Side by Side Comparison of: Alesis vs Vic Firth vs Cannon vs Spectrum

Works perfect. Easy to set up. It connects to my focusrite and then to my computer easy. I use Studio one and It records just fine through the DAW. I also used it with Audacity. I set the pads up my way because the snare would get triggered by hitting a tom and the Crash also had that issue. So it might take some adjustments.It's light weight and folds up fine.Breakdown is simple and quick. The wiring is easy It plus right into the "Brain" easy and all the wires are labeled. A few things I don't like.The legs connected to the cross bar come loose when stored and I have to hold the cross bar while trying to align the leg and reattach it. It's plastic so it's expected. Just go over the connections with the included tool to make sure they are tight.Personally, I think some of the preset drum kits are lame and I would never use them.That's about it. It's fun to play and the hang-ups are minimal.

This is just awesome! actual mechanic bass pedal!!! not a plastic button in form of pedal as comes with cheap sets, this is something that you see on way more expensive electric drum sets.really good quality, specifically pedals, didn't expect much from drums in this price category so it was plesant surprise.I think this kit can compete with models that are 2-3 times more expensive.Really great product if you want practice/play in headphones without disturbing others. super wanderful for beginers who want to learn play drums and should be good enough and fun for more experienced people.

I bought this thing pretty recently. I'm a fit 28 year old man, and decided I wanted to learn the drums while living in an apartment. After a few growing pains with hardware (which a few jokes helped me sort out), I've got everything lined up and I'm no longer breaking the neighbor's frames.This thing is just the best. It gets more realistic as you start to get a better feel for the kit. I started with everything locked up tight like a set of pads, and within a week I had Umphrey's plugged in and was rocking along with my favorite band's sets. I'd highly reccommend this for permanent drummers that temporarily reside in apartments, or people who want to learn the drums and don't know how serious they are about it.The kit has left me extraordinarily inspired, and I'm so stoked on getting my first acoustic kit because of it. Despite the bigger dreams, this little machine still let's me beat out the prison blues.

I think it's about time I write a review for this set. I purchased this drum set three years ago not knowing anything about electronic drums. I knew I'd need an electronic kit because of my living situation; close quarters with noise ordinance laws. I never thought I'd be able to play real music with real musicians in public using this set but after years without a kit I was missing the instrument dearly and needed a substitute for practice. It was difficult to resist the Alesis DM6 with it's attractive price and good reviews so I went for it. After unpacking and assembling the kit I started tapping around on it and was a little irked about the broken quality; missing hits being the chief problem. That was before the firmware update. After downloading the necessary files and uploading them to the drum module I tried again. All of a sudden the quality really came out; ghost notes, striking sensitivity and no missed hits. That's when the real fun began. The kit offered a variety of sounds, volume controls and allowed me to arrange them to build a whole new kit to my taste. I only built two custom kits but I could make 12 more if I wanted. Three years have passed and I still have the kit. Built sturdier than many acoustic kits I've seen and despite its extensive use the kit is still fully functional today and has gotten several positive reactions in front a live audience.Although outdated, I still believe that anyone looking for a starter e-kit should seriously consider the Alesis DM6. It's cheap, durable and provides all the qualities that one could hope for it an electronic set. Yes, it's true that other makes and models boast a greater playing dynamic, but electronic drum kits are still in their infancy unless you're ready to spend thousands of dollars of the latest and greatest. I've been looking to upgrade and have been extensively researching other makes and models. From what I've discovered, a greater playing dynamic simply means a cymbal choke and a brain that can store a greater variety of sounds and has more functions (like metronomes, and stuff). And that's fine, but while e-kits evolve, the art of drumming has not changed all that much. A good drummer can play a solo on a tin can. A great drummer can play a gig. My Alesis DM6 continues to do its job well at home, in the studio, on stage and I couldn't be happier with it. Whether you're a newcomer to e-kits or a seasoned percussionist just trying to not tick off the neighbors, I strongly recommend this kit. It will carry the beat on without carrying all your money away.Now for the pro's:-Mesh heads are super quiet-Compact and easy to move and/or set up-Highly adaptable to most sound systems: USB midi out port, 1/8 inch auxillary mix in, output and headphone jack. Just make sure you go through a DI if you hook into a sound system other and an amp or you won't get any volume out of it.-Rock solid-Great customization and volume control-Comes with a metronome and built in beats to play along with and/or practice toNow for the cons...My only problem with this kit is a lack of dynamics. There's no cymbal choke and no rim click. You can program a rim click to play on one of the drums, or the snare edge, but you can't program your snare to be... well... a real snare drum. I don't know of any kit out there that can though... There is a high hat pedal dynamic but it's kinda shifty. If you absolutely have to have a cymbal choke you can go ahead and spend another 600 dollars for that function, but I've managed to do without.Thank you Alesis, for providing such an amazing product. If I decide to upgrade in the future I'll definitely browse your stuff first.

I can't say enough good things about this drum set. I was tossing around the idea of getting my first kit for over 6 months, reading reviews and trying to find a kit that if I hated playing I wouldn't be bummed about spending so much and if I loved playing I wouldn't be bummed about the low quality.This kit just works on all fronts.It has 15 preset drum sets and over 20 different tunes to play along to (it also gives you the ability to turn off the drums on those tracks so you're not just trying the drum track).It has a line in for music from your phone or mp3 player. It has a line out for going to an amplifier if you want to make some noise and it also has a line out for headphones if you need to keep quiet late at night.I use this kit in my apartment, so I was concerned with my neighbors being able to hear me beating on the pads. I got them to help me check if they could here me beating on it through the walls and they confirmed that they couldn't hear a thing.Kit setup was quick and it adjusts just as quickly.Everything on this guy works perfectly. Best $350 I've spend lately.

My 8-year-old daughter told me she wanted a set of drums for Christmas. I instantly knew that they had to be electronic to maintain the peace. I also knew that I couldn't justify spending more than $500 on a kit. So, the search began. I came away with the understanding that the DM6 is the best value out there, but that Alesis was still working out some bugs. I also read that a firmware upgrade purportedly fixes the known bugs.I decided to go with the DM6, and I am very pleased that I did. The build quality is great. Like other reviewers, I noticed some quirks (like missed hits). I already knew that I might need to update the firmware, so I did and the quirks went away. All you need is a computer (Windows) with a USB cable. The instructions for upgrading the firmware are not as clear as I would like, but it was fairly straight forward. You might want some help from a friend if you have never done this before.The sound is incredibly realistic. There are certainly better drum kits out there, but none come close to the value of the DM6! If you or a child want to explore the world of percussion, then get the DM6. It should have a decent resale value should your interest wane, or if you outgrow it. When my daughter plays it with headphones on, all I hear is the pitter-patter of the rubber pads---SUCCESS!I should also note that the pedals are designed to be used on carpet. Velcro lets the pedals stick to the carpet. The pedals will scratch wood floors unless you place a mat (like I did) underneath. It needs to be big enough so the throne (stool) is also on top the mat, so the pedals (and mat) do not walk away as you play.

These have a great balanced feel to them. They hold up to regular abuse. These are not sticks for intense drumming but for drummers who need sticks for fast action and reduced wrist fatigue. I love these and the price is more than worth it.

Perfect size. Not too large like a B and not to small like a 7a. Honestly I wish there was something between the 5a and 7a. I would give it a shot. Vic firth is wonderful. Sticks are great quality and are always weighted nicely. I bought a set of zildjian sticks recently and sent them right back due to bad match weighting. Vic Firth is quality all day, every day.

So my husband appears to be having his mid-life crisis. He (in his 40's) is requesting to have a full size drum set, mind you he has never played any instrument in his entire life!! So I spoke with my father, who is (and always has been) a drummer. He advised me to get a drum pad and recommended these sticks for him to try and see if he liked it before investing in anything huge. My husband really liked the sticks and said they felt good in his hands. He has looked at other brand sticks after getting these and can really tell the difference between this and the others. With these sticks-the weight of each stick is equal and perfectly balanced. I highly recommend the Vic Firth Drumsticks! Especially with the pricing being as fantastic as it was!Vic Firth American Classic 5A Drum Sticks

Thanks is excelent

Don't waste money on regal tips or any other type of drumsticks. These are durable, light, and they somehow give the snare a better tone. If you love yourself, your friends, that random drummer you saw playing the other day, there is no better gift then Vic Firth American Classics. If your into heavier heavy projection sticks try out the metal ones. They are as advertised.

This chair arrived as scheduled and the setup was simple. So far it has been very reliable and comfortable. Highly recommended.

Great chair for the price. Have no issues whatsoever.

Good so far... My 10 year old uses it.

Perfect for games system, nice and sturdy.

This seat is so comfortable I'm glad I purchased this..definitely worth the price!! I save 50plus bucks getting this and is just as comfortable the bigger brands..

My bson reall enjoys this throne. A great throne for the money.

Bought these for monitoring while practicing and recording electronic drums. They do that well enough, but they also sound great just for listening to music.

Awesome headphones. Great for hearing protection and loud enough speakers to use while recording without hurting your ears. Remarkably just as good as Vic Firth's version. Worth it.

great phones.Plenty loud and very isolated....hardly leaks sound

Great for price. I might actually use these for regular headphones. Probably will be great for the plane. It comes with a 1/4 inch jack that screws off resulting in a regular aux male. I was an idiot and thought they were broken. I had them in the wrong output at first. However, they replaced it no problem! Free shipping for sending the new one and re-sending the old.

Awesome sound and quality. I bought this to complement my electric drums. It cost much less than others and offer very good quality. I recommend it

Solid headphones. Awesome sound from my drums.

I really enjoy this set. I am a beginner though, so what do I know? I set everything up myself, the key is not to tighten everything down first. Head phones work great, I also plugged it into my soundbar, works great. I may purchase a small amp later. Still need to get more familiar with the controller. Like I said, I am a beginner. With that said, the reason I gave it four stars was because I wish the cymbals had more sound from them. The Ride cymbal makes two sounds, like just a nice effect, then sometimes a very sharp sound that I don't believe it should be doing. If I hit it say 8 times in the exact same way each time, one of those times will be a different sound all together. All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase. If everything in my learning to play goes belly up, then I will blame it on my church, they are the ones who wanted me to learn to play (haha)

A lot of drums for your money. Very well built. I have an issue with the output level, as it was very weak when plugged into a PA board, but most people wouldn't use these drums for a performance. Also, have some problems with the ride cymbal, which seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to making a bell sound. But overall, great deal for the money. I've had a set of Rolands that are similiar but cost 700.00 more than these, and definitely wasn't that much better than the Alesis. This is my second set of Alesis and the kick petal has been much improved. Highly recommend.

Lots of fun and a good practice alternative to a real drum set. Not a relacement for a pro set and I wouldn't recommend trying to move it around too much. Definitely not for regular live performances. I've been pounding on it for close to a year and it's been a blast. It's not perfect, though. The rack tends to loosen up but a nice adjustment key is included. The hi-hat works well for open and closed but sometimes misses on the pedal hi-hat. Might just be my pedal unit. My snare pad stopped working after almost a year and the warranty would have covered it but I fixed it myself by resoldering a single wire that had broken.

Cymbals are sometimes hit/miss and are not very sensitive. The snare pad surprised me though. It has a lot of rebound, almost like playing on a practice pad. The snare pad is the most responsive pad in the kit, would've been cool if they did these pads all around. Toms are good and again, have a lot of rebound. Responsive, but not as good as the snare pad. The kick pad feels alright. The kick pedal is alright, but feels flimsy. The module sounds fine for the price. Limited customization with kits, but if you get a drum software, you'll have professional grade sounds and unlimited tuning/customization. One problem I have with this kit is that cymbals are bad and loud, it sounds like beating Tupperware with a wooden spoon. They're more useful if you use them as crashes rather than rides. I have to make all my kits have the ride mapped to my mid tom. I like being able to use the mix in option. I've been experimenting by using two modules, I plugged an old dm5 into only the snare, toms and kick. I kept the dm6 sounds on the crashes and hi-hat. This made the kit so much more fun to play, the dm5 may be old, but it has a much wider range of sounds and customization. So my final opinion is, this is a great kit for beginners and people on budget alike. If you looking for nothing more than a few drum kits to play with. I also feel that this kit has much potential if you're willing to spend the money on a different module or drum software. That is when this kit will really be worth it.

The drums work great and were a good escape for us and my son. You can't silence a regular drum set, but with these, you can practice quietly with a set of headphones. The only knock is that the frame tends to turn (shift) easily no matter how much you tighten the bolts. I wish there was a way to keep from turning up or down and changing the drum position. Other than that, they seem to work fine. I havent hooked them up to any quality speakers, but they sound fine hooked to one of those Harmon Kardon Iphone speakers.Setup took about 20-30 minutes and was easy to follow. Good kit to practice or play with.

I received my drum set within 5 days. Everything was very neatly packaged. Easy to put together. Extremely intuitive. I plug my iPad into the "mix" jack on the back and play over all of my music. Great for beginners because of the many built in features like metronome (4 different sounds) and tempo adjustment. Also able to record directly into the module. Extremely light and easy to collapse and carry when on the go. However, the set has many adjustable knobs (which helps to get the perfect fit for the users height and preference) BUT, just like a good mountain bike, the more parts there are to an item, the more likely something will break. Within one week, the snare has slowly started to fall after every 10 or so strikes. I am having to stop and re-tighten the kit back together every 5 or 10 minutes of playing. Which is very aggravating. I will have to do a DIY fix in order to stop this. Also, the chord triggers are not as sensitive as I'd hoped. Some of the cymbal/hi-hat midi triggers are sensitive in one area, then dud in another. But for what I spent on this compared to a more professional level electronic set (about a 1000$ difference) I would say that I am satisfied. Probably the best beginner set, but for an above average player, I'd say to invest the extra money into a more reliable set. Especially if you are considering live performances. Hopefully this helps anyone considering to purchase this item.

I have no idea how they work as drumsticks, I bought them for a dog costume.

Pretty decent sticks and fairly well balanced.But, i had to sand them off a little as the neck and shoulders were a little rough. I play an electric and if I didn't sand them, they would leave marks for sure.

Good basic sticks. Took one star off because will probably look for less expensive options in the future. My 13 yr old loses drum sticks constantly so will go the economical route next time.

This is coming from a beginner drummer, but the sticks are perfect for rock/heavier stuff due to the loud but rounded sound it gives, but for me personally, the weight and thickness made it a bit uncomfortable for me.So I chose to stick with the 7A primarily but will still use and try get used to these 5A.ALSO BUYER BEWARE.Maybe I just got unlucky but when I got these sticks, I took off the cardboard square used to hold the sticks but once I put that cardboard down a SILVERFISH almost1 inch long darted out.I was absolutely disgusted because it was very big (1inch is about their max size) and it was lucky I caught it, else it might have gone into my box of comic books that was nearby.So, CHECK FOR BUGS FIRST before you just toss anything away. You don't want something like silverfish to eat away at any of your books and stuff.

I'd been using Novas (Vic Firth's budget version or "seconds" of these) and needed some more sticks quick so I opted to get some of these next day shipping.I'm a heavy hitter & break sticks regularly - no matter what brand. That being said I did notice that the real deal (over the Nova version) had a little better longevity - I'd say about 25%. The American Classics tended to break "better" chipping out at first before fracturing, thus being playable longer. The Novas tend to just fracture and get tossed.Keep in mind some batches of sticks of the same brand are better/worse than others. I'm guessing this mainly has to do with variance in the supply of wood - every tree is different & trees from different areas (possibly even countries) will differ in grain, density, etc.The AC's were also better matched in pairs. Whereas the Nova's tend to have noticeable weight differences - doesn't really bother me - price considered.Conclusion: American Classics are better but cost about twice as much (Personally I'd rather buy some Vaters at that price) but I think the economical choice if you break a lot sticks is to go with Novas. If your not heavy handed & you're picky about your sticks balancing as a pair and don't mind the price, go with the Classics.

These were good drumsticks. I used Vic Firth sticks for a long time, and they were always good. These particular sticks performed very well. They were 5A's, so they were lightweight, easy to grip, and were very easy to move around. When you play drums fast, it helps to have a stick that is not too heavy to use. These also had a lacquer coating, so they had a good grip. My only problem with these were that they had wooden tips. I learned that wooden tips seem to come apart and shred after a while, but only if you're hitting cymbals, not if you're just hitting drums. If you decide to buy these sticks, buy the kind with a nylon tip, they will last longer.

This holds up pretty good but not really Heavy Duty. This will work for playing an electric drumset at home and the 2 hour jam session somewhere once in a while. It is not what you want for playing out weekends, but for the price is a good practice set throne. The black coating looks really good with an electric kit too.

It's comfortable enough, thick padding and stable legs. Simple design. If you think you need to change heights often, say if you play rock band with friends and switch drummers of varying statures often, then another stool might be for you.

Exactly what it says it is. I am just over 300 lbs and feel comfortable on this throne. The bolt style provides a greater sense of assurance that the seat will not move at all between playing and transportation. The screw-wheel for the seat itself is a little annoying but that seems to be standard on all thrones. There could be a bit more padding but overall this purchase was a good value.

Could be better, but it's not bad. If it would spin I'd be over the moon, but it's a basic stool. The seat isn't that tough since it flattens out easily, though still provides some padded comfort. It's not uncomfortable, just basic level. That's not to even say that it's low quality or a poor product b/c it is perfect as a stool for a drummer, but this is an entry-level product.

Sturdy for sure. However does not come with good assembly instructions, very vague. I got it together but hope when a hefty person sits on it that the pole doesn't go right through it. The cushion is very firm also, and compared to my keyboard seat it's just not as comfortable so not to sure how long someone could sit on it. I would have given this 3.5 starts but not an option. It is of good quality though so 4 stars just may be deserving.

Good for the price but not the best. If you are looking to buy for a younger player before you know they will be serious, then this is a great choice. If my son becomes serious about his playing, we'll need to upscale to a sturdier, more comfortable model.

I have a bit of a problem with these headphones being called "Extreme Audio-Isolation." They do a good job of getting lowering background noise, but most of the noise is still there - just at a lower volume. Even so, I am glad that I bought them and they do a good job overall. They are helpful when editing my voice over audio tracks. And when I take them to coffee shops and such, I play white noise in them to give me peace of mind when I work.Keep in mind that these were made for people using electronic drums, so the sound quality is not super high-end. But it is more than adequate for my needs. I am considering ways to wear them with a headband or something to make the seal tighter and to reduce the noise level even more.

works great

These headphones work well with my dm10x alesis drumset, they are what they are im not looking for hi res sound out of these. The drums sound good out of them and they work well when playing music through them while you play also, my only problem is the cord is built in and doesn't have the option to be removed.

Tip: I put a soft glove over the bass pedal mallet to stop it from striking twice. I suppose a sock or some other soft knitted fabric would also work. It took me a good 2 weeks to problem solve a solution, trying different things. Because it would always double strike.First noticeable problem: It's way too quiet. You plug in your head phones to the module, turn the volume up all the way and you can still barely hear yourself. So I have it now hooked up to an amplifier and I plugged my headphones into the amplifier.The stand that holds everything up is light and flimsy and difficult to put together. Hard to get it all tightened. And once it's up with the drum heads on, it feels like it's going to tip over. But I have it set up good now.I am now enjoying playing these drums. The three stars is for having to figure out a way around different problems.

Built in sounds are not that good, but I use it with a $40. Steven Slate software program and it sounds awesome. The high hat does not have enough triggers to get the full range of open and closed sounds, but it is adequate. For $300. I really can't complain, but you should do a firmware update as soon as you buy it.

The drum set is very easy to set up, and as long as you know your way around a drum set, you won't need the instructions. It comes with all of the parts for a basic drum set, including the kick pedal, and that was a nice addition. The drum set comes with a pair of drumsticks, although they feel like very cheap 2A's, and I would recommend getting a pair from your local Guitar Center.Rebound all along the modules is pretty OK. Its not very realistic however, as all of the tom pads have great rebound, including pad 3, which is supposed to be the floor tom. The snare pad has pretty crappy rebound though. The center of the pad has a bit of rebound, but you aren't going to be laying down a solid double stroke roll on it by any means. The rim of the snare has a nice sound it, as the snare pad is a two section pad. It is hard to trigger sometimes though, as when you are riding on the hi-hat, you really have to slam the rim in order to make sound at a comfortable angle.The hi-hat pedal is OK. It isn't too flimsy, but it isn't firm enough for you to practice double bass with. Supposedly, if you hit the pedal the right way, it makes the sound of a hi-hat opening, like on a real hi-hat, but we have had very little luck with that. The sound is just open or closed. The bass pedal is pretty great. We have adjusted it to be pretty tense, and it works well, when played heel up, which is how my son plays. If you have big feet however, and you play heel down, you may run into issues, as there is a little annoying notch near the top of the pedal, where your toes would rest.The drum set doesn't come with a throne, and it doesn't set up pretty tall. Now, my son is 6'4", and the proper to sit at the drum set is with your legs as a slightly downward angle. My son's are about flat with a cheap throne on the highest setting. Its not a deal breaker, but it can be annoying. The set also doesn't come with a speaker or headphones.One thing that my son loves a ton, is that there is an aux-in port on the drum control. That way, he can have an auxiliary cable in from his computer, to his drums, and then plug his headphones into his drums. This is extremely convenient, because he then can hear his computer, and his drum at the same time, and that makes practicing music really easy. It also means that he never has to unplug his headphones from his drums, and then plug them back into his computer when he's done jamming; he can just go over to the computer. The drum module also has a metronome, and many different profiles where you can assign different drums to different pitches. He can have a jazz profile, a worship profile, and a metal profile, and switch between them all in no time at all. The actual sounds from the drums are OK, but the cymbal sounds are pretty great. Just play around, and you'll find a combination that you like.If you hit heavy, or plan to use this for gigging, read these next two sections. if not, carry on :)My son is a very heavy hitter, and when we got this set, he was using very heavy sticks. My son was using the Mike Mangini signature stick on these electronic drums, and he was hitting the crap out of them. For those of you who don't know, the Mike Mangini signature stick is like 16.5" long, and weighs a fair amount more than your run-of-the-mill 5A's. This is worst case scenario, and it showed. After, about 4-5 months, a small tear appeared in tom 2. It didn't affect playing or rebound, but it was there. After 6ish months a tear appeared on the side of the hi-hat, where the drumstick hits 99% of the time. We switched the hi-hat drum pad with the ride drum pad, and carried on. A few weeks ago, it happened again on the hi-hat. so we switched it with the crash. It hasn't affected playing a whole ton, but, once more, its there. Now, my son has switched over to Vic Firth x8d's, a very light stick, so we will see how this drum pad withstands time as opposed to the others. This entire experience knocks off a star on the review.The second star knocked off is for triggering issues. What I mean by that, is that not everything triggers right 100% of the time. The hi-hat (granted, very rarely) will sometimes not register an open, and that throws my son's practice off, and he'll have to restart that song, to make sure that the error wasn't on his part. Another triggering issue is that sometimes, during a cymbal roll, or even just a big crash, the crash cymbal will trigger the bass drum. So you hit the crash, and it crashes, but it sounds like you hit the bass drum as well. This again, is annoying, and gets in the way of practicing. We've gotten use to it now, but it's enough of a complaint to remove a star, and for you not to trust this is perform 100%, 100% of the time.This is an excellent purchase for anyone learning drums. My son bought this 7 months ago, having only learned the basic rock beat, and jazz swing. He now comfortably plays in the school jazz band, a jazz combo and for our church. If you're looking for something to practice on, and are OK with hiccups you may encounter, this is the kit for you.TL;DR - Great kit for practice, don't gig with it, don't beat the crap out of it, and it will last you.

I really like this drum set- easy to assemble and arrange according to one's liking.It works well and the kits sound really good. The overall quality feels good and nothing feels cheaply made. I am really enjoying the base kick and pad. All the pads are force sensitive and produce louder sounds as they get hit with greater force.However, a few issues that I am having are- the snare is not loud enough. In an acoustic set, the snare is perhaps the loudest drum, even with the slightest hit. In addition, the snare is not sensitive enough and requires a good bit hit to produce any sound. The tom toms are way too loud in comparison. Many times, especially when playing fast, sometimes a hit doesn't register on the snare. Also, parts of the rim (especially the one's that one hits the most) of the snare are very numb and require a large amount of force to produce any sound. This is very annoying.Secondly, the hi-hat similarly is not sensitive enough and again, it doesn't register a sound at times when playing fast. One general issue that I am having with all the cymbal pads is that the center area is the most sensitive while the peripheries are not highly sensitive. This is a deviation from the normal behavior of an real cymbal.These issues also make this set not very reliable for recording.If it were not for these issues, I would have given it 5 stars. Nonetheless, I think its fine for a beginner (like myself) and I will look for a better set in the future.

i love these drums. i live in an apartment and was receiving complaints with my small traveler set by pearl even muffled with brushes. so i picked up this set and then hooked it up to addictive drums real drums samples. makes all the difference. sounds so good. But the high hat is very tricky to get it to close(choke) with my foot like a real hi-hat. i've got it now, but took like a month to unlearn my real hat technique. and now the snare center pad just went out and it is past the return window for amazon even though it's only been like 4 months. very unhappy with that part. so i'll either get a better snare or haggle with alesis directly. i'd definitely recommend this kit for people that need to practice but definitely don't use the onboard sounds they are crap. also i hooked this up to reaper DAW(utilizes all cores of computer) software DAW as all the others choked on playing samples: protools, logic etc... and it's free lol

My last set of drums was some time ago and a 7 ply maple Gretsch kit with Zildjian K cymbals.Alas, this kit does not sound or play like my old kit- nor should it at a fraction of the price.They are easy to set up (I use a double floor tom set up) and quite fun out of the box. I'll have to play with the settings but I've read here that there are real limitations.My biggest beef is the rebound off the bass head- its hard not to double strike when kicking in heel up mode. The beater just has too much bounce and is hard to control- for me anyway.I'll continue to experiment by moving the beater off center (down).They are not perfect- but a near perfect solution to a relatively high quality, inexpensive and compact kit that can satisfy your drumming itch at all hours (with cans of course). I miss that great Gretsch sound and feel but these are helping me find my chops again.My kids (10 and 12) dig them too.

The quality is good, but it is really stiff. I don't know what kind material it made. It caused my wrist not feel good and sometimes felt sour second day after my drum practice.

Look nice and well balanced but broke two pairs fairly quickly due to my playing style. Purchased a value pack separately which have held up much better.

I must admit I really enjoyed the sticks. They feel natural and well-balanced. They're smaller than the 5B and my grip tends to naturally lean toward the 5A.My downside is that they are pretty weak under moderate to heavy usage. You can buy a new set of sticks and within one practice session have them start cracking down the middle. Playing at church regularly, I've gone through three sticks in a weekend. It's not exactly like I'm beating the crap out of them but I am using them pretty bluntly in order for the dynamics to come across. The tips will regularly chip-off leaving you with one side shipt and in doing so the tip will have rough edges which could damage your drum heads.

I always break these.. buy Vaters

Decent, but expensive. I don't notice anything better over the cheaper ones.

The tips keep coming apart in the wood grain. Once the tips are degraded, it doesn't sound the same. I had the same issue with the Jazz Classic sticks by Vic Firth--those broke in a day practicing jazz ride cymbal at a moderate volume. At least these lasted a week or two. I like the feel and balance of these 5A's but I can't spend so much replacing them when they don't hold up. I plan on trying Vaters next bc I've heard they're rugged. Or I might try a pair of Vic Firth with nylon tips.

Kinda flimsy for a big guy using it, but you get what you pay for. I didn't want to pay $100 for a chair to use for Rock Band.

This is my first drum throne so I have nothing to compare.The padding is okay, get's somewhat uncomfortable after sitting for a while.Also, the assembly creaks A LOT when playing, had to WD-40 between the components several times to quiet it down.Does the job.

I purchased this for my son, who is new to drumming. It works well for him, but I would not say that this is rated for their max load. When I'm sitting on this thing, and jamming for about an hour, I'm sitting on the wooden base. I only weigh 180. While this won't break, I would say it's not very comfortable from an adult's perspective. If you're getting it for your kid, then it's a great throne!

Its not super great but it gets the job done, i recommend that if you are a person of a larger build that you should look into other options... it broke after 5 months of heavy use from my bands drummer who is 6'2" and 275lbs

Decent drum throne for a beginner and the price. It's fairly sturdy. Padding definitely leaves something to be desired. I'm barely 150LB and in about an hour I start to get uncomfortable sitting on this throne.

I am annoyed that they call this heavy-duty. It's fine. But any heavy-duty fellow (say someone weighing 185lbs or more) would sit on this and feel the plywood under the cushion right away. There's very little padding and what is there is soft. You can squeeze it down to the hard surface just by pressing your finger. If it were a light-duty seat for kids and smaller drummers, yeah. The thing is great. It's well worth the money. I can't imagine that the sum of the sum of the parts alone would cost less than $30. But it's just misnamed. It should not be called heavy duty.The steel is fine, the hardware's fine. It's all fine. Just not very heavy-duty.

After about a week of use one of the sides were blown out,I would like a replacement!other then that these were great for the drumset my daughter has!

First pair we received had no sound in one channel. They were immediately replaced but that was a sign of things to come, as a little over a year later, we're down to one channel again, even though they never go anywhere, the cable is never wound around or stretched tightly, and they get only 3-4 hours total use per week at home. By contrast, my instructor's headphones get house of use every day and are put on by loads of kids and banged around and are still going strong. If 50 bucks for a year of use is good for you before you need to buy another one, I guess these are fine.

a little loud

Bought for cheap on Amazon Prime day for $39 I think. It has great sound quality, but no way to adjust it. After about 2 hours of use it starts to hurt under my ear on my jaw. The ear cups are huge and can easily go over anyone's ear I'd think. I can easily sit and watch a movie, but gaming on the weekends results in many breaks. I would not buy a new pair. Likely, I will just save up and buy something else.

I am on my second drum set now, and it just broke too. The kick drum is hot garbage. I used my first set three times before the kick drum just about quit on me (it went from working with moderate pressure to only working when I stomp on the pedal as hard as I can). I submitted to return it and ended up tearing down the entire set and putting it back in the box and having to put a whole new set together (it was easier the second time but still a pain in the ass). I used this one twice and now I have the exact same problem with the kick drum. I do not want to tear the whole kit apart and put a whole new kit together just because the easiest part in the kit to replace by itself has failed. I have now spent far more time building my drums than playing them. I do not recommend these at all and I plan on getting my money back unless they can send me just the kick drum.

I was very satisfied with this drum until kickpad stopped responding today. i play very softly as my room is not soundproof. yet after a dozen use, kickpad stopped responsding. it seems like cable issue but all cables join into single adapter so I can't do much about it. I'd give five stars for the quality and feature for the price if it was not for this kickpad issue. I am going to contact alesis for replacement parts. hopefully they have good customer support.

All the pads respond great, the only problem? The pads slowly slide down as you play, even if you tighten it all the way, it won't help. It's a shame this big issue occurred.

Drumset sounds great, especially for the price. I do not record, just simply plug in my headphones and play. I'm a seasoned drummer and I've seen what other major percussion companies have to offer. For the price, it's a decent little drumset. Sturdy, responsive, and after a few adjustment tweaks, perfect for me. HOWEVER... Like many of my counterparts, I too have had the bass drum receiver completely crap on me. I've barely had it for 4 months. At this point, it's not looking like I'll be eligible for a replacement under warranty, so I'm going to try to take it apart and see if I can work some magic and get it working again.UPDATE:After 18 months, I have disassembled and am in the process of selling the set. The bass drum wiring was replaced but still did not work. The most annoying issue of all though is the faulty hihat/snare drum connectivity. Hitting a hihat shouldn't initiate a snare sound. I learned to live with that, until the hihat sensitivity completely plummeted as well. I even attempted to fix this issue with the Alesia update, but to no use.Tip: Always play a kit in person prior to investing a couple hundred dollars in it online.

First off, I only bought this so I can practice at home, since my acoustic kit is at my band's practice space. I just needed a practice kit that wouldn't break the bank. And it serves that purpose well... When it stays in one piece. Just a few minutes ago, the thing partially fell apart on me. The pipes that make up this kit are too smooth to stay in the plastic brackets, no matter how much you tighten them. I have never spewed so many curses loudly at a piece of metal (well, maybe once...). Returning it seems like a hassle, and like I said, it serves it's purpose as a practice set well (when it stays together), but I would definitely recommend any drummers looking for something serious look for a Yamaha or a Roland, something I really wish I could've afforded.

I bought this for my husband and we exchanged it because hitting the left top cymbal repeatedly resulted in triggering a snare (tom?) beat. The replacement had the same problem and I read somewhere else that it might be because they share the same arm of the frame. I know this isn't the highest end kit, but it was still disappointing. It's otherwise a decent kit.

Purchased these exact same drumsticks in January. This newly purchased pair was used tonight and one stick broke immediately. The weight seemed off. These 2 pairs of sticks were 3 oz less than the pair bought in January. If you are a drummer you know this is significant. The wood looked different and the feel was different. The pairs bought in January still have not broken. But this pair broke after one song. Disappointing. Weights shouldn't change...Vic Firth needs to work on quality control. Disappointing.

Not sanded smooth. They are rough/splinters.

Too long ....wanted ahorter one.

Best balanced, and most versatile stick ever made. Unfortunately the tip will snap off on the ride cymbal if you're a medium to heavy hitter. I wish Vic Firth would fix this Achilles heel because the sticks are too pricey to have to wonder if the tips will make it through a song.

These are probably ok for someone who is a talented established drummer. These are not great for me. If you tend to go all Muppet Show on your set, I might recommend Shira Kashi Oak…less likely to split and fall apart.

They seem like a knock off to me. All of the Vic Firth 5A sticks I've bought in stores were way more solid than these. I could immediately feel the differance. The taper at the end is slightly different too. I just wonder if they changed the design or if these aren't the real deal.

I might use this as an extra thing to sit on when people visit, maybe.. if they don't mind wobbling whenever they move. Admittedly I bought this because it was cheap and looked nice, plus my trusty long time throne had started wobbling at the base of the padded seat. I'm 155lbs and it's already wobbling 2 weeks in with minimal use. The problem is all the plastic in the hardware, but oh well. Lesson learned!

This product is pretty aweful. Makes an unbelievably annoying squea sound and isn't comfortable. I gave it 2 stars only because I should have known better buying such a cheap stool. Spend the money. I just bought a roc-n-soc (whopping $160) but its AMAZING!! If you need something really cheap for the interim then this one will do the job but be prepared for lots of squeaking while playing the drums.

It's basically just a seat, not a real drum throne. Doesn't rotate well and just feels cheap. Go ahead and spend the extra 40 to 50 dollars and get a good one.

You get what you pay for... the bottom leg clasp will not hold 190lbs even after firmly tightening and the it wobbles. Decided to go to a very popular guitar store and buy a sturdier throne.

doesn't swivel

Heavy Duty is a bit of an exaggeration. It was inexpensive and I believe we received what we paid for. If you want a better chair, pay a little more for one. The drummer that uses this stool said it's already bent a bit during use.

Lasted a good two months before one side became intermittent. Repositioning them on my head would fix it for maybe a month, now they're just annoying.

Doesn't block out noise from striking the pads on my electric kit. Have to turn the volume way up to cover the sound which defeats the purpose of the over-ear style. Overpriced too. But the sound is true and clean.

Sounded great while they worked. Used them about once a week for about 2 months. Then maybe twice a month for about 4 months. Then the left side stopped working. Tried on several systems and my phone and still don't work. I've emailed Alesis support so I should be receiving a replacement.Update: They replaced them for free so customer support was awesome! I started wearing them more frequently and they give me a headache because the cushions are pretty hard.

The kit sounds great, but it keeps falling. The pads always fall with the slightest touch. I've tried everything, but I can't get them to tighten and stay in place.

This drum set is horrible...it keeps falling apart and collapsing on itself....the components won't stay screwed into place. Worst decision we made...should have bought our son a real set. Don't waste your money!

We bought this almost a year ago and it has fallen apart many times. We keep putting it back together but it is top heavy and the screws can't support the structure. I would not recommend this product.

Fell apart after a year. Don't waste your money if you have a young talented drummer. Just get a real set that sounds normal.

Do not waste your money on this toy drum .The parts are so plastic and flimsy therefore continuous assembly and disassembly will wear them out in a short period . One of my greatest disappointments is that this toy drum doesn't even have a standard 1/4 jack audio output. I honestly don't see the reason why Alesis built this drum in the first place. Stay away from this item .

This is a horrible kit. It made it through one week and then we've been struggling since then to keep the kit operable. Unfortunately because we bought it for my son and didn't give it to him until after the 30 day return policy expired we were unable to exchange or return it. The high hat has NEVER worked. Now we aren't even able to trouble shoot the issues. After 3 months of use, it's headed for the trash.

Very small to gears2 classic dont waste your money

Did not include the sticks.

The tip broke within the first hour I played with them.

We only had this 1 week and one of the sticks shattered. ??? !!!!! Hmmm did they change how they made them based on all the good reviews I wonder why/how this happened. ?

My hands always smell strongly of varnish after I use these sticks.

One of the sticks broke in just a few days, and I don't even hit that hard!

great tripod base..great stem ..adjustable...and the seat, not worth ten cents. six graders could make a better seat in art class

This was the least expensive drum throne on Amazon. The quality is low, parts do no fit well, the padded seat was not fitted properly. I don't think it could hold a 150lb person although it states weight up to 250lbs. Not recommended for purchase.

I received a broken cheir

This is the worst product I have ever purchased from Amazon. It advertise as a heavy duty throne and maximum weight is 250 lbs. the stool would be lucky to hold 25 lbs. this is not worth the fantastic box it comes in, oh yeah, the box holds more weight than the stool, oh by the way, the throne arrived today, I put it together really quick sat on for one half hour and fell over when it bent, and I hit my head when I fell off the darn thing.oh by the way, I did keep the thing, I took off the pad and installed a small self and use it as an accessories table

I rather seat on the toilet without the seat cover, much softer

UPDATE: Received the replacement for this dud. Check Amazon for "Pacific Drums and Percussion 700 Series Drum Throne" Spend the extra $24 and get it instead. It's great. This Spectrum isn't. Original review follows:This is the loudest, squeakiest throne I've ever heard. Using it for my Roland kit, can hear it squeaking away even while wearing headphones. When I'm drumming, the squeaky throne is the only think my wife hears two rooms away.I weigh 160 lbs and the padding isn't quite enough for my (apparently) fat butt. I can also feel the hard stuff under the non-cushion, on my butt bone.Is it sturdy? Aside from above (LOUD, not enough padding) I'll say, I guess so?The price is right, but the features (quiet and comfortable) aren't there. Going to try to find the box and return this dud.Replacing it with something better either way.If you're looking for a throne for somebody who weighs 100 lb or less, this might be quiet and padded enough, but I wouldn't count on it.

Stopped working after 6 months of light use

I was excited to use these and the excitement continued when they came in the mail. I play the electric drum set in a worship band and only used them twice a week. After the first time I used them I loved them. They have great sound and look very professional. After a month of using them twice a week the left side went completely out. They would come back sometimes, but wouldn't stay. I was frustrated that they stopped working right before I was supposed to play. After one side went out the sound was horrible. Tried to her a new pair and the protection plan is crap also. I got rid of the box and they wouldn't let me return them. Not worth the money.

I purchased these headphones 2 months ago and a few days ago, one of the sides stopped working. From what I read in other reviews, it's a frequent problem. I have written to Alesis customer service, but I have not received a response.

Just what I needed but a month after the return window expired the left side died. I don't know if this is a common issue. I wasn't rough on them at all.

Purchased as gift for son with same brand drum set. Have never worked correctley short out and full of static....bad wires...unable to return although return policy states they may returned until Dec 2017. Don't waste your money on these.I have purchased thru amazon prime for many years and never left a reveiw. On the flip side something positive .......the drum set is awesome.....just find a better resource for the headphones.....

They sounded great, but they were too tight for my 15 year old daughter so we had to return them. I'm bummed because they would have been perfect.