Hi Justin. I recently bought an Alesis "all mesh" Command e-drum set and so far I am delighted with it. I went for the Command because it wasn't just the basic module and I paired it with a Roland PM100 monitor. Sounds great!!! I'm not one bit disappointed in the symbols at all. The boom arms are an advantage for my reach and comfort. I play for recreation and wanted something good without over spending. By the way, I didn't mess with anything, I play it as it came out of the box. While doing my research I found your reviews to be accurate and helpful.Thanks.Bill.
Thanks Justin. I am about to buy my first drum set was originally looking at the nitro but for a couple hundred more I think i will go with the Surge. Love your reviews. Not super concerned about having downloading options on the module since I am just learning. Once I get half way decent I will invest more monies.
I must have watched this video thousands of times deciding between the Surge mesh and the Command mesh. Roland also has a TD1 DMK for 700 as well. I ended up getting the Command, due mainly for the module upgrade vs the Surge. I wasn't sure if the Surge was as expandable or customizable as the Command. I can change what pad triggers what midi note, sensitivity, threshold, and velocities. Command triggers it perfectly! Ghost notes come out on the snare just as they should, and everything else just works. I Couldn't be happier! The reason I didn't go with Roland, was you don't a whole lot for 700. The pads are small, the pads can't be remapped to different midi notes in the module, (can be done on the VST side, but that takes more time), and the snare is the only pad that's duel zone. I keep up with your channel, and are my go to for everything e drum related. Keep up the great work!
@@Bloody-4444 sorry, the rest of my message got cut off. I eventually decided to go with a roland td11 kv since it had all the bells and whistles i needed
I just bought a new command. The sounds in the module are about as good as a behringer kit I had. But plugging it in to ssd4 and napping the zones to create a custom kit, is awesome! That's why I wanted it. I have been watching your vids since I decided to get a e drum and you helped me decide where I needed to go. Very informative channel. Thanks!
Seymour Zen I've been researching myself. I just started leaning towards the command instead of the surge. However, I just noticed the command doesn't have a hi-hat pedal in the pictures (not just in this video). Please tell me that's just a picture error. Does it come with a hi-hat pedal?
I have to disagree with the Yamaha being better at only $100 more and being better. The 522K does not have all mesh heads. If it did it would definitely be better. I still think the Alesis Command is worth it more than the Yamaha. Just my opinion
The command mesh also has duel zone pads, more play along tracks, drum kits and sounds. It comes with a bass drum pedal so you don’t have to buy one separately. The bass drum pad is large enough for a double bass pedal and you can import sounds and samples. The command mesh is a better value imo and now with it being $100 less it’s a no brainer.
You make a point towards the end about Alesis taking away the ability to add a better ride cymbal with some of the modules. This sort of mentality from Alesis is what puts me off of them entirely. They seem to be tinkering around with the modules capabilities so that they can justify a certain price point.
One of my Alesis kits is so custom and badass on its own, I have 2 more in boxes, but I had to pick up a floor demo of the Command Mesh, its not missing anything and is in 9 out of 10 condition and is under 500$ I'm ordered it a few hours back..I think i pay 57$ a month for 6 months ,im going to add it to a Surge ,and splice the 2 mods and use both Strike Amps
Im so happy I decided not to buy Alesis e kit ever in my life..6 months ago I was tight on budget and almost got myself a Crimson set..glad I didnt..I was just saving and saving and saving..and now I have 2000€ and get to choose between different Roland drum sets..your channel taught me alot, thanks :)
omg im so happy that they did that bc i was gonna buy the forge but now imma just buy this. ill just see in person and hopefully the guitar center near me has both on display.
I bought a Forge last year. Now I wish I had waited for the Surge. But then, who would have expected this? Certainly not me, even though mesh heads are getting cheaper and cheaper now.
What a perfect way of looking at this. As always, great First Impressions video! If they'd have paired the Forge module with the Surge kit (I guess they did - that's the Command Mesh! LOL) it would be a no-brainer for me and I'd just buy it as an add-on pack to my kit. The pads alone are a great value at this price, and the rack sweetens the deal. So buying the Surge Mesh for the pads and rack and then a MIDI I/O gets us back into the range of the Command Mesh. Can that module allow us to re-assign midi notes internally? If so, we could MIDI that to the extra 35 notes in the DM10 (not MKII) module. That might make the $700 worth it? Nah... I agree with Justin. Either get the Surge or the Yamaha (or even the Roland if you don't mind the crazy setup) or wait and get something a LOT better for a little more $
With the ability to download your own .wav files via usb, and run your own sound libraries via midi, does the stark difference between the higher quality Roland and on the lower side, the Alesis' matter as much now? That's not rhetorical; I'm honestly curious if bipassing the internal Alesis sound library is as easy as it seems, and as effective as I imagine it would be.
Hi Justin. I know you don't care for the sounds from the alesis modules however, I own both the Command X and the Dtx 450, and I think the kit sounds are equal, dollar for dollar. I would love to try the Command Mesh, it should be pretty good.
That would be great, and exactly what I'd buy up in a second (I actually just bought the mesh command) but with a dedicated usb drive importing your own .wav files, and with midi to control any software on your daw; does that matter as much? I mean... It's an ice and lava comparison between the sound of Roland and Alesis. People that can't hear that have no place in the industry. I jest, kinda... But when I saw that this capability had reached a budget and fully mesh set, I decided to take the value over sound quality. Drumming isn't my main gig, I spend more time playing guitars and keys, and have survived with just a percussion pad for years. But when I'm producing or writing, I'd much rather program my drums with a kit, than a midi controller. Idk, I'm still waiting for the kit to come, and maybe I should have researched more before I assumed using my own sound library would eliminate the sub-pro sound quality issues with the Alesis, but at 699 with these capabilities, I'll be fine.
Great comparison, as usual. What would you recommend for a 9yo kid playing drums since a couple of years? He needs a drumset to practice at home, and this Alesis Surge seems quite nice (and the price is within my budget). For home practicing, it's better to have mesh pads on an overall worse kit or rubber pads on a, let's say Yamaha or Roland kit?
The best thing to upgrade youre drums right now is to buy the old REALHEAD 10 and 12 inches, and convert those to mesh...they were made with great quality and the sensitivity is Redick, i got 3 12 inch and 3 10 inch, and just picked a 10 inch up for 40$ and put on an Evens mesh pad..and its like brand new
Wouldn't the Alesis Command Mesh having that module would be of better value or have better sounds or possibilities, still you would choose the cheapper with that module that comes from the older Mesh?
Sounds great for the command set, however this will make the crimson II set bad as the gape being too small. Just think about it, with the cymbals upgraded, the only thing crimson has over the command will be a bigger snare pad (12' to 10') plus a 10' floor tom instead of 8'.
I Have owned the nitro kit for about a year now and i like it but those cheap cymbals are not working for me. i don't mind if the toms are rubber so if they made a kit with mesh snare and bass then better cymbals i would be sold.
Hi Justin...just wanna ask... I'm planning on buying this surge mesh kit... Probably play it everyday at home for practice and play live outside once a week on saturday night... My questions are, 1. Is the surge mesh kit portable enough to move from a place to another? 2. Can this kit take the beat of playing everyday and move around a lot? Tq for all your informative videos Justin.. Keep it up!!!
Am I wrong I thought the surge kit had an aux in that you can plug in pads phones or something for samples... I am curious just because u said it can't to samples
I have a td 6v, and I was thinking about upgrading, is this a good choice or should I just stick with what I have and upgrade my pads. I just play for fun and get together with my friends to jam now and then. Thank you
I currently have an Alesis DM6 drum kit. I have upgraded the crash and ride cymbals. I have been wanting to get a kit with mesh heads and better cymbals. I am in the shopping mode right now. I’m not sure what to get without spending a thousand dollars or more. I’m thinking around $600. The surge sounds good, but the cymbals kind of turn me off. Also the command kit doesn’t come with a hi-hat pedal, which would be an extra cost to add.
Decided to hold on my money to see if Yamaha or Roland come up with a updated sub $1200 kit this year. It’s a pain to play the hopeful,waiting game. But let’s see how it turns out.
Would it be possible to use dual zone cymbals In the tom trigger spots and toms in the cymbal trigger spots? Would probably be using external drum software. Thanks
Everyone you say the TD1 doesn't have a kick drum tower, I wanna say "Well you can buy a Kick Tower for it" But then I realize that would cost you $200 more if you get the "generic" Roland kick pad
Hey Justin thanks for this. Im a beginner wanting to lay drum tracks for my guitar work...eventually! Was almost certain i would be ordering the surge to replace alesis dm lite but here in the uk the very similar Carlsbro CSD500 is availsble for £50 more. Think it might have better cymbals and module but not sure. Maybe would make a good comparison video?
Got to play a demo set yesterday, and was offered it as last in stock with nearly a 25% discount. Wasn't feeling it, mesh seemed too loose, frame a bit ugly and the module looked basic. Will be sticking with the original plan and get a surge or sell some gear and go mid range Roland. Thanks for the great vids, it's what's stopped me buying the first load of crap I saw just cos it looked good, cheers.
Does anyone know if you could add a three zone ride to it because i have seen a video saying you could add another and I saw a video of someone using a 4th cymbal but it was not in English so i was wondering if it was possible
Whats your thoughts on the Surge if im only going to hook it up to Cubase and play it through VSTs? I currently have the Yamaha DTX522 and im really just not happy with it. I think im getting alot of cross talk because of the rubber pads vibrating the rack too much, and kinda feel like the mesh heads would cut down on that .... Love your vids BTW they have been killer helpful! Thanks!
thanks a lot for the review. my question is this: are the mesh pads, larger kick, dual zone toms a good trade off for half the sounds of the forge module? plus the forge offers sample capabilities and a larger snare. i think the main thing i'm concerned about is the sounds; would a novice player miss them, or are they critical? thanks.
@@johndef5075 I've done some more research and Alesis does have modules that support 3 zone cymbals, so I think I'm going to start with the command mesh. And then down the line, upgrade the module, then the cymbals.
i like 65 drums but everything with him is about ROLAND , IN THAT CASE , it seem that he really don't care for anything other the Roland . most people that is looking for a good drum set are not looking for the high price Roland .. I have a alesis dm10 and been playing it since it came out and nothing on it broke . in fact i brought an alesis dm8 and now for some years been playing them both .
Has the bass issue (not picking up quick hits) on the nitro module been solved? As far as I've read around, the issue had to do with hardware as it mainly came from plugging the bass pad on the corresponding bass plug on the module.
Dude ur vids are awesome man. Im considering a surge , a mk10 or command. What would u suggest. I have about 500-650$ to spend. Need a new double pedal too professional content brother!
my question to 65drums is are you on here to give us a good ideal, are to make a play to sell Roland and Yamaha ?. I've play both and to me they are just two high price alesis drums. for the price you come out way better buying a real drum
Also what do you think of getting something like a Roland TD1K but then replacing the kick pedal with a KP65 that you can get new with a foot pedal on ebay for $65 from the DTX extreme?
PurplEDC Reviews i have a Roland kd-7 and it compares to my Roland kd-85 pretty well. Plus force goes down so shouldn't slide on you. You can get one for a good price on ebay too.
I have a question, let’s say I buy the Alesis surge, the the module sounds horrible, can I buy a command module and just reconnect the cords to the command module?
You shouldn't have a problem with that at all (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but by the time you spend the extra money on the Command Module, you might as well just get the Command set in the first place.
Jack Artorius so let’s say I got “Get good drums”. Can I just hook the module up to the computer and just start playing? I’m a little new to the importing sample world.
Mann Im saving up around 500-600 dollars to buy an electronic drumset that has to last atleast 4 years. I really like the roland td1k sound but the shape just kills it XD. What are your comments on the sound quality of the alesis surge???
Hey justin, hope you are doing well. I need an advice. I am about to buy an E-drum, I was considering the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit but doing research I just realized that this drum kit is not a very good idea if you are planning to have a drum for at least 2 years. Now I have reconsidered increase my budget to buy a decent e-drum. My main concern is the durability. What drum can I buy with a decent sound, maybe expandable (this is not very important) and good durability for $700 or a little bit more? I am talking about best sound quality for that price that can be used at least for 4 or 5 years. (sorry if I have grammatical mistakes, still learning english)
By the way, when I say sound quality I also care about the responses . I don't care very much for how it feels. I also care about a bass drum pad which can respond to a twin pedal. I know that any drum kit for this budget comes with one but I am planning to buy it.
Hi all, I am hesitating on getting the Carlsbro CSD501 (is that a new release of CSD500?) or Alesis Command Mesh, the Command Mesh has one feature I like: the USB stick user sounds, while the CSD501 seems to have 8h autonomy and bigger cymbal (and dual zone? important?). Anyone has any experience comparing them to help me in deciding? Thanks.
Alesis seems to be hit and miss quality wise. Ive read mostly positive reviews on this one. The 2 year warranty would be nice. And Sweetwater has been great in my experience. Their reps still call me to check up on my purchases from long ago. Consider Roland if you can spend a little more or even used. Their stuff is really reliable. Unless the set is obviously abused its usually a safe bet.
What cymbals are compatible to plug into the Alesis command module? I’m thinking about getting the Command over the Surge because I’m pretty sure it has better and more realistic sounds. Correct me if I’m wrong. If they sound about the same I might as well just get the Surge and save $200 lol
few questions for the surge would love if people can help. Can i add a 4th tom tom? Cam i add a second crash cymbol? If i could add a second crash cymbol could i make one of them have a sound of a china or splash cymbal? Or shall i just go safe and get alesis crimson pads and cymbals with dm10 module pls answer asap am buying soon
i have seen a lot of youtube videos w/ surge and crimson ii and to be honest couldnt hear much difference (i know a lot of recordings go through SW / DAW adjustments etc) but I wanted to see if anyone had advice as to whether the crimson ii is worth almost double the price of the surge full mesh
Question: I'm new to playing drums. The only time i played drums was guitar hero. I’m a DJ for more the 30+ years. I’m interested in playing an instrument. I don't want to spend too much on a kit because i not sure how committed i will be with practicing. I know that I will sacrifice some options or feature based on the fact that I will be spending less for the kit. I do like the fact that I could use samples with the Forge set but I also like the mesh drum set. So based on the information provided which kit do you recommend. The Alesis Forge is available new for $350 and the Surge is available for $500. Thank you in advance for any information provided.
I have the Alesis Command drum set. I'm trying to hook it up to my old stereo and receiver but I don't know what kind of cables I need... can someone help me out
I asked Alesis this same question today - yes you can! The surge module has 2 extra inputs. The extra "tom" input is dual zone - so hook up your dual cymbal to this input with a TRS connector (and change the sounds in the module). The extra "cymbal" input is single zone - so you could hook up a single zone cymbal and maybe add a splash or china. Hope this helps!
Thank you. I'll see what I can do. I actually don't really need dual-zone cymbals that much, the thing is, I can only find dual- and triple-zones being sold in my country (outside of cheaper drum sets).
You forgot to mention the duel zone rims on the command kit , I have been looking to get this set, I'm not a big player and I'm not in a band but I like to play around with different sounds and triggers, I love the Roland drums but cant afford them, how would this command far up for a beginner who just likes to play around ?
My b day is the start of next month and I’ve been beating the shit out of my td1k for 5 years I’m wishing for the surge cuz ik that i have no chance at getting a drum set that’s more than $500 I’m 12 so I’m pretty much broke so I’m just waiting for my drum pads to deteriorate cuz they’re starting to but then I can get a new set lol
