Feature:
Needed Pedal and throne of course
Quality:
The pads and hardware seem to fly apart. We have had some parts replaced, however they can't keep up with the demise of this kit structurally. We have done many things to try to keep this unit intact. The inserts in the back of the DM5 unit are plastic. Have broken one during normal upload at a venue. Treat it like glass. The rack is poorly designed for any real gigging. Put it in the corner of your living room and play it gently.
Value:
Learn from my mistake, and spend more to get a good Roland kit. This was all we could afford at the time. We have had it for ten months, and have discovered it lacking.
Desirability:
This has no sex appeal. It was useful to teach us what to look for in an electronic drum kit, however. Don't buy this kit. It taught us that, and we can pass this on to you.
The sheer genius of its design.... Well, they could use some of that inspiration in a redesign.
Sound:
Sounds are above average for this price range
Ease of Use:
Easy to set up, stereo into my PA, no worries
Support:
Begging the store where we bought the unit and many emails to Alesis have yielded either irritating interactions or nothing at all. They couldn't fix this kit fast enough, save an entire redesign of this system. The pads will strip their bosses and fall limp like leaves in fall. They shatter and scatter their parts about your feet as you use them. The arms fall off the rack, and the DM5 unit glitches at the worst possible times.
Overall:
Very dissatisfied. We didn't think it would be a real road worthy set for that price, but with care, we could keep it intact for a couple years until we could afford a real nice kit from Roland. This failed even our reduced expectations. Make your own choice, but hopefully we allow others to learn from our experiences.
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