Author Topic: Strike pro  (Read 599 times)

Offline AzWoodWarrior

Strike pro
« on: January 05, 2021, 04:31:57 PM »
HAPPY 2021! Since my playing has improved significantly in the past 6 months, and am considering turning pro, is the strike pro kit worth it? Or should I wait until I make the plunge to professional percussionist and invest in the high end electronic kits. I guess the question is, is strike pro professional level equipment or will I need to fork out 8k-10k? Keep in mind, I was a carpenter for 20 years and from that experience know that better quality tools produce better quality products.
Because ya can't, ya won't, and ya don't stop!

Re: Strike pro
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2021, 11:19:59 AM »
I would disagree that better quality tools (drums) build better quality products (make you a better drummer).
Better quality tools would be there for you, reliably, every time you need them. If that's what you mean to say.

I don't have a full Strike Pro kit but what I do have is the module and strike cymbals used on my A2E. I love the module and even though I use EZD2 a lot, the module sounds are excellent for when I just want to boot up fast and play/practice. I think they would be fine for live playing and you can upload your own samples from a VST.

I don't have any problem with the cymbals either, mostly. They were bought used from Reverb. Ride bell triggers accurately. The bad - the hi-hat is awful. There is no way around it. The cymbal set I bought came with the old two-piece hi-hat. No experience with the new single top hat + controller. But I replaced mine with a Roland VH-11 and it's far superior. Controller aside, the Roland CY-12 just triggers so much better.

I've read many comments about the plates breaking inside the Strike drums too, specifically the snare I think. If you go searching you'll find it. But again, no personal experience with that.

I think the Strike Pro SE probably offers best value and bang for your money. An 11-piece kit, a module with that many features, at that price is tough to beat. I've personally never had any quality problems with Alesis. Not sure it would be considered professional level, then again if I want to use it live I don't think I'd care if it was or not.

I don't think you need to shell out $8k anymore for something .... *cough* TD-50 *cough*. I really like the Roland VAD506. Some hate the sounds of the TD-27 or that it has a cable snake. It's a matter of what you're ok with I guess. Sounds can be remedied, a VST can be used.
A2E 5-piece | Bum Wrap Drum Co maple burl wrap | Jobeky & UFO triggers | Drum-Tec real feel heads | Strike module | VH-11 + Strike cymbals | EZD2 + EZXs

Re: Strike pro
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2021, 01:29:16 AM »
I agree with tmk.

I just recently replaced my DM10 module with the Strike module and the sounds are incredible.
I only have old, 2 zone DM pads from my original DM6 kit and a few dual and tripple zone Alesis cymbals as well as the original DM6 Hi Hat with Alesis's "Real Hat" controller and it works and sounds great.

I do have Superior Drummer 3 and it was a small challenge to get it to work as well as the DM10 module.
I'm still having issues with the hihat running through Superior Drummer triggering a crash if I hit the pedal too hard but other than that, I love the Strike module sounds so much that I find I don't use the VST as often anymore.
I have to go into the menu and do some custom midi mapping to fix this but I'm too lazy at the moment and as I said, the stock Strike sounds are great as is.
I also have a Strike multipad mounted above and between the two ride toms so the sound quality is consistent between the main kit and the multipad unlike when I was using the DM10 module.

In the future, I may upgrade to a complete Strike kit but my current set up woks well for me at the moment.

powerhouse

Offline Iggford

Re: Strike pro
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2021, 11:36:03 AM »
I bought an original Strike Pro in February of 2018.  I was in an active band that played out 2+ times per month.  I never once questioned the reliability of my kit. 

That being said, I did have a snare plate crack.  Alesis Customer Service, and my extra year through Sweetwater, made the replacement process painless.  I did have a couple of other pads replaced early on, but it ended up being a totally different issue (not even a problem), and Alesis still told me to keep the old pads and replacements.  So, in my opinion, they have gone above and beyond for me.

I've since switched bands, and my new band is playing out on average more than the old one, so there's been a lot of setup and tear down, and my Strike has held up as well as I could expect, or even better.

For what it's worth, I have heard that the new SE model has stronger trigger plates, and there are fewer, if any at all, issues with cracks.  I'm not sure I've even seen one report of it, but not saying it hasn't happened.

For what you get with the Strike, I'd say it's a more than solid choice, and the module is, to me, in a category all its own.

Re: Strike pro
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2021, 12:57:34 PM »
I agree with Iggford and bought my kit about the same time and encountered the same problems. Alesis replaced every drum that failed without question until the warranty expired which is the norm. It would seem all of the issues with the original kit have been resolved. If I used this kit to gig out with on a regular basis I would probably up grade the rack or at least have a hand full of spare corner clamps. I just don't believe the rack is road worthy

Offline Iggford

Re: Strike pro
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2021, 02:29:47 PM »
I've found that as long as you check all the joints every few times you take the kit out, the rack holds up really well.  There are also some tricks that involve drilling through your clamps and the bars to keep them from coming apart.  I tend to change around my layout from time to time, so I've not tried any of them on the Strike.  I did it to my DM10 kit, and it really strengthened the rack quite a bit, though.

While I haven't had any real issues with any of the mounting brackets, I did get a roll of the rubber-like shelf liner and cut it into strips to go under the brackets.  It gives them a little more grip around the rack.  The chrome rack of the original Strike Pro can be a little slick.  Not sure how the SE's rack is.  My black DM10 rack didn't seem to have the same slippery nature.