- Alesis Crimson Ii Manual
- Alesis Command Mesh Kit Review
- Alesis Crimson Mesh Kit User Manual 2017
- Alesis Crimson Mesh Kit User Manual Pdf
Alesis has expanded its line of electronic drumsets by upgrading the mid-level Command series kit to include mesh-head toms in place of the previously used rubber pads, in addition to the mesh-head snare and kick. Despite being a budget-friendly kit, the Command Mesh setup doesn’t skimp on performance and features.
What’s in the Box?
The Command Mesh kit ships with an 8″ kick (with a pedal), a 10″ dual-zone snare, three 8″ dual-zone toms, a 10″ ride cymbal pad, a 10″ crash, and a 10″ hi-hat with a foot pedal. All of the drums have mesh heads, and the ride and crash pads have choke capabilities. The included Command Advanced Drum Module features seventy-four kits (fifty-four presets and twenty for user customization) and 671 sounds. You can also build a full custom kit by loading in your own samples via a USB thumb drive. There are sixty play-along tracks within the module, and it has a built-in performance recorder, a metronome, and an auxiliary input so you can plug in and practice along to your own audio devices.
The entire kit mounts on an aluminum four-post chrome rack with a snake of cables that attach to the rack with included hook-and-loop fasteners. Including unboxing, I had the kit completely set up within seventy minutes.
I guess Alesis wanted to save a little on the cost to make this kit more affordable for you. As is implied by the name “Crimson Mesh”, all the drum pads are made of high quality mesh. The tension on them is a little too bouncy for some. What is too bouncy for some may be just right for you though. See the Alesis Crimson Mesh kit at Amazon. Enter the new Alesis Crimson e-kit which, with a retail price of well under a grand, aims to punch above its weight with a host of higher-end features. The five-piece Crimson mesh electronic kit comprises an 8' kick pad, a 12' snare, two 8' rack toms and a 12' floor tom. Except for the kick, all drum pads are ‘dual-zone’ which means. Alesis Surge Mesh Kit Manuals & User Guides. User Manuals, Guides and Specifications for your Alesis Surge Mesh Kit Drums. Database contains 1 Alesis Surge Mesh Kit Manuals (available for free online viewing or downloading in PDF): Assembly manual. The Command Mesh Kit features all mesh-head pads that deliver an authentic drumming experience. The included Command Advanced Drum Module features play-along tracks and a built-in performance recorder, you'll have an endless source of fun and creativity. All of this mounts to a premium 4-post chrome rack with non-slip clamps, providing a durable foundation that is easy to set up and move. Aug 03, 2018 More info and current price: Here, we take a look at the Alesis Nitro Drum Module that is also featured on the Nitro Mesh kit and show you how to work the basic functions.
Pads, Cymbals, and Pedals
The mesh-head pads offered a great feel and plenty of rebound, and the soft mesh made for minimal contact noise, which is ideal for quiet practice. Even though the snare was only 10″ in diameter and the toms were 8″, I didn’t find the sizes to be problematic. And they do contribute to a more compact stage footprint, which makes this kit ideal for smaller practice rooms and stages. The bass drum pad stood up firmly and can accommodate any pedal, but the included one got the job done just fine.
The rubber-coated plastic cymbal pads played as expected; there’s always an adjustment in technique needed to accommodate the more rigid feel of electronic cymbal pads as compared to acoustic cymbals. The choke function took some getting used to as well; there was a relatively small zone to grab, and it was a bit tough to achieve consistency. The cymbals and the cymbal inputs are single-zone, so if you wanted to add a ride with a second zone at the bell, you would have to connect it to the additional dual-zone tom input.
Command Module
The Command Module is simple to navigate, and it’s identical to the one included with the pricier Alesis Crimson II kit. Customizing the preset kits didn’t require reading the manual in order to figure out how to select a pad, change the sound, and edit its volume, panning, pitch, reverb, or decay.
You can load your own sounds into the module from a USB flash drive, but the drive needs to be formatted to a FAT32 file system, which can be done through the module. The module can hold 15 MB of files internally, or you can trigger sounds from the USB drive, thereby increasing the available memory. I was able to upload a few samples and build a new kit just as quickly and easily as when I was modifying kits using just the onboard sounds.
I wasn’t optimistic about the hi-hat, since it wasn’t designed with two plates that come together, like a conventional hi-hat. But aside from a little lag in response when doing quick fills, I was able to get the hi-hat to work well in most patterns. Per Alesis, the hi-hat input on this module won’t support an upgraded hi-hat like the Pro X hi-hat from the Strike series. The overall sensitivity of all the pads on the Command Mesh kit wasn’t quite at the level you’d get from a pro-level kit, especially towards the edges. But the mesh heads still provide a huge improvement in subtlety over the rubber pads typically found on kits in this price range.
The Value
The Alesis Command Mesh drumkit is an affordable entry point at less than a third of the cost of Alesis’s professional-level Strike Pro. So if you’re looking into getting a simple electronic set for at-home practice, you’re dabbling with electronics for the first time, or your church or theater gig demands an electronic kit at a budget price, the Command Mesh model will get the job done. Even with such a competitive price ($699), it offers plenty of features, a relatively realistic feel, and a solid onboard library of customizable sounds. Purchase now from Amazon.
Modern Drummer Special Offers
If all you wanted was a cool looking electronic drum set, then the Alesis Crimson kit (aka Alesis Crimson Mesh kit) would probably fit the bill. Just the name “Crimson” tells you a lot about what this set looks like.
But looks aren’t everything, as they say. Surftest sj-410 user manual. So let me take you through the features and specs in this Crimson Mesh review. By the end of the article, you should be able to tell if this kit will do what you want it to or not.
Note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
If you’re short on time and just want to check the pricing of the Alesis Crimson at Amazon, click here.
If you want, you can click a link in the box below to skip ahead to that section of the Crimson review.
What Do I Get in a Crimson Mesh Set?
The Crimson set includes 5 drums. It has an 8 inch kick / bass, a 12 inch dual zone snare, two 8 inch dual zone toms, and a 10 inch floor tom.
Alesis Crimson Ii Manual
As you can see, the sizes of these drum pads are a little unusual. You might expect the three toms to all increase in size from one to the next, but here the first two are the same – both 8 inch. Obviously that doesn’t make a difference as far as sound goes in an electronic drum kit.
The snare is significantly larger at 12 inches than any of the other drums, but it’s not as big as the one in the Strike Pro set.
Notice that the snare comes on its own stand. You are not limited for placement to available space on the 4-post rack. That’s a nice touch.
On the other hand, the kick drum is just 8 inches in diameter, which again makes no difference as to sound, but you might expect is to be at least as big as the snare. I guess Alesis wanted to save a little on the cost to make this kit more affordable for you.
As is implied by the name “Crimson Mesh”, all the drum pads are made of high quality mesh. The tension on them is a little too bouncy for some. What is too bouncy for some may be just right for you though.
You get rubber rims for the snare and toms. These are an optional accessory that you can install or leave in the box. It depends on how you want the set to look and on your style of play. If you think you would hit the rims too often and damage your sticks, you might prefer to go without them.
The cymbals include a 12 inch hi-hat with a pedal, a 12 inch crash with choke capability, and a 14 inch ride with 3 zones (rim, bow, and bell).
It’s not specifically mentioned (as far as I could see) by Alesis, but according to one owner, the crash cymbal is dual zone (rim and bow).
The sound unit, where you plug in all the drums and cymbals, has inputs for two additional pieces. Even though they are marked tom and cymbal, you can assign anything you want to those jacks.
Another nice touch in the Crimson set is the inclusion of a pair of drumsticks. Not every kit in the market ships with them. Sometimes you have to purchase them separately. You may wish to do that anyway, but that’s not the point.
All Alesis electronic drum sets come with a cable snake and cable wrap strips for organizing all those wires coming to and from the drum pads, cymbals, and sound module. You don’t have to put together your own system of velcro or tape to keep everything nice and neat.
Other items you get are the sound unit itself (more on that below), a drum key for adjusting tension, the power supply, and various guides and manuals for putting the set together and using it properly.
What Is Included in the Sound Module?
Let me tell you up front that this is basically the same module that you get in both the Alesis Command and Alesis Forge kits. Yes, it says “Crimson” on the front, but it says “Command” and “Forge” on the others. It’s just a cosmetic label. Not that this is a bad thing. It’s just something to be aware of when comparing kits.
Alesis Command Mesh Kit Review
This module has 50 preset drum kits plus space for 20 more that you can setup on your own. Personally, if I can’t find a kit I like amongst the preset 50, I probably am being too picky. That said, there may be the rare instance when I need a certain combination of sounds that I have to put together myself. I doubt there would ever be 20 such cases though.
Alesis Crimson Mesh Kit User Manual 2017
There are 600 sounds from which you can choose when assembling kits. If that isn’t enough, you can also load your own samples (sounds) via the USB port. For me, this would be an even rarer occurrence than creating a kit from the 600 original sounds. Still it’s nice to know the option is there.
You get 60 preset tracks that you can play along with to practice. There is also a metronome built in, which is fairly standard.
You can plug in your mobile device and play along with whatever tunes you like as well.
Other common ports on the module include ¼ inch outputs, a headphone jack, and MIDI output for connecting to other MIDI devices.
The module also lets you record up to 5 tracks internally. If you need more, you can get up to 99 tracks (a ridiculously high number for almost everyone) via the USB port and a memory stick.
Here is Tim Root from Alesis giving you a demo of the Crimson set.
What’s the Verdict on the Alesis Crimson Kit?
If you watched the video above from 65 Drums, you heard the reviewer say he wouldn’t use the Crimson for a live performance. Personally, I don’t see why not. It may depend on the venue, but this seems like a kit that has everything you should need for a live performance.
One owner had this to say about the kick drum.
“One thing to note is that Kick Mesh drums do not work well with the felt side of your kick beater. Over time the felt will rub off and leave a residue on your drum skin. It will also cause dust that can decrease the sensitivity of the sensor.”
I guess the solution to that is to see if you can use a different kick pedal. I’m sure Alesis uses a felt pedal to reduce the sound of the hit on the drum.
This is a good midrange electronic drum set that should satisfy many drummers. If you think it’s not for you, you might want to check out other Alesis offerings in this overview article.
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Alesis Crimson Mesh Kit User Manual Pdf
Gary Sonnenberg
Gary has been playing keyboards since he was very young. He started on a chord organ because that's what his father liked. He's played guitar since he was a teenager, and he recently learned he could keep the beat on a drum set.
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