By Contributing Author Dango
Read our comprehensive Alesis Nitro Mesh review to find out if this electronic drum kit is a good fit for you!
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Today’s drum world includes so many options for electronic drums, and Alesis has made a huge push at the market of beginner to advanced players.
When I was a kid there was really only Roland and then Yamaha in the e-kit market, but things have changed.
Alesis offers several lines of kits with some minor differences all the way up to pro quality.
The Nitro Mesh Kit is on towards the lower end for Alesis, but is very affordable and has some great features.
This kit isn’t likely to impress veterans on the drumming world, but might be a great option for your son or daughter.
Be sure to also read our Alesis Strike Pro Review.
- Feel The Difference Mesh Makes – All mesh electronic drum Kit heads deliver the most realistic, responsive and immersive playing experience drummers demand
- Premium Eight-Piece Drumset - 8 Inch dual-zone snare pad, (3) 8 Inch tom drums and (3) 10 Inch cymbals: ride cymbal, hi-hat, crash w/choke
- In-Demand Sound - Nitro Drum Module with 40 ready-to-play classic and modern drumkits, 60 play-along tracks and 350 plus expertly curated Acoustic / Electric drumset sounds
At a Glance: Key Features of the Nitro Mesh Kit
To start, let’s take a quick look at some of the features the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit boasts.
Overview of Features:
Before V-Drums came along, all e-kits had hard rubber pads that were loud and obnoxious. They felt nothing like a drum and more like a table top.
Today only the entry-level kits really still have rubber pads and this Nitro Mesh kit just recently made upgrades to add mesh heads.
This kit also boasts 40 different kits and 385 sampled sounds. The Nitro also features a kick tower for a more realistic feel than just a pedal hitting a trigger like some of the cheaper models. Finally it features chokable cymbals.
What’s Included in the Box?
- A dual zone 8” snare pad with separate drum and rim sounds
- 3- 8” toms with tunable mesh heads
- A kick tower and kick pad
- Hi hat cymbals, a crash, and a ride cymbal
- Aluminum rack
- Hi hat pedal controller
- Module
- Cables
- Drumsticks and drum key
How Does the Kit Look?
The kit looks like a fairly standard, basic electronic kit. It has a small footprint and all the drums are pretty close together. Due to its size, it may feel small for most adults or tall children.
I wouldn’t say it looks very impressive compared to all the high end e-kits that are available now and look closer to real drums.
The mesh heads are the most impressive looking part in my opinion. This is a no-frills beginner setup, so don’t compare it to V-Drums or anything that cost a grand or more.
Do the Drum Pads on the Alesis Nitro Mesh Feel Real?
First of all, no electronic drums truly feel like real drums. None. Not even the $5,000 kits that say they do.
Any synthetic head is far more forgiving, with much more bounce than a real drum head.
So for students who practice entirely on electronic kits and then go play a gig on an acoustic kit, it’s a big jump.
I always encourage students to still practice their rudiments and double strokes on a slower drum practice pad like a Reflexx, or even on a couch pillow.
With that being said, mesh heads are far more enjoyable to play on than hard rubber pads. It’s far easier to try and play dynamics on them than on a hard surface.
Mesh heads are also far less wear and tear on your joints and wrists.
The mesh heads were a huge jump in quality for the Nitro series. The cheaper series of Alesis have the rubber pads and those honestly aren’t worth the money.
What About the Sounds?
We are talking about an almost entry-level kit, which means having 40 different drum kits loaded is pretty impressive!
But does it compare to any of the higher end kits? No. In fact it sounds pretty basic and is a bit unimpressive honestly.
But if you’re a 10 year old kid playing in your bedroom, I’d say it has more than enough sound choices.
Is the Kit Ready to Use Out of the Box?
The kit takes some setting up, which may be a little bit of a hassle.
All electronic kits are a bit confusing to get all of the cables properly connected, but everything is labeled and if you follow the directions, it shouldn’t be impossible.
The main thing missing is a drum throne. You could get by with a chair or stool if it’s the right height, but I would recommend that you go ahead and invest in a PDP throne that’s going to be decent and last.
You will also need to purchase headphones or an amp or speaker. Check out our recommendations for the best headphones for electronic or acoustic drums.
Who is this Kit Best Suited For?
This kit is for beginners to intermediate players. I wouldn’t gig on this kit by any means, but you can certainly learn on it.
E-kits are mainly best for practicing coordination and learning songs. They aren’t the best for working on technique or speed because the feel is so unrealistic, but they still serve a good purpose.
Considering this kit is aunder $400, I would say it’s very competitive with entry-level acoustic kits, and its best feature is offering a quiet rehearsal option.
Any kid or beginner should appreciate playing on this. Any seasoned player will probably find it pretty limited and not very realistic.
The biggest problem with the kit is the sensitivity of the triggers, but all lower-end electronic kits are lacking in this department.
Nitro Mesh Kit Pricing
The Nitro mesh kit is under $400 as-is, or closer to $429 with headphones included. I would say it’s a very fair price for all that you are getting.
Add a throne for an additional $50-60 and you’re good to go!
Alternatives to a Nitro Mesh Kit
The main competition to the Nitro Mesh are other Alesis kits.
The Surge Mesh kit is a decent step up, but also almost $200 more.
The Turbo mesh is the realistic other option and goes down just $80. It has a few downgrades, and doesn’t include a kick tower.
I think it’s fair to argue that the Nitro Mesh would be the lowest option I would probably start someone on. It’s worth the extra $80 over the Turbo mesh.
The Pros of an Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit:
- Good Value for everything included.
- Mesh heads are decent.
- Dual zones on the snare and chokable cymbals are surprising at this price.
- The rack and pedal included are not bad.
The Cons of the Nitro Mesh Kit:
- The sizes are all too small to really get used to if you also play any acoustic drums.
- The sounds are not great, when you consider how good technology is today.
- The module is pretty basic and you can’t import your own sounds or really customize anything.
- The trigger sensitivity is pretty poor on any lower-end e-kit like this one.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth it?
No question, this kit is worth $379 in my opinion. You can’t buy much for that amount of money today in the musical instrument world.
This kit won’t last forever, but the mesh heads are replaceable (you will likely break one of those at some point).
If you’re in the market for a student and don’t want to drop $3K for a higher-end Alesis or $5K for a Roland, this is an inexpensive option.
The Nitro Mesh kit is geared for the beginner, so even if your kid doesn’t stick with it, you’re not out too much cash. These also are pretty easy to resell on facebook and other sites as long as you keep everything working.
Props to Alesis for adding some cool features to their lower end kits!
- Feel The Difference Mesh Makes – All mesh electronic drum Kit heads deliver the most realistic, responsive and immersive playing experience drummers demand
- Premium Eight-Piece Drumset - 8 Inch dual-zone snare pad, (3) 8 Inch tom drums and (3) 10 Inch cymbals: ride cymbal, hi-hat, crash w/choke
- In-Demand Sound - Nitro Drum Module with 40 ready-to-play classic and modern drumkits, 60 play-along tracks and 350 plus expertly curated Acoustic / Electric drumset sounds
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