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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Best Sub $500 Electronic Drumset EVER.
I've had my Alesis DM6 drumset up and running for a couple days and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. Up until now any electronic drumset in the $500 range was nothing more than a toy. Because I know that Alesis knows how to make great electronic drumsets I was hoping that their experience making higher end kits would trickle down to this brand new DM6 line. It...
Published 7 months ago by D. Nutt
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Drum roll please?
pretty good for someone starting out. though the soft pads make drum rolls a little difficult. Also the snare drum sounds are pretty bad I would say. And the rimshots are not what you'd expect. you don't hit the edge of the pad, you hit the plastic sides, so it's completely different feel from actual rimshots.
Cymbals are a little weak. they don't respond to light...
Published 3 months ago by Daniel Williams
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Best Sub $500 Electronic Drumset EVER., December 17, 2009
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
I've had my Alesis DM6 drumset up and running for a couple days and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. Up until now any electronic drumset in the $500 range was nothing more than a toy. Because I know that Alesis knows how to make great electronic drumsets I was hoping that their experience making higher end kits would trickle down to this brand new DM6 line. It did. This drumset is fabulous when you consider the price point and, in fact, has no real competition that I could find.
Pros:
- Everything is included. I've looked at a lot of drumsets and many don't include everything you need like bass drum pedals and more. This has everything you need to play right our of the box, even a pair of drum sticks. OK, a couple things not included you will need and that's a set of headphones and a throne (chair) to sit on.
- Sturdy, well made components. The natural rubber drum heads are quiet but have a very good feel and rebound to them. The rubber cymbals are not as quiet as the drum heads but do what they are supposed to do very nicely. All metal hi-hat and bass pedals. Wide diameter aluminum frame rails and compoents.
- Very realistic sounding drum samples.
- Dual zone snare. You can make the snare sound like a rimshot when you hit the rim. Or program it for a cowbell when you play "Don't Fear the Reaper". Or make it sound like any of the other drum sounds included.
- Ability to interface with your computer via USB. This opens up a world of options including MIDI and recording your performances on your favorite recording software. I don't know of any sub $500 kit of this quality that does that.
- MY FAVORITE THING is I just plug in my iPod into the DM6 module and I can play right along to my favorite songs.
- You can buy an ION Drum Rocker module (I was able to get one on eBay, not sold by Alesis) and use this kit for your Rockband drumset. You'll need 8 new cables too, so while there is extra expense, it's possible
Cons:
- Some kits, including mine, were delivered with firmware that was less than perfect. I, and others I have heard, would sometimes have problems with the snare drum triggering properly. I had to hit it harder than I thought I should to get it to trigger. A quick and easy firmware update totally fixed this problem but I know some people have problems updating thgings like this.
The Botton Line:
- Everything I've said in this review is under the caviat, "...for the price." If you are new to drumming this would be a great first set. But if you are and experienced drummer on a tight budget you will not be disappointed as long as you aren't expecting the DM6 to be a Roland Pro high end drum kit. The bottom line is this is the best $500 (street price) electronic drumset ever made.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Drum on!, March 19, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
I recently bought this set and I LOVE IT. In the past I've had a full-size Tama set and another set as well. I also had a Roland TDK-7 that I could never get adjusted to suit me.
This kit, however, is so much better and more responsive than the Roland set. The rack was very easy to setup, and my only gripe would be that it would have been nice if the connecting cables had been a bit longer. I was nervous with the standard setup that had the control module between the toms. Even though it sets back a bit, I had visions of whomping on it and decided to make some adjustments. I put the clamp for the crash symbol on the back bar instead of the left side bar, and moved the clamp for the module to the left side bar. That put it totally out of harm's way, however, it was a stretch for the 'floor tom' cable to reach the pad, but with a little adjustment it got there.
Everything you need is in the box except for a seat. The rack is there, all the electronics and cables are there, and even the drum sticks are included. Updates to the module can be done from your computer after downloading them from Alesis; you will need a USB cable to do that (not included, but a standard easily found cable).
The pads have a strange 'sticky' feel to them but they have a nice natural-feeling bounce and are fun to play. The symbols look and react like metal cymbals and the sound is very realistic. The pad used for the snare is a dual function pad, with the rim of the pad being slightly raised and producing a different sound. In the standard kit it sounds like the 'rim shot' that you would expect.
Others have made observations about the pedals creeping, but I'm not having that issue. I have an area rug with a rubber back that is on a laminate floor with the drums on the rug; no creeping so far. The pedals are very responsive and the adjustments for the pads are great. I was up and running very quickly. I do agree that several of the pre-programmed kits sound a whole lot alike and it would have been nice to get more variety.
I read about some issues with the snare missing some hits and the ride cymbal going to the bell a little too quickly and downloaded the recommended software update. Although that went well, the instructions had a few omissions and a couple of errors that I reported to Alesis. For your average computer-savvy person, it would not be a huge problem and I was able to figure it out.
I've seen this set for as low as $399, and it's totally worth it. I paid well over $1,000 for the Roland TDK-7 and I like this one just as much. Relatively small investment for big fun.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Perfect gift for aspiring percussionists., December 28, 2009
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
My 8-year-old daughter told me she wanted a set of drums for Christmas. I instantly knew that they had to be electronic to maintain the peace. I also knew that I couldn't justify spending more than $500 on a kit. So, the search began. I came away with the understanding that the DM6 is the best value out there, but that Alesis was still working out some bugs. I also read that a firmware upgrade purportedly fixes the known bugs.
I decided to go with the DM6, and I am very pleased that I did. The build quality is great. Like other reviewers, I noticed some quirks (like missed hits). I already knew that I might need to update the firmware, so I did and the quirks went away. All you need is a computer (Windows) with a USB cable. The instructions for upgrading the firmware are not as clear as I would like, but it was fairly straight forward. You might want some help from a friend if you have never done this before.
The sound is incredibly realistic. There are certainly better drum kits out there, but none come close to the value of the DM6! If you or a child want to explore the world of percussion, then get the DM6. It should have a decent resale value should your interest wane, or if you outgrow it. When my daughter plays it with headphones on, all I hear is the pitter-patter of the rubber pads---SUCCESS!
I should also note that the pedals are designed to be used on carpet. Velcro lets the pedals stick to the carpet. The pedals will scratch wood floors unless you place a mat (like I did) underneath. It needs to be big enough so the throne (stool) is also on top the mat, so the pedals (and mat) do not walk away as you play.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Great starter kit, February 6, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
I bought this for my son as a starter kit. It turned out to be a great little kit.
First, the kit was difficult to put together as the instructions, frankly, sucked.
Second, I couldn't find this information anywhere before I bought it, so let me say it. The pads on this kit are pretty cool. Although they are hard pads, they use a softer rubber head that reduces wrist- and arm-fatigue. These pads are fantastic!
Third, this set plugged seamlessly into our Mac as a MIDI controller and it also worked flawlessly.
Fourth, this set should really be viewed as a starter kit. As such, don't expect too much from the drum controller. There's only 15 (or so) kits, most of which you'll never use.
Saying this, I recommend heartily this drum kit for anyone who is starting out!
NOTE FOR PARENTS: Although this is not as loud as a "real" drum set, it's still pretty loud when being played on.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Alesis DM6 Set Sounds great!, January 7, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
We purchased this set for our 12 year old son for Christmas. Was a little worried it wouldn't sound good, but I was totally impressed with the sound. When he plugged it into his Ipod I was amazed at how it all sounded too.
We know nothing about drums. The set was easy to set up and worked great. Only problem we had was one of the clamps came stripped and wouldn't hold a drum on the frame and we live in another country, but we give it 5 stars for sound, quality and ease in set up. Believe the clamp issue was just a fluke.
Amazon did a great job shipping this overseas and very quickly. Very impressed with Amazon, as always!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Decent Practice Kit, December 22, 2009
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
I wouldn't recommend this set to a touring performance drummer...it seems too flimsy to be tearing down frequently...but as a "set it up in one place forever and play it" kit, this one's decent enough. It fits in small spaces without feeling small when you're playing it. The head action feels natural. The harder you hit, the louder the output...the lighter, the quieter. Sounds and effects are limited and there's no room for expansion drums or cymbals, but there's enough here for somebody just wanting to play along with your iPod or in a combo. The pedal action in the chain-driven bass pedal and in the hi-hat are fine.
The module is easy enough to understand. You have ten built-in kit effects and five programmable ones, only two of which I've bothered to use. The headphone output isn't exactly loud and can be a little buzzy at higher volumes. I don't recommend open-air headsets with this kit...you'll just be annoyed hearing the "thwapping" sound of hitting the rubber heads. Otherwise, the only problem I've had is one of my cats keeps running off with the drum sticks (or as he calls them, 'chew toys').
In comparison to the Roland and Yamaha kits, it's a great value for the money and will fit the basic needs of many drummers just fine. I've been playing mine regularly for a couple of months now and find it quite enjoyable.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
very good starter set, June 9, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
I am a beginner and wanted a set that I can learn on, but would also allow me to experiment with other percussion instruments besides a rock drum set and would take a small amount of room and allow low volume levels. I've had this set for about a month and a half. So far, it is working well for me. The rubber drum and cymbal surfaces are great for keeping the volume low enough when playing late at night. Each drum and cymbal seem to have sweet spots where I imaging the triggers are. Depending on the devise, hitting further from this sweet spot might change the sound and/or volume produced. The impression I get is that most electronic drum sets have some kind of problem or another, so it seems to be whether the problem(s) are something you can live with or not. Also, you can't play with the same nuance and control as an acoustic set, but for the price it goes a long way to making it seem real enough that I can enjoy it and feel like I'm learning the drums. It takes up very little space compared to an acoustic set which is great for me since I have little room for it. There are a few problems that I'm not likely to encounter until I become really accomplished. One is that when playing the snare rim shot and either the hi-hat or tom 1 simultaneously, one or the other will not trigger a sound to occur about half the time. I found this out when playing these combinations rapidly, which I'm not likely to do maybe ever. But it is still an error in functionality. I called Alesis and they said this was a common characteristic of this model drum set. There is a firmware update that has been mentioned in earlier reviews that I, but it didn't make any difference. In summary, for the price and my needs, I am very pleased with this drum set. More expensive sets with more sounds and better nuance control don't have the rubber surfaces that I want, plus, according to reviews they all seem to have problems of some type so spending more money doesn't necessarily eliminate problems.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Drum roll please?, April 26, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
pretty good for someone starting out. though the soft pads make drum rolls a little difficult. Also the snare drum sounds are pretty bad I would say. And the rimshots are not what you'd expect. you don't hit the edge of the pad, you hit the plastic sides, so it's completely different feel from actual rimshots.
Cymbals are a little weak. they don't respond to light hits, so you often end up with no sound or a sound much louder than you wanted.
It's great for learning, and basic practice, but I wish I had have waited a few more months and bought the DM10 instead.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
This is a cool thing..., March 10, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
This is very reasonably priced, everything works really well and sounds great! It is comparable to the Simmons SDK5,except this comes with the pedal for the kick pad. I also think this is better quality. I am very pleased with how easy it was to set up and use, and it is also very easy to hook up my iPod and play along with any of the music I have on there. You do need to use a USB connector to hook it up to your computer, go online to their Web site and download the patch. Otherwise, it does miss hits. If you can't do that I would suggest you buy a different brand. It does not take up much room. I am really enjoying this purchase. My only criticism is that I wish I could turn it up a bit more...I use headphones with it, not a speaker and the volume doesn't crank very high.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Defective, April 18, 2010
This review is from: Alesis DM6 Kit Performance Electronic Drumset (Electronics)
Let me start by saying that if this kit functioned perfectly, then it would have been a fantastic value for the money. In fact, when it's not malfunctioning, I have a lot of fun with it. The hardware is durable, the kits are fun, and it looks nice. However, buyers should know that not only are there several problems that people tend to experience, but Alesis customer service is horrendous. Their wait times on the phone are long, and they basically did nothing to help solve my issues.
The first problem I had was with the snare not registering properly. This was easily resolved by downloading the new firmware on Alesis's site. Next I experienced a problem that is detailed in several forums if you do a google search:
Basically, when playing faster beats that incorporate lots of hi-hat and snare, the hi-hat won't register for most hits. This renders the kit useless for heavier forms of rock such as metal, hardcore, and punk. If the module had "crosstalk" settings, then perhaps the issue could be resolved.
I wish I could say positive things about this kit, but it tends to be defective for many of its users. Also, the module is rather limited; I get the sense that Alesis intentionally made it this way so as to incentivize people to buy more expensive models. In other words, I don't think it would have been much more expensive to provide more a more comprehensive module system.
I wish I would have done a more thorough internet search before having bought it, because I'm not the only person to have experienced these problems.
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