The Surge Mesh Kit is a complete 8-piece electronic drum kit that includes everything a drummer needs to play like a pro. Not only do the mesh heads deliver unmatched response and playability, the compact size means the Surge Mesh Kit goes where larger kits can’t. This article answers popular questions about the features and functionality of the Alesis Surge Mesh kit.

It has come to my attention that I was originally a little bit too harsh on the Surge Mesh. Having realized what great value lies in this kit, I have updated the review. Alesis is a fantastic company that makes everything from keytars, to MIDI controllers, to electronic drum sets, at an affordable cost. The Surge Drum Module equips the kit with a powerful brain that brings your playing to life. Play one of 40 drum kits (24 presets and 16 user kits) that feature 385 individual sounds that can be custom-assigned to any pad trigger or cymbal.

No Drum Throne

Despite the Alesis Surge Mesh having incredible velocity recognition for playing quiet and loud dynamics, they dropped the ball in one area: the samples.

The Surge drum module allows you to edit some overall kit characteristic as well as individual sounds. This allows you to do a little bit of sound editing and craft the sound of the kits to your liking.

Tech Specs

More expensive electronic drum kits from Roland, for example, feature mesh heads that feel much better than traditional rubber pads. Now that being said, it is rather difficult to replicate everything you can do on an acoustic drum kit, so I’m still happy with what you get with the Alesis Surge Mesh. Why do the more expensive Roland electronic drums sound so much better, you may ask?