Alesis Nitro Pro Review
A while back, I looked at the Alesis Nitro Max, a solid improvement over the Nitro Mesh intended for beginners and hobbyist drummers. Alesis has upped the game with their newest release, the Nitro Pro, a more substantial and upgraded version of the MAX. I had a chance to review the kit before its release. In this review, I’ll walk you through the Nitro Pro’s features, compare it to the MAX, and help you determine if it’s worth the upgrade and who it’s best suited for.
The Nitro Pro is designed to be more robust with a deeper 10″ snare drum, dual-zone functionality, and additional drum sounds from BFD. The larger 8″ kick pad is mesh and is double kick compatible. One of my biggest complaints about the MAX was its size. The Pro is much taller and better suited to older, intermediate drummers. The kit features Bluetooth audio and USB/MIDI, includes the free BFD Player with an expansion and 90 days free to Drumeo Edge.
Editor’s Note: Keeping with our goal of being the most accurate and up-to-date source in the drumming community, it’s important to inform our readers of the relationships between us and brands. The Nitro Pro was given to us on loan for evaluation from Alesis, but that has no impact on our objectivity.
Unboxing & Assembly
The Nitro Pro arrived neatly packed, clearly labeled, and well organized. The inner boxes feature big fonts, making all the parts of the kit easy to identify. As I’ve stated in other reviews, take a picture of the inner boxes while opening the kit.
If for some reason you need to return it, you’ll have a much easier time making the boxes fit if you snap a couple of photos (or reference the unboxing portion of my video). The drum rack is not pre-assembled like we saw on the Simmons Titan 50 B-EX, but the assembly instructions are straightforward and shouldn’t be an issue. The total assembly time for me was 35 minutes. Expect one to two hours if you’ve never assembled an electronic drum set (watch my video on how to assemble the Nitro Pro here).
Drum Pads, Shells, & Cymbal Pads
The standout feature of the Nitro Pro is the snare drum. It’s 10″ in diameter, dual-zoned, and very deep. It resembles a real drum. It would be great to see this deeper shell design extended across all the drums in a future model.
The tom drums are also dual-zone, and most presets on the module have separate rim sounds. The shells are primarily plastic, featuring a beautiful red finish with metal lugs, metal tension rods, and a rubber-coated rim for quieter performance.
The all-white mesh drum heads feature the Alesis logo prominently and look striking. The feel is no different from prior Nitro models to my hands. While playing, I often hit my sticks together, as the 8″ tom drums make playing a little more challenging when switching from an acoustic drum set. If all the tom drums were 10″, I think the kit would feel better overall.
The Nitro Pro features 8″ tom pads, but they differ slightly from those on the Nitro MAX. While the previous generation kit has visible holes on the back of the toms, the Pro model toms have a solid back with no cutouts.
The kick drum tower is far improved in comparison. The 8″ mesh pad is much more suited to double-bass drum pedals and responds better than the MAX’s 6″ rubber kick pad. The metal spurs on the front of the tower keep the kick pad sturdy and in place when used on a rug. Be careful; drum spurs can easily damage hardwood floors when penetrating through drum rugs.
The included kick and hi-hat pedals remain unchanged from the previous model. They perform well, though I would recommend upgrading the kick pedal later on for something a bit more robust.
The 10″ cymbal pads are unchanged from the previous generation Nitro. Two of the cymbals, the crash and ride, feature choke. Again, the ride cymbal triggers a bell sound on most presets if struck hard. The hi-hat pad is very responsive, and the hi-hat controller feels great despite its rack-mounted design. Foot splashes are possible on this kit and are consistent, as well.
Drum Rack
Alesis has done an excellent job with the steel rack on the Nitro Pro. It’s both sturdy and highly adjustable. I was able to widen the left and right sides of the kit significantly, and it remained impressively stable throughout. This gave me more room from left to right, making the kit feel bigger and less compact overall.
The extra height on the rack is excellent, especially for older drummers. It’s more flexible, as you can always lower the kit for younger players looking to grow into an electronic drum set. The overall design of the rack on the Nitro Pro is far better than on the MAX, and this reason alone may justify picking this kit over the MAX.
Drum Module
The Nitro PRO drum module features 52 total kits: 36 presets and 16 user. It looks identical to the MAX’s module design minus the red color change, but it does have more kits and sounds than the previous generation. The module allows you to control kit volume, EQ, pad voices, individual drum settings, and reverb.
Bluetooth audio lets you connect your device easily and jam to songs and lessons. The USB port on the back allows for connections to recording software and virtual drum instruments, like the included free BFD Player. Despite the module’s simple interface, navigating the menus and making adjustments can feel intimidating at first.
The additional BFD kits sound good, though it’s challenging to identify which kit numbers are BFD and which are the original Nitro sounds on the module’s interface—unless you’re already familiar with the original Nitro and Nitro Mesh kits. While I’m quite particular about drum sounds and not completely blown away, I believe most beginner to intermediate drummers will still have a great experience and enjoy the kit. Listen to some of the raw kit audio below.
Upgrade or Not?
If you don’t own an electronic drum set already, the Nitro Pro is an excellent option for getting started either on the drums or as a way to practice quietly. The kit is ideal for adult drummers, beginner to intermediate. While the Nitro MAX is cheaper, you’ll get more out of the Pro. It’s much more comfortable to play on and far more flexible.
Nitro MAX Kit VS. Nitro Pro Kit
| Nitro MAX | Nitro Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | 6″ rubber pad kick tower | 8″ mesh kick tower with double kick compatibility |
| Snare | 10″ dual-zone snare drum | 10″ deep dual-zone snare drum |
| Toms | 8″ single zone toms | 8″ dual-zone toms |
| Rack | Standard Nitro rack | Steel rack with extended height and superior stability |
| Cymbals | 10″ hi-hat, ride, and crash with choke | 10″ hi-hat, ride with choke and crash with choke |
| Drum Module | 48 kits (32 BFD, classic and modern + 16 user) | 440+ sounds | 52 kits (36 BFD, classic and modern + 16 user) | 500+ sounds |
The Nitro Pro is a great long-term option for younger players, as it’s designed to grow with them. The rack can be lowered initially and easily adjusted to a higher height as they get taller. The Nitro Pro offers a much more comfortable playing experience for taller adults than the previous model.
Producers and composers can benefit from owning the Nitro Pro in the studio. The module connects and integrates with all DAWs, making it easy to capture MIDI information that can be used with virtual drum plugins. Drummers coming to the studio to record MIDI drums for their band’s album will be much more comfortable on the Pro than on the MAX.
If you’re a band director, an e-kit may be a good idea to have at school in addition to a regular drum set. Given the prominence of e-drums, students will benefit from playing electronic drums in addition to traditional acoustic drums. They’re also much quieter, so practicing will be far less disturbing to other students throughout the day.
The Nitro Pro brings several key improvements, such as a sturdier rack, a sturdier snare drum clamp, a deeper snare, dual-zone Tom’s, and more BFD sounds in the drum module. Overall, I was highly impressed with the kit. Comment below with your thoughts or questions on the Nitro Pro.
