Members boxofrocks Posted December 18, 2012 Members Share Posted December 18, 2012 So after a lot of though, I think I might go with an eKit for the home studio instead of acoustics. For many reasons, I am thinking about the Alesis DM10X. I like that kit because of the bigger pad sizes, and heavier rack. But the kick is too small IMO.. The DM10 is a lot cheaper but 10 inch snare and 8 inch toms, that just wouldnt be comfortable I don't think. Has anyone had experience with the DM line? Do they take a beating? Will they last? How do they feel? I don't care about the module sounds, I have Superior 2.0 and would be using that mostly. So anyway, any reason I shouldnt buy the DM10X eKit? Or go with a Yamadawg instead? Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted December 19, 2012 Members Share Posted December 19, 2012 My Roland TD9 has 10" snare and 8" for the rest. You adjust and it's fine, but yeah...if I could I'd have 10's all around I would. I really don't know anything about Alesis, but as a edrummer triggering software as you intend to do...don't ignore the module. Not for the sounds mind you. You'll want to make sure that it has widely adjustable parameters. Things like cross talk settings, sensitivity ranges, thresholds, masking times etc. Those things do make a big difference in getting a responsive real sensation when triggering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted December 19, 2012 Members Share Posted December 19, 2012 Personally,I think the need for larger pads is generally over-rated. Do any of you play 10" or 12" toms? How much of that surface do you actively strike while playing? Even on a larger drum...16-18" floor toms, for example, how much of that head do you actually 'play on'? Outside of doing so for effect, etc., if you're regularly using MORE THAN 8" of a given drum head's surface, you may want to spend some time working on accuracy. I'm going the opposite of you guys; trying to incorporate more pads in my acoustic kit and looking for smaller pads. 10" pads are way too big. 8" pads would do, but make for some challenges. I'm aiming for a pair of 6" pads to replace my current Roland TD7s at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 19, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 19, 2012 That's true, it's all about comfort and aesthetics really. Most of the time, I just know the target is there, and just go for it with the brain shut off in music mode. I never look at where I'm going, the body just does it. I would have marks all over my heads, mostly in the center, but would fan out from miss hits. Accuracy would definitely be at the top of my practice list with smaller pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 19, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 19, 2012 Not to mention I haven't played in a year now. I'm going to be all kinds of rusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Enigmatic Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Check out this forum: http://www.dmdrummer.com/ Alesis can be a hit or miss. The DM10 pad quality is not the best in the world, but should last if not abused. I have been pondering on the DM10 Studio kit to convert it to mesh head. It would be a fun project. The DM10x definitely has a very sturdy rack and comes with a snare stand, which is a plus over TD-9. By the way, why are you switching to Ekits? Dont you have your own home recording studio. I thought your acoustic setup was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 26, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Thank you for the link. Tons of info! Yeah I did have a functioning home studio that did what I wanted to do, but sold it all when I moved. 2 reasons for going edrums this time really. 1 is obviously quiet play. I want to play and record and be creative at 2am. Reason 2 is sound quality in recording, it just sounds better than I can do with microphones and hearing loss lol. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and I'm glad cause they went on sale this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by boxofrocks That's true, it's all about comfort and aesthetics really. Most of the time, I just know the target is there, and just go for it with the brain shut off in music mode. I never look at where I'm going, the body just does it. I would have marks all over my heads, mostly in the center, but would fan out from miss hits. Accuracy would definitely be at the top of my practice list with smaller pads. Perfectly normal.She has lots of fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Enigmatic Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by boxofrocks Thank you for the link. Tons of info!Yeah I did have a functioning home studio that did what I wanted to do, but sold it all when I moved. 2 reasons for going edrums this time really. 1 is obviously quiet play. I want to play and record and be creative at 2am. Reason 2 is sound quality in recording, it just sounds better than I can do with microphones and hearing loss lol. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and I'm glad cause they went on sale this week. Sorry to hear that, but I totally agree with you on ekits. I am on the same boat as you are. Living in a condo isn't quite ideal for Acoustic drums. As for practicing silently, you will definitely want to try out Yamaha silicone pads or Roland mesh heads. The alesis pads are anything but quite. The good thing about Alesis, you can convert the pads to mesh. I dont like the feel of mesh, but with some adjustments it can feel close to real drums.Check out this thread: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?P...e&topic=2473.0Here's a video demonstrating the noise levels: (The alesis mylar heads doesn't seem very loud, but if you practice long hours or use headphones, it will drive you nuts) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 26, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by 1001gear Perfectly normal.She has lots of fans. Lol.. I never claimed to be normal, I'm a nut ball ADD scatterbrained musician.. The typical stereotype and I know it lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 8" pads will definitely tighten up your playing. And of course deafness is indeed a major drawback to rockin' away. I think electrics would be a good move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 I pulled the trigger on the DM10x kit last night. Sweetwater has them for 999.00 free ship right now. That's $350 off. And nobody will price match it. I tried. Best deal you can get. Go get it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 Originally Posted by Enigmatic Sorry to hear that, but I totally agree with you on ekits. I am on the same boat as you are. Living in a condo isn't quite ideal for Acoustic drums. As for practicing silently, you will definitely want to try out Yamaha silicone pads or Roland mesh heads. The alesis pads are anything but quite. The good thing about Alesis, you can convert the pads to mesh. I dont like the feel of mesh, but with some adjustments it can feel close to real drums.Check out this thread: http://www.dmdrummer.com/index.php?P...e&topic=2473.0Here's a video demonstrating the noise levels: (The alesis mylar heads doesn't seem very loud, but if you practice long hours or use headphones, it will drive you nuts) I might try the mesh if I find it to be problematic. I'm not worried about folks in my house, and the neihbors are close enough I can't use an acoustic kit at night, but far enough away that any pad noise wouldnt bother them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members purtis99 Posted December 29, 2012 Members Share Posted December 29, 2012 I have a set of DM 10 and love them, but as mentioned here often, the real heads are not the very quite. I am looking to go mesh as we speak.. Our church has a set of Roland with mesh and the difference is amazing.. I do like the Alesis kit better just wished they would have put mesh on them. Other than the noise, the mylar head are not bad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Enigmatic Posted December 30, 2012 Members Share Posted December 30, 2012 Originally Posted by boxofrocks I pulled the trigger on the DM10x kit last night. Sweetwater has them for 999.00 free ship right now. That's $350 off. And nobody will price match it. I tried. Best deal you can get. Go get it! That's a hell of a deal. Post pics and review. bhphoto.com is also selling them at $999. It seems Alesis may be coming up with a new model soon. I really hope the new version comes with mesh pads. (i can't seem to stand the annoying tupperware noise these pads make for too long). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 30, 2012 Members Share Posted December 30, 2012 Looking forward to your creations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Merlin Coryell Posted December 30, 2012 Members Share Posted December 30, 2012 Ive been perfectly happy with my DM10 Studio for like 2.5 years. I did the non-solder mesh conversion almost right away. I use the Pearl heads, which hold up ok, but you want to use nylon sticks, or at least sticks that you DONT play on acoustic cymbals. The smallest bur or chip will eat through the heads. Also, at least with the Pearls, the kick heads will need replacing every 6mos or so, maybe more often if you use felt beaters. My plastic Speedballs literally melted a rectangle out of the heads from friction. As for the DM10 module. Once you spend an afternoon setting the parameters depending on your setup and surface, you wont have any complaints against any other module that costs under $1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Merlin Coryell Posted December 30, 2012 Members Share Posted December 30, 2012 Originally Posted by Enigmatic That's a hell of a deal. Post pics and review. bhphoto.com is also selling them at $999. It seems Alesis may be coming up with a new model soon. I really hope the new version comes with mesh pads. (i can't seem to stand the annoying tupperware noise these pads make for too long). Easy mesh conversion: Just take off the head, then carefully snip the foam hole that the wiring runs through. Then place the trigger pad between the layers of foam and replace, taking care not to catch the wires on anything. Now you can install a mesh head without any trouble. Works just fine. I even went to a craft store and got 3/4" memory foam to make it even quieter under the mesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Enigmatic Posted December 30, 2012 Members Share Posted December 30, 2012 Originally Posted by Merlin Coryell Easy mesh conversion: Just take off the head, then carefully snip the foam hole that the wiring runs through. Then place the trigger pad between the layers of foam and replace, taking care not to catch the wires on anything. Now you can install a mesh head without any trouble. Works just fine. I even went to a craft store and got 3/4" memory foam to make it even quieter under the mesh. Yes, the mesh head conversion would be the right way to go. Probably using Roland Mesh heads (dual ply?) would be your best bet, but it aint' gonna be cheap. At least $250 + time. There are other options like 682Drum heads, and other generic brands, but not sure how those will hold up against Roland mesh heads. Where did you buy Pearl mesh heads? As for bass drum head, you should always use a protective patch to prolong the life of the mesh or rubber heads. The Evans EQ Double Bass Drum Patch works like a charm.There is a rumor that Alesis may be going down financially. Most major retailers are getting rid of their Alesis stock. I really hope Alesis survives in the long run. After all, they do make great budget products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Merlin Coryell Posted December 31, 2012 Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 You can get the Pearls from MF, GC, or other major retailers. And they are dirt cheap. I couldnt get the Remo patches to hold to the kick heads, but I havent tried others. Now I dont worry, as I use the Axis ekit triggers, and the heads dont have to take the beating they did. Plus I now use the wood beaters, which sure dont eat through heads like plastic/felt/rubber ones do. The Pearl heads are just fine, no need to spend crazy money on the Roland or Harts with these trigger pads. Hadnt heard anything bad about Alesis. Given how much they produce for the Digital music, mixing, programming world I would be surprised if they went under and werent just bought. I know I would rush to get another DM10 module if that happened. Pads are pretty universal now, and plenty of other companies use similar ones to the Alesis units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted December 31, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 Good stuff, thanks for the heads up on Pearl heads. After watching this video, I may do the conversion. There is a huge difference. I would hate to see Alesis go out of business, they have made great gear for regular musicians all the way to pro for a long time. I had an Alesis midi verb when I was in high school. That was a great unit, probably still working, and being used today by someone if it was taken care of. They're kind of like Behringer is now though, some junk, and some gems, just have to research and find out which products are the keepers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 31, 2012 Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 Don't take this the rong way but place kick pad directly on floor; play directly w/foots. Yes foots. Sit on , you ready for this? Chair. Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SYMBOLIC Posted December 31, 2012 Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 Further proof that you don't actually have legs. That would mess up your mechanics with regards to playing with a pedal. It may also damage the trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 31, 2012 Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 Then you send Box a pedal. Besides playing sans pedal enables a function unavailable with a single pedal. DUBBEL KIX !1!!!1 blippity toot pweep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Merlin Coryell Posted December 31, 2012 Members Share Posted December 31, 2012 You are thinking too small 1001. Why use sticks or pads at all? All that tactile stuff just slows you down and gets in the way of the groove, which flows through the air naturally. Adventures of Power had it right. "I dont need to play drums, I AM drums..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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