Alesis Strata Prime

In this alesis strata prime review, the Alesis Strata Prime is the best premium electronic drum set in our nine-kit guide and ranks fourth overall, with a $3,499 price and a 4.6 rating. It carries 29 Amazon ratings, which is a small sample, so the spec sheet does more of the talking than the score. The kit ships as a 10-piece setup: a 20 inch kick, a dual-zone 14 inch snare, 8, 10, 12 and 14 inch toms, two 16 inch crashes, an 18 inch ride and a 14 inch active magnetic hi-hat. At that price it costs about five times the budget Roland TD-07DMK in the same guide. This drum set suits gigging drummers, studio players and anyone who wants acoustic feel at home without the volume.

The module is where the Alesis Strata Prime separates itself from cheaper electronic kits. A 10.1 inch touchscreen controls the BFD sound engine, which holds 75 kits, over 40GB of content, 440+ kit pieces and 1000+ articulations. In practice, that means you can apply effects to individual samples and shape each piece on its own, from a tight snare to a deep floor tom. Every drum head is dual-zone mesh, so rim and head trigger separately, and the 360 degree cymbals respond on the edge, the bow and the choke. On top of that, Active Magnetic hi-hat tech tracks foot position far more precisely than a basic controller, which makes half-open licks feel natural. The 20 inch kick accepts a double pedal, and the pads use standard L-rods and 1/4 inch jacks.

Value is the hard part of any Alesis Strata Prime review, because $3,499 puts this kit against flagship rivals. Even so, nothing else in our guide of nine models pairs a 20 inch kick with a touchscreen module and magnetic hi-hat. The Yamaha DTX6K-X delivers a strong module for under $1,000, and the Roland kits cost far less, yet both use smaller pads and simpler hi-hat control. Weight is the real catch: the listed 43.2 kg and a 27.36 by 41.73 by 17.52 inch footprint need a dedicated corner and a second pair of hands to move. The 29 Amazon ratings also give you a thin sample of long-term feedback, though the 4.6 average is promising. Coverage runs one year from the manufacturer. If you record, gig or want acoustic feel at home, this is the one to get.