Alesis DM10 MKII Review

Alesis is not new in the musical industry. The company has been providing innovative and affordable electronic products for the musicians over the years for more than 30 years. So, naturally, we have high expectations for the Alesis DM10 MKII.

The Alesis DM10 MKII is an electronic drum set within the midrange of the price spectrum. It’s a 6-piece drum kit which is a configuration Alesis uses for many of its drum kits including the DM10 X kit.

Now, this kit comes in two different versions which are the studio and the pro versions. However, today we will be reviewing the studio version. Of course, if you’d prefer to go for the pro version, you should expect to spend a little more.

But then both kits are excellent and will do for both live performances and recording too.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get straight into our review for today. First questions first though…

Our rating: (3.7 / 5)

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What’s In The Box?

Who Is The Alesis DM10 MKII Studio Kit For?

While many other Alesis drum kits come with Mylar or rubber heads, this kit comes with mesh heads instead. So, fans of mesh heads will love this kit a lot. It’s tightly woven mesh heads we’re talking about here after all.

Also, drummers who are used to acoustic kits will also love the response and playability of the mesh drumheads here. The mesh heads give a bit more spring and bounce than regular Mylar or rubber pads. Plus, you get to adjust the tightness of the head to your tastes too which is always an advantage.

The bass drum is pretty solid too. You have plenty room to customize your sound. You know how many players are used to a particular type of tuning, right?

Well, if you’re one of them, the bass drum in the Alesis DM10 MKII allows you to adjust the tuning so the drum closely resembles the acoustic head you’re used to.

Furthermore, the Alesis DM10 MKII makes a great practice kit. Plus, it’s not super expensive which means that most drummers can afford it.

The Alesis DM10 MKII kit is quiet, much quieter than rubber or Mylar pads. In addition, these features come with many features that make it great for practice with a list of play-along songs as well as metronomes.

Moreover, the sound module is also pretty versatile and can hook up with your PC or MAC using MIDI or USB. This way, you can update your sound library. And this is a super attractive feature for an experienced player.

In all, since it’s super quiet so you can easily play this indoors and anywhere at all within your house without creating a nuisance.

So, summarily, this kit is a great option for anybody looking to get some practice on a quality kit.

The DM10 MKII Sound Module

We found the DM10 MKII sound module to be quite useful with loads of inspiring tools for the drummer. It also comes with enough sounds which a drummer can begin using immediately in the studio or performing live.

The DM10 MKII Studio module comes with about 54 pre-set drum kits and also comes with about 671 instrument sounds. Expectedly, the pro version is naturally upgraded with more capabilities such as 80 preset drum kits, 700 drum, cymbal and percussion sounds, as well as 100 play-along songs.

Anyway, both modules are equally nice and efficient too. Each module allows you to adjust different aspects of the individual sounds on device like pitch, reverb, and muffling.

Now, this is a really critical feature, especially for expert drummers. As you know, with advancing skills, drummers tend to get pickier about their sound. Being able to adjust the different aspects of your sound to create the perfect sound is, therefore, super important.

Away from that, we move to the inputs on this module. This module comes with an 1/8 inch stereo input plus a USB aux input as well. This allows you to connect your own external device. With this feature, you’ll be able to play along to your favorite jams and get some practice too.

In addition, this sound module has the ability to connect to a personal computer using MIDI or trigger virtual instruments. And this is a great advantage as it means that you’ll be able to add as many sounds as you want from your sound library, or straight from the internet.

Also Check: Alesis DM6 Review

Quality Of Pads And Heads

This is a 6-piece drum kit that also comes with 4 cymbals. Now, although the pro version comes with larger drums, both kits come with drums similar in structure. That is, they are all dual-zoned which means you can get sounds whether you play on the drumhead itself or on the rim.

You’ll be able to play rim shots and rim clicks on the snare which is one reason this drum stands out from the competition. Plus, with a 10 inch diameter, you’ll be able to play on it comfortably. And definitely, your drumsticks will cover a good percentage area on your drumhead.

On competitor drum kits like the Yamaha DTX522K and Roland TD-11K, the snares are a tad smaller at  8 inches. This could make playing a bit fiddly due to the minimal room for error smaller snares present.

So, it’s really commendable that Alesis made larger mesh drums available at a much more affordable price.

Furthermore, the noise level of the drum heads is quite reduced which makes the drums conducive for all kinds of practice and rehearsal in just about any place and at anytime.

Lastly, we’ve got to commend the fact that this kit comes with a drum key. This helps you to adjust the mesh heads which gives each drummer the response they are going for. It’s a super important feature.

Some Frequently Asked Questions about the Alesis DM10 MKII

How Large Is The Footprint Of The Alesis DM10 MKII Studio?

The Alesis DM10 MKII Studio, just like the pro version is pretty compact. It only requires a small floor space, just about 6 feet by 6 feet. So, this kit will most likely fit most apartments, studio rooms, and more.

Are The Drums Velocity Sensitive?

The drums in this kit are super velocity sensitive which is really advantageous. This means that the sounds you get from your drums will vary according to how you hit the drums. So, if you hit hard, the drums play loud. And if you play softer, the sound comes out a mellower.

Most serious, experienced drummers would love this feature as it makes the kit look most like an acoustic drum kit. It’s important for the feel and response you get from the drum kit.

Is There A Bass Drum Pedal In Here?

Well, that would be a no. There’s no bass drum pedal here as expected. So, you might want have to use your own bass pedal. Preferably, you should use something that comes with either a plastic beater or a wooden beater.

Felt beaters are not exactly great for electronic drum kits. In fact, felt beaters can actually damage your drum pads. So, you want to avoid using any bass pedal with a felt beater. Stick to either plastic or wood.

Can You Play Brushes Using This Kit?

Unfortunately, playing brushes on this kit might not necessarily be workable. In fact, we do not recommend it. But then again, there’s a brush setting on this kit. So, if you really want to achieve the brush sound, you can play normally with your sticks and still get that sound with this setting.

Pros Of The Alesis DM10 MKII

Cons Of The Alesis DM10 MKII

Conclusion

The Alesis DM10 MKII Studio Kit is a great looking kit with large drums and cymbals. At this price point, these are pretty much as large as you get. And talking about prices, this kit costs less than a thousand dollars. So, it’s quite affordable for most.

Now, in all honesty, the sounds in the DM10 sound module does not compare with what you hear from Roland or Yamaha. Nonetheless, that’s not much of a problem these days thanks to Virtual Studio Technology.

With VST, you get access to loads of drum sounds which you can pick out on your own for a small price.

Additionally, larger drums are better for performance and the drums in this kit are sufficiently sized, thankfully. Plus, it also looks more professional than a smaller kit which is never too bad.

All in all, fantastic kit very much worth the price.