Alesis DM5 18-bit Drum Module Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great machine!!
You do can adjust pretty much everything, the pitch, the gain, noise, pan...etc
Very realistc, you can play super fast or slow and still recognizes the weak hits and the strong hits. The perfect mate is the Ddrum acoutic pro triggers :)
I use all this for metal. Awesome help for home and professional use.

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A classic drum-sound module for drummers, programmers, and producers, the Alesis DM5 18-bit drum module contains 540 stereo, 18-bit drum sounds that can be assigned to any of the 21 programmable drumsets. And 12 trigger inputs enable DM5 to be used with all Alesis drum and cymbal pads, SURGE Cymbals, and the triggering devices from most other major manufacturers.
This drum module also has full MIDI I/O so it can be used as a sound source for composing, programming, and sequencing with a wide variety of controllers including keyboards, pad triggers, MPCs, and more. Built-in Alesis studio effects including reverb and ambiance ensure that you can send a complete, finished sound to the PA, recording system, and your headphones with no additional processing. And the DMF offers Alesis' exclusive Dynamic Articulation technology, which modifies sample sounds so they change as you play them.

Key Features
540 drum, percussion, and cymbal sounds
Dynamic Articulation modulates tone and pitch of sounds for realism
Stereo samples with reverb and ambiance
Seven-position, user programmable panning
128 dynamic levels via MIDI or trigger inputs
21 drumset-memory locations with defaults stored permanently

Dynamic Articulation Discerning ears will notice that each sound is actually a series of different samples; multiple dynamic-level samples and articulations are all built in so as you play harder and softer, the drum or cymbal changes its timbre, not just its volume. This engineered realism is known as Dynamic Articulation, an Alesis exclusive.
This results in sounds that respond accurately not only to dynamic changes, but also with the appropriate timbral and color changes you'd expect from their acoustic counterparts. You can play with or without reverb for different room sounds and enjoy a wide variety of rimshots, rim clicks and different stick-placement sounds on the cymbals. The Random Sample feature also ensures you don't get the same sound twice for further creative realism.
Specifications
Inputs: (12) 1/4-inch (each with 5 user adjustable trigger parameters)
Outputs: Two 1/4-inch stereo pairs
Headphone: 1/4-inch TRS with variable gain
MIDI: In, Out/Thru
18-bit sample resolution
48kHz Sample rate
Footswitch: 1/4-inch, assignable to hi-hat control or program advance
16-voice polyphony
Panning: 7 position, user programmable
Kits: 21 Memory locations w/defaults permanently stored in ROM
Tuning Scheme: Coarse (chromatic) and Fine (cents)
Data Input: Data knob, front panel keypad (sound auditioning via velocity sensitive
Preview button on front panel)
Expanded Dynamic Articulation: Modulates tone and pitch
Power: 9V AC external transformer, UL and CSA approved
Dimensions: 19 x 1.75 x 6 inches (WxHxD)
Weight: 4.5 pounds

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Alesis DM10 Studio Kit Professional Six-Piece Electronic Drum Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I looked forward for the DM10 Studio Kit to become available for months, and even downloaded the manual from Alesis when it became availble so I could hit the ground running when I made my purchase. When the unit showed up on my door step I grabbed the hand truck and axiously moved it to its new home. I opened the box and everything was neatly packed and protected. I began unpacking all of the individual boxes and frame peices and spread them around the room. I located the installation instructions. The instructions for putting the entire unit together was on an 8x11 peice of paper in 4 different languages with the diagrams and printing so small it was difficult to read. I immediately went to the Alesis website and down loaded the instructions so I could easily zoom in on my laptop. Problem 1 solved. The frame was fairly easy to put together and rigid enough to support all drums and accesseries. All of the clamps that hold the frame, cymbal and drums to the frame are plastic and I accidently cracked one by hand tightning. Would have been better to have aluminum clamps. There are no ball joints like you would find on an acoustic set for ajusting the tom drums,as it is an L rod that allows side to side ajustment. The clamp attached to the frame will allow up and down movement but can be tricky to get at once the tom is mounted. I mounted the sound module to the frame with the included clamp and proceded to run the cables to the triggers on the drums and cymbals. All cables were clearly marked as well as the back of the sound module. There were two cables in which the desciption did not match what was written on the back of the sound module, I just plugged them into the next available spaces. The cables are pre-cut to length so you cannot vary the placements of the drums and cymbals. Even when placed like the instructions show there is not a sufficient amount of cable to neatly attach to the frame. I actually had to move the sound module to under the hihat cymbal as to not stress the wires on the back of the sound module.
The one major design flaw seem to be the base drum module. It is very top heavy and has no support legs on the sides. It wobbles alot while playing, especially on carpet as it actually tipped over. Be careful that you retract the spikes before putting it on hardwood, vinyl or ceramic tile floors. I also could not get much sound out of the base drum pedal. I think it may have been defective as no matter what I did the volume would not increase like I could get the rest of the triggers to do. The hihat pedal felt nothing like a "real hihat pedal" even though thats what Alesis calls it. I could not get it to calibrate and perform as advertised. Do not buy this unit thinking that when you are done putting it together that it is ready to play. This unit needs alot of calibration and adjustment. Plan on spending a couple of hours doing this. The sounds that the module produces are good and the menues are easy to navigate. As far as the drum heads are concerned, Alesis claims in their advertising it is just like playing acoustic drums and no need to change your playing technique. It could not be farther from the truth. The drum heads themselves may be real but thats about it. I do not know what the material directly underneath the head is but it is a hard spongy type material and fairly noisy. I was impressed with the cymbals as they seemed high quality like you would find on a Roland or Yamaha set.
Like I mentioned earlier I had problems with calibration and getting sound out of the base drum pad. I called Alesis waiting on hold 45 to 60 minutes at a time and giving up. I should not have to wait that long. Just being curious I called Roland and Yamahas customer service departments and had a rep within minutes. After that little experiment, I re-packaged the entire unit and sent it back for a refund. I am now saving up for a Roland or Yamaha unit.

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Professional 6-piece electronic drum set, DM10, RealHead 10" snr, 4x 8" toms, DMPad HH, 2x Crash, 3-zone Ride

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Yamaha DTXPLORER Electronic Drum Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, the previous review from July 2010 sounds like a person unaware of what they were getting into. This is an entry level e-kit, but has features and stability of a higher end kit. Pads have great rebound for being rubber (not hard plastic). The kit sounds are great and the adjustability and sensitivity of the pads are well beyond what I had expected. You can get very good ghost notes out of these as well as good powerful strokes due to the velocity sensitive pads. The pads that come with it are all single zone, but the snare can be upgraded to a 3 zone pad for about $70.00 and the cymbals can be upgraded to two zone pads for about $60.00. You also have the option of adding another pad (single zone) for an extra cymbal or tom. DONT expect this to replace an acoustic kit or be as good as a higher end roland, but do expect you get Yamaha quality in this kit, which is outstanding. Check out Musicians Friend and Guitar Center for nearly 100 reviews on this product. People love it and so do I!

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The DTXPLORER is a complete five-piece electronic drum kit with kick, snare, three toms, two cymbals, hi-hat pad and controller, plus a genuine Yamaha bass drum pedal that mounts on the included aluminum rack system.The rack can be folded with the pads, making it easy to move or store the kit when not in use.The internal sounds of the DTXPLORER feature kicks, snares, and toms actually recorded from Yamaha's famous acoustic drums.This gives you the ability to mix and match various sounds to create your own 'ultimate" Yamaha drum kit.The built in sequencer has 22 preset songs to jam along with, either as a full ensemble, or you can solo just the bass part.The AUX input lets you play along with any music from a connected CD or MP3 player, and the DTXPLORER includes our Groove Check and Rhythm Gate functions that turn good drummers into great drummers.

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Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drums Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This kit is near-to-perfect for someone who finds their acoustic kit has become too loud, too big, too difficult to transport, and too time-consuming to set up.
If you are looking for something that is small with a small footprint that is light, portable, and that sounds good, this kit will fill the bill. I haven't been able to put the sticks down (geeze, now I know why I got away from playing for 15 years - it's as additive as crack cocaine).
The other reviews voice criticism and they are justified, depending on what you are looking for. Unlike the higher-end kits, you cannot select individual drums. The drums for any of the pre-programed ten kits, and the volume of those individual drums are "global," meaning you can turn the whole kit up or down, but not adjust the tune or volume of one drum vs. another.
The voices are sampled and really sound incredible, but if I could "have it my way," I would have the snare be a bit more sensitive (you can set the sensitivity, but again, it's "global" for all the drums in the kit), and would make the snare and cymbal louder in relation to the toms and kick.
The peddle system is ingenious, and works well. It took a little while to find a the sweet spot to allow me to do "Banham doubles," and it still is not as easy to do as it is with a true peddle, but it's close.
The other thing that I have seen on the more expensive kits that the HD1 does not have is the ability to be able to choke out cymbals with your hand.
If these thing are important to you, you might want to look at a more expensive kit. But those kits are bigger, heavier, and more time-consuming to set up. If the reason you wanted is primarily for portability (the greatest kit in the world that you won't take to friends' house to jam with will do you no good, right?) - or what this thing is, for how tiny it is, and for what it weighs (32 lbs), you can't beat it with a stick - well, actually you can, and I have been, a lot.
More information: Kit 1 has a nice acoustic sound, like a kit in an intimate setting. Kit 1A is a "jazz kit," the snare sound of which I like the best. The crash is a bit more splashy, and the ride sounds like it has rivets. The hat is really crisp and clean. The second tom becomes a cross-stick on a rim. Kit 2 sounds just like drums in a big empty hall. Kit 2A sounds the same as 2, but the hat peddle becomes a second kick (open hat) and the second tom become a cowbell. Kit 3 is a snare, crash, ride, hat, and three "island drums." Kit 3A is a snare, crash, ride, hat, and three percussion instruments of some kind or another. Forget about Kits 4 & 5 and their Alternates, unless you like Devo and dance music from the 80s.

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A New All-In-One Drum Kit for the MassesRoland's V-Drums are the most popular electronic drums in the world, but not everyone has the room or budget for a full V-Drums kit. Introducing the new Roland HD-1. It's forged from the same technology as its predecessors, but it's much simpler to use. It's also incredibly quiet, thanks to the newly designed kick beater, cushioned tom pads, and snare head. The HD-1 is also conveniently compact and stylish - perfect for every home, school, studio, etc. - and it's priced for the masses. Most of the HD-1's components are mounted on one stand for easy setup and transport, and for a clean look. Just take it out of the box and play.

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Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had my Alesis DM6 drumset up and running for a couple days and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. Up until now any electronic drumset in the $500 range was nothing more than a toy. Because I know that Alesis knows how to make great electronic drumsets I was hoping that their experience making higher end kits would trickle down to this brand new DM6 line. It did. This drumset is fabulous when you consider the price point and, in fact, has no real competition that I could find.
Pros:
- Everything is included. I've looked at a lot of drumsets and many don't include everything you need like bass drum pedals and more. This has everything you need to play right our of the box, even a pair of drum sticks. OK, a couple things not included you will need and that's a set of headphones and a throne (chair) to sit on.
- Sturdy, well made components. The natural rubber drum heads are quiet but have a very good feel and rebound to them. The rubber cymbals are not as quiet as the drum heads but do what they are supposed to do very nicely. All metal hi-hat and bass pedals. Wide diameter aluminum frame rails and compoents.
- Very realistic sounding drum samples.
- Dual zone snare. You can make the snare sound like a rimshot when you hit the rim. Or program it for a cowbell when you play "Don't Fear the Reaper". Or make it sound like any of the other drum sounds included.
- Ability to interface with your computer via USB. This opens up a world of options including MIDI and recording your performances on your favorite recording software. I don't know of any sub $500 kit of this quality that does that.
- MY FAVORITE THING is I just plug in my iPod into the DM6 module and I can play right along to my favorite songs.
- You can buy an ION Drum Rocker module (I was able to get one on eBay, not sold by Alesis) and use this kit for your Rockband drumset. You'll need 8 new cables too, so while there is extra expense, it's possible
Cons:
- Some kits, including mine, were delivered with firmware that was less than perfect. I, and others I have heard, would sometimes have problems with the snare drum triggering properly. I had to hit it harder than I thought I should to get it to trigger. A quick and easy firmware update totally fixed this problem but I know some people have problems updating thgings like this.
The Botton Line:
- Everything I've said in this review is under the caviat, "...for the price." If you are new to drumming this would be a great first set. But if you are and experienced drummer on a tight budget you will not be disappointed as long as you aren't expecting the DM6 to be a Roland Pro high end drum kit. The bottom line is this is the best $500 (street price) electronic drumset ever made.


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An excellent choice in electronic drum sets for price-conscious drummers and aspiring players, this Alesis DM6 Kit combines the compact DM6 drum-sound module with an electronic drum set with extremely realistic playing surfaces and rugged rack system. The DM6 drum module features a completely new sound-set with 108 quality drum, cymbal, and percussion instruments as well as a sequencer with play-along tracks, metronome, recorder, mix-in jack for playing along with your iPod, and more.

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