Polyphony doesn't only affect how many notes you can hit at once. For example, many players are perfectly capable of making 81 strikes before a long duration crash cymbal has completely faded out.
I just got one for my niece and set it up. I am really blown away by the sound quality, and life-like feel of the mesh heads. I'd recommend this to anyone.
As I found out yesterday when I assembled my 10-piece Nitro Mesh kit, instructions were pretty much nonexistent. No words whatsoever. While I was putting this together, I thought I was reading the novelization of the film "A Quiet Place."
Nice video, thank you! I just wanted to add that I find that the polyphony is quite important on e-drums, as the first thing you'd hear to be cut off would be the sustaining cymbals. Anyway, this doesn't seem to be the problem with that drum set. But I feel that it doesn't really sound good and I think it would be better to save a bit more money to buy one that makes you feel comfortable and satisfied for a longer time and not only for practicing at home.
Thank you the detailed review. I'm looking at this kit for my son. He just start band at school and has really like playing procussion in band. This will be his Christmas gift.
Marketing: You typed Donner DED-200 and still find more info about Alesis Nitro. I found this drum YESTERDAY after weeks looking for entry levels drums, returning one Alesis Turbo and today I receive the Nitro. Now, considering changing it for the donner wich don’t have a lot of sellers.
Which is not saying much. That song was notoriously recorded specifically get to get the worst drum sound possible. Even slow down and over compressed it and recorded it from a mile away with only two microphones that were too hot. Not much work required To get the Zepplin sound
Justin, I couldn't resist trying out this product myself so I bought the kit and received it 3 days ago. I agree with you that there's some good value here overall. All things considered, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. I'll play devil's advocate and offer some of my own observations concerning the kit's drawbacks: 1. Hi-hat open/close pedal effect is slightly delayed. This makes some strike combinations feel a bit 'off', at least for this old guitar player. 2. Side-stick sounds often seem low as set up. I removed the rubber rim cover and was satisfied with the results. 3. Some reviewers have referred to the toms as 'dual zone' but this is not the case. The supplied tom jacks are mono and rim hits produce identical sounds, just lower in volume. 4. The hi hat cable is a TRS but I found that it too is single zone. 5. UPDATE: MIDI issues solved. 6. I've seen unboxing videos that show cymbals clearly tagged "crash" and "ride". My kit arrived with two "crash" cymbals and no ride. I can't say if there's a significant difference. Shawn
@@GrootsieTheDog I recommend trying it out before taking a pass. It's possible that a competent drummer might find ways around it. I practice with a real hihat setup, muted with tape and foam.
Your drumming is smooth & looks so effortless. I ordered my ded200 this morning & already looking for add on's.. I want a crash that had more sharpness to it & higher sound. Not looking forward to putting it together... once it is, the fun begins.
Nice review! I had seen a video by someone else who bought some bed risers to raise their Alesis Nitro mesh kit. I ordered something from Amazon and it worked very well. I'm not that tall but I like the drums and be a little bit higher. Anyway I really appreciate your channel and all the info thanks
Eye love those symbols and that shirt definitely. Not a big fan of the rest of the sounds. And it seems like your trying to play light so you don't make the neighbors mad lol. Hope they didn't get mad at you for teaching us and making us happy. Peace to you from Yonkers 🕶️💜
I’m between the nitro and the donner. I’m pretty impressed with the Donner because I see it has double zone on cymbals and choke. and as a learning intermediate I’m pursuing practicing in a way that my muscular memory don’t struggle when I go and play in an acoustic drum. Also that nitro hi hat kills me -.- .... so, taking all those stuff in consideration and that I might used for triggering different sounds (even not necessary drums) after a while, would you still recommend me to stay with the nitro’?
@@demonicsweaters sorry about my English. I meant if the response of the pads are not that good. Like Dinner could be offering this dual zones but not be good quality.
@@demonicsweaters I totally understood that by you videos and we can hear the difference. Nevertheless, taking in consideration the I'll be using external sounds, would Donner drums provide a more "realistic" (acostic drum) experience?
Hey ! Great review, on the Donner, do you have a video where you play the Alesis to compare ? Looking at exactly these models for purchase. ( huge ups for Donner RE double bass drum pedal is possible ( and mesh BD , that’s big ) dual zone cymbals ( choke , right ? ) Thanks for review, now I want to hear the Alesis - !
After watching this I'm tempted to pick one up. You helped me out a lot when I picked up my nitro mesh and I ended up selling it actually. I'm the one who had a video on how to add height to your nitro rack and that is a problem with that kit. It's just way too short!
Thanks for this review. After skipping through a bit, I do have a question about this one vs the Nitro. Can you remap the high hat pedal to be a second kick on either model?
Absence of a "MIDI to hardware" connection kind of guts it's capabilities as a cost effective MIDI trigger. MIDI to computer vst/DAW is a fine feature indeed, but is not desirable to play sounds/kits in live practice or performance. Plus the thought of a slight lag triggering in live play makes me shudder personally. Even that new "3.5mm adaptor to MIDI" would've saved the day, as the stock sounds are sufficient but utility at best. 🤕 Thanks for the detailed information in the video.✌️
Wow! I think your tee just burnt my retinas! I was going to buy a surge mesh but now i'm having second thoughts, can you give us your opinion about the reliability and sturdiness of the alesis kits? May go for td1dmk by roland only because i'm afraid of breakages and i live in mexico so its expensive to get replacements
Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I'm in an apartment, and vibration and noise are a huge issue. I had a DTXplorer by Yamaha years ago and found out that headphones weren't enough...my downstairs neighbor was very patient with me for a couple of weeks before he finally complained. Comparing the rubber Alesis kick pad to this guys' mesh kick, how much would you say that cuts down on noise level? BTW I played with a double kick and a lot of heavier stuff...so it sounded like a stampede downstairs!
If my goal is to record using computer software like superior drummer instead of the build-in sounds, would you recommend the donner or the alesis? What I like about this kit is that it includes two crash pads and one ride, while the alesis only has 1 crash pad and 1 ride/crash2 pad.
hiii! amazing video, i love how you compared the two since a lot of people, including myself, end up on these two sets not knowing which one to go for. i got the donner yesterday and its a great time! however i literally cannot record the audio to my mac for the life of me! i connected it through the usb and got fl studio and figured out the midi audio, but when i play it back to listen, it sounds like i dropped the drum set down 4 flights of stairs. would you happen to know how you recorded your audio since yours sounds amazing! thank you and I'm sorry to be a bother im just very lost
Tried out the kit. Not bad for the money, I must say. However, if your a semi-pro/pro drummer, the snare drum response really holds you back. Also, the brain is pretty terrible. There's only like 1 or 2 good kits out of the short list. Better off with a real drum set or probably the Alesis Strike Pro which I've yet to try.
Hi, thanks for the video... it says in the poster that the whole set can be folded up. How hard is it to do this? Is it worth it to fold up or nah? Thanks in advance
Great review and love your shirt! I used to wonder "machine gunning" meant, and now that I've heard the snare on the Donner, I get it. There's no variation to the samples and every hit sounds the same.
Deciding question on whether I buy this Donner or the Alesis Surge: The dynamic response range of the surge seems to great. Very sensitive like a real snare from very light to pounding. I could not tell with your playing on the Donner. What is the response range like? Thank you!
jkyles People always ask this but truthfully dynamics are something that even the earliest electronic drums could handle. You should find the one that you think has the best sounds and fits your price range. Even the simplest homemade triggers respond well to dynamics. How the module handles those dynamics are a different story. I would say both this and the surge have decent pads and the Alesis wins in the module department.
Hello! Me and my brother want to buy a kit to use for rockband 4 (definitely on a budget) we will be using the Roll Limitless adapter and a midi cable to hopefully hook it up but this will be our first time doing something like that so I'm hoping it will work. What set do you recommend buying? The three I have in mind are the Alesis Turbo mesh, and the two kits you showed in this video... they don't need to be Roland level quality just much better than a stock rockvand drum set and compatible
I already have a Donner kit but module stopped working since last couple of days. I wonder whether could I replace it with the aselis nitro drum module and make my Donner kit work again. I would be so grateful if you could provide any ideas on this. Thanks Thanks
@@demonicsweaters Wow, thats awesome. I know you said you are pretty sure they do work together but would you checking if the Alesis pads work on the donner?
so if you were recording with the same samples in PC, you would go with the Donner DED-200? or whichever's cheaper at the time? I'm learning from the beginning, so would like whatever feels the most like real drums and is most responsive/expressive with samples
Many people are reporting to me that the DED-200 has issues with it's midi output, so I would choose the Nitro over it in just about every circumstance at this point.
Would you recommend the Donner for someone who’s been playing punk and metal for over 15 years and seeking to track drums with EZDrummer? I was sold on the Surge for a while but apparently Donner fixed the MIDI dropout issues in newer models and they even sell a kit with 3 cymbals (which the Surge does not at this time) 😅
So for plugging it in using the MIDI. Is there a program you use to get the sounds from? You were saying you were using a program. Just wondering about that and how to get it recorded onto a computer. I have a theory on what I plan to do. but not sure if it will work.
So what I plan do to is hook it up with a long USB A to B cable then inside of Ableton (any daw will do of course) use a program called Perfect Drummer by Naughty Seal (there's a free sampler plug in that works really well). And since it's midi you can do all the different parts with the different input notes.
For a novice drummer, is the larger dual zone cymbals and sturdier folding rack worth it over the Nitro Mesh kit? The Alessis went up about $30 probably because everyone is stuck at home...
Funny enough, I think Sol Lepidoptera is the only album of yours I haven’t streamed on Spotify yet. Glad you chose Radiant Dream for the build to remind me 😁
In the video, you say the hihat has a good response but I've heard that the hihat pedal has a delay. Are you experiencing a delay between lifting up your foot and then getting the sound? That would be a deal-breaker for me. Thanks
I purchased the Donner set and it arrived on the 22nd of December. Today is the 26th and it’s already been returned. I don’t recommend this set for anyone that’s serious about learning or practicing.
@@demonicsweaters the set would falsely trigger sounds. I would hit the center of the snare and would get a rim shot. There were latency issue when hitting all pads. The sounds weren’t good either.
In my opinion I believe that the donner ded-200 is better than the nitro mesh because of the size of the rack and the mesh kick drum tower, and the alesis surge is better then the donner ded-200 because it has a bigger snare and better sounds.
They're still going to hear tapping on the drums, but it's not like real drums. They're much quieter. The actual drum sounds will only be heard in your headphones.
Demonic Sweaters thank you so much for responding. I’ve been relying on your videos in making this decision. Super helpful. Thoughts on the Simmons amp?
A couple questions for ya. Taking into consideration that this looks like a quite compact kit with not much available space, is the kit expandable in any way shape or form as far as adding another tom or cymbal? Also, as the kick pad is bigger than the Alesis, have you tried a double bass pedal on the Donner? I'm on the fence about buying an electronic kit as it's new territory for me and any pointers will help. Thanks.
1:29 the box does say extend crash 2. I hope the company will sell you one because I'm not sure if other brands would work the same. Plus their cymbals are dual zone and chokeable which is essential when you're already so limited cymbal wise. Personally I see 2 crashes, a splash, a ride, hi hat, and a China as a minimum so at least with 1 more, you're sort of there if you can set each zone of the pads The other issue is I'm not sure if you can even customize the kits so idk
Do you think you could attach a Donner cymbal to the Alesis kit's frame with the holder that comes with the cymbals that are sold separately (probably the same as on your kit)? Since these are double zone as you say, they might be good upgrade solutions for the cymbals on the Alesis, or additional units if anything! Also, Honestly, thank you for going so in depth in these. It was very hard to pick a model simply because imo all the videos I found lacked the info necessary in one or the other way. I wanted technical details and I've struggled finding videos about the MIDI side of these devices. Some people will mention "yes it will work with MIDI" but how good is the MIDI implementation though? Most videos I have found do not really touch any of these aspects. You even went into showing how to use the module itself and configuring it so that people who are completely lost do not have to spend a week reading and tweaking around before they understand what anything on that module means... so thank you so much for taking all that time. It will definitely come very handy to many including me whenever I actually decide to fix the default audio / velocity settings of the module. In a completely separate regard that most people should probably omit unless they deeply care about this product or are trying to make a decision on whether to purchase any electronic kit do begin with (and then whether to purchase the Donner or the Alesis).... Since my Alesis kit just came out yesterday, I have lots to explore yet but I haven't found a way of switching anything MIDI inside the module, such as what note gets triggered when a pad or cymbal is hit. It is ultimately not a deal killer but it is a bit annoying considering the cheapest generic electronic drum module you can find on Amazon (a model which ironically Alesis sells itself, although they are re-packaging it since essentially that single unit contained-drumkit is sold by like 10 different brands which all do the same *), has this feature even though it is essentially like half as expensive. Since it doesn't seem to have this feature, I can't simply remap it the way I need it to, and now need to write a script to intercept that MIDI data and transform it so it makes sense to the AUs/Plugins it needs to talk to (or remap all my AUs' parameters, but that is more time consuming even; at least that's how I feel about it). Regardless of these micro complaints, which I only state as these are the actual problems (*the rest seems great*) - for me, this was a great purchase - I am super happy with the quality of the GEAR and I think the way it reacts and outputs midi is quite good. I mean it's not like playing an acoustic, certain subtleties are lost even at the highest sensitivities, but it definitely gets the trick done for most drumming I'll ever do since I am not a pro drummer anyway and more often than not fail to produce such subtleties consistently and in a good way so I can get away from them without feeling like I've lost much along the way. The module reacts pretty well and outputs good midi data along the way, which makes me think that I will have to get quite better at drumming before the drumkit itself becomes a problem for my expression and also production process. I do wish the cymbals were double zone though, so that's why my original question was posted on this video. Ultimately, I am so happy to finally be able to record with an actual drumkit instead of using sequencers to input beats or having to have a good place to record an acoustic drumkit in, a decent drumkit itself, and then 3-4 mics for the drums be workable with in production. that's a substantially more expensive setup than just getting one of these bad boys really. So I am SUPER glad I can now have the best out of both worlds, the commodity and low cost of software music production combined with the comfort and rawness of natural play. This is a killer combo IMO. As a last comment on the Donner kit itself, I don't think I saw MIDI ports on the module which the Alesis has. I am glad I have those myself, as for example bluetooth midi adapters which make this kit INCREDIBLY versatile, only come in that form so the usb port would be useless in this regard. I personally wouldn't have a practical way of hooking it up to my setup otherwise, it would invade too much of my space when not in use or I'd have to purchase this awkward huge cable that would always be in the middle of something... just a complete nightmare to deal with. This is a minor detail however and perhaps more of a "do you even care"? But in my case I do care, and I actually care a lot so for me this alone discards the Donner as a better unit. However, I do have to emphasize, using those Donner cymbals purchased separately on the Alesis kit would be a fantastic addition for the future. * BTW, to anyone reading knowing about the module I am talking about (the one including all pads on it) and considering it, don't purchase the one by Alesis... it's literally the most expensive one and it's also just a re-branding. Although I can't guarantee this, but I do believe that it might have better sounds, so only on this regard should you ever consider getting the Alesis module, as the other brands sell it for quite less.
I honestly think this is the longest comment anyone has ever posted on one of my videos, haha. :) So Donner cymbals on the Nitro, no... well maybe, but they'll still be single zone. The cymbal inputs on the module itself are single zone only. Changing MIDI notes on the nitro is totally possible, I think it's in the Utility menu under MID or something like that, I can't really remember, but I know it's there. I think that's all the questions you asked, right?
@@demonicsweaters pretty much! and that makes sense, what a shame! would have been a good addition to the kit... hehe. sorry about the long comment XP! and thank you so much for the answers !
Depends on how serious you are. A Roland will last you for years and will basically give you everything you need. If you're serious about drums, get a Roland. This donner kit is good for a kid or someone who just wants to play around, or is unsure how long they want to play.
@@demonicsweaters Thanks for the reply! I was thinking if I could use the better module on the Donner I’m going to go for it, so you really helped me decide.
@@eternalfaeri1415 just get it somewhere that has easy returns in case it doesn't work the way you'd expect, you can always send it back. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks for the review. I'm really leaning towards this but I've read in other reviews that there are issues with MIDI out on it. Does anybody successfully use midi out on the Donner DED-200 with something like Logic Pro X? Any special way you need to configure it to get it to work?
Hi Demonic Sweaters. Thanks for the videos. I am waiting on my alesis nitro mesh kit. Just wondering is the rack a bit shaky when you're playing the nitro?
Donner DED200 - MIDI Transmission UPDATE: Since buying the DED 200 kit, I've discovered the following: 1. The DED 200 kit transmits MIDI OUT data. (No driver downloaded) 2. MIDI OUT signal includes (despite reports to the contrary) "NOTE OFF" data. 3. The module ACCEPTS MIDI DATA sent from my DAW!!! What? (Also contrary to some buyer feedback) Yes, my first attempts to connect to the Donner module failed. But today I tried a different approach. A- I booted up my standard 64 bit Windows PC. B- I opened my software (SONAR X3 producer). C- With the Donner module "ON" and SONAR open, I connected the USB wire and was immediately asked by SONAR if I wanted to include this device. Not only did recording from the DED 200 work, but the midi notes were of proper duration. This contradicts early buyer feedback. Perhaps Donner recently fixed it or maybe it's a Mac only issue. I scrolled down to 'Output Devices' and the USB midi OUT box was also available. I checked the box and pushed "play" and my test midi recording PLAYED BACK with no issues. It had been widely accepted that MIDI IN (from PC to Donner module) was not supported. But both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT are supported. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm currently working to isolate and identify the cause of a puzzling hihat pedal delay. To date, I've tested both the pedal and the hihat cymbal, using my predictable old Alesis DMPro as a guinea pig. The cymbal worked fine but the controller pedal delay issue was still present -- even on the DMPro. I even tried compensating with the DMPro's "hihat threshold function", to no avail. I've used the controller pedal from an old Nitro kit with the DMPro. and had no issues. I'm reasonably certain the problem is with the Donner controller pedal. Next, I'll check to see if it's a physical or electronic problem with the pedal.
You’re gonna love this if the legs are 1.5 inch. I have an Alesia Crimson & Crimson II which looked like toys because they’re short, There is a piece of pvc that fits the leg on one end and put the boots on the other end This can raise the kit up to 12 inches without a riser.
I just got this kit and it's great but it seems like the brain can't keep up when playing fast. Multiple notes go missing during rolls, fast fills, etc. Has this happened to anyone else? Can I just replace the sound mod?
I noticed that a bit with double kick, but I was able to solve it by adjusting the sensitivity setting. And yes you can replace the module. See my latest vid on this kit where I do that exact thing!
Polyphony doesn't only affect how many notes you can hit at once. For example, many players are perfectly capable of making 81 strikes before a long duration crash cymbal has completely faded out.
I just got one for my niece and set it up. I am really blown away by the sound quality, and life-like feel of the mesh heads. I'd recommend this to anyone.
How long did it take for it to come?
@@cloroxnamis6093 From Amazon, it was about a week.
As I found out yesterday when I assembled my 10-piece Nitro Mesh kit, instructions were pretty much nonexistent. No words whatsoever.
While I was putting this together, I thought I was reading the novelization of the film "A Quiet Place."
I dig this. Sounds closer to acoustic drums than some other brands I've seen so far. Very worth the price. Might buy soon. Thanks for the review!
You’re welcome:)
I hate to be the 11th month old comment, but, you just answered a lot of questions. I like your Devo/ punk vibe though. Love and best wishes.
Awe, thanks so much spudboy, we're all DEVO :)
@@demonicsweaters Subscribed.
Just waiting for this comment to get 11 months old
1 more month
@@farithrosh hey, you too
At 11:30 it sounds like if you were in one room and a dude playing the drum set was in the other, the sounds on this are wild
Yeah totally. It's almost like they recorded the samples in the factory where they made the drums!
Nice video, thank you! I just wanted to add that I find that the polyphony is quite important on e-drums, as the first thing you'd hear to be cut off would be the sustaining cymbals. Anyway, this doesn't seem to be the problem with that drum set. But I feel that it doesn't really sound good and I think it would be better to save a bit more money to buy one that makes you feel comfortable and satisfied for a longer time and not only for practicing at home.
Thank you the detailed review. I'm looking at this kit for my son. He just start band at school and has really like playing procussion in band. This will be his Christmas gift.
I would watch my latest vid about best kits for chrismas before buying this one th-cam.com/video/Ro8uR7p_joo/w-d-xo.html
Marketing: You typed Donner DED-200 and still find more info about Alesis Nitro. I found this drum YESTERDAY after weeks looking for entry levels drums, returning one Alesis Turbo and today I receive the Nitro. Now, considering changing it for the donner wich don’t have a lot of sellers.
That first drum sound I was waiting to hear some When the Levee Breaks. Real Zep sound.
Which is not saying much. That song was notoriously recorded specifically get to get the worst drum sound possible. Even slow down and over compressed it and recorded it from a mile away with only two microphones that were too hot. Not much work required To get the Zepplin sound
Justin, I couldn't resist trying out this product myself so I bought the kit and received it 3 days ago. I agree with you that there's some good value here overall. All things considered, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase.
I'll play devil's advocate and offer some of my own observations concerning the kit's drawbacks:
1. Hi-hat open/close pedal effect is slightly delayed. This makes some strike combinations feel a bit 'off', at least for this old guitar player.
2. Side-stick sounds often seem low as set up. I removed the rubber rim cover and was satisfied with the results.
3. Some reviewers have referred to the toms as 'dual zone' but this is not the case. The supplied tom jacks are mono and rim hits produce identical sounds, just lower in volume.
4. The hi hat cable is a TRS but I found that it too is single zone.
5. UPDATE: MIDI issues solved.
6. I've seen unboxing videos that show cymbals clearly tagged "crash" and "ride". My kit arrived with two "crash" cymbals and no ride. I can't say if there's a significant difference.
Shawn
I was bummed to hear about the hihat dealy. That's a deal-breaker for me. Hihat is so integral for finesse playing and groove.
@@GrootsieTheDog I recommend trying it out before taking a pass. It's possible that a competent drummer might find ways around it. I practice with a real hihat setup, muted with tape and foam.
Question can you upgrade the module on this set?
I'd certainly just be running this through a DAW for better drum sounds with the USB out, so overall this seems like a great value!
Same. Only thing I care about!
Your drumming is smooth & looks so effortless. I ordered my ded200 this morning & already looking for add on's.. I want a crash that had more sharpness to it & higher sound. Not looking forward to putting it together... once it is, the fun begins.
Yeah, I liked the sounds on this one. Kinda funky. Totally hear that industrial, DIY garage sound. Nice vid, Justin!
I just bought the Donner and for the price it's awesome!!!
Glad you’re happy with it!
Can we appreciate how composed your drummer face is 🤔👊
if I'm not mistaken I believe all of the donner modules use a db25 connector,they do make adapters for this to use with custom built kits.
Nice review! I had seen a video by someone else who bought some bed risers to raise their Alesis Nitro mesh kit. I ordered something from Amazon and it worked very well. I'm not that tall but I like the drums and be a little bit higher. Anyway I really appreciate your channel and all the info thanks
You have some awesome style, thanks for sharing Super Massive Shop with us!
awe thank you!
Thanks so much for the video! I've been looking for a comparison.
The shirt is very New Wave with the 80’s patterns.
Dude the shirt is 80's cool wake up and slam!
Demonic Sweaters when my mom walks into the room: 7:34
Eye love those symbols and that shirt definitely. Not a big fan of the rest of the sounds. And it seems like your trying to play light so you don't make the neighbors mad lol. Hope they didn't get mad at you for teaching us and making us happy. Peace to you from Yonkers 🕶️💜
I just bought this Donner set and not liking the sound too much. I even have it hooked up to a super nic e amp. Still tuning it in though
Absolutely LOVE that backing track @3:15.
Did a Shazam and looks like it's your own.
You get a sub!!
Think that Is a badass sound track also.
I’m between the nitro and the donner. I’m pretty impressed with the Donner because I see it has double zone on cymbals and choke. and as a learning intermediate I’m pursuing practicing in a way that my muscular memory don’t struggle when I go and play in an acoustic drum. Also that nitro hi hat kills me -.- .... so, taking all those stuff in consideration and that I might used for triggering different sounds (even not necessary drums) after a while, would you still recommend me to stay with the nitro’?
What about the sensibility, is it compromised?
It's really personal preference. I think the Nitro module sounds better, but the donner has a more stable rack.
@@HilkanaCastroI'm not sure what you mean by "is the sensibility compromised?"
@@demonicsweaters sorry about my English. I meant if the response of the pads are not that good. Like Dinner could be offering this dual zones but not be good quality.
@@demonicsweaters I totally understood that by you videos and we can hear the difference. Nevertheless, taking in consideration the I'll be using external sounds, would Donner drums provide a more "realistic" (acostic drum) experience?
Hey ! Great review, on the Donner, do you have a video where you play the Alesis to compare ?
Looking at exactly these models for purchase. ( huge ups for Donner RE double bass drum pedal is possible ( and mesh BD , that’s big ) dual zone cymbals ( choke , right ? )
Thanks for review, now I want to hear the Alesis - !
Both of those kits in my videos are the old models. Check out the Nitro Pro, I think it’s a winner. amzn.to/4eoy7vm
After watching this I'm tempted to pick one up. You helped me out a lot when I picked up my nitro mesh and I ended up selling it actually. I'm the one who had a video on how to add height to your nitro rack and that is a problem with that kit. It's just way too short!
check out the Avatar kit I made a video on!
Thanks great video I'm about to buy a donner
Your video was very informative thanks a lot
Hope you like it!
How’d you like it?
@@fdub301 I liked for awhile then got a Roland v6 module everything compatabile
@@RubenDrums812 I just checked out your videos. Not bad, & a nice view
Can you replace the donner module with the nitro mesh module for this donner ded-200 kit?
Probably
Try using the Nitro's hihat controller as well. I suspect that will solve the Donner's hihat pedal delay problem :}
Subscribed when I saw the glasses 👌🏼
Thanks for this review. After skipping through a bit, I do have a question about this one vs the Nitro. Can you remap the high hat pedal to be a second kick on either model?
You can use a trs cable for connecting the output to 2 Behringer inputs.
Absence of a "MIDI to hardware" connection kind of guts it's capabilities as a cost effective MIDI trigger. MIDI to computer vst/DAW is a fine feature indeed, but is not desirable to play sounds/kits in live practice or performance. Plus the thought of a slight lag triggering in live play makes me shudder personally.
Even that new "3.5mm adaptor to MIDI" would've saved the day, as the stock sounds are sufficient but utility at best. 🤕
Thanks for the detailed information in the video.✌️
13:01 oooo extra silliness
Wow! I think your tee just burnt my retinas! I was going to buy a surge mesh but now i'm having second thoughts, can you give us your opinion about the reliability and sturdiness of the alesis kits? May go for td1dmk by roland only because i'm afraid of breakages and i live in mexico so its expensive to get replacements
If you can afford it, I'd still buy a Surge over the DED, the sounds are just better. Don't play like a maniac and it should last, haha.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I'm in an apartment, and vibration and noise are a huge issue. I had a DTXplorer by Yamaha years ago and found out that headphones weren't enough...my downstairs neighbor was very patient with me for a couple of weeks before he finally complained. Comparing the rubber Alesis kick pad to this guys' mesh kick, how much would you say that cuts down on noise level? BTW I played with a double kick and a lot of heavier stuff...so it sounded like a stampede downstairs!
I would say it's a bit quieter, but not a lot. You should build an isolated drum riser. I have a similar situation.
Forgive me. Im a psychic and im receiving strong messages.... You are super into the 80s right?
Its a gift.
Great review! I’m trying to decide between the alieus surge kit or this one.
Surge!
If my goal is to record using computer software like superior drummer instead of the build-in sounds, would you recommend the donner or the alesis? What I like about this kit is that it includes two crash pads and one ride, while the alesis only has 1 crash pad and 1 ride/crash2 pad.
I don’t know which Alesis you are considering. But if I were going to buy a Donner, I’d go with the DED-500, Alesis, I’d pick a Surge
Do you need an amp to play this through? I’m a bassist/guitarist starting to take drum lessons so I don’t know much about electronic kits.
Thomas Nault Yes, or headphones to hear alone.
hiii! amazing video, i love how you compared the two since a lot of people, including myself, end up on these two sets not knowing which one to go for. i got the donner yesterday and its a great time! however i literally cannot record the audio to my mac for the life of me! i connected it through the usb and got fl studio and figured out the midi audio, but when i play it back to listen, it sounds like i dropped the drum set down 4 flights of stairs. would you happen to know how you recorded your audio since yours sounds amazing! thank you and I'm sorry to be a bother im just very lost
you might wanna get an audio interface for better recording
Great review, and I dig those rims on your face, kickass.
Thank you for the detailed review
you're welcome
Donner have relesed an upgraded brain modual which is a lot better than the one used here
Tried out the kit. Not bad for the money, I must say. However, if your a semi-pro/pro drummer, the snare drum response really holds you back. Also, the brain is pretty terrible. There's only like 1 or 2 good kits out of the short list. Better off with a real drum set or probably the Alesis Strike Pro which I've yet to try.
Where did you get your glasses? I've been trying to find a pair that size in colors
Hi, thanks for the video... it says in the poster that the whole set can be folded up. How hard is it to do this? Is it worth it to fold up or nah? Thanks in advance
You should try to use the alesis module on the donner kit and make a video about it
Agreed
I'm also looking for that. Does anyone have any idea about the compatibility
Great review and love your shirt! I used to wonder "machine gunning" meant, and now that I've heard the snare on the Donner, I get it. There's no variation to the samples and every hit sounds the same.
Rock on!
Deciding question on whether I buy this Donner or the Alesis Surge: The dynamic response range of the surge seems to great. Very sensitive like a real snare from very light to pounding. I could not tell with your playing on the Donner. What is the response range like? Thank you!
jkyles People always ask this but truthfully dynamics are something that even the earliest electronic drums could handle. You should find the one that you think has the best sounds and fits your price range. Even the simplest homemade triggers respond well to dynamics. How the module handles those dynamics are a different story. I would say both this and the surge have decent pads and the Alesis wins in the module department.
Can you set a bass drum sound on the hi hat pedal so you have double bass drum ?
Hello! Me and my brother want to buy a kit to use for rockband 4 (definitely on a budget) we will be using the Roll Limitless adapter and a midi cable to hopefully hook it up but this will be our first time doing something like that so I'm hoping it will work. What set do you recommend buying? The three I have in mind are the Alesis Turbo mesh, and the two kits you showed in this video... they don't need to be Roland level quality just much better than a stock rockvand drum set and compatible
I really don't know about rockband, but if primarily for midi, I'd look at the Nitro Mesh, or the Avatar SD61-6
I want this one because the lips around the heads are shorter than the nitro
that is true!
Your music rules.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it!
I'm interested in this kit but, I want another tom pad, does anyone know where to buy another one
For both the Donner and the Alesis, are the expandable? Can one add additional cymbal and/or drum pads?
The Nitro gives you two expansion ports, the Donner 1.
I already have a Donner kit but module stopped working since last couple of days. I wonder whether could I replace it with the aselis nitro drum module and make my Donner kit work again.
I would be so grateful if you could provide any ideas on this. Thanks
Thanks
Can the module be upgraded at a later date. Like does someone sell just the controller box to upgrade a starter set like the donner ?
Anyone else hear Beastie Boys at the beginning of that beat?!
I like the Alesis Nitro Mesh better
I just realized that you sort of sound like Scott from Astonishing legends podcast.
Ha! I love that show!
@@demonicsweaters
Oh you have seen/listened to it? NICE haha
@@TheDanimatorsChannel Totally, huge fan! I made an album called Polybius after hearing their episodes about that game!
@@demonicsweaters
Wow, thats awesome.
I know you said you are pretty sure they do work together but would you checking if the Alesis pads work on the donner?
so if you were recording with the same samples in PC, you would go with the Donner DED-200? or whichever's cheaper at the time?
I'm learning from the beginning, so would like whatever feels the most like real drums and is most responsive/expressive with samples
Many people are reporting to me that the DED-200 has issues with it's midi output, so I would choose the Nitro over it in just about every circumstance at this point.
Would you recommend the Donner for someone who’s been playing punk and metal for over 15 years and seeking to track drums with EZDrummer? I was sold on the Surge for a while but apparently Donner fixed the MIDI dropout issues in newer models and they even sell a kit with 3 cymbals (which the Surge does not at this time) 😅
If you're an experienced drummer and you doing double kick, I'd still get the Surge.
@@demonicsweaters Thanks for the insight!
So for plugging it in using the MIDI. Is there a program you use to get the sounds from? You were saying you were using a program. Just wondering about that and how to get it recorded onto a computer. I have a theory on what I plan to do. but not sure if it will work.
So what I plan do to is hook it up with a long USB A to B cable then inside of Ableton (any daw will do of course) use a program called Perfect Drummer by Naughty Seal (there's a free sampler plug in that works really well). And since it's midi you can do all the different parts with the different input notes.
I've heard some people say the MIDI output gives them issues on this kit over time. So I'd go with a Nitro if you plan on mostly doing MIDI.
For a novice drummer, is the larger dual zone cymbals and sturdier folding rack worth it over the Nitro Mesh kit? The Alessis went up about $30 probably because everyone is stuck at home...
I'd still buy the nitro
@@demonicsweaters I suppose the Nitro would prob last longer too. Thanks!
Funny enough, I think Sol Lepidoptera is the only album of yours I haven’t streamed on Spotify yet. Glad you chose Radiant Dream for the build to remind me 😁
In the video, you say the hihat has a good response but I've heard that the hihat pedal has a delay. Are you experiencing a delay between lifting up your foot and then getting the sound? That would be a deal-breaker for me. Thanks
I don't really remember
Hi! Do you know if it integrates with Melodics for drum lessons? They are not listed on the supported models list
I don't know what that is.
I purchased the Donner set and it arrived on the 22nd of December. Today is the 26th and it’s already been returned. I don’t recommend this set for anyone that’s serious about learning or practicing.
Would you mind elaborating as to why?
@@demonicsweaters the set would falsely trigger sounds. I would hit the center of the snare and would get a rim shot. There were latency issue when hitting all pads. The sounds weren’t good either.
In my opinion I believe that the donner ded-200 is better than the nitro mesh because of the size of the rack and the mesh kick drum tower, and the alesis surge is better then the donner ded-200 because it has a bigger snare and better sounds.
Have you tried the Nitro module on the DED kit? A frankenkit might be best of both worlds 🤪
I tied a TD-17 with donner, but not a nitro. I doubt it would work well. Those nitro modules don’t usually work well on other hardware
How did you connect it to your computer? Did you use MIDI to USB cable?
It has a usb midi output
ON youre Nitro kit, how do you change the high hat sounds..every kit has the same crappy one?
Your shirt looks like an 80's arcade floor
Indeed
I got a nitro and I like it but I'm sure I'll have to upgrade soon
do headphones eliminate the sound others hear? Meaning if I do not want to bother others in my echo ridden house, with the headphones allow that?
They're still going to hear tapping on the drums, but it's not like real drums. They're much quieter. The actual drum sounds will only be heard in your headphones.
Demonic Sweaters thank you so much for responding. I’ve been relying on your videos in making this decision. Super helpful. Thoughts on the Simmons amp?
@@wwilkens oh thank you! I haven't tried the simmons amp. Maybe check with @65drums!
Demonic Sweaters thank you.
I did, but wanted your input as well.
Nicely done
Not sure if this was answered yet but are you able to choke the cymbals? and is the snare a 3 zone one?
Ayeeee you can choke cymbals and snare is dual zone so 2
Can I run this through logic proX?
A couple questions for ya. Taking into consideration that this looks like a quite compact kit with not much available space, is the kit expandable in any way shape or form as far as adding another tom or cymbal?
Also, as the kick pad is bigger than the Alesis, have you tried a double bass pedal on the Donner?
I'm on the fence about buying an electronic kit as it's new territory for me and any pointers will help. Thanks.
1:29 the box does say extend crash 2. I hope the company will sell you one because I'm not sure if other brands would work the same. Plus their cymbals are dual zone and chokeable which is essential when you're already so limited cymbal wise. Personally I see 2 crashes, a splash, a ride, hi hat, and a China as a minimum so at least with 1 more, you're sort of there if you can set each zone of the pads
The other issue is I'm not sure if you can even customize the kits so idk
i got this drum and one of my toms is way to quiet
have you tried adjusting the tension of the mesh head?
Are you a Mick Karn fan? The tune playing during the building montage reminded me of some of his stuff.
I don't know him!
Do you think you could attach a Donner cymbal to the Alesis kit's frame with the holder that comes with the cymbals that are sold separately (probably the same as on your kit)? Since these are double zone as you say, they might be good upgrade solutions for the cymbals on the Alesis, or additional units if anything!
Also,
Honestly, thank you for going so in depth in these. It was very hard to pick a model simply because imo all the videos I found lacked the info necessary in one or the other way. I wanted technical details and I've struggled finding videos about the MIDI side of these devices. Some people will mention "yes it will work with MIDI" but how good is the MIDI implementation though? Most videos I have found do not really touch any of these aspects. You even went into showing how to use the module itself and configuring it so that people who are completely lost do not have to spend a week reading and tweaking around before they understand what anything on that module means... so thank you so much for taking all that time. It will definitely come very handy to many including me whenever I actually decide to fix the default audio / velocity settings of the module.
In a completely separate regard that most people should probably omit unless they deeply care about this product or are trying to make a decision on whether to purchase any electronic kit do begin with (and then whether to purchase the Donner or the Alesis)....
Since my Alesis kit just came out yesterday, I have lots to explore yet but I haven't found a way of switching anything MIDI inside the module, such as what note gets triggered when a pad or cymbal is hit. It is ultimately not a deal killer but it is a bit annoying considering the cheapest generic electronic drum module you can find on Amazon (a model which ironically Alesis sells itself, although they are re-packaging it since essentially that single unit contained-drumkit is sold by like 10 different brands which all do the same *), has this feature even though it is essentially like half as expensive. Since it doesn't seem to have this feature, I can't simply remap it the way I need it to, and now need to write a script to intercept that MIDI data and transform it so it makes sense to the AUs/Plugins it needs to talk to (or remap all my AUs' parameters, but that is more time consuming even; at least that's how I feel about it).
Regardless of these micro complaints, which I only state as these are the actual problems (*the rest seems great*) - for me, this was a great purchase - I am super happy with the quality of the GEAR and I think the way it reacts and outputs midi is quite good. I mean it's not like playing an acoustic, certain subtleties are lost even at the highest sensitivities, but it definitely gets the trick done for most drumming I'll ever do since I am not a pro drummer anyway and more often than not fail to produce such subtleties consistently and in a good way so I can get away from them without feeling like I've lost much along the way. The module reacts pretty well and outputs good midi data along the way, which makes me think that I will have to get quite better at drumming before the drumkit itself becomes a problem for my expression and also production process. I do wish the cymbals were double zone though, so that's why my original question was posted on this video.
Ultimately, I am so happy to finally be able to record with an actual drumkit instead of using sequencers to input beats or having to have a good place to record an acoustic drumkit in, a decent drumkit itself, and then 3-4 mics for the drums be workable with in production. that's a substantially more expensive setup than just getting one of these bad boys really. So I am SUPER glad I can now have the best out of both worlds, the commodity and low cost of software music production combined with the comfort and rawness of natural play. This is a killer combo IMO.
As a last comment on the Donner kit itself, I don't think I saw MIDI ports on the module which the Alesis has. I am glad I have those myself, as for example bluetooth midi adapters which make this kit INCREDIBLY versatile, only come in that form so the usb port would be useless in this regard. I personally wouldn't have a practical way of hooking it up to my setup otherwise, it would invade too much of my space when not in use or I'd have to purchase this awkward huge cable that would always be in the middle of something... just a complete nightmare to deal with. This is a minor detail however and perhaps more of a "do you even care"? But in my case I do care, and I actually care a lot so for me this alone discards the Donner as a better unit. However, I do have to emphasize, using those Donner cymbals purchased separately on the Alesis kit would be a fantastic addition for the future.
* BTW, to anyone reading knowing about the module I am talking about (the one including all pads on it) and considering it, don't purchase the one by Alesis... it's literally the most expensive one and it's also just a re-branding. Although I can't guarantee this, but I do believe that it might have better sounds, so only on this regard should you ever consider getting the Alesis module, as the other brands sell it for quite less.
I honestly think this is the longest comment anyone has ever posted on one of my videos, haha. :)
So Donner cymbals on the Nitro, no... well maybe, but they'll still be single zone. The cymbal inputs on the module itself are single zone only.
Changing MIDI notes on the nitro is totally possible, I think it's in the Utility menu under MID or something like that, I can't really remember, but I know it's there. I think that's all the questions you asked, right?
@@demonicsweaters pretty much! and that makes sense, what a shame! would have been a good addition to the kit... hehe.
sorry about the long comment XP! and thank you so much for the answers !
@@EnriquePage91 my pleasure, I don't mind the long comments.
As a beginner is it worth getting this or a more expensive Roland kit?
Depends on how serious you are. A Roland will last you for years and will basically give you everything you need. If you're serious about drums, get a Roland. This donner kit is good for a kid or someone who just wants to play around, or is unsure how long they want to play.
Can I connect this to computer and use those drum programs like ezdrummer to have different sounds?
yes
This was a great video! Only one question: could I use the Alesis module on the Donner set? And would it sound better that way? Thanks!
Yes, I think it SHOULD work, though I never tested it myself. I think the Nitro does sound better than the donner.
@@demonicsweaters Thanks for the reply! I was thinking if I could use the better module on the Donner I’m going to go for it, so you really helped me decide.
@@eternalfaeri1415 just get it somewhere that has easy returns in case it doesn't work the way you'd expect, you can always send it back. Let me know how it goes!
@@demonicsweaters Will do! Unfortunately, the closest music store is two hours away, but returns are relatively easy, so it’s not a big deal.
So did you ever try this out?
Thanks for the review. I'm really leaning towards this but I've read in other reviews that there are issues with MIDI out on it. Does anybody successfully use midi out on the Donner DED-200 with something like Logic Pro X? Any special way you need to configure it to get it to work?
I'm in the same boat - read on Reddit that midi has problems - hoping that's not the case because in every other way this seems like a great kit...
That shirt must have been expensive- it's so complicated!
It was free.
Hi Demonic Sweaters. Thanks for the videos. I am waiting on my alesis nitro mesh kit. Just wondering is the rack a bit shaky when you're playing the nitro?
a bit. It's never caused an issue for me though
Donner DED200 - MIDI Transmission UPDATE:
Since buying the DED 200 kit, I've discovered the following:
1. The DED 200 kit transmits MIDI OUT data. (No driver downloaded)
2. MIDI OUT signal includes (despite reports to the contrary) "NOTE OFF" data.
3. The module ACCEPTS MIDI DATA sent from my DAW!!! What? (Also contrary to some buyer feedback)
Yes, my first attempts to connect to the Donner module failed. But today I tried a different approach.
A- I booted up my standard 64 bit Windows PC.
B- I opened my software (SONAR X3 producer).
C- With the Donner module "ON" and SONAR open, I connected the USB wire and was immediately asked by SONAR if I wanted to include this device.
Not only did recording from the DED 200 work, but the midi notes were of proper duration. This contradicts early buyer feedback. Perhaps Donner recently fixed it or maybe it's a Mac only issue.
I scrolled down to 'Output Devices' and the USB midi OUT box was also available. I checked the box and pushed "play" and my test midi recording PLAYED BACK with no issues. It had been widely accepted that MIDI IN (from PC to Donner module) was not supported. But both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT are supported.
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I'm currently working to isolate and identify the cause of a puzzling hihat pedal delay.
To date, I've tested both the pedal and the hihat cymbal, using my predictable old Alesis DMPro as a guinea pig.
The cymbal worked fine but the controller pedal delay issue was still present -- even on the DMPro. I even tried compensating with the DMPro's "hihat threshold function", to no avail.
I've used the controller pedal from an old Nitro kit with the DMPro. and had no issues.
I'm reasonably certain the problem is with the Donner controller pedal. Next, I'll check to see if it's a physical or electronic problem with the pedal.
Thanks for sharing this, I’ve pined your comment
@@demonicsweaters -- I appreciate that. I'll post any additional information if/when I come across it.
Only question headphone jack?
12:51 Scared me ...................... youuuuuuuuu!
Oops sorry lol
You’re gonna love this if the legs are 1.5 inch. I have an Alesia Crimson & Crimson II which looked like toys because they’re short, There is a piece of pvc that fits the leg on one end and put the boots on the other end This can raise the kit up to 12 inches without a riser.
do either the donner or the Alesis work with GGD in kontakt?
Can you upgrade the module on the Donner so it sounds better? Or does it not work like that?
yeah, you could. The triggers are pretty standard, so you could use a better module.
I just got this kit and it's great but it seems like the brain can't keep up when playing fast. Multiple notes go missing during rolls, fast fills, etc. Has this happened to anyone else? Can I just replace the sound mod?
I noticed that a bit with double kick, but I was able to solve it by adjusting the sensitivity setting. And yes you can replace the module. See my latest vid on this kit where I do that exact thing!
Trying to figure out the wiring of this product, someone as a link to the user manual?
If you HAD to choose one, which would it be?
Nitro