Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit Review 2024 – Pros & Cons

So I’ve had the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit now for more than 2 and a half years so I can give you a detailed review of what this kit is like and what to expect from it. Hope this article answers your questions and help you with your purchasing. I’ll be listing below both the pros and cons of this beginner e-drum kit from Alesis.

PROS

1. Durable

I bought the kit in late March 2022 and except for a period between July-November 2022 where I was busy with other things- I played on the drums pretty much almost everyday (at least 5 times a week). And more than 2 years later it still works perfectly. Everything is still intact and works as it should. There was a time when the hi-hat pedal was stuck but it worked smoothly again after i applied some oil to the springs.

2. Reliable

Everything is tight and solid- it all works as advertised and as it should. And even 2 and a half years later it’s still the same. You just have to plug it in and you’re ready to play.

3. Value for money

I bought this for almost 33,000 rupees (a little over 400$) at the end of March 2022 and you definitely get your money’s worth and then some more. In fact, I feel like I shouldn’t list any of the disadvantages of this kit simply because it more than delivers for the money you pay for it. (But am still gonna list them to help you with your buying decision).

4. Quiet Pads

The pads and cymbals are really quiet compared to other drums. I get no complaints from my neighbours even though I stay in the second storey of a 3-storey building. And I open my windows whenever I jam. I’ve seen other kits such as Roland ones that are much noisier than this one.

CONS

1. Kick drum & Hihat pedal are not great

They’re fine if you’re a beginner and playing slow. But once you start shifting gears and play fast, especially for rock and metal songs then it becomes difficult to play accurately, especially the hi-hat pedal. The responsiveness is not great and also the spring and the overall pedal is not upto the mark. Thankfully not many songs require high-speed pedalling on the hi-hat. But that also means that you can’t really use it as a double pedal to play metal songs.

Also you have to lower the beater to align with the bottom of the kickpad. It will be of very low volume if you hit it at the centre.

2. Drum module sounds

I mean you can’t expect great sounds at this price, so I guess it’s fair. So don’t buy this kit if you want to do some recording or covers. You’re better off using others like Roland or higher models from Alesis like the Strike. You can however use a VST like EZDrummer for those needs. Having said that the sounds are fairly acceptable for regular practise and just having fun jamming- especially if you live in an apartment.

3. Frame is not the best

It’s not very sturdy and it can be wobbly and loose even when you fully tighten the knobs.

4. MIDI reading & recording problems

This one I can’t say who is to blame- the drum kit or the software. I record my covers using Superior Drummer 3 and (this can be really frustrating) many times the connection would be lost while I was playing and recording. If you’ve tried recording (any musical instrument) you will know that sometimes it takes many takes to get it right (nerves I guess). And more than once I’ve played my best version during the session; only to later see that only half of it was recorded.

5. Metronome volume low

The metronome is basically unusable for me because the volume is too low compared to the drum kit; so you can’t really hear the clicks over the drum sounds. I always end up using an app from my phone.

Conclusion

In my opinion, all these dis-advantages are inconvenient but not a deal-breaker especially if you’re a beginner or even if you’re not- if you just want a simple cheap e-kit to play in your apartment then the Alesis Nitro Mesh is a great buy.

Video Review-