Alesis Nitro Max Kit Electric Drum Set with Quiet Mesh Pads, 10" Dual Zone Snare, Bluetooth, 440+ Authentic Sounds, Drumeo, USB MIDI, Kick Pedal

Short StoryFor the money, this is a solid choice, but spend a little more to buy a snare stand. For this 5'11" 200lb guy, this is always going to feel small and cramped. The addition of a snare stand and tweaking the layout makes it workable.Long StoryI started playing drums about 14 years ago on an acoustic kit and never really got beyond beginner stage - one bad teacher sent me off on an "I'll learn on my own" path that amounted to about what you would expect. I sold the kit when I moved into my last house and didn't have a good place to play that wouldn't bother my neighbors. Ever since, I've always wanted to get back into it.I've looked at the electronic kits through the years and never pulled the trigger (no pun intended - sorta) because I knew it was a compromise from what I had before. And let's be honest, this Alesis kit IS a compromise. I have a small house with hardwood floors and close neighbors so an acoustic set is not in my future. I knew an e-kit was my only choice and I'm somewhat frugal so the Nitro Max ultimately won out over a number of other brands (Fesley, Simmons, Donner).As others have stated, the assembly instructions are awful - black and white illustrations of black hardware is worthless although you can mostly figure it out. What threw me was the clamps that slide into a grooved channel and it's not immediately obvious they rotate 360 degrees by turning them somewhat forcefully.Once assembled, I kept moving the snare this way and that, raising and lowering, trying to find a comfortable playing position. A quick search and I found this to be a common complaint. The solution was a cheap snare stand that could accommodate 10-14" snares (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085HLRMCY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title). That has made a huge difference. Not only does this let me raise the snare up to a comfortable height, but I can move it around the kit. Finally, it helps to reduce the wobble in the kit (more on this later).UPDATE: I play pretty hard and typically bury the beater. As I began playing more, the kick pad just kept walking away from me - to the point that I would have to drag it back mid-song. I bought a neoprene pad to put underneath in hopes of giving it more to dig into but it didn't work. Suddenly it dawned on me the unused snare bracket could be used to stop the kick - note the second pic. While this definitely contributes to a much more wobbly kit, it's better than the alternative.I also ended up swapping the positions for the snare and module which let me open up my playing position even more. This set will always feel a little cramped, but you can tweak things enough to where it's an okay compromise.Let's talk about the rack. The tighter "footprint" the more stable the rack will be. I could bring the side legs in tighter and increase the stability of the rack, but it would be too small to play comfortably. This would work well for kids, but not this old guy. Playing the kit, it wobbles - not a lot and doesn't impact my playing, but it's there. Finally, once you've added toms, snares, and cables, this isn't collapsing into a compact little unit that is easily stowed.The kick pad isn't bad, but the hard rubber bounces far more than a regular kick drum so I've really had to be mindful of my strikes to avoid double beats. Theoretically I can add a double kick to the setup but need to find a pedal with beaters that are close together to hit the small Alesis pad. I don't like the hi-hat pedal. Its spring is soft and you have to be mindful of foot pressure to trigger effectively. Its design forces me to put my whole foot on top of the pedal rather than using my toes or ball of my foot. That will take me a while to get used to.As for the module and the pre-programmed kits, the module does the job and while you can get by with the basics included in the quick start guide, you should really download the full manual. I found I needed to adjust the sensitivity of the different drums as the toms were far too sensitive and the snare not enough. I don't love any of the pre-programmed kits - they all sound fairly electronic-y - but that a minor nit. I do love the bluetooth feature and the various utilities to help me develop good habits.This wasn't a love at first sight or play for me. For the first day or two, I was certain I was returning it. Once I got it to work for my needs, I feel pretty good about the purchase. Had I spent twice as much on the Fesley, would I have gotten a much better kit but twice the set? Probably not. This is a good value and a good start or restart as it were.

A little confusing to setup for someone who is not familiar with E drums, wish the bags where the parts are packed be better labeled.So far, everything works fantastic, really compact and plug-n-play. Pretty light wight, durable and very portable.

I got this so I can play quietly, whenever I want. I highly recommend getting the expansion pack for the extra cymbal and tom. This kit is very very well packaged. Tons of cardboard and plastic to throw out. The instructions aren't the best. The rack is fairly cheap and wobbly, but works ok. The snare bounces a bit, but really doesn't affect my drumming experience. I'm 6'3" and i was worried about playability given my long arms but I can play it. I placed things as far away as I can when setting it up. I had a difficult time getting my double bass pedals connected to the kick pad, I had to modify my kick pedal mount, and the beaters have to be as close to the center of the pad as possible to work. Now I got it pretty good, but the whole kickpad moves, So ill have to figure out how to keep it from moving. (keep in mind that a single kickpedal, like what comes with the kit will work fine, but you still may find the kickpad moving). Maybe I can put something heavy on it, or affix it to the floor? Anyway, I really enjoy the feel of the drums, you get that feel and bounce just like real drums. With my headphones on, its loud and sounds really close to real acoustic drums and cymbals. It really is quite remarkable. I haven't ran it out to my PA system yet (or "drum amp"), Someday soon. Im sure it sounds like on the headphones. It is nice to not be straddling a snare stand, some people say they prefer using a snare stand to the bouncy mount, but I don't see that I need to at all. Most of the included kits and alternate "voices" are ridiculous, number 01 is the best, most realistic kit. You can change the EQ bands, lows, mids, highs, which is nice. It's easy to change the sound of any drum or cymbal, but it's def limited, and not much realistic choices. I was excited about the Dark Mahogany kit you can get online, but keep in mind the module must be connected to your computer to work, it doesn't "install" the kit unto the module so you can use it anytime NOT connected to the computer. Bummer for me, because I don't have a computer in my jam room, lol. Ill get a laptop I guess for this purpose. The footprint of this kit is WAY smaller than my old acoustic kit which is nice, great for small spaces. It's great for beginners, or advanced players, kids or adults. It's not 100% quiet, my wife could hear the tapping and thumping noises from the other side of the house, but hey, there is going to be a little noise, but it's pretty darn quiet. I guess what i'm saying is that if you think playing at 2am when others are sleeping and the house is dead quiet isn't qoing to bother anyone,, it MIGHT. I might look for another kickpad (bigger and more stable). And the rack could be beefier. Ok, thats it! all my thoughts on it. I do not regret buying this kit! I'm playing everyday now, and I'm not bothering anyone.

I bought a Donner set first and it was not good. This was more and you need a good throne and headset. Alesis customer service was very responsive. It comes with Drumeo lessons for 90 days and they are very good. Love this set and having the time of my life.