Alesis Strike Pro SE Electronic Drum Kit Review Demo of Sound Module Kits 

I agree 100%. I've used melodic sounds on the rim triggers live to do some keyboard lines. And being able to load quality samples sets this kit apart from Roland. I've got Steven Slate snares loaded onto the module, which is a massive improvement on the Alesis snares. Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for your kind comments mate. For the money it's hard to go past the Strike. It's weaknesses are the cymbals and the rack system that comes with it. The rack is flimsy, bulky and is fiddly to set up. Interestingly I replaced it with an older and smaller rack I had spare. Because it's more rigid, I don't get anywhere near the cross-triggering and I can turn my thresholds and cross-talk settings down, making for a more responsive kit. Cheers

Cheers Danny. I'm having fun putting those sequenced synth sounds on the rims. Pretty soon I won't need no stinkin' band! 😁

Thanks mate. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't play well out of the box. It takes some tweaking of the trigger settings to get it feeling right. A little tip - turning the knobs on the side of the drums to include more outer ring sensors evens the response. I have mine around half way between centre and full on, particularly on the snare. (Clockwise if I remember correctly). Have fun, it's a great kit. Also loading up samples from Steven Slate, etc brings the kit alive.

Thanks mate. Glad you got something out of it. Cheers

Thanks J.D. You're obviously a person of impeccable taste and near super-human perception! All the best.

@@supraman100 lol well said you're a beast bro

Good to know Bob. I looked hard at both of those before I chose the Alesis. I'm having an indecent amount of fun loading SSD samples on to the module. My snares are starting to crack like a whip now. Cheers.

@@supraman100 Once I dial in some kits I want ot load samples. MY brother is a studio engineer and he sent me recorded drum samples few years back. OT question. I know prolly due to cost cutting measures, there is no song player. To play along with tracks does one simply patch in a phone through Aux in?

For sure. I like the smack in the snare.

Thanks for the kind words my friend. Cheers

Good catch Dan! An epic song. Once I heard that kit my body started playing that groove in auto mode. Give me a comfy chair with the lights low and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", "Domino 1 & 2" and "The Brazilian" pumping out of my hi fi, and I'm a happy chappy. Cheers

@@supraman100 You're talking my language, Wayne!

Thanks John. I appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have. Cheers

Thank you for the very kind words David. I'm envious of you seeing the great man live, that is something very special. As is mentioning me in the same breath as Mr Rich. You've probably heard it, but there's a joke about Louie Bellson arriving at the pearly gates. He hears this amazing drum solo off in the distance, and he says to Saint Peter, "Is that who I think it is?" Saint Peter smiles and says, "Nah, that's God, he just thinks he's Buddy Rich!" I'll make a video about having some fun around the kit with rudiments soon. It would be great if you tried them out and gave me some feedback. All the best from Down Under.

@@supraman100 Wayne, Awesome joke, which I had not heard, but I will steal. (After all, we drummers steal all our best licks!) It was a surreal moment, showing-up to Six Flags after a HS Band competition and seeing my drumming idol taking the stage. I was our first chair tuba player as a junior and my director would not allow me to change to drums - which I had been playing in side bands for 3yrs. I know I should have been the brunt of ALL Bass Player & Drummer jokes (but I have always identified as a drummer!) It is important to be “identified” these days! I will be watching for the new video and though I will inevitably learn (steal) something from it, unfortunately I’m not talented enough for much rudiment work. Though it will be awesome to watch, from Texas! P.S. I quit playing for about 15yrs until a few months ago (and I built a little kit around the Strike module). I’m getting the feel back slowly but surely… Take care!

Thanks John. Jeff Porcaro's instructional video really motivated me to get into shuffles. I saw Toto live at Selina's in Coogee, Sydney Australia (near Bondi beach). Simon Phillips was on drums, and he's a beast on the kit. But I was gutted when they played Rosanna. The groove was just empty and soulless without the great man playing it. Cheers

Thanks for your feedback mate. Your suggestions are excellent and I'll definitely post some lessons on hand and foot technique. I'm glad you mentioned linear fills as that's a great area to look at for becoming more expressive on the kit. I'll show some of my favourite ways to improve double strokes and apply rudiments around the kit as well. I really appreciate your input and ideas. Cheers.

@@supraman100 Wow. I didn’t expect an answer! Thanx for the reply! Looking forward to your future videos!!

For all the criticism and faults with the kit (built to a price), I still think it's the best value kit on the market.

@@supraman100 yep I plan on using it as a Midi on EZDrummer 3 whenever I get my own house! Modules are limited these days.

Thanks mate. I appreciate you letting me know you got something out of it. Cheers

Thanks Romano, I appreciate the feedback. It has it's problems, but it's a good kit generally.

Thanks mate. Short and sweet comment.

Thanks mate, I just wish you were a little more complimentary about my video!!! ;-) I really appreciate your enthusiasm Peter, best comment ever! I've loaded up some SSD 5.5 kits on the SD card, so I'll be doing a video of that soon. All the best.

@@supraman100 TOTAL AWESOMENESS BUDDY 🔥🔥😎🤟🤟🤟 seriously 😳 YOUR DRUMMING IS INCREDIBLE and your a BADASSSSSS!!!!!!!! I’m telling Everyone to subscribe to YOU!!!! I can’t wait for your next vid!!! Cheers 🍻

HE IS ONE OF MY FAV GRANDPAS

Cheers mate. It sounds to me like you're saying your church has one as well? Good choice.

Thanks mate. I haven't had any major problems with the kit. I think many of the initial problems have been fixed with the SE version of the Strike. An intermittent problem has been the module freezing and having to be turned off and on. The kit still plays if this happens, and is only a problem if you want to edit it change to a different kit. This is a rare occurrence and the module is soft on/off so you don't need to worry about turning your PA down. I had a dry joint in a crash cymbal edge, but I just resoldered the little circuit board in the pad and all was well. The main problem is the kit was built to a price. The cymbals aren't great. I'd advice everyone to replace the flimsy rack and the kick drum needs some damping to stop double triggering. But for all is weaknesses, it's a great kit. It sounds better than the Roland which is 3 times the cost, and being able to load sample libraries is fantastic. If you are prepared to pay the Roland price tag and carry around a laptop and audio interphase for triggering VST, then that would be a better option. But I couldn't justify it.

Thanks mate. All the kits in the video are factory presets. There's 136 preset kits. I've started adding Steven Slate drum samples to the SD card, and I'll be doing a video of those sounds soon. Cheers

You got me mate! I've been slack. I stop teaching due to school holidays in a couple of weeks, so I'll edit the rest of the hour of playing I did for this video and make part 2. Then I'll record some more and also maybe some instructional videos. I've had requests for linear fills exercises. I'd really appreciate any suggestions for future videos you or anyone else might have. Thanks for watching and kicking my arse!

Thanks mate. The kick drum is louder than the pads for sure, but I wouldn't describe it as loud. I don't think it would be a problem for most people. I have been having trouble with non-triggers with the kick so I did put some more damping in it, which does make it quieter. I don't know if this has solved that problem yet, as it's rare that it happens. Cheers.

@@supraman100 thanks for the reply man, super helpful. By non triggers do you mean it sometimes doesn't trigger when you hit it?

@@SimonLoveridge Exactly. Not sure what's causing it yet. It happens a lot with my students, who don't often have the best technique.

@@supraman100 Yikes! OK, back to the drawing board I guess! Thanks very much for the insight

@@SimonLoveridge don’t let that scare you off brother. There are sensitivity settings that tailor to individual’s personal preferences. This set is the one in this price range. Many comparisons, this set wins most.

Thanks for your feedback Ryan. I'll make a part 2 video and get a Mozambique style groove going. I didn't really plan this video, I just played continuously for an hour and kept the best bits.

Thanks for your comment Jamey. Setting up the Strike is time-consuming and puts a lot of people off the kit. Here's my settings for all drum heads, but of equal importance is the sensor balance knob on the side of the drums. I get much better triggering (no double triggers, more even response and more reliable triggering), when I turn the knob clockwise about 9'oclock to bring in more of the outer sensors. Here's the settings I use. Tom1, 2, 3 and 4 - Sensitivity = 90, 95, 50, 45. Xtalk RCV = All 00. Retrigger = All 14. Threshold = All 07. Snare and Kick - Sensitivity = 39 and 40. Xtalk RCV = All 00. Retrigger = All 14. Threshold = 07 and 28. I have improved the kit in a number of ways. Best = replace the flimsy rack with the sturdiest you can get. You'll get better triggering and much less cross-talk to cymbals. Next = put some foam in the kick drum, between the batter head and the steel plate that mounts the sensor. You'll eliminate double triggering. Lastly = replace the snare head with a Drum-tec mesh head. It will feel much more like a real snare head and not as 'soggy' as the Alesis one. I hope that helps. Enjoy the kit.

Hey Peter. The great thing about the Strike kit is the editing and ability to load your own samples. I left the kits at factory settings for this video, but with the onboard EQ, reverb, compression and FX, and layering of sounds, you can get some great sounds. I could be wrong, but I think what you're saying is you prefer less produced/more natural sounds. DrumTec have a video on RU-vid that showcases some kits they've edited themselves, and they sounds pretty natural (check out the Pearl kit). BUT, like you I wanted more! I play live a lot, and wanted the Strike to sound like a mic'd up acoustic kit, with a snare that took the top of your head off. So I bought Steven Slate Drums 5.5, played around with the mixing and loaded up the Strike with his samples. Great results from the start, but after some experimentation I have the sound I was looking for. I'll post another video soon(ish) demonstrating what a powerful sampler the Strike is. Cheers

@@supraman100 Thank you very much for your reply Wayne and I will look forward to your next interesting video. I like Alesis very much in terms of price and appearance. Other brands like Yamaha or Roland are very expensive and I don't think there is that much of a difference in sound samples. As you write, you can edit and layer the sounds yourself, and possibly even download something nice. Have a nice day

Thanks mate. I appreciate you watching it. Your choice of speaker would depend on how you're going to use it. For live playing I'd recommend a full range, self-powered speaker with a high spl rating, on a speaker stand. It always amazes me how much volume e-kits need to replicate an acoustic kit. A 15" and a horn, with plenty of watts for dynamics and clarity is best. I'm using a QSC K12 box with a 12" bass driver, and it's not cutting it. I'm looking at getting a Yamaha DBR15 to replace it. I'd stay away from Alto (and Alesis, rebranded Altos), I've had two out of three fail. Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Cheers

@supraman100 I'm sorry, I failed to state my application. This is just for my own enjoyment of playing drums. No plans to do gigs. My plan for my e-drums would be to either set up in the garage or a spare bedroom. If I'm understanding you correctly, you're recommending a powered PA speaker over a bass guitar amp. Thank youxon the tip on avoiding Alesis/Alto/Altos. I am checking into brands Mackie, Berringer, JBL something along these brands. I think I will need to see PA speakers in person. I've seen one at 12 in woofer 300 watt RMS with a 2000 watt peak, also seen a Mackie 1300 watt one. Both can be used on the floor or on tripods. Would that 1300 watt be overkill for my application? I know I can use headphones, but having speakers would give a different dynamic. Could you suggest an ideal wattage range I should be looking for.

@@mrkevin6354 Definitely stay away from bass amps!😁 A drum kit covers a wide range of frequencies, your cymbals would sound terrible through a bass amp. For me, getting the best sound from my kit influences how well I play. Also, if I'm enjoying the sound I'm hearing I tend to practice longer. I'd probably still recommend a 15" bass driver. My QSC K12 has a sub boost, which replicates the bass of a bigger speaker. But even with it's huge power rating it struggles in rehearsals. For your situation it would be fine but it's a pricey speaker, so I think you'd be better off sticking to a 15". The brands you're looking at are all good budget speakers. When I look at power figures I'm not thinking of volume. I'm thinking of bass control and punch; how well it will reproduce dynamics (very important for your playing!); how clean and clear the sound is. In general, lower powered speakers have trouble replicating the dynamics of a kit. They can sound flat and lack the quickness of response you need for drums. Don't let a salesperson convince you the speaker's too powerful for your application. If the more powerful speaker sounds more pleasing, more dynamic and has tighter and more extended bass, that's the one to get. If you can, record your e-kit and take in a USB to play through the speakers you're looking at. Or a piece of music that's not too busy, with dynamics and space - maybe a drum intro to a song would be good, and listen for the things I mentioned. I hope that helped. If you still have questions I'd be happy to help. Please keep me updated if you could, I'd appreciate hearing how you went. Cheers (sorry for the length of my reply😊

Thanks mate, I appreciate the kind words. I will definitely check out your channel my friend. Congrats on your signing. I've just joined the Jac Dalton Band, and am flat out learning all the songs for a rapidly approaching gig. But I'll get back to you soon hopefully. Cheers

I understand where you're coming from. The snares sound great recorded, but when I amplified it through a speaker, I was really disappointed. Layering two sounds together can help. I found a snare with a very 'bottom mic' sound, i.e. more of a tinny, strainer buzz sound, set it as the B layer at 60 volume, and tried other snares as the A layer. What really made a difference though is getting a VST like Steven Slate Drums, and importing snare samples into the module. I use a SSD snare as Layer A, and for more smack I use the Power Station Nat snare at 60 volume for Layer B. The SSD snares are much more realistic. I hope that helps. Cheers

@@supraman100 Most likely the sound is coming from EZDrummer or some other external sound program

Not a dumb question Kevin. Kits like the Alesis have cables that are different lengths, so it matters where you place things. The good news is that as long as you set left hand kits up in the mirror image of a right hand kit, everything will be fine. For instance, have the module on your right, instead of on the left where mine is. Then everything will flow from there. The rack tubes are all interchangeable. Cheers.

@@supraman100 thank you I’ve played guitar since I was like 11 or 12 but always loved drums and finally at 36 gonna get a nice drum set. I always played drums at band practices and all while we were taking breaks and all and right handed never felt right and I was introduced to left handed by a drummer once and everything felt just right. Can’t wait to get my own set and start playing regularly.

Thanks mate. I was looking at the Roland TD50 kit, but they are more synthesisers as they don't use multiple sampled sounds. To me they sound a little fake and the toms in particular sound very machine gun like and artificial. The Alesis module also has it's problems. 1. It will sometimes freeze, requiring it to be switched off and on again. This happens rarely and it still plays ok, but obviously you can't change kits or edit till it's powered on again. Luckily, it's a soft on/off so it won't 'pop' through your foldback. 2. It has more latency than the Roland, but it's not something I've noticed. 3. The individual outs are raw sounds only. Effects can only be applied through the L and R main outs. Having said that, the module is far more useful and the best bang for your buck than any other module. It has great sounds already, but being able to load software samples like Superior Drummer onto the module, rather than the USB/laptop/audio interface route, is great (and no latency/software issues). It's easy to use, has huge amounts of editing potential including fine control of sound layering, has 2 onboard effects units, plus reverb, 2 band parametric eq and compression. I think you'll be very happy with the module. Cheers.

@@supraman100 Thanks a lot Wayne. I will buy it for sure after your comment.

@@supraman100 Are you sure you can load SD3 samples onto it? I think they have those samples locked or encrypted so you can't copy them to modules like this. Do you know for sure? Thank you.

@@RADERFPV Hey mate. I haven't tried it yet, but there are many posts on the net that explain how to do it. The SD3 samples need to be converted to wav files first, and then the Alesis app will automatically order them based on volume. Cheers.

@@supraman100 oh wow, that's so awesome! Thanks for letting me know, appreciate it.

Hi. The first thing I recommend is making a plastic washer to fit on top of the felt that's inside the big rubber spacer that sits on top of the hi hats controller (where the cable plugs in). When I first got the kit I found I had to let the foot board rise up about 3-4 mm before the hats would start to open. This is a mechanical issue and couldn't be fixed with the settings. By putting the washer in it lessened the pressure of the spring, making the hats open quicker. I used the lid from a jar of onion flakes, the kind you get in the herbs and spices section of a supermarket. The lid is about 6.5 cm across. I cut the lip off till I had a flat circle that would fit snugly inside the rubber spacer and on top of the felt. Then I cut a hole in the centre, big enough to allow the black plastic head of the spring to poke through without catching. Put your hats cymbal pad on and away you go. My 'Trigger' settings are:- Bow - Sensitivity = 60 Retrigger = 8 Threshold = 8 the rest is 0. Edge is the same. Pedal - Foot sensitivity = 50 Splash = 34 Pedal Curve = Log 3 All other curves are Linear. In the 'Voice' section I'd advise putting your bow Velocity Limit to 127, just to get more dynamics out of the hats. Cheers.

Hey Martin. There are brushes samples on the module, and they're not too bad for single hits. They have some nice layering for light touches and hard strikes, but you can't get the swept sounds, so you're limited to just strokes. Check out the Roland D50, as I think you may be able to play swept strokes on their snare (also be prepared to pay a chunk of cash for the privilege!). Cheers

Hey mate. If you're saying can you set it up with three rack toms like I have done, then yes for sure. Now days the two rack toms and two floor toms setup is popular, but I find all the toms more accessible with three across the front. The kit comes with 2 long tubes and a short one, and they're all interchangeable. Cheers

@@supraman100 Awesome thanks for the response!

Thanks mate. Yes, the rack is original. I just have Rack toms 1, 2 and 3 mounted on the front bar, which is the longest length one. The Floor tom is mounted on the smaller side bar along with the ride and crash 3. I've since replaced the Alesis rack with a much more stable one, and the triggering is very much improved. I'd advise everyone to ditch the flimsy Alesis rack and get the most rigid rack they can afford.

Hi. I'm sure I've heard a pre-set kit that sound similar. I'm away from my kit at the moment so I can't confirm. But there are a bunch of reverbs, compressions and other effects on the Strike module to get a Panterra, sound from the many drum samples available on the module. What I really like is the ability to load my own samples on to the module, so you could buy drum libraries like Steven Slate Drums, Easy Drummer or Superior Drummer and grab their samples. Cheers

Thanks for your comment. I look forward to loading some VST sounds onto the module. That's part of the reason I went with Alesis, at least they use multi-layered drum samples, instead of the synth samples that Roland uses. And are able to store samples instead of going the MIDI - laptop - audio interface route. Cheers

I'm from Adelaide in Australia matey, so probably won't be much help to you. Cheers

You can get them from Amazon, Guitar Center, Sweetwater, and drumtec :)

@@protobuster12 i’m from the philippines and options are pretty trash here

If you want a good sound without having to do anything, Roland are more plug and play than Alesis. But if you're OK with putting some time into the module, I think the Alesis can sound better. This demo was just the factory kits, there's a huge amount of editing and effects available in the module to get your own sound. The option to upload your own samples is what makes this kit worth the money for me. Cheers.

Remember that this is Alesis' flagship e-kit. To get a similar thing from a kit from another brand, you'd be spending 2-3 times the price for a smaller kit and would have to supply your own hihat stand and pedal as well. If we're talking Roland kits, Roland doesn't seem capable of making realistic sounding toms. They always sound like e-drum toms.

It sounded fantastic to me . Was thinking about the dmkii pro , but dang this set up is sweet. It doesn't help he plays phenomenal. Heck I bet he could get someone without arms to buy a drum set lol.

@@jeremiahg2716 Love the humour Jeremiah! Thanks mate.

@@BrunodeSouzaLino Fully agree mate. The toms did it for me, way to synth sounding.