Alesis Strata Prime Review

Alesis Strata Prime Gallery

Contents

Alesis Strata Prime Ratings

Performance

5.0

5.0/5

Build Quality

5.0

5.0/5

Drum Module

5.0

5.0/5

Design

5.0

5.0/5

Value

4.5

4.5/5

Initial Thoughts

Up to this point, the Alesis Strike Pro SE has been the brand’s flagship electronic kit. It has always been a great option for pro players on a tighter budget, but it still didn’t match up to other pro options when considering sound quality. 

When I first played the Alesis Strata Prime, the sound quality really impressed me. So, this kit definitely seems like it will be a much bigger competitor in the market. 

When you unbox it, you’re greeted with multiple drum pads that look and feel pristine. The cymbals are larger than you may expect, making them more playable once the kit is set up. 

Visually, it’s stunning. The design is super clean, and it features a vintage looking Red Oyster Wrap with gold tension rods and dark chrome lugs on the bass drum.

The drum module was another aspect that I was very excited to dive into. Alesis has completely overhauled their older designs, giving us a touchscreen module with interesting features. 

The kit felt almost the same size as a typical acoustic drum kit. The shells were obviously shallower, but the spacing between drums led to a similar footprint. So, this is a great kit for drummers who seek realism while factoring for space as well. 

There are kits out there with larger sized pads such as the 

Module

I thoroughly enjoyed playing through the 75 available drum kits. As I mentioned earlier, Alesis has stepped up their game with the sounds and immersiveness they offer.

There are four included sound libraries from BFD drums- most notably the new Prime Acoustic library- with drums and cymbals recorded specially for the Strata.

You have a range of kits that have been sampled from high-end drums from brands like Pearl, Gretsch, Sonor, and Q Drums. You also get a huge range of cymbals from Meinl, Sabian, Zildjian, and Paiste. 

The touch screen module is pretty great. It’s intuitive and makes things somewhat easier to navigate compared to typical modules with knobs and buttons. Obviously you can use those on this as well if you prefer.

There’s an ambience setting that allows you to adjust how the kit sounds in a room. This is one of my favorite additions, as I feel it really brings the drums to life. 

The triggers are set perfectly out of the box, but if you want to change anything you have full access to do so and save as many settings as you like. 

The stacking feature is one of my favorites. The module allows you to layer sounds on top of each other, giving you a whole new world of customization to explore.

Overall, I’d say the module is really impressive. On top of being easy to use, it looks good and offers far more handy features than previous Alesis kits. 

Design

The design is super professional and classy. It has an acoustic size setup, meaning the pad sizes are very similar to what you get on acoustic drums. This makes it feel far more comfortable to play than most other e-kits that are compact.

The large bass drum shell also adds extra realism and stability. I use a double pedal in my setup, and I loved how solid the kick drum feels when playing. 

Regarding a finish, the kit has a Red Oyster Wrap. It also has gold tension rods that really make the shells pop, as well as classy looking dark chrome lugs on the kick.

With all the drums and cymbals being larger, this is essentially a kit that is designed to be an easy switch over from an acoustic kit. It often feels weird to move from one to the other, but this was just so natural! 

Build Quality

The build quality of the Alesis Strata Prime is fantastic. I quickly realized how great it is for pro drummers when checking out the back of the drum module unit. It has extra outputs that would be very useful when setting the kit up on a stage. 

It allows you to send separate outputs for different drums, which makes a sound engineer’s job a lot easier when they mix the kit in with the band. 

The mesh heads are super quiet. They feel great to play, but they’re not too different from previous Alesis kits. The cymbals are a big step up, though. Firstly, they all have boom arms. This made setting them up so easy. 

I found them to be ultra-sensitive as well, so I was able to play a wide range of dynamics. That left me feeling very impressed. 

The rack that holds everything together is also very solid. I feel as though I can really lay into the kit without ever worrying about it. As someone who plays a lot of metal, that’s exactly what I want from an electronic drum set. 

The only downside of the build is that the kit has a large footprint. You’ll only be able to use it comfortably if you have a big space. A lot of drummers need electronic kits due to space limitations, so they wouldn’t be able to use this set. 

You could always remove a few toms and cymbals from the setup, but I don’t think that would offer as much value as the full setup. 

Performance

While all the pads are noted as dual-zone, I noticed that you can play the rims and drums at the same time and both sounds will trigger. This technically means that you can get three sounds from each pad, which is really cool. 

I enjoy how the cymbal pads can be played and choked anywhere on the surface. A lot of electronic kits don’t offer that. I was getting full volume and accurate triggering no matter where I struck. 

In terms of the preset drum kits on the module, all 75 kits are great, but there were some that really solidified the fact that this is a high-end electronic drum set. 

The NY Maple Kit (Kit 01) was the first one I heard from the module. It immediately blew me away with the fat and satisfying tones. The Copper Kit 1 (Kit 03) was another favorite. It had darker and grungier sounding shells. 

Some kits that had rather unique sounds were Texas Special (Kit 04) and That Alesis DNB (Kit 18). The former offers steel drum shells while the latter has tight sounds with several stacks. 

I could go on forever about how great the performance of the kit is, but just know that it’s much better than anything Alesis has put out previously! 

Value

As I mentioned earlier, I think this kit would work really well for pro drummers. You often get situations where an electronic drum kit needs to be used on stage, and all of the input and output options lend really well to that. 

Up to this point in time, Roland kits have been the go-to for that kind of thing, but I truly believe that the Alesis Strata will now be a compelling option to compete with them.

It’s also an excellent drum set for intermediate players. It has all of the playability features you need from an e-kit, including dual-zone pads, sensitive triggers, and high-quality drum sounds. 

The editing tools you get on the module are epic. There is so much to play around with, and it could keep you busy for hours. The fact that it’s a touchscreen design also adds to that. 

I just wouldn’t recommend this kit for beginner drummers, as it’s likely going to be too expensive. Beginners should rather stick to something like the Alesis Nitro Max which is a fraction of the price. 

Verdict

After playing the Alesis Strata Prime for a while, I can confidently say that Alesis has knocked it out of the park. It’s such a fun drum set to play, and I personally feel that it provides the most realistic and immersive experience of any E-kit I’ve played. 

The touchscreen interface is my favorite feature, but there is so much more to the kit than just that. If you’re looking for a new high-end set, I highly recommend this one.