Alesis Nitro Max Review: Is It a Good Electronic Drum Kit for Beginners?

One of the questions I get asked most often by students when they start playing is which electronic drum kit they should buy to practise at home.

For quite a long time, I have recommended models such as the Millenium MPS-150X or, for slightly larger budgets, the Millenium MPS-750X.

However, over the last few years there is another model that has become increasingly common among my students: the Alesis Nitro Max.

In fact, several students who were deciding between the Millenium MPS-150X and the Alesis Nitro Max eventually chose the Alesis. So far, everyone I know who uses it regularly has been happy with their choice.

And for me, that means much more than simply looking at a list of technical specifications.

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Who do I recommend the Alesis Nitro Max for?

I mainly recommend it to someone who is just starting to play drums and needs an instrument to practise at home without the volume of an acoustic drum kit.

I think it is particularly interesting if you are looking for:

• A first electronic drum kit with a good balance between price and features.
• Mesh heads rather than traditional rubber pads.
• A real kick drum pedal with a separate kick tower.
• A relatively compact drum kit for home practice.
• An easy way to connect your phone or tablet and play along with songs.
• A sufficiently complete practice instrument without immediately moving up to a mid-range or high-end electronic kit.

It is not a professional electronic drum kit, nor is it trying to be. But for learning, practising and playing along with songs at home, I think it is a very well-balanced option.

Alesis Nitro Max sizes and configuration

One of the things I like about this kit is that it uses mesh heads on all of the drums.

The main configuration includes:

• 10-inch snare with a dual-zone mesh head.
• Three 8-inch toms with mesh heads.
• 10-inch hi-hat.
• 10-inch crash cymbal with choke function.
• 10-inch ride cymbal.
• Separate kick drum tower for use with a conventional bass drum pedal.

For me, the 10-inch snare is one of the more interesting features of the kit. Budget electronic drum kits often come with fairly small playing surfaces, so having a slightly larger snare makes the kit noticeably more comfortable, especially when you are learning.

The kick drum pedal: something I consider essential

If you have read some of my previous electronic drum kit recommendations, you will know there is one thing I tend to insist on: I prefer electronic drum kits with a real bass drum pedal.

The Nitro Max uses a separate kick tower which is struck by the beater of a conventional bass drum pedal.

This means you can start developing a technique that is much closer to what you will later experience when sitting behind an acoustic drum kit.

Whenever the budget allows, I would personally avoid basic kits that completely replace the pedal and beater mechanism with a small electronic foot controller.

If you want to go into this subject in more detail, you can also read my guide to buying a second-hand electronic drum kit, where I explain some of the things I consider important when choosing a kit.

What do the mesh heads feel like?

Obviously, playing an Alesis Nitro Max does not feel exactly the same as playing an acoustic drum kit.

But I do not think that should really be the goal of an electronic kit in this price range.

The mesh heads allow you to adjust their tension and provide a much more pleasant rebound than traditional rubber pads. They also produce considerably less acoustic noise when struck with drumsticks.

For practising coordination, technique, grooves, rudiments, songs or the exercises we work on during lessons, they do their job perfectly well.

The Alesis Nitro Max module

The Nitro Max module includes 32 factory drum kits and 16 user-configurable kits, as well as more than 400 drum, percussion and effect sounds.

I do not think the number of sounds should be the main reason for choosing an electronic drum kit, particularly when you are just starting out, but there are several features that are especially useful for practice.

Bluetooth for playing along with songs

One of them is Bluetooth connectivity.

You can connect a phone or tablet to the module and play audio through it, making it easy to practise along with songs, exercises, videos or backing tracks.

Important: Bluetooth is used to receive audio. Headphones for practice need to be physically connected to the appropriate output on the module.

USB connection

The module also includes USB connectivity, so you can use the drum kit as a MIDI controller with a computer and work with virtual instruments or music production software.

If you simply want to learn to play drums, this probably will not be a priority at first, but it means the kit can remain useful if you later become interested in recording or music production.

Alesis Nitro Max vs Millenium MPS-150X

This is probably one of the most relevant comparisons for someone looking for their first electronic drum kit.

For years I have recommended the Millenium MPS-150X because I still think it is an excellent drum kit for getting started while spending as little as possible.

However, lately many of my students who have compared both models have ended up buying the Alesis Nitro Max.

And so far, the feedback I have received from them has been very positive.

The MPS-150X still makes a lot of sense when budget is the main concern. But if you can comfortably afford the difference in price, I would currently lean towards the Nitro Max.

What about the Millenium MPS-750X?

Here, the comparison is slightly different.

The Millenium MPS-750X follows a somewhat different concept and offers features that make it feel more like a larger, more traditional electronic drum kit.

The Nitro Max, on the other hand, has the advantage of being straightforward, compact and particularly well suited as a home practice instrument.

For that reason, I would not choose between them simply by looking at which one has more features. I would mainly consider your budget, the amount of space you have available and how you intend to use the kit.

What I like least about the Alesis Nitro Max

Like any electronic drum kit in this price range, it does have some limitations.

• The 8-inch toms are still relatively small compared with an acoustic drum kit.
• The rack is fairly compact.
• The cymbals provide a much simpler response than those found on higher-end electronic drum kits.
• The hi-hat uses a separate electronic controller rather than a conventional hi-hat stand.
• The built-in sounds are perfectly adequate for practice, but I would not buy this kit primarily for professional-level drum sounds.

None of these points are particularly concerning to me when you consider the purpose and price range of the instrument.

Do I recommend the Alesis Nitro Max for beginners?

Yes.

At the moment, it is one of the electronic drum kits I would most seriously consider for a student looking for their first instrument to practise at home without making a very large investment.

But there is one reason that carries particular weight for me.

I do not recommend it simply because the specifications look good on paper.

I recommend it because several of my students have bought one, use it regularly for practice and are happy with it.

After years of teaching drums and seeing many different electronic drum kits being used by my students at home, that kind of real-world experience means quite a lot to me.

Looking for your first electronic drum kit?

Before choosing a model, you may also find these guides and recommendations useful:

• Millenium MPS-150X: affordable electronic drum kit with mesh heads
• Millenium MPS-750X: review and features
• Tips for buying a second-hand electronic drum kit

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