Alesis recently introduced a new big player to the electronic drum kit market. While their Strike Pro has always been a good premium option, it has definitely aged over the years.
This brings us to the Alesis Strata Prime – the brand’s new top dog.
It’s an e-kit for professionals, and in this review we’re going to explore all of its features and functions. We’ll discuss who it’s good for and whether the price tag is worth what you get.
The main feature of this kit is the completely redesigned drum module. It has a fully functional touch screen with 75 preset drum kit sounds. It also has plenty of customizable options that are new for the Alesis brand.
Regarding the drums, you get five mesh drum pads that are sized to resemble an acoustic kit. You then get four cymbal pads and a large 20” bass drum pad.
Everything mounts to a sturdy rack except for the hi-hat and snare drum pads.
The quality of the Alesis Strata Prime is very impressive. Out of all the components, we’re most impressed with the new module.
It looks and feels great to use, and the sample sounds are much better than what Alesis has put out in the past.
This is all thanks to the BDF sound engine, which provides realistic response from all the preset kits.
You then have plenty of room to edit all the sounds to really tweak them how you want to.
We noticed that a few kits sounded much better than others, but most of them sound fantastic.
The responsive mesh pads are standard for a drum kit at this price, but we still feel we should mention how good they feel to play on.
The big benefit of this kit over others in its price range is that the drum and cymbal pads are appropriately sized. By this, we mean that you get a similar range of diameters that you get with an acoustic drum kit.
With other e-kits, all the pads have the same diameters. With this kit, the pads get bigger as you go down the toms, which really adds to the premium feel of the set.
The cymbals are also designed extremely well. We instantly noticed how much better they respond to dynamic playing compared to the Alesis Strike Pro cymbals.
With this kit having the best Alesis drum module to date, it feels much better to play on compared to everything that came before it.
We particularly love how dynamic the hi-hat pad is. This is normally quite an obvious weakness with Alesis products and electronic kits overall. However, we never felt like the hi-hat pad was missing anything when playing it. It just felt very solid and highly responsive to various strokes.
You’re going to pay between $3500 and $4500, depending on what version of the kit you get. To put it into context, this kit is competing with Roland and Yamaha kits that cost thousands more.
So, it’s the value option in its segment. When we compare it to those kits, we think it performs extremely well.
For that reason, we’d say it has excellent value for the money you pay. With that said, there are a few more affordable kits that aren’t quite as big but provide a similar playing experience.
Namely, the Roland TD-27. If you want better sound quality, then that may be the better choice.
Alesis has definitely made a statement with this drum kit. Pro drummers like El Estepario Siberiano are using this over Roland and Yamaha products, showing just how far the Alesis brand has come.
If you’re looking for a high-end electronic drum kit that is large enough to feel like an acoustic one, we strongly recommend checking this out. The module is definitely the highlight, but all the pads feel amazing to play, giving you a very well-rounded electronic drum set.
Founder of TheDrumNinja
I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (Drumeo, Guitar Guitar, AudioIssues, MusicThinkTank) I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.
Find useful lessons, tips and reviews for any drummer. From beginners to professionals there’s always something new to learn and improve. Join our Newsletter for exclusive advice!
11407 SW Amu St Suite #ABM436 Tualatin, OR 97062
There may be affiliate links on this website, which means we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to our readers.
© All rights reserved Copyright 2024
Subscribe to our ninja mailing list and get a Free E-book!
Subscribe to our ninja mailing list and get a Free E-book!
