unofficial 2box forum

other drumming & musical stuff => Other e-drum systems => Topic started by: puttenvr on January 22, 2016, 12:33:06 PM

Title: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: puttenvr on January 22, 2016, 12:33:06 PM
5-piece, professional electronic drum kit with 3 pools
Strike Performance module with 4.3-color LED screen
Over 1,000 drum and percussion instruments and kits 200
Mesh Heads (patent pending) with larger boilers and drums in standard sizes
Strike Software editor for creating your own kits and instruments
Sampling own sounds or load of .wav files
Convenient USB / MIDI connection
12 '' Strike snare pad with wood shell
8 '' - 10 '' - 12 '' Strike Tom Pads with wood boilers
14 '' Strike Kick Drum Pad with wood shell
16 '' Strike ride cymbal (3 zones), complete rubber pad in hammered look
14 '' Crash Cymbal with choke, full rubber pad in hammered look
12 '' Hi-Hat Cymbal (above & below), full rubber pads in hammered look
4-legged chrome rack


http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/Product%20News/Tech/Jan16/alesis-strike-zone-1200-80.jpg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UyP4pHFAv3w
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: BURNIN AMBITION on January 22, 2016, 12:39:55 PM
have to be honest, it is the first time i have been tempted by another drum kit, after i bought 2box, which i adore. this looks amazing. it has everything you might need. 3 crashes, big ride cymbal, 2 piece hi hat, big dimensions. but what matters the most is the sound. if the sound is inferior to 2box, then all the rest doesnt mean a thing. now if the sound is great, if the triggering is great, if it is silent then we might have a winner here. but these are too many ifs. sticking to 2box hehe
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Coda on January 23, 2016, 08:25:29 AM
I think '60' was a mistake. There is only 8gb memory in it, and if you had a single kit using that many horizontal layers (which IMO is not that useful) all the memory is gone already.

The module seems at first glance to have everything. If the triggering is on par, the editing software is accessible, and the sound quality from the outs is good, then I think 2box will need to up their game to stay in it.

Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: espen on January 23, 2016, 09:18:17 AM
Quote from: Coda on January 23, 2016, 08:25:29 AM
I think '60' was a mistake. There is only 8gb memory in it, and if you had a single kit using that many horizontal layers (which IMO is not that useful) all the memory is gone already.

Think so too. Also, to me 40 velocity layers actually sounds quite a lot if they mean vertical layers with these. Usually in VST softwares they only have something like 8 to 15 vertical layers and less than 10 horizontal (round robin) samples.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on January 23, 2016, 04:31:27 PM
Just to clear up a little. The module had no sounds programmed into it for the show. The new cymbals for that kit just showed up in time for the show and they did not want to demo it when they hadn't setup the kit for proper triggering of the cymbals which they hadn't yet tested with the module.

40 individual sample velocities will be the limit. 40 for 16 instruments is what I was told. I also asked if that meant you could have 20 on one and 60 on another ..... 16 X 40 = 640 .... so 640 individual samples and your memory would be maxed. You could use all 640 on one instrument if you want. The 8GB is the entire onboard memory, for the operating system, screen, samples, etc., everything. Honestly this is a module/kit that could not be tested, hands on yet. So it is pretty much impossible to make assessment without that. How well it plays, and whether it will play the instruments/kits with no noticeable latency .... TBD (to be determined).....

But regardless of all that ..... one thing is for sure ..... the Edrum industry is starting to move in the right direction.

From what I have seen this year there are steps in the right direction. I see nothing still that will out perform 2Box, no motivation to change colors myself ..... If you want to talk individual velocity layers available...... My typical 2Box snare has about 149 between head and rim. Hi Hat (medium sized one of mine) 316, Toms average 70 layers each if single zone, about 100 layers if dual zone ..... So, I'd be out of layers/memory before I got to any cymbals or kick ...... but .... the point of that is that ..... NO, I definitely could not build a kit with the number of layers I currently build with the 2Box ....
I am impressed though that this Alesis module is NOT like their recent sample based products that were limited to 2 individual layers .... definitely a move in the right direction

but more TBD.....
I think the NAMM show should be renamed to the TBD show, because much of what is shown is TBD later.
J
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on January 23, 2016, 04:55:02 PM
Also, You won't be purchasing a module separately, at least at first it will be just kits offered. digitalDrummer (Allan) will be getting a Strike kit delivered to his guy in the US for testing, and Allan will be taking an ATV module home from the show to test at home. J
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Murgen on January 23, 2016, 05:41:21 PM
Thanx JMan for the heads up, professional like always.  :)
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on January 23, 2016, 06:42:46 PM
Quote from: Murgen on January 23, 2016, 05:41:21 PM
Thanx JMan for the heads up, professional like always.  :)
I'll tell ya what ...... a couple of those high octane beers and professionalism is relative ..... LOL
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: BURNIN AMBITION on January 23, 2016, 07:05:53 PM
jman is on the spot as always.
i would like to ask this. is the module capable of having an sd card? because if there is no expansion slot of some kind, then conversation is over. there wont be the possibillity to add many kits that are of some good quality, like in 2box. for my all the rest are not as significant as the sound.
lets wait and see.
the thing that i suspect (and of course i could be very very wrong) is that roland will soo announce a new edrum to reply to this kit. and if it is also in the right direction, new drum it five couldnt be far behind. i smell a new era of e drums soon
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on January 23, 2016, 07:10:11 PM
Quote from: BURNIN AMBITION on January 23, 2016, 07:05:53 PM
jman is on the spot as always.
i would like to ask this. is the module capable of having an sd card? because if there is no expansion slot of some kind, then conversation is over. there wont be the possibillity to add many kits that are of some good quality, like in 2box. for my all the rest are not as significant as the sound.
lets wait and see.
the thing that i suspect (and of course i could be very very wrong) is that roland will soo announce a new edrum to reply to this kit. and if it is also in the right direction, new drum it five couldnt be far behind. i smell a new era of e drums soon
Roland definitely will have no new module at NAMM. Just El Cajon......

There will be an SD slot. But it is not the same as 2Box. You won't be adding to the Memory of the module. The module memory is what it is. Via the card slot you could load new kits, etc. but those will have to be transferred to the on board Memory.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: BURNIN AMBITION on January 23, 2016, 07:45:58 PM
thank you very much jman
excellent infos.
so, from what i understand, with these 8gb, we could have 2 excellent kits in module memory. and then you could on the fly add some more from the sd, but that would take time. not fond of that approach. but it is a step forward. in my mind 2box is still king soundwise. but any competition is good! cheers
ps. i was practising a bit today. closed my eyes, felt like playing an acoustic kit. oh i love my 2box.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on January 23, 2016, 08:54:00 PM
Yeah, it's all very interesting, but without hands on it's still partial info at best. This is more info than is typically available by showtime though.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: rhysT on January 23, 2016, 10:07:04 PM
As Alesis and Sonivox are inMusic partners, this is a possible clue for the Alesis Strike kits editor:
http://sonivoxmi.com/products/details/big-bang-universal-drums-2

Maybe a Lite version of Big Bang Universal Drums 2 could be included with their new premier kits!   8)
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Chrisk on July 13, 2016, 06:24:27 PM
Hi,

Confirmed by Alesis employee :

The Strike and Strike Pro kits both use the same Strike module, so the specs will be the same for the Strike Pro kit as well: 2GB internal memory plus additional SD card option.

Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: puttenvr on January 14, 2017, 01:35:36 PM
2gb is not that much
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: edcito on April 21, 2017, 09:53:38 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZQ1VuQ-gUM

Sounds pretty good to me, the acoustic kits anyway... at this price much better than the td50.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on August 22, 2017, 05:24:11 PM
They just put up a video of the Alesis Strike instrument editor. The process of importing instruments from VST sample libraries is covered toward the last part of the video. So, it looks like it is pretty good, with sufficient amount of velocity layers and round robins. From the description it looks like using SDSE for creating the instrument velocity WAVs then importing those into the Strike would work fine. The biggest limitation I see though is the on-board 200MB per kit limit. Those of us who have imported VST instruments and kits to the 2Box module know how that is not really enough MB's for our typical VST built 2Box kits. Even the original 2Box instruments like Hi Hats can be close to 200MB.
Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD7zj1yLVQg
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: edtc on August 23, 2017, 12:11:44 AM
200mb of ram in 2017 ... it s really stupid IMO ... any 100 dollar tablet has 2 gb inside ...
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Jman on August 23, 2017, 01:08:36 AM
Quote from: edtc on August 23, 2017, 12:11:44 AM
200mb of ram in 2017 ... it s really stupid IMO ... any 100 dollar tablet has 2 gb inside ...
The Strike has 2GB, but the module has a limit so that each kit (either the stock onboard sounds or one that you build with the sound editor) has a 200MB limit.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: edtc on August 23, 2017, 10:26:41 PM
it could have a 2 tera SSD , if a kit has to be smaller than 200mo its kinda useless ...

The drum sounds much better than with the stock sounds in the video , it s a shame , cause with 200mo , as you said , you can have a decent Hihat , a snare and thats it ...
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Coda on August 24, 2017, 05:12:47 AM
Maybe a just hi-hat.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: edtc on August 24, 2017, 09:54:32 AM
Quote from: Coda on August 24, 2017, 05:12:47 AM
Maybe a just hi-hat.

we dont care Coda , as you and me dont use E-hihat ... :)
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: JRage on August 24, 2017, 03:22:46 PM
Anyone familiar with their file structure and formats for kits and sounds and samples ?
Maybe they compress more and 200 MB is enough for a decent kit? 

From www.alesisdrummer.com:
Strike Kit Files (SKT) contain a table of 24 entries, referencing each trigger zone and the voice settings for each triggered instrument. There's a 2nd kick trigger specified in the file, but I can't find a way to utilize it... my inclination is it exists purely to make the record count even.  There is also a table of the Instruments used. These are stored as SIN files on the external and internal storage.

Strike Instrument Files (SIN) contain a table of velocity ranges and the table of actual sound samples (standard 44100hz/16 bit PCM WAV files) associated with said velocity ranges. There's some other data I'm trying to figure out - I'm guessing most of it is data on how the sound should be played back, looping, whether previous hits have any effect on the next hit, etc.
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Itsme on August 30, 2017, 08:43:29 PM
I went with the intension to buy a strike kit. I sat down at it for about 20 mins ,it had the latest firmware update , I had £1700 in my pocket, and came back with The same, it's shocking, takes ages to change kits , cymbals are the worst I've ever played and I can't see those tower cones lasting long lol, came home and bought the 2box three days later and am I glad 👍
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: welshsteve on August 30, 2017, 10:06:20 PM
You bought 2box module or a complete kit?
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: Itsme on August 31, 2017, 07:36:51 AM
Complete kit, I gig with an A to E converted kit with a Roland TD-12 (SOON TO BE RENDERED SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS) The 2box module works fine with my A to E kit but wanted a fold up kit again as I need the space in my car, I will use the 2box full kit for small venues and A to E for the larger gigs , I'm completely happy with the 2box pads as I'm only really an electronic drum player , learnt with a TD3 kit, then 6 then 12, I've loved my Roland gear but the sounds are all the same even the 50, when you gig with them I turn off all the EQ Ambiance and other FX Roland use to make their modules sound different and when you do that you realise it's all the same sound lol, they just repackage and charge you more, sad really as they have so much R&D that they could do way better .Then why there is the VST route but why when you have the same deal with a 2box or Mimic pro, so less Hardwear , not mentioned the strike because it's pitifully slow, same as all their gear, I've got an Alesis sample pad and that's a joke can't play samples bigger than 2mb so that was a waste of money, once I've got the hang of sampling and converting with SDSE I will be content for a while !!!!
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: edcito on February 06, 2018, 06:48:10 PM
I just exported the premier clean kit of SD3 using SDSE and selecting the Strike Module. The total amount for all the wav samples is 322MB, I would say the Strike Module will compress them even more when automapping the samples onto it so it wont exceed 200MB.
BTW, not sure if it's a price error but right now you can get the full pro kit for the same price as the zone kit here:

https://www.musicstore.de/de_DE/EUR/Alesis-Strike-Pro-Kit-E-DrumSet/art-DRU0033842-000
Title: Re: New Alesis drum kit
Post by: megatallica on March 31, 2019, 02:46:13 PM
I've heard some good things about the Alesis Strike in the community. I'm not sure just how well it holds up against the other big-hitters though.

Here's a resource I found while trying to check it out!

https://drummingreview.com/alesis-strike-pro-review/