Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit Review: A Perfect Option for Beginners

Since my childhood days, music has been a primary segment of my passions. I grew up in the days of the classics, and these greatly shaped my taste for music. Though I’ve been impressed by and developed interest in different instruments, the drum kit has always stood out for me. However, despite my love for this instrument, drum kits were considerably expensive.

My situation wasn’t an isolated case as there are numerous individuals today who desire to pursue playing drums but are constrained financially to make a quality purchase. The good news is that today there are a variety of cheap drum kits in the market. It is for this reason that I embarked on doing this review, highlighting my favorite affordable drum kit and giving reasons why it’s my all-time preferred.

Some time back, the market was short of affordable kits, not until brands such as Alesis came in. I consider Alesis one of my preferred drum kit brands, and here’s why. It is not easy to find an affordable drum kit of high quality, but Alesis offers these features in a single package. Without a doubt, Alesis has transformed the industry in such a way that there’s something for the beginner and the legend without an overly significant compromise on quality.

There are numerous cheap drum kits in the market, but the trouble comes in when the performance is a top concern. The Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit review is a remarkable kit that is characterized by pocket-friendliness, awesome performance, reliability, longevity, appealing sound, and easy playability.

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Specifications:

• Total Number of Pads: 5 x drum pads, 3 x cymbal pads
• Included Snare/Tom Pads: 1 x 8″ Dual-zone Mesh Snare Pad, 3 x 8″ Mesh Tom Pads
• Included Kick Pads: Kick Pad Tower
• Included Cymbal Pads: 3 x 10″ Cymbals (ride, hi-hat, crash with choke)
• Included Drum Module: Nitro Drum Module
• Number of Drum Kits: 40 kits, Metronome
• Number of Instruments: 385 total sounds, 60 play-along tracks
• Module Trigger Inputs: 2 x 1/4″ (Tom 4, Crash 2), 1 x DB-25
• Module Analog Inputs: 1 x 1/8″ (aux in)
• Module Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4″ (left, right)
• Headphones: 1 x 1/8″
• Module MIDI I/O: In/Out
• USB: 1 x Type B
• Included Hardware: Kick pedal, Hi-hat pedal, 4-post aluminum rack, cable snake

What’s included:

• Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit

Distinctive Attributes of the Alesis Nitro Mesh Drum Kit

There are a number of factors that make the Alexis Nitro Mesh kit not only good but also an outstanding affordable drum kit. Before we look at its performance attributes, let’s start by taking a look at components and design.

What’s in the Box?

The Alesis Drums Nitro Mesh Kit is an eight-piece variant of its predecessor, which has a mesh snare in place of rubber snares coupled with tom pads. The dark-profiled 8-inch pads have been designed with a narrow profile, and have plastic rims that make for easy adjustability of mesh tension. The good thing about the mesh pads is that they can be easily adjusted as one would adjust the tension on acoustic drums. It is a critical factor as it not only facilitates ease of tuning but also stays in tune with the snare heads.

The set comes with a pair of foot control pedals. The kit has larger pedals that offer a wider surface area for a more natural and comfier feel than most e-kits. The feature enhances the comfort and control of the player, as it allows one to reach and hit both the Alesis nitro mesh double bass drum and hi-hat effortlessly. The conspicuous steel pedal plates add to the kit’s professional look. This inexpensive set has a sturdy rubber kick pad that is designed for longevity. Worth noting, it is possible to use a preferred Alesis nitro mesh kit double pedal as the kick tower is conveniently large to accommodate different control pedals.

The Alesis Nitro Drum Set kit also has a sizable dual-zone 8-inch snare and three 8-inch tom pads which feature mesh surfaces. The kit also comes with three 10-inch cymbal pads, one fitted with the choke functionality to serve as a crash. The modern build of the set makes for an appealing look. Each pad connects to the central module through a 25-pin loom cable that comes with the kit. Noteworthy, the kit offers great flexibility and control as the central module allows the insertion of an extra dual-zone tom pad and another single-zone cymbal pad using extra jacks.

The module has a number of connectivity ports, which are a jack headphone out for silent practicing, an auxiliary in, a USB, and a 5-pin MIDI port. The kit significantly weighs less than its predecessors and other competitor kits on the market owing to its framework design. It also has a pair of line outputs for plugging into a PA system. The small aluminum construction, together with the thinner support tubes, makes for a lighter weight. It consequently facilitates easier portability and fast assembly.

The manufacturer embraced attentiveness to detail when designing the kit, as the L-rods are ideally hidden under the snare and toms once the kit is assembled, therefore giving the entire setup a neat look. There’s plenty of room for a tablet holder if you intend to plug in your device while playing. Though the package does not include this stand, you can get a quality tablet holder or mic holder at an affordable price.

The Software Makeup

Shifting gears to the software makeup, the e-kit has 40 kits, which comprise 24 factories presets and 16 user-editable banks. The user has access to a whopping 385 samples among them that can be used in editing current kits or even to create new ones. A great deal for moderate practicing, the module has 60 MIDI backing tracks, which cover a variety of genres, including rock and jazz. The simplicity of its layout makes for easy operability. An inbuilt metronome is a resourceful tool during practice sessions, more so for growing drummers.

Its convenient design allows fast and effortless assembly. It’s impressive how sturdy the kit is upon completion of setting up. The rack is intuitive to put together, and placing pads isn’t a rigorous task. Its convenient size makes it ideal to be used in closed settings such as studios and small stages. Noteworthy, the instrument is suitable for both children and adults as there’s room for framework adjustment to accommodate different sizes.

With the dual-zone snare, a drummer can satisfactorily execute rimshots and cross-stick techniques depending on the exerted velocity. A hard strike will play the rimshot sound while a gentler strike will translate to a cross-stick sound. On that note, a player will need to develop mastery of the velocity patterns to maintain consistency in the playing technique. While the installed plastic rims are a little noisy compared to kits with rubber rims, the new mesh heads make playing comfortable as they are notably quiet.

Though the inbuilt backing tracks aren’t the best in terms of quality, a player can easily jam to their favorite music by plugging in a device via the aux port. The Alesis Nitro Mesh kit offers cool versatility as it is compatible with a number of third-party rig software. In case you’ve had enough of the inbuilt sounds, you can bring on board a fresh sound by rigging up with your favorite software.

Noteworthy, installing an extra crash and tom might necessitate the use of separate mounting hardware as the kit might appear cluttered and uncomfortable to play if the extra inputs are mounted on the existing frame.

The Sound Quality

For its price range, the Alexis Nitro Kesh kit delivers appealing sounds, which makes it a perfect kit for novices and a reliable training set for professionals. It is impressively less noisy compared to its competitor electronic drums. It has a wide array of MIDI tracks, which range from rock, blues, and jazz, among others.

The 40 available kit sounds can be conveniently adjusted to a personalized taste. You can check out the video below, which features sampled sounds.

Pros and Cons of the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit

Most musical instruments have their pros and cons, and this one is no exception. There are several factors that make the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit a good option over its competitors and factors that are severe disadvantages. These are some of the reasons why this electronic drum is a kit worth trying and also the major downside to it.

How Easy is This Set to Store Away?

The Alesis Nitro Mesh kit is easy to store, thanks to its compact size and easily detachable parts. The aluminum frame comprises base stands and robust tubes that are easy to connect and disassemble. Additionally, the standard-sized mesh pads are not space intensive when it comes to storage.

Taking a look at the module, this component that serves as the kit’s engine is conveniently small; therefore, it does not require much storage space. Worth mentioning, it is also an ideal kit for the musician on the move owing to ease of portability.

Can I Use a Double Pedal with This Kit?

If you are a drummer who’s into rock and other related genres of music, then the compatibility of a kit with double pedals is most likely a critical factor. The good news is that the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit is designed to accommodate both single and Alesis nitro double bass pedals as it has a conveniently sizable kick tower, which allows for the adjustment.

However, the kit’s support frame is compact, and it is necessary to consider the size of the double pedal. Pedals with a lengthier driveshaft might feel somewhat uncomfortable, and you might need to make some adjustments.

Interface Design and Usability

The module’s simple interface makes for incredible usability. It is possible for a drummer to intuitively interact with the kit as the functionalities are indicated on the module. A sizable display mounted on the upper side of the central module enables the player to effortlessly monitor the controls, make adjustments, and browse through available kits.

The ports are conspicuously indicated to facilitate easy connection with external equipment such as a PC, the PA system, and even a headset. Additionally, the user manual that comes with the package comes in handy as a reference point for drummers in case of uncertainty.

Accessories

Looking at the accessories provided, the kit comes with classy stereo headband headphones that are good for quiet personal rehearsals. There are 9.8 ft interconnect cables of good quality. The electronic drum also comes with a pair of maple drumsticks, which are not only durable but also have a comfy grip when playing.

Drummers who don’t like wood drumsticks can conveniently use their preferred drumsticks in place of the On Stage 5B sticks. All the necessary connection cables come with the kit, and it is very convenient because a player won’t have to go searching for missing wires. The cables are of good quality, and they are not susceptible to breaking. That ensures a longer service life.

A drum wrench is also provided. It is a vital tool when it comes to assembling and disassembling the kit or even when adjusting the tension of the mesh pads. An electronic drum wouldn’t be complete without a power supply, and therefore the kit comes with a sturdy power supply unit. But the kit does not come with a drum rag. That’s why it is vital to place a rag before assembling your kit to facilitate stability and prevent the frame bases from messing with the floor.

There is a wide range of quality rags based on different designs, materials, colors, and patterns. You can check out some of the best drum rugs for electronic kits on the market. The kit also doesn’t include gloves, but you can check some of the best drumming gloves.

The Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit: A Game Changer

Alesis is a remarkable game-changer in the electronic drum market niche. The brand offers both quality and affordability, and therefore, the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit is a great option for new drummers who’re on a budget. The set offers great versatility and comes with a rich array of sounds that can be conveniently tweaked to custom voices. This functionality makes it an affordable option for professional drummers in search of a practice kit as they can attune the sounds to their preferred taste.

It is an awesome kit for its price range as it displays great performance and has appealing aesthetics. The black shade that characterizes all parts of the kit gives this drum set a professional and complete look. Also, if you don’t have ample space available, this electronic kit is a great option as it is compact and therefore does not require a lot of storage space.

The Alesis Nitro Mesh kit can conveniently fit in closed spaces, whether it be in your apartment or a studio. Again, if you are the kind of musician who is always on the move to playing in gigs, carrying this kit wouldn’t be a daunting task as it is lightweight. The only notable disadvantage of this kit is that it only has arguably basic presets and can produce not the greatest sounds. However, a drummer can adjust the voices and also rig up with a drum kit software via the MIDI port.

In my opinion, no cheap electronic drum set beats the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit. I would recommend it to both beginners and advanced drummers. What’s your experience with the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit? Which is your favorite drum rig software? You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.