Alesis Surge electronic cymbals finally shipping

From MusicRadar's second Surge encounter at Musikmesse 2008
From MusicRadar's second Surge encounter at Musikmesse 2008

You might remember Alesis' Surge "feel like the real thing" electronic cymbals popping up a few times this year. Launched at NAMM as part of the DM5 and USB Pro Kit and re-launched at Musikmesse as a separate entity and combination pack, they are now - finally - shipping.

The specs haven't changed, but to re-cap, we're looking at lathed brass cymbals coated with a clear layer of vinyl for a realistic look, feel and response. You can hook them up to your sound module via 'piezo' triggers.

Surge fall into the "high-end" of Alesis' electronic drum market, which is reflected in the prices:

12" hi-hat - $199
13" crash - $249
13" crash with choke - $299
16" Dual-Zone ride - $349
16" Dual- Zone ride with choke - $399
Surge cymbal pack - $579

Tom Porter worked on MusicRadar from its mid-2007 launch date to 2011, covering a range of music and music making topics, across features, gear news, reviews, interviews and more. A regular NAMM-goer back in the day, Tom now resides permanently in Los Angeles, where he's doing rather well at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).