Author Topic: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user  (Read 2282 times)

HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« on: February 24, 2018, 09:01:22 AM »
Hi guys!

Thought I'd introduce myself. I'm from NE missouri, have been a full time working drummer for years, retired, came out of retirement and started spending cash on all new gear.

How I came to be a strike owner? I didn't intend to. I listened to hours of Youtube video sound demonstrations of all the roland gear, Alesis gear, yamaha gear, even a little Simmons. I was SOLD on the Rolands, basically because I love their ringy snare drums. Watching the videos, one could almost forget it was electronic, because everything blended so nicely like a real drum set.

Dollars. Shit.

So I set out to save some money and convert my Pearl Traveller acoustic kit to pads, mesh heads triggers, etc. but I'd need a brain. I did deep research into all the Roland models, taking note especially that only certain models fit my criteria: Positional sensitivity on the snare, quality sounds, and more than stereo outputs. I'd used Alesis D4 and D5 units back in the day, along with being one of the original purchasers (first shipment) of the HR-16 drum machine. So I was used to the idea of Alesis, and their four outputs. But some modules had eight outputs! OH, yes. I send everything to the FOH anyway.

So I figured the dollars would drive the module. $600-ish ought to get a used module. OH, but I'd need hi-hats, ride cymbal, I had ONE crash already, I'd need at least one more, maybe two, cabling, oh, and cabling to run all those outputs to the FOH, etc.

My wifey/sound babe and I pencilled it out, and it was cheaper to pick up the phone and order a Strike Kit. And have brand new. So knowing it fit my criteria, I spur-of-the-moment picked up the phone, called Sweetwater, and it was done. The next morning, I called them back and upgraded it to the Strike Pro, and it was REALLY done!

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2018, 11:27:30 AM »
Awesome!!!
So, I see from the other post that you like your converted Traveler bass better, eh?

Very cool! Welcome back from retirement! The world can never have enough drummers!
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2018, 04:07:18 PM »
Hi from a fellow Strike Pro-ite!  Look forward to hearing more about your experiences with the kit. I've only had mine for a couple of weeks. It's awesome.

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2018, 03:32:00 PM »
I've played it out live exclusively since December, but for last weekend. We play a lot of smaller rooms in the colder months, so eKit is the way to go.

I'm absolutely LOVING the ride, the Paiste 24", the 2002 crashes. The cymbals were the surprise bonus with the Strike! They're amazing. Great kick drums, toms, etc. I use an Alesis pad4 thingy for percussion, so mostly I don't use any perc sounds on the kit but for the 8" tom being a timbale. The rims are rim sounds ( I use them on several songs), and for the most part, it's all an attempt to emulate my acoustic kit as closely as possible. The Strike already has EXACTLY the same sized toms as my acoustic kit, so that much is already there. Basically, I'm keeping it VERY simple. Only use one kit all night but for ONE song, which requires a no-snare snare drum sound and a booooomy kick drum. So I switch kits once. The rest is set and play.

I'm a snare snob, and that's my only real complaint about the Strike. I haven't really settled on any snare that sounds like what I really want, more like "this is okay, and it'll do."

We run all the separate outputs to the FOH so Sound Babe Delux has full control of all the drum sounds out there. It's cool that the module has FX, compression, etc. but I don't get to use them. I guess if I ran an onstage speaker from the main outputs I could hear that stuff, but it would only be for the monitoring. I run earbuds.

Bottom line is this is an excellent kit for playing live. Took some monitor tweaking so my bandmates could hear me! But that's dialed in and we can REALLY play softly, while rocking out. Neat experience.

Offline Purpledc

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2018, 08:31:33 AM »
Don't feel bad about your upgrades man.  I started out with a nitro kit.  3 months later I bought a DM10 studio MK II.  Before it arrived I returned it and ordered the MKII pro,  then THAT came in and I wasn't happy and then I bought the strike.   But then ( I know I know)  I missed the extra tom and cymbals so I found a guy on ebay and he sold me a 14" strike tom for $100 shipped and I then parted out my nitro kit so I could rob it of two cymbals to have a not so quite strike pro.  So I know all too well how slippery the slope can be.   But I think you made the right choice man.  I'm discovering new things that it has to offer every single day. Honestly if alesis did more things like instrument lists and in depth tutorials and manuals people would understand why I feel the strike is the most underrated product on the market right now.   The editor software alone that allows you to create new instruments is insane.  I don't think any company gives you that.   But no one talks about it because no one knows how to do it.   I just wish they wouldn't operate under the assumption that everyone is an expert in how to use these types of product.  But man, when I first got it I thought "I wish I had got the TD25".   Now when I go into a GC the TD25 sounds fake to me.

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2018, 08:53:40 PM »
For a short time, my band was going all in-ear monitors, and I loved it. I think we may go that route after a successful test of including an "Ambient" mic to pick up the crowd noise, so our front men can hear what the crowd up front are saying/asking which, I guess, is the only reason they've gone back to floor mons.

Still... even with in-ears, I still want to get my hands on a nice powered monitor so that there's some live sound coming from my otherwise silent kit! LOL

In the meantime, my Singer lets me use one of the JBL 1000W powered monitors, which is insanely awesome. More than I need, I think... but it does sound great!
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2018, 06:00:00 PM »
Hah. I JUST took out a Thump last weekend to help fill the stage with drum noise, but not TOO loud. It helped, according to the bassist.

Offline Dartanbeck

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2018, 01:45:55 PM »
Right. When I'm using in-ear monitoring, I personally don't need any sort of speaker near me.

But let's say we have a guest singer or musician, not using the in-ears. Drums then would only come from the outgoing PA and the side-wash monitors, which leaves a real absence from the drum kit itself.

It was because of that (as well as certain instances of the audience getting too close to get the full PA output) that we've (at least temporarily) abandoned using in-ear monitoring.

The 1000W 15" JBL isn't cranking out even at half of its potential, but it's sound blows away that of smaller solutions that we've tried. I was happy with the 10" Aeon powered monitor, for example. But I've been trained to be able to play without hearing much over many years. I used to use two full monitors, one on each side, back in the day with my overly loud acoustic kit.

Having sound thumping out from the kit really does help the other musicians and up close audience to feel the presence of the drummer - otherwise it feels more like the drums are coming from a pre-recorded backing track  :o
Alesis DM10X Mesh - Laurin Drums & Cymbals - Strike Module
Dartanbeck.com Digital Artist

Re: HI Y'all! Strike Pro user
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2018, 08:00:01 PM »
Yeah we had an issue a couple of weeks back where we had a really good guitarist sit in, start a song we all know, but he played it correctly! LOL We don't get the intro exactly right. But because of that, the Bassist couldn't pick up where the beat was, not enough drum noise! He sure as heck, came in on the wrong beat, and we all had to skip a beat to align ourselves with him, because he was singing.

After I added the Thump, it's very much like having a live drum set, so plenty of backbeat to pick up on. I wouldn't mind bringing out a second one. Stereo, doncha know?