Donner DED-200 Electronic Drum Set Review and Demo - DED-200 vs Alesis Nitro Mesh 

I just got one for my niece and set it up. I am really blown away by the sound quality, and life-like feel of the mesh heads. I'd recommend this to anyone.

As I found out yesterday when I assembled my 10-piece Nitro Mesh kit, instructions were pretty much nonexistent. No words whatsoever. While I was putting this together, I thought I was reading the novelization of the film "A Quiet Place."

I hate to be the 11th month old comment, but, you just answered a lot of questions. I like your Devo/ punk vibe though. Love and best wishes.

Nice video, thank you! I just wanted to add that I find that the polyphony is quite important on e-drums, as the first thing you'd hear to be cut off would be the sustaining cymbals. Anyway, this doesn't seem to be the problem with that drum set. But I feel that it doesn't really sound good and I think it would be better to save a bit more money to buy one that makes you feel comfortable and satisfied for a longer time and not only for practicing at home.

Thank you the detailed review. I'm looking at this kit for my son. He just start band at school and has really like playing procussion in band. This will be his Christmas gift.

Eye love those symbols and that shirt definitely. Not a big fan of the rest of the sounds. And it seems like your trying to play light so you don't make the neighbors mad lol. Hope they didn't get mad at you for teaching us and making us happy. Peace to you from Yonkers 🕶️💜

I just bought the Donner and for the price it's awesome!!!

Nice review! I had seen a video by someone else who bought some bed risers to raise their Alesis Nitro mesh kit. I ordered something from Amazon and it worked very well. I'm not that tall but I like the drums and be a little bit higher. Anyway I really appreciate your channel and all the info thanks

Can we appreciate how composed your drummer face is 🤔👊

Thanks so much for the video! I've been looking for a comparison.

Dude the shirt is 80's cool wake up and slam!

The shirt is very New Wave with the 80’s patterns.

Hi, thanks for the video... it says in the poster that the whole set can be folded up. How hard is it to do this? Is it worth it to fold up or nah? Thanks in advance

Subscribed when I saw the glasses 👌🏼

Hey ! Great review, on the Donner, do you have a video where you play the Alesis to compare ? Looking at exactly these models for purchase. ( huge ups for Donner RE double bass drum pedal is possible ( and mesh BD , that’s big ) dual zone cymbals ( choke , right ? ) Thanks for review, now I want to hear the Alesis - !

I’m between the nitro and the donner. I’m pretty impressed with the Donner because I see it has double zone on cymbals and choke. and as a learning intermediate I’m pursuing practicing in a way that my muscular memory don’t struggle when I go and play in an acoustic drum. Also that nitro hi hat kills me -.- .... so, taking all those stuff in consideration and that I might used for triggering different sounds (even not necessary drums) after a while, would you still recommend me to stay with the nitro’?

Great review and love your shirt! I used to wonder "machine gunning" meant, and now that I've heard the snare on the Donner, I get it. There's no variation to the samples and every hit sounds the same.

Thanks for this review. After skipping through a bit, I do have a question about this one vs the Nitro. Can you remap the high hat pedal to be a second kick on either model?

Forgive me. Im a psychic and im receiving strong messages.... You are super into the 80s right? Its a gift.

13:01 oooo extra silliness

ON youre Nitro kit, how do you change the high hat sounds..every kit has the same crappy one?

Great review! I’m trying to decide between the alieus surge kit or this one.

Deciding question on whether I buy this Donner or the Alesis Surge: The dynamic response range of the surge seems to great. Very sensitive like a real snare from very light to pounding. I could not tell with your playing on the Donner. What is the response range like? Thank you!

Can the module be upgraded at a later date. Like does someone sell just the controller box to upgrade a starter set like the donner ?

I already have a Donner kit but module stopped working since last couple of days. I wonder whether could I replace it with the aselis nitro drum module and make my Donner kit work again. I would be so grateful if you could provide any ideas on this. Thanks Thanks

Tried out the kit. Not bad for the money, I must say. However, if your a semi-pro/pro drummer, the snare drum response really holds you back. Also, the brain is pretty terrible. There's only like 1 or 2 good kits out of the short list. Better off with a real drum set or probably the Alesis Strike Pro which I've yet to try.

A couple questions for ya. Taking into consideration that this looks like a quite compact kit with not much available space, is the kit expandable in any way shape or form as far as adding another tom or cymbal? Also, as the kick pad is bigger than the Alesis, have you tried a double bass pedal on the Donner? I'm on the fence about buying an electronic kit as it's new territory for me and any pointers will help. Thanks.

Hi! Do you know if it integrates with Melodics for drum lessons? They are not listed on the supported models list

For both the Donner and the Alesis, are the expandable? Can one add additional cymbal and/or drum pads?

so if you were recording with the same samples in PC, you would go with the Donner DED-200? or whichever's cheaper at the time? I'm learning from the beginning, so would like whatever feels the most like real drums and is most responsive/expressive with samples

Hello! Me and my brother want to buy a kit to use for rockband 4 (definitely on a budget) we will be using the Roll Limitless adapter and a midi cable to hopefully hook it up but this will be our first time doing something like that so I'm hoping it will work. What set do you recommend buying? The three I have in mind are the Alesis Turbo mesh, and the two kits you showed in this video... they don't need to be Roland level quality just much better than a stock rockvand drum set and compatible

Trying to figure out the wiring of this product, someone as a link to the user manual?

I purchased the Donner set and it arrived on the 22nd of December. Today is the 26th and it’s already been returned. I don’t recommend this set for anyone that’s serious about learning or practicing.

Can I connect this to computer and use those drum programs like ezdrummer to have different sounds?

So for plugging it in using the MIDI. Is there a program you use to get the sounds from? You were saying you were using a program. Just wondering about that and how to get it recorded onto a computer. I have a theory on what I plan to do. but not sure if it will work.

Are you a Mick Karn fan? The tune playing during the building montage reminded me of some of his stuff.

How did you connect it to your computer? Did you use MIDI to USB cable?

Would you recommend the Donner for someone who’s been playing punk and metal for over 15 years and seeking to track drums with EZDrummer? I was sold on the Surge for a while but apparently Donner fixed the MIDI dropout issues in newer models and they even sell a kit with 3 cymbals (which the Surge does not at this time) 😅

For a novice drummer, is the larger dual zone cymbals and sturdier folding rack worth it over the Nitro Mesh kit? The Alessis went up about $30 probably because everyone is stuck at home...

Not sure if this was answered yet but are you able to choke the cymbals? and is the snare a 3 zone one?

Do you think you could attach a Donner cymbal to the Alesis kit's frame with the holder that comes with the cymbals that are sold separately (probably the same as on your kit)? Since these are double zone as you say, they might be good upgrade solutions for the cymbals on the Alesis, or additional units if anything! Also, Honestly, thank you for going so in depth in these. It was very hard to pick a model simply because imo all the videos I found lacked the info necessary in one or the other way. I wanted technical details and I've struggled finding videos about the MIDI side of these devices. Some people will mention "yes it will work with MIDI" but how good is the MIDI implementation though? Most videos I have found do not really touch any of these aspects. You even went into showing how to use the module itself and configuring it so that people who are completely lost do not have to spend a week reading and tweaking around before they understand what anything on that module means... so thank you so much for taking all that time. It will definitely come very handy to many including me whenever I actually decide to fix the default audio / velocity settings of the module. In a completely separate regard that most people should probably omit unless they deeply care about this product or are trying to make a decision on whether to purchase any electronic kit do begin with (and then whether to purchase the Donner or the Alesis).... Since my Alesis kit just came out yesterday, I have lots to explore yet but I haven't found a way of switching anything MIDI inside the module, such as what note gets triggered when a pad or cymbal is hit. It is ultimately not a deal killer but it is a bit annoying considering the cheapest generic electronic drum module you can find on Amazon (a model which ironically Alesis sells itself, although they are re-packaging it since essentially that single unit contained-drumkit is sold by like 10 different brands which all do the same *), has this feature even though it is essentially like half as expensive. Since it doesn't seem to have this feature, I can't simply remap it the way I need it to, and now need to write a script to intercept that MIDI data and transform it so it makes sense to the AUs/Plugins it needs to talk to (or remap all my AUs' parameters, but that is more time consuming even; at least that's how I feel about it). Regardless of these micro complaints, which I only state as these are the actual problems (*the rest seems great*) - for me, this was a great purchase - I am super happy with the quality of the GEAR and I think the way it reacts and outputs midi is quite good. I mean it's not like playing an acoustic, certain subtleties are lost even at the highest sensitivities, but it definitely gets the trick done for most drumming I'll ever do since I am not a pro drummer anyway and more often than not fail to produce such subtleties consistently and in a good way so I can get away from them without feeling like I've lost much along the way. The module reacts pretty well and outputs good midi data along the way, which makes me think that I will have to get quite better at drumming before the drumkit itself becomes a problem for my expression and also production process. I do wish the cymbals were double zone though, so that's why my original question was posted on this video. Ultimately, I am so happy to finally be able to record with an actual drumkit instead of using sequencers to input beats or having to have a good place to record an acoustic drumkit in, a decent drumkit itself, and then 3-4 mics for the drums be workable with in production. that's a substantially more expensive setup than just getting one of these bad boys really. So I am SUPER glad I can now have the best out of both worlds, the commodity and low cost of software music production combined with the comfort and rawness of natural play. This is a killer combo IMO. As a last comment on the Donner kit itself, I don't think I saw MIDI ports on the module which the Alesis has. I am glad I have those myself, as for example bluetooth midi adapters which make this kit INCREDIBLY versatile, only come in that form so the usb port would be useless in this regard. I personally wouldn't have a practical way of hooking it up to my setup otherwise, it would invade too much of my space when not in use or I'd have to purchase this awkward huge cable that would always be in the middle of something... just a complete nightmare to deal with. This is a minor detail however and perhaps more of a "do you even care"? But in my case I do care, and I actually care a lot so for me this alone discards the Donner as a better unit. However, I do have to emphasize, using those Donner cymbals purchased separately on the Alesis kit would be a fantastic addition for the future. * BTW, to anyone reading knowing about the module I am talking about (the one including all pads on it) and considering it, don't purchase the one by Alesis... it's literally the most expensive one and it's also just a re-branding. Although I can't guarantee this, but I do believe that it might have better sounds, so only on this regard should you ever consider getting the Alesis module, as the other brands sell it for quite less.

Nicely done

Only question headphone jack?

As a beginner is it worth getting this or a more expensive Roland kit?

This was a great video! Only one question: could I use the Alesis module on the Donner set? And would it sound better that way? Thanks!

Can you play along to songs on youtube with headphones on?

If you HAD to choose one, which would it be?

I got a nitro and I like it but I'm sure I'll have to upgrade soon

12:51 Scared me ...................... youuuuuuuuu!

can you use the Alesis module on the Donner ?

Have you tried the Nitro module on the DED kit? A frankenkit might be best of both worlds 🤪

Okay I ain’t an expert on electric drum kits but but could I put the Alesis module on the Donner kit

Thanks for posting this. I have a student who's looking at this Donner kit, but I'd never even heard of this brand... I have another student who already owns the Alesis Nitro kit, so I'm leaning towards recommending the Alesis to the new student. One thing you didn't discuss (or perhaps I missed it) is the coaching functions. I know Alesis has some decent tools for that. How does the Donner compare. Thanks again! Subbed. :-)

Can you add a bigger kick drum to the nitro so you can add a double bass kick peddle

Demonic Sweaters when my mom walks into the room: 7:34

How is the reliability of these drums

How does it compare to playing Roland v-drum?

Can you up grade the module? And is this drum company. Working with a more know brand company? O I see you can midi it

Can it crosstick on the snare

i got this drum and one of my toms is way to quiet

Do you think you'll ever get a Roland drum set? (or an electronic drum set around that price)

Hey so I know this video is alil old. And my set gets here tomorrow after posting this. But is it true donner gets the mesh heads from the same Chinese company that Alesis does. And the duel zone symbols from the Chinese company that KAT gets theirs ? I’m hella new to electric drums but I heard this from a friend. If it’s correct and anyone knows please let me know. Thank you 🤘

Can you interchange drums with other brains?

Has anyone here used this live??

Would this kit work good with ez drummer

Hope you’re getting out and getting some sun, as apprised to 2020, get that vitamin sun

Very thorough review dig it thank you. Not sure about the shirt but i like advertising Shirts so what do I know 🤷🏼

My Alesis Hi-hat pedeal broke

Thanks for the review. So this kit will be fine for somebody who has been playing drums for years? The pads are sensitive enough for ghost noting and hats for inflections etc (for groove). I will be running the kit into my Mac so I want to trigger the sounds in Garage Band for some home recordings I take it that the primary difference for this kit and a more "pro" Kit is that this i is a more fidley module & not really setup for live gigs but will cut it for basic home use... I already have a Roland TD7 Vintage kit which I've had for mang years. I just dont like the pads on it so I'm after a cheap replacement... Thanks!

Could you add an extra cymbal?

That I s not what my kit number 1 sounds like

Ew, Roland must be the only brand with great samples.

No ofense but it sounds horrible.

Wow. Most ov. Those drum samples are muddy and unusable. You said"interesting" politely

Polyphony doesn't only affect how many notes you can hit at once. For example, many players are perfectly capable of making 81 strikes before a long duration crash cymbal has completely faded out.

At 11:30 it sounds like if you were in one room and a dude playing the drum set was in the other, the sounds on this are wild

I dig this. Sounds closer to acoustic drums than some other brands I've seen so far. Very worth the price. Might buy soon. Thanks for the review!

I'd certainly just be running this through a DAW for better drum sounds with the USB out, so overall this seems like a great value!

That first drum sound I was waiting to hear some When the Levee Breaks. Real Zep sound.

Yeah, I liked the sounds on this one. Kinda funky. Totally hear that industrial, DIY garage sound. Nice vid, Justin!

Can you replace the donner module with the nitro mesh module for this donner ded-200 kit?

Marketing: You typed Donner DED-200 and still find more info about Alesis Nitro. I found this drum YESTERDAY after weeks looking for entry levels drums, returning one Alesis Turbo and today I receive the Nitro. Now, considering changing it for the donner wich don’t have a lot of sellers.

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I'm in an apartment, and vibration and noise are a huge issue. I had a DTXplorer by Yamaha years ago and found out that headphones weren't enough...my downstairs neighbor was very patient with me for a couple of weeks before he finally complained. Comparing the rubber Alesis kick pad to this guys' mesh kick, how much would you say that cuts down on noise level? BTW I played with a double kick and a lot of heavier stuff...so it sounded like a stampede downstairs!

Thanks great video I'm about to buy a donner Your video was very informative thanks a lot

Wow! I think your tee just burnt my retinas! I was going to buy a surge mesh but now i'm having second thoughts, can you give us your opinion about the reliability and sturdiness of the alesis kits? May go for td1dmk by roland only because i'm afraid of breakages and i live in mexico so its expensive to get replacements

Your drumming is smooth & looks so effortless. I ordered my ded200 this morning & already looking for add on's.. I want a crash that had more sharpness to it & higher sound. Not looking forward to putting it together... once it is, the fun begins.

Do you need an amp to play this through? I’m a bassist/guitarist starting to take drum lessons so I don’t know much about electronic kits.

hiii! amazing video, i love how you compared the two since a lot of people, including myself, end up on these two sets not knowing which one to go for. i got the donner yesterday and its a great time! however i literally cannot record the audio to my mac for the life of me! i connected it through the usb and got fl studio and figured out the midi audio, but when i play it back to listen, it sounds like i dropped the drum set down 4 flights of stairs. would you happen to know how you recorded your audio since yours sounds amazing! thank you and I'm sorry to be a bother im just very lost

Justin, I couldn't resist trying out this product myself so I bought the kit and received it 3 days ago. I agree with you that there's some good value here overall. All things considered, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. I'll play devil's advocate and offer some of my own observations concerning the kit's drawbacks: 1. Hi-hat open/close pedal effect is slightly delayed. This makes some strike combinations feel a bit 'off', at least for this old guitar player. 2. Side-stick sounds often seem low as set up. I removed the rubber rim cover and was satisfied with the results. 3. Some reviewers have referred to the toms as 'dual zone' but this is not the case. The supplied tom jacks are mono and rim hits produce identical sounds, just lower in volume. 4. The hi hat cable is a TRS but I found that it too is single zone. 5. UPDATE: MIDI issues solved. 6. I've seen unboxing videos that show cymbals clearly tagged "crash" and "ride". My kit arrived with two "crash" cymbals and no ride. I can't say if there's a significant difference. Shawn

Why does everyone bellyache about double kick drums on Vdrums? Newsflash THE ONLY TIME ANYONE uses double bass is death metal and oops theres no disco allowed in death metal. I bust my ass to make my vdrums sound legit acoustic but it what it is. Its disco.

Where did you get your glasses? I've been trying to find a pair that size in colors

Absence of a "MIDI to hardware" connection kind of guts it's capabilities as a cost effective MIDI trigger. MIDI to computer vst/DAW is a fine feature indeed, but is not desirable to play sounds/kits in live practice or performance. Plus the thought of a slight lag triggering in live play makes me shudder personally. Even that new "3.5mm adaptor to MIDI" would've saved the day, as the stock sounds are sufficient but utility at best. 🤕 Thanks for the detailed information in the video.✌️

When’s the DEAD 200 coming lmao

I'm interested in this kit but, I want another tom pad, does anyone know where to buy another one

Can you set a bass drum sound on the hi hat pedal so you have double bass drum ?

Anyone else hear Beastie Boys at the beginning of that beat?!

I like the Alesis Nitro Mesh better

Thanks for the review. I'm really leaning towards this but I've read in other reviews that there are issues with MIDI out on it. Does anybody successfully use midi out on the Donner DED-200 with something like Logic Pro X? Any special way you need to configure it to get it to work?

Can I run this through logic proX?

now it has 31 kits,big change lol