American music tech giants Alesis have become a big name in the world of electronic drums. Whether you’re a beginner just starting your drumming journey and looking out for a great e-kit to learn your first songs on, or a seasoned professional craving a gigging and recording workhorse, this expert guide should help you pinpoint the best Alesis electronic drum set for you.
After introducing the Midiverb, one of the world’s first affordable studio-quality effects processors, Alesis ventured into drum machines in 1990 with the SR-16 – the all-time best selling drum machine, which is still available to this day. With affordability and quality at the heart of their operation, 1995 saw the introduction of the DM5 drum sound module, which was another best-seller. Over 25 years later, Alesis is still producing some of the best affordable, studio-quality products money can buy, and there are plenty of best-in-class e-kits in the line-up, too.
The Alesis website currently advertises 12 e-kits in its line-up, catering to all the above needs and then some. What's more, every kit Alesis makes now comes with mesh heads - in my opinion a much better alternative to rubber pads and considered a deal breaker amongst those in the know. With so much choice, we’re here to help you cut through the noise and get straight to the best.
My top picks
If you're looking for the very best of the best when it comes to Alesis drum sets, look no further than their flagship Alesis Strata Prime. Packing top quality sounds from BFD, a 10.1-inch touchscreen and all mesh heads.
This is the perfect electronic drum set for new players who want to train their ears, nail their timing and sound good while doing it. With all-mesh pads, and a module loaded with quality BFD sounds, plus built-in Bluetooth for wireless streaming of music and lessons from your smart device.
It may be the lowest-cost Alesis drum set available right now, but don't let that get you thinking this isn't a great e-kit. With all-mesh pads and a compact form factor, it's a great choice for those who don't want to spend loads.
If you've got a budding John Bonham on your hands, the Alesis Debut is the perfect e-kit for kids. It's compact in size and affordable, but still gives you top quality sounds and mesh heads for a realistic feel.
With dual-zone 8” pads all round to help develop your playing accuracy and creativity, the larger 10” snare pad provides a greater playing surface for practicing new techniques. The module is laid out to make changing kits and tweaking new sounds easy - great for making custom kits on the fly.
The Command Mesh is slap-bang in the middle of Alesis’ e-kit offering, and includes a so-called ‘Advanced Drum Module’. This upgraded powerhouse delivers even more in-built kits and sounds than the Nitro and Surge, with the capability to add more of your own drum samples via a USB thumb drive.
Best overall
Representing the flagship kit in the Alesis catalogue, the Alesis Strata Prime is a premium electronic drum set that features a huge array of high quality sounds, as well as a very full feature set.
With a full 45GB of samples courtesy of the BFD sound library, Strata Prime delivers some of the most realistic drum sounds we've heard on an e-kit. The ability to stack drums like you would in a modern recording studio means you can get some huge, punchy drum tones that sound straight off your favourite record.
It always remains playable though, with the two zone snare and ARC cymbals that feature a 360 degree playing surface that's chokeable. The hi-hat uses magnets to determine the positioning which results in a smooth hi-hat feel that's amongst the best we've tested.
The large touchscreen makes navigating the kit a breeze, giving you a great visual for changing sounds and settings. You can blend sounds, apply effects, and when combined with the selection of knobs, quickly and easily adjust sounds in the mixer window.
"The snare drum pad is really good, with the 14” sizing not only faithful to most peoples’ go-to snare size, but it matches the largest tom, rather than dwarfing it. We’ve said a similar thing about ‘shell’ based kits before, and while the Strata Prime pads don’t have the depth limitations of a full-shell setup, the diameters mean that you’re likely to space everything out more naturally."
Read more: Alesis Strata Prime review
Best for beginners
This electronic drum kit consists of three mesh toms, a mesh dual-zone snare pad and three cymbals, with the crash cymbal including a choke function - allowing for greater creativity as well as more control over your playing. The 32 kits (plus 16 user kits) on-board the supplied module offer a variety of high-quality sounds, from fat classic rock sounds to 808 style samples. Best of all, the sounds come straight from the awesome BFD sound library, so they're a cut above most kits at this level, and certainly a vast improvement on the Max's predecessor, the Nitro Mesh.
The mesh heads feels great to play and demonstrate that playability and feel are high on Alesis’ list of priorities; an excellent feature at this price. The module is packed with useful features like a metronome, built-in play-along songs and a performance recorder. This is a perfect electronic drum set for beginner drummers who want to train their ears, nail their timing and sound good while doing it. You can also connect your phone or tablet wirelessly via Bluetooth and jam along to your favourite tracks. Another headline feature. Cool, right?
Our only negative is that the rack system is slightly flimsy and our test kit had a bit of a wobble to it. Not a problem once you have it set up how you like, and it doesn't undermine performance, however we would like to see a second horizontal support in the centre of the rack on the next iteration of this kit.
Elsewhere, the drum pads are nice and beefy and you also get a chunky hi-hat controller pedal, plus bass drum tower complete with real bass drum pedal, making the Nitro Max a brilliant option for children or adults looking for a well-priced practice kit.
"Alesis and its many kits are likely to appear high on the list of potential e-kit customers, and the introduction of the Nitro Max is clearly a glimpse of what we can expect to come from Alesis. It sounds great, is easy to use from a playing perspective, and the build quality of the stand is sturdy enough to absorb some heavy hitting."
Read more: Alesis Nitro Max review
Best budget
If you're after the cheapest Alesis electronic drum set you can buy, then you're looking for the Alesis Turbo Mesh. Coming in below the $/£300 mark it's superb value for money, but still packs a lot of great sounds and playability despite the low cost.
We found the all-black frame of the Turbo Mesh to not only look great, but feel very robustly built, especially considering the price point. With four mesh pads, two cymbal pads, and one hi-hat you've got a full complement to play around with. They feel pretty realistic too, certainly enough for casual playing or beginners new to electronic drum sets.
The module again appears simplistic, but still packs in a great selection of sounds for you to choose from. They won't touch the higher end kits in this guide, but again for cheap practice or beginners it absolutely does the job. Add in 30 onboard backing tracks and the ability to use a 3.5mm input jack and you've got the perfect low cost practice kit.
"The mesh pads are responsive and the module offers plenty of cool features for beginners and sounds that should inspire newcomers to the instrument. Yes, there are better kits out there that will deliver a more realistic bass drum experience for more cash, but if you have a specific budget and you want to start playing today, the feature list for the money really speaks for itself."
Read more: Alesis Turbo Mesh review
Best for kids
For younger players and children, the Alesis Debut is a great starter kit. It's compact size makes it more comfortable for smaller dimensions, with the added benefit of taking up less room too. It even comes with a drum throne, headphones, and drum sticks, so you can get playing straight away.
Despite being for younger drummers it's still an 8-piece kit, which will give them a great grounding in proper drumming. It's surprisingly quick to set up too, taking me no more than ten minutes to get up and running from unboxing it.
You get a nice selection of sounds from dry pop sounds to EDM style kits, which should more than cover the needs of beginner players. The footpedals feel a little strange coming from a regular electronic drum set, but for younger players without anything to compare to they do the job.
"Overall, for the price, this is an excellent option for first-time players. It’s small enough to not overstretch more slight players and, while the sounds won’t win any awards, they’re more than adequate to give the full experience of playing the drums."
Read more: Alesis Debut review
Best for practice
The Alesis Surge Mesh setup is very similar to that of the Nitro Max. With dual-zone 8” pads all round to help develop your playing accuracy and creativity, the larger 10” snare pad provides a greater playing surface for practicing new techniques.
The Surge module also contains many of the same features as the old Nitro Mesh. The drum and cymbal buttons, which are laid out in a traditional drum set configuration make changing kits and tweaking new sounds easy - great for making custom kits on the fly.
Although slightly let down by the lack of dual-zone cymbals on this model, the Surge Mesh is still a high-quality e-kit for under $599/£569, and a perfect choice for any beginner or intermediate drummer.
Read the full Alesis Surge Mesh review
"The wealth of learning features (like the metronome that tells you how good your time is) make great tools for budding drummers, and with everything included except a throne, the Surge represents a worthy first drum kit purchase, which also promises to keep the neighbours happy."
Read more: Alesis Surge Mesh review
Best for recording
The Command Mesh is slap-bang in the middle of Alesis’ e-kit offering, and includes a so-called ‘Advanced Drum Module’. This upgraded powerhouse delivers even more in-built kits and sounds than the Nitro and Surge, with the capability to add more of your own drum samples via a USB thumb drive.
Although the kit is a little fiddly to assemble, once pieced together the chrome mounting rack features non-slip clamps which give the kit a reassuringly solid feel. This means you can play away the hours without having to worry about the hardware failing you.
This is not only a great beginner/intermediate choice, but would make a lot of professional drummers think twice about spending more than $799/£699.
Read the full Alesis Command Mesh review
"Alesis has outdone itself with the Command Mesh. It would be a great option for the pads alone but when allied to its wide range of sounds, sample playback option and so forth... Well, this is a kit that you'll take a long time to outgrow."
Read more: Alesis Command Mesh review
How to choose
Playing an e-kit has many upsides compared with its acoustic counterpart. Whether it’s nearly silent practice, taking up less space in your bedroom, or seemingly endless studio-quality samples at your fingertips, the buzz around electronic drum sets is worth taking seriously.
There’s no doubt that Alesis is up there with Yamaha and Roland when it comes to quality. All three companies offer a wide range of great e-kits, with something for every type of player.
Where Alesis really pulls ahead of its rivals, though, is with value for money. Sure, Roland and Yamaha may have more of a reputation when it comes to their electronic drums, and Roland in particular has the upper hand in terms of hardware and technology, but when you consider that the Roland TD50KV costs nearly three times as much as Alesis’ flagship kit, you have to ask whether the extra outlay is really worth it when Alesis offers great performance and features for less.
Realism is key for Alesis electronic drums, so their tightly-woven mesh heads are there to reassure you that you’ll be able to swap between your practice kit and your acoustic kit without any difficulty. You can even tweak the tension of the heads to your liking, using a standard drum key via the lugs on each drum.
Regardless of whether you are looking for your first ever e-kit for jamming with friends, something quiet to practice with at home, a studio kit to help with writing and demoing, or something to take pride of place on a drum riser in a stadium, Alesis has something to offer.
FAQs
Is Alesis a good brand for drums?
Yes Alesis is a great brand for electronic drums. Having been a part of the music industry since 1980, they're a brand that know how to make quality electronic drum sets.
Do any professional drummers use electronic drums?
Yes they do. Whether it's for practice or performance, electronic drum sets are now a viable instrument to use for professionals. You'll often see pros using high end kits that look like acoustic drum sets to make them look more like a traditional kit.
Can Alesis kits be upgraded?
It depends on the kit that you have, but yes a lot of Alesis kits can be upgraded with additional pads. It does differ depending on what kit you have though, so check the manual or on the Alesis website first befoer you buy anything.
How we test products
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best Alesis electronic drum sets available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best Alesis electronic drum sets on the market right now.
Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.
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