Alesis Command Mesh Special Edition Review - Big kit, big problems? Watch before you buy...

[@nicoleerny635]

I have the black and red version of this (command x mesh) kit! It def helps to" build" your own kit sound wise. The library is ok. I put real double bass pedals on (IC600) . A mistake I def made was not tightening the heads before playing. As a new drummer I find the hi hat pedal obtuse, though working with an acoustic kit has helped a bit. It is finicky. A big complaint is that the snare arm has worn down and moves as I play (I am apparently a heavy hitter.) everything I have tried to fix it hasn't quite worked so far. I often have to reposition with my knee mid song. If you are playing heavy styles or are a heavy hitter, definitely get an independent snare stand. (I have not tried this yet but can update when I do.) One other problem and question I have encountered is that my bass drum head ripped, and I CANNOT figure out what replacement piece I need. I don't see any OEM parts for sale, and am concerned about the quality of some of the cheaper options I have seen. Does anyone have any advice of what AI need to replace the 8" bass drum head?

[@Iamadrummer]

For starters, you have a lot of complaints about the e-kit you have. My honest thoughts on e-kits is that the lower-end lower-budget e-kits are ok for a total beginning to learn the fundamentals of drumming on only, and for more advanced drummers or those like you that want a real drumming experience, these kits are looked at as toys pretending to be drum kits. If you are truly trying to play your e-kit like an accustic kit, the lower-end low-budget e-kits will never be like that to keep cost down. As for the snare arm bending down as you play, it is a huge problem with lower-end e-kits. The true only fix for this is to get a real snare stand. As for your bass drum, you will probably need to buy a new one. Honestly, I would not bother putting money into the e-kit you have and just sell it and buy a better higher-end e-kit. Yes, good e-kits are expensive, but to get the total "real" drumming experience and to have something that feels, plays, and sounds like an actual real accustic drum kit is way worth the expense. Most lower-end e-kit will actually teach you bad drumming habits as they do not function like an accustic drum kit or a high-end e-kit. Because of this, if you then go to play an accustic kit or a high-end e-kit, there will be a relearning curve as you have to relearn how to do certain techniques correctly. Alesis with the Strike Pro Se and the even better Strata Prime e-kits have stepped up their game, and those are the only Alesis kits I can recommend. With all that said, there are much better e-kit brands out there with excellent accustic like e-kits as I have one, and it is 99.9% like playing an accustic kit.

[@jaredlee5963]

@@Iamadrummer What kits do you recommend?

[@1252PFC]

Another well informative video / review. Thank you.

[@mackerelbasher]

Wow. Good review..thanks! I’m a total beginner and looking for a starter set.That loooks really poor value compared to the likes of Donner kits that I’ve also been looking at. They have the DED200 MAX for £408 at the moment. 12 inch hi hat, crash and ride cymbals and 3 x 10" toms and snare. Have you had any experience with Donner gear?

[@MilkyCamps]

its okay. the drum module is not very good soundwise to be honest but you can get some kits that sound okay. also note that one has only an option for 2 crashes so if you like a bigger kit like me you will need splitters. otherwse for a beginner kit its decent.

[@mackerelbasher]

@@MilkyCamps Thanks for that :)

[@MilkyCamps]

@@mackerelbasher I recommend it VERY much if you’re planning on using ezdrummer because then you will have a pro sounding kit for super cheap. I upgraded my ride to a 16” and my crashes to 14”. Got a 12” laurindrums snare. And a lemon 14 china. I use splitters to give the extra cymbals

[@MilkyCamps]

@@mackerelbasher I also got it on sale for $414 CAD shipped during Black Friday and so the addons along with ezdrummer gave me a pro looking 3 Tom 5cymbal kit for all in $1500 including demon drive double pedals.

[@MuginsonTV]

I have a Donner DED-400 kit and have regretted not going Alesis, please avoid Donner if you can! My snare lasted just over a year before it started only triggering rim shots when hitting the centre. It also has such poor support, for example, if you want to connect to EzDrummer there is no support settings for Donner, whilst there is for Alesis. The kick drum also double triggers so you need to adjust the settings so the sensitivity is low, meaning fast gentle playing is not possible.

[@sashmitnaugain2368]

Command mesh or nitro max ? ???

[@ekids.bassment]

I wanna know too

[@RhythmRoomMusicSchool]

Hi, the kit does not come with built-in speakers, you will need headphones or an amplifier in order to hear the kit, I hope that helps!

[@gdaymates431]

What headphones are you using? All of the ones I've tried have had extremely low volume. I can hardly hear it! Thanks heaps.

[@tjnordaker]

what is the best e-kit for around 1.5 or 2 grand?

[@AMJ564]

Its embarrassing that some of the digital pianos have better sounding samples then a 700 pounds e drum kit.

[@Iamadrummer]

Do not buy Alesis brand e-kits or other low budget brands. Sure you can learn the basics on them but in a few weeks or months you will want a better e-kit so you can actually learn real drumming techniques. Alesis has stepped up their game wirh the Strike Pro Se and the better Strata Prime e-kits but for a good e-kit there are better brands out there. I think in the future as Alesis improves the Strata Prime e-kit they will be a brand worth buying. As a drummer myself, I do not understand lower-end budget friendly toy e-kits. I had a budget friendly e-kit that I would practice on since my accustic drums are way too loud. The problem I found is when I would play my accustic kit, it is so different from the budget friendly e-kit it took me a little while to get used to the accustic kit. Many years later, I moved to where I could not play my accustic kit as it would ecco through the mountains. My e-kit was also beginning to fail as I had been playing on it for over 10+ years. I decided to get a good e-kit and one that has the hi-hat on a stand. After saving up and researching e-kits I got a high-end e-kit and it is a total game changer from the toy e-kit I had, and I do not miss playing my accustic kit as my higher-end e-kit is 99.9% like playing my accustic kit. So my opinion on e-kits is that if you are serious about truly learning how to play drums or are more advanced than a total beginning drummer I would avoid any budget friendly e-kits as it is worth getting one that actually feels, plays, and sounds like a real accustic drum set so you can learn the correct way to play a drum kit rather than tinker around with a "toy" that in the long run will not teach you proper drumming techniques and may discourage you from wanting to practice or keep up drumming. If you want to learn trumpet, do you start with a toy trumpet? Then why would you want a low-budget toy e-kit to learn on when a high-end e-kit is just like an accustic kit and will teach you propper drumming? I recommend going to a music store that has lower-end and high-end e-kits to try and you see, feel, and hear the difference. So all you drummers out there you will save a ton of money if you just buy a good high-end e-kit that will last you just about forever rather than buy a lower-end low-budget e-kit that you will want to dump money into upgrade as it will end up costing you more than a good higher-end e-kit and never be as good.

[@dsholt]

Which higher end kit did you go with? Do you think the budget Roland e-kits have the same drawbacks as the Alesis ones?

[@somehaterate6310]

Im sorry but i dont have the money and my country isnt rich to get the high end if i could afford it yeah but sadly no, ill have to stick to cheaper ones until i could save for that one and not being able to play anything for Months or even a yeah to buy one that i dont even know if im going to play that much

[@error.delete4945]

⁠@@somehaterate6310exactly. OP is missing the point. If we could all afford the best then we wouldn't be looking for informed reviews on budget kits would we... He isn't wrong, of course the higher the price the better the quality, obvious statement, but you can absolutely get reasonable quality that's adequate at a lower price. That is why these reviews exist.

[@demolitionbmxd]

​@dsholt I think it was basically a spam post. They never mentioned any other brands or models just 'high end' or 'low end'.

[@bbrunner14]

Dude stop going to these videos and telling people to buy premium kits. Let people buy into kits if they want.