Alesis Strata Club Review – Best E-Drum Kit Under $1,600?

Can a $1599 electronic drum kit actually compete with kits twice the price? The Alesis Strata Club comes packed with a 25GB sound engine, mesh pads, triple-zone cymbals, and magnetic hi-hat control. In this video, I put it to the test and compare it to popular kits from Roland and Yamaha.

I’ll walk through the features that stand out, what’s missing, and why this kit might be the best value under $2000.

This video is sponsored by Alesis, though I do my best to state my objective thoughts throughout.

🧭 CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:36 Kit Demo 1
01:20 Alesis Strata Club overview
02:42 Kit Demo 2
03:21 Drum rack
03:52 Kit Demo 3
04:33 Cymbals and pads
05:55 Kit Demo 4
06:49 Assembly, drum module, and comparison to similar kits
10:31 Kit Demo 5
11:20 Limitations of the Strata Club
13:51 Kit Demo 6
14:40 My thoughts

🎥 GEAR

🔗 LINKS

The links in the video description are affiliated. If you click a link and make a purchase, I get a small commission.

#AlesisDrums #AlesisStrataClub #ElectronicDrums

[NickCesarzDrums]

Outside of that, the kit plays very well. Future wish list: I'd love to see Alesis implement a system like the EAD10 where you can connect your phone and record video and kit audio / music at the same time.

[augustdrums]

Just ordered one of these yesterday for rehearsals. Less stuff to haul around and I hope it will fold up and load into my van.

[Jack_Attack_]

Excellent review, Nick! Thanks for the deep dive into all of the module’s details, and the preset kits you played. Love that the default cymbals are washy, dark and dry. Really hate that overly bright, pingy default cymbal sound that most models have, that I never use.

Definitely gonna pick one up after watching this!

[.Tapestry]

if nothing else, the kits sound better than roland out the box - they actually sound exciting and lively, rather than just cold and technical

[sebastianpage]

Yo man love the video!
How would the module sound on cheep drum pads? 🥁😂

[MazdaBass]

This kit with the expansion pack is a better value compared to the Strata core at base cost assuming also if you don’t mind the extra cost before hardware costs.
However the trade off with the club kit is you get the older crimson pads, they work fine or course but aren’t as good as their newer prime pads with better sensors, but at least you get the newer arc 3 zone cymbals. Also keep in mind there are trigger problems with this module, recent updates have smooth them out a bit, but still need adjustment to play 100%.
I own the Strata Core so I’m not hating here, just fax.

[AirRedbox]

Can you assign cymbal sounds to the tom rims ???? Big dealbreaker for me there if not

[demonicsweaters]

Calling a $1600 4 piece kit a budget kit is a stretch. So few pieces, really doesn't seem like a very good deal. You can get a TD-07kvx and EZDrummer 3 for less. Plus it wouldn't fall apart in a year and would actually have some resale value.

[sweeneyTodd-deby]

I’m unsure weather to buy this kit or the Roland kvx2 ?

[DrummerGrrrl]

I actually rejoice that this is a four-piece kit. I’m a Ringo, Jim Keltner, Charlie Watts kind of drummer and really have no use for kits with tons of drum pads.

[LawrencePatrickE-drums]

Not a bad deal. That core module puts you in the game & for $1600 bucks and you can always add a few cymbals and/or pads later. That rack has to go- it's soo small.

[bernhardhaider]

Well Nick!
You did another decend Review.
Thnx for that and the Way you do..
Is the Product something worth ..
I don't know but your opinion is it ..
Btw, the Glasses fits very Well...
'til next time..
Keep 🥁🥁 and Peace 🤘🏻

[pau_meow]

CAN YOU MAKE A VIDEO WITH ALL DEMO OF KITS, WITH NO TALKS?

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR CREATIONS.

[DrummerGrrrl]

I’m still more interested in the “new” Yamaha e-kits with mesh heads.

[kevinwong]

Hi is the rack of strata club smaller than the strata core? Wonder if the rack of strata club can fit a 20inch kick drum at the middle of the rack?

[ianmuessig]

Does the snare cross stick? I have an alesis crimson 2 se and I can only assign 2 zones on the snare so I have to choose between a rim shot or a cross stick on the rim zone, not both. I know with the Strata Prime you can play the head, rim shot and cross stick but no one has covered this with the Strata club. Nice video man!

[dougsowell]

I currently have snapped 2 Nitro bass towers. I'm afraid this is a similar type of tower with cheap pot metal. Anyone have experience with this kit yet? Other than that, this is at the top of my list.

[obxarms]

How does this stack up against the Donner Back Beat?

[chrissenner]

Super exciting kit for under $2, 000! Dang!

[panskibinski]

How does it compare to Roland VAD103 ?