lmao TD27 eats this thing alive.
notice the confident way guys look behind this kit compared to other e drum videos
Are you sure the audio inputs are not stereo? They are listed in the manual as TRS. The mono on the left input is usually just an indication of what input to use if you only have a mono source.
Was hoping you had an early access to this kit to do a release day review. Good, long, detailed review as always. You did skip 2 in my opinion very big and important factors. I want a much more detailed analysis of the snare and hi hat. Does it do rim shots? Cross stick? How is the performance of the hi hat? How does it compare to the VH14? These are obvious, highly anticipated, and common questions that I think lots of people want to know. I’ve watched 3 videos on this kit now and not all only did none of them address these questions, but they *almost* seem to be actively avoiding them. Their absence is becoming conspicuous. What’s going on? For $3,500, exactly the price of the td27kv2 whose strong suit is the snare and hi hat, any smart consumer needs to know theses answers to make an informed decision. Really direct comparison videos are needed, though that obviously can’t be done on release day. That being said, if my hypothesis is s correct, I think this is likely more on Alesis than the individual reviewers.
this kit actually sound pretty good. nice work Alesis
Wow that is A LOT of samples. I’m actually thinking about buying this now
I got the roland 27kv2 but kinda wish I've gotten this one and I could've gotten a nice kick pedal 😂
Suddenly I need to think about whether the td27kv2 is the right choice...
I would like to know as well
I hope Alesis update this module to use MPC Expansions and samples with this kit…fingers crossed!!!🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
thnx 4 the comprehensive review Justin
On the scale with you how you rate modules where do you place this against like the mimic pro, pearl live, Yamaha, or Roland modules?
I’m glad you addressed the cymbal choke issue. I’m having the same thing happen. Hopefully it’ll be addressed in a dire update. I absolutely love it otherwise.
I would try increasing the Hold to Choke time on each cymbal to 100ms or higher. and save each as a new preset in order for it to be saved.
killer review man! nicely done
That module is amazing. I wish my Efnote had something like that.
i was always more of a roland guy and never even considered alesis as "worth it" but damn, this is a really great drumset
Try 2box. Way better than Roland
Try 2box. Way better than Roland
Great to see Alesis joining this top tier of drums. Looks awesome. Now I just need one to fall from the sky into my my house....
lol I feel that. I only get to use this for a bit longer and I have to send it right back
@@65Drums you have earned the chance to play these, at least for some period of time!
Super cool deep dive, Dude! Totally subbing!
Next level module, I am an Alesis fan boy now!
Excellent review!
Very nice battery! Surely in the future, they will re-release it under the name "Strata Prime SE" (with a drum and two more cymbals).
I believe that the size of the drums is due to the total weight of the set, it has to compensate on the one hand, so that it remains comfortably transportable.
I love this drums, it sounds amazing wish I could afford it, would love to market it in South Africa
Very good review Justin!! 🥁👍😀
Ha! I saw a store here in Canada advertise it a few hours before the embargo was lifted but there was no info on this kit. It’s 5K in Canada which I think is 5-6 hundred too much. That’s EFNote 5x territory and you get a much better looking kit.
EF Note IS nicer-looking, but how many actual great sounding kits are in the module?
But, yeah, the price is outrageous. I'm a Yamaha DTX6 kind of woman. 😅😂❤
Excellent video Justin, how did that ride cymbal compete with the roland digital ride?
After assembly drill a hole and install lock pins so the rack doesn't fall apart. He says really tighten it down. I say that isn't enough. I was playing an Alesis kit at a club and the entire right wing backed out and fell to the floor. The other standing pieces became really unstable. Lock pins fixed this issue permanently.
Really cool! It's getting competitive now
Thanks Justin, great review. Although I'm really disappointed the trend to touch screen modules continues. As a blind drummer, a touch screen is an instant no go. With physical controls, like on my old Rolland TD9KV2, I can memorise how to do most things. With smart phones there's screen readers, but I can't see a drum module ever having one of those. When I get round to upgrading I suspect this may be a bit of an issue for me.
As a new drummer, I really appreciate that beat at the 12:18 mark.
That ARC 12 inch Hat option in the module makes me hopeful there may be a lower end version coming.
It’s about time somebody makes a module that looks like it was made in this century..
Great review :)
The reason i got the Roland TD-50K2 is because it is compact in size (compared to other electronic drum kits) while still giving me a kit that works perfectly for what i need it to do and in turn with the right practise (and time) allows me to become a better drummer
Good choice, it's amazing! (I had a gen1 KV)
So about a month ago I managed to get a vad504 - second hand and it had hardly been used and I got it for less than half retail price.
I saw one of these Alesis kits in the music shop today and had a play, this kit suffered from a few triggering issues on the bass drum, but overall felt great to play. I was very very impressed with the sounds though; that module looks and sounds fantastic- but I rarely gig my e kit so to get the module maybe an extravagance as the Roland vad performs flawlessly every time and has done since I unpacked it - Maybe I should treat myself to a new set of pedals like a Pearl Demon XR3005 😂😂
Hope your theory about them releasing a new one later in the year is correct. If they release a more acoustic looking version I may pull the trigger on this instead of the VAD504 I'm saving for.
As a live performing Strike Pro SE and Strike MultiPad owner, the touch screen is a welcome addition… however, the reliability would make me think twice before pulling the trigger. A nice upgrade overall to the Strike Pro SE… but I’d still go Roland out of pure reliability. I’ve even begun to make the switch to Roland for this very reason with some important gigs coming up. But for home use, I’m sure this will be tremendous bang for buck.
Very minor - (11:07) Those are XLR and TRS outputs, not inputs. Great kit!
This kit looks really cool. Really hope they release the module separately, I don't need more pads.
I would rock this kit for sure. Cymbals and kick look way cool + extra bonus points for touch screen. 🤘(disclaimer- I play a roland td- 17 w/lemon cymbals)
the squeaky door got me to crack up way harder than it should have LMFAO
thank you Alesis and justin ....sold sold sold.
I actually prefer the mono plugs for the Aux Input because they're balanced. I prefer having the option of Y cable for input while keeping the balanced inputs.
Awesome review.
Roland/Boss doesn't like nice practical GUI's aka HUI's so a blind guy like me doesn't have to fart around a postage size screen menu diving. Props to Alesis.. Its not just Rolands Drum Modules, Their Loopers, Guitar Muliti-effects etc all look outdated. At this price range, I'd still go with the Roland TD27, Digital snare with Positional sensing, Best Digital hi-hat & ride (So far). And I don't have to get irritated watching that Hi-hat wobble all over the place (That was annoying). Plus I run SD3 so I don't really fart around with the Roland module😛 . So far best review on this kit. Great job Justin. 🙏
for some reason, the dwe didn't move the needle for me. but i am fairly eager to try this kit out some day soon
I use a strike module to trigger SD3, which is amazing but I would like to get just the module to trigger my ATOE conversion.