Roland SPD-SX VS Alesis Strike Multipad
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- There are two major sample pads on the market right now. The Roland SPDSX and the Alesis Strike Multipad. Both can handle almost anything you can throw at them, but are very different in a lot of ways. Let's compare and see which is better at what!
Alesis Strike Multipad
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Roland SPDSX (black version)
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Roland SPDSX (red version)
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I just purchased the Alesis Multipad! Is a great machine for sure, but in my opinion the real big thing missing is an application to navigate (and assign to pads) into the tons of samples present in the Multipad! This could be really helpful in order to create user kits, also because the machine comes with 6000 sounds and loops but only 30 (yes 30!!!!) preset kits....
The Alesis has other functions, such as alternating up to 36 sounds together, in a cycle orrandom. V1.3 added a playlist function.
As a synth guy (and I like and own Roland gear) I went for the Alesis.
It is a very personal thing. Maybe the acoustic drummer prefers the Roland but me as a synth and drum machine guy I prefer the Alesis. There are CR78, 808 and 909 samples in the Alesis out of the box (just saying).
If there hadn't been the Strike I would have bought the SPD and be happy.
There is also the very nice Nord Drum 3P but I got analog gear (Moog & ARP) that can handle that stuff pretty well.
To me the ability to match tempo of the sample within the Roland seals the deal for the SPDSX.
What do you mean?
@@christheghostwriter You are able to control the tempo of a sample like a loop on the spd sx. The alesis pad does not have that feature.
Haven't watched one of your videos in a while. Production value has improved heaps. Awesome work!!!
Hi Cameron.
@@Cvitandrums Hi Cvitan, fancy seeing you here!
Roland still wins no matter what. I tried them all from Roland, Yamaha, Alesis, and back to Roland. Nuff said!
Cool video. Kinda surprised you didn't mention the elephant in the room though, which is the built in looper in the Alesis. The Roland doesn't have that. Keep up the good work!
excellent point!
Same! I kept waiting for it but it never came. Just sold my SPDSX and got the Strike. Really digging it but I think I’m going back to the Octapad. Just for the out-of-the-box fun factor.
@@kirkrobinson11 Hi there, do you know if its possible to use the Alesis as a mini drum kit using the hi hat pedal... can a kick drum pedal be connected? Are the acoustic drum sounds any good? I'm still undecided whether I should get the Roland Octapad or just go for the Alesis Strike...Thanks!
Christian De Juan you can use it as a kit! The hi hat pedal requires a little workaround but it is doable and there is a kick input. The sounds really are fantastic and there are way more possibilities with the Strike but more of a learning curve. I guess it depends on what your planning to do with it. I still think the Octapad is more fun out of the box and it’s easier to make groovy stuff, but Alesis has a ton more sounds and options.
@@kirkrobinson11 Thanks for your response! Cool, so with the kick drum and hi hat pedal one can use it as a mini electric drum kit like would with the roland octapad... that's great! Obviously the Alesis Strike is more geared towards loading your own samples and loops etc... What little workaround is needed for the hi hat pedal? Why do you think its easier to make groovier stuff with the octapad? Sorry for all the questios :) but this is essential to know before I buy one or not! I really want something for my home studio mainly to record realistic sounding groovy drums and percussion, something that allows doing tasteful drum fills etc... I'm currently using the Behringer RD8 rhythm designer which has some awesome analogue sounds on it, but I find it nice to combine this with a more 'human element'... anyway thanks again! :)
Roland got that Area 51 technology.
Awesome vid btw!
Every time I buy something, you put out a video a few days later. I ended up deciding on the Alesis.
Edit: The Strike Multipad has a lot of cool features (lights, looper, hard drive space etc.) but it is an absolute pain to use. Good luck managing your own stuff, it takes forever and theres no software for file management.
I REALLY wanted the Alesis product to work...but it’s very midi limited...so much so it’s just a noise box to me. Poor support from Alesis. One user claimed audio would port from iOS device via usb to strike multipad...didn’t work for me trying with 3 Different iOS devices. The strike multipad WILL port audio via usb to pc and will trigger both iOS and pc via USB but because of no software support I can’t use. Alesis Strike Multipad sample editing works but leaves a lot to be desired. User CANNOT “time stretch” samples, huge fail here. Alesis comes up with great ideas (I’ve owned several products) BUT loose steam on support. In the old days Alesis was great and a leader, but something happened now they seem to be “also rans” Really too bad, but mines up for sale after a solid month of trying to make it happen.
@@tiltedlab yeah it took 2 updates to barely get the hi hat working. I'm selling mine as well
How’s it holding up one year later?
Hi bro
Good video J. I am getting the Alesis pad very soon. More than enough pad for me.
Its killer - I picked it up last week. I watched every video comparing the two and Alesis came out on top for my needs.
Just ordered the Alesis multipad after four years with my spdsx. The Roland has taken its share of abuse and im excited to be using something a bit more “next gen” feeling.
Hey I know it’s kinda early but do you have any thoughts so far on the switch to Alesis?
@@drumroller27 I do! The main bullet points are that the Roland is very clearly “zippier” when it comes to flipping through kits. And on the Roland, if you’re playing a sample from one kit, you can flip through your kits and the sample keeps playing. Which is nice. BUT. I’m enjoying the Alesis more. The user interface far surpasses that of the Roland. The larger storage space provides peace of mind, the led bars being customizable is massively helpful, and the lcd screen displaying the names of the samples on each of the pads is priceless. I haven’t yet missed the Roland pad. Not to say it’s a bad unit, but for my needs the Alesis outshines it.
@@kevinbothwell8425 here is my main question: how do the sounds that come installed compare? I want to go with the Alesis for my live looping kit, since it has a built in looper and lots of more sounds out of the box, but I worry that I'm choosing quantity over quality. Is it true that the Roland's sounds are noticeably cleaner and more polished, or do you not notice a difference? Think less of a bedroom scenario and more professionally, on stage and stuff.... Does the Alesis provide equally nice sounds?
@@adamzukmusic4562 I might be the wrong person to ask. I spent very little time with the factory sounds. I did kinda flip through them when I got the thing, but I primarily loaded my own stuff onto it.
I'll stick with my SPD-SX for now. I think the click track issue is not good for drummers who use backing tracks live. Great comparison, Justin!
I'd say if you are using these live, you shouldn't be using the internal metronome, you should be preparing your click tracks in a DAW and exporting them to either of these boxes to make sure everything syncs. The built-in mets are just too limited and difficult to sync with a backing track.
@@TheDigitalMD oh yeah you're correct. For a while there I thought he's referring to linked pads not in sync when triggered simultaneously.
Thanks for the info this video was really helpful, as I was thinking of changing from my SPD SX to the Alesis. But I probably won’t now because the chain feature and continued sounds between patches are a must for my live performance. Also like other people on here I upgraded my SPD-SX to 64g along time ago. I actually found it laughable when Roland came out with Red version, all they did was change the colour and change the mini SD card to a mere 16g then add $100 on the retail.. I love Roland but I did thing that was a pretty crappy effort in an upgrade.
How did you upgrade you spd sx to 64g?
@@BrianJones-dq5rh take the bottom off, change the sd card. there's videos on you tube.
Thanks for the report, now I have a much better overview of these two and I can finally make a decision.
Thanks for the great review! I'm gravitating towards the Alesis for sure...
Glad the video was helpful!
Have been waiting for this comparison for ages, thnks!!
Я тоже)
You mentioned the “chain” on Roland. Love that feature. I had that feature on my TD20. I could change kits in the middle of a song and change back before ending. I had 2 boss up and down pedals. F5 ? ..pedals really fun and helpful.
Roland has just released their new product SPD SX PRO !
I bought the Alesis Strike Multipad because I can use it as a guitar looper and drum looper.
How’s it holdin up?
@@anthonyhuerta3432 So far, the Alesis Strike Multipad is holding up well and is fully functional. However, the power plug does not seem very secure when it plugs in. I also don't use it often and put a lot of wear and tear on it, so I might not be representative of someone who does. If portability didn't matter so much and I had an unlimited budget, I would have bought a Roland and plugged it into a regular Boss guitar looper.
Hey Justin, thanks for the comparison. A big difference imo is the user interface and the screen. Once you start using multiple kits on the SPD-SX it gets hard to remember what sound is assigned to which pad.
Has Alesis addressed the issues you reference here (metronome issue, "ring out" sample issue, kit chain feature) with the latest updates?
great review / overview of both units. thanks
Thanks!
SPD-SX is my choice here
After owning the Roland and just buying the alesis, I prefer the Roland. Alesis quality just isn’t the same. And it has numerous issues with it, like triggering other sounds while playing which is supper annoying. And the Roland sound quality is better. And yes the click track not starting when you hit the pad is very annoying.
Love your channel! Best resource for electronic drums by far!
Great comparsion video. Grettings!
so i had Alesis Strike Multipad for 1 week.
it’s really great and on Board sounds are amazing. Main problem... it take a long for loading Kit. PITCH tuning is very very bad. You can’t listen to the sound while you pitch changing. You have to save to new file or overwrite it. Then can you listen to the changed sound, it’s not roland or yamaha multi pad. if alesis make update for future .. it will be the best Pad drum for ever...!
Thoughts on it now? Any updates?
Thank you Justin. Another film of GREAT value. Very good info here.
Really amazing review brother thanks so much!
Roland SPD-SX is still the best...LOVE it
I don’t like the Roland one it Dosent look that professional and the alesis has more useful features in it 🥱 but hey that’s just me
Ordered today the Alesis Multistrike Pad and I'm very excited.Have tons of songs to make and I needed just that tool.
How is it?
@@jeffsingleton88 great, sounds phenomenal, easy to use, it's just bust great. Love it.
@@savanaviolenta let me ask you.
I've never played drums.
I have no room for a set.
Just wanna jam with a friend, have fun, fuck around and possibly write a few songs.
Is this for me?
Thanks for the reply
@@jeffsingleton88 definitely
Looking forwad to a review of the new Roland SPD SX Pro launched today in Europe!
you can just put a bigger memory card inside of the SPD sx. Mine has like 32 gigs now.
great reviews as usual, Justin!
Nicely done sir, I have the SPD and a point not mentioned was the software for loading samples, called the wave manager and it abysmal! I personally prefer the Octapad, good samples and the shape fits a drum kit much better. You soon get sick of trying to find good samples and then the loading is...........!
Good input. Maybe you've heard of the third-party software SPD-SX-Editor, which makes it very easy to organise the SPD-SX. spd-sx-editor.com
Dude. So helpful. Thanks. Well done.
SPD-SX for me--its tried and true--never have to worry about it breaking down--its something you hit every night..I also really use the feature where the loops don't cut off changing kits. --that's a big one for me. --and load time-- the Roland is still a lot quicker especially when you need to change kits during a song.
Great comparison! Still not convinced, will play the Strikepad soon. As a loopstation busker I need some quick drums, now a SPD-ONE does the job but it really needs an upgrade!
At the time you were writing this a new spdsx already came out.
@@bearingSSW you are right. But it's way too expensive for me atm 😅
I own the older spd-s. the grey one. was looking to upgrade. I dismantled my full electric kit and just want a multipad with input triggers so I can make a mini kit. In this regard, the alesis is the hands-down winner because of its hi-hat pedal input. Sure its cumbersome to get variable hi-hats working with a plugged in hi-hat as demonstrated in the video, but at least it can be done. The Roland is out for me, no question.
Thank you for the video! )
Will Roland release a new Hardware since the SPD SX is really old?
Thank you so Much! You’re really my ANTHONY FANTANO of Drums.
Great information Justin, I was just thinking about purchasing the Roland. Rock on!🤟
Well done review, thanks.
Enjoyed this video!
I have a SPD 20. I use a single QSC K8.2 speaker plugging straight in with no mixer. Using just a 1/4" to 1/4" TS cable from mono out works fine. Question: Would using dual TS from Roland to XLR into speaker improve sound or give any more gain?
Hey Justin, I'm in the market for a sample pad, but the Roland SPD-SX is now 10 years old. Have you heard anything about Roland maybe coming out with a new model soon?
Please do a comparison with the new one! SPDX pro! Thank you!
Hi Justin. Thanks for one more super good video!! I would love it, if you can make a video about the best and coolest drumless loops and samples for multipads like alesis and roland, to play accoustic drum with it.
Hey Justin nice video you should check out the milenium mps 750 e drum and the 850
I'm considering buying a multipad(tabletop drum set)...not sure though because I'm also considering the nitro mesh kit 🤷🏼♂️
Alesis better then Roland sx main difference is alesis hardware are 100 times good to sx software also nice I m explore this device
I'm playing Roland SPD-SX SE more then for one year. Before I had octopad. And now I want to try Alesis.
SPD-SX have some glitches. If you start loop, after 30-40 repeating this may go out of click.
And my biggest problem is about shouting down samples. For example, if I hit crash, no matter its 0.5 seconds long or 2-3 seconds, and after that I'll play some 16th or 32nd notes on tom (0.5-1 second), in poli mode, it will shout down my crash before sample is ending. You can change poli option to mono for a pad, but it's sounds really crap.
Also, I want to try alesis because of Hi-Hat function. I'm playing almost every day with wedding band in China, so I'm using my spd-sx like mini drum set, with KT-10 as bass drum and pdx100 as snare, with rimshot function. But playing closed Hi-Hat for one pad, and opened Hi-Hat for another is not so cool. I can deal with it, but hihat pedal is better, anyway.
I mean, crash samples stops unexpectedly
No instant pitch tuning in alesis for samples is really frustrating
I'm guessing you could also use this as a tabletop drumset to with the pedal option ?
Both of these are great but the only reason I would ever get a drum pad is to midi link the zones to play tracks live
Has Alesis fixed the problems since then
Great video. Could you load samples from Ez Drummer?
Awesome as usual, I got the Alesis two days ago I really like it, can you make a video of how to load music from your phone? Thanks
Alesis what? Sound doesn't start the moment you hit it?? This is absolute epic FAIL if it's true. This is the essential thing for ANY multipad.... I'm sticking with my SPD-SX upgraded to 32Gb.
he said that was only with the clicktrack i thought. maybe not. idk lol
The Roland ONE, the Alesis ONE
Justin do you have them hooked up to your drum module? I have to admit this sounds like a foreign language to me cause I have know idea how they work actually!! But still great comparison.
Hey Justin, good video thanks. Question though - in your opinion how does the Yamaha Multi 12 compare here? Guess I'm trying to find the best tweener product that is part percussion pad and part looper/sampler. Of the 3 which do you thinks fits that use case best? thanks, great vids keep it up!
Great job! as usual
thanks Gabe!
nice vid, well done.
Hey Justin, I enjoy your video and wondering what type of audio interface do you use and also what type of computer to record your audio. Because I have been trying to deal with latency at least 1/2 seconds. Especially when I play live in church. Thanks for your time.
He actually made a setup video, he showsnthe laptop there at least. And btw, what instrument are u having the latency issues with?
Admittedly, my opinion is based on watching a ton of videos (including on here), getting other opinions, reading specs, and today, playing both. I went with the Roland even though its older. I just couldn't stand the slow loading Alesis kits and can't figure out why Alesis didn't have a board that can load those faster. Does their processor not work very well? Is their programming deficient? Either way, it isn't a good thing. The sounds are good and the screen is good, but other than that, I didn't really like it. Many of the sounds didn't fire when I hit the pad on the demo unit. I don't know if this was me not hitting it hard enough, the unit being defective or that's the way the thing works. This happened several times. So, I tried the Roland. The unit I tried was literally beat to hell after being out on demo for several years. One pad wasn't working at all, but the sounds were good. I was surprised at their quality even though the unit is a decade old. I feel better about the Roland having a Mac editor and its user base over the Alesis. I would have liked it to have more memory but I think I'm going to get a bunch of USB drives and have them handy with custom kits if needed. Ones for church, pit percussion,, and whatever else. I don't need, for example, the same kits when I would play drumset with the SPD-SX as I would pit or orchestral percussion so having the kits on thumb drives shouldn't be a problem. If/when Roland comes out with a newer model, I"ll donate this to my church and get the new one. UPDATE: bought the Roland and been playing with it. It now has 8gb of memory.
still recommend the roland?
@@crieverytim great question..
I had the Yahama for about s year. Finally quit it. Incredibly hard to use. I even bought an load so I could see what was happening and also program aLOT faster. But if you forget to save everything , it's gone. After spending an hour putting it in I wanted to take my shotgun to it. I sold it for $500
Greg Williams exactly the same happened to me during a gig. Lost everything. The buffer on the Yamaha was so small, you couldn't out long samples in. Don't know whether to get the Roland or Alesis though.
can you make video with alesis strike pro as standalone drum with kick pedal and hihat pedal?
Great job as usual!
Question... The RT-30 triggers will work fine with Alesis Strike as well?
Great video Justin!
*** Have a question, I'm buying a used Roland SPD-S,
Will a Roland VH-11 Hi-hat work as a Hi-hat controller
if I connect it to the HH CTRL input in the back of the SPD-S ??
Using the Alesis Multipad with a sequencer like Cubase 11 in windows, There is a crashing problem....Alesis is crashing my cubase now and then...and all the played midi notes are to long, and overlapping! I did send mine back after weeks of troubleshooting and debugging.....I have "used" it longer then 2 months! I am going for a SPD-30, with one single mesh snaredrum from Roland. I am using one right now, and have not 1 problem with it! Alesis Tsk Tsk! And oh yeah, the sensitivity ( I have tried all settings possible) is bad...at the best setting, I did a stick "bounce" test..
Alesis register 3 bounces whilest the Roland SPD-30 registered 4 or 5, not perfect, thats why I am going to add a single mesh snare drum! Also the Alesis top "pads" are almost useless for "drumming" you can use it to start stop a sample, because you have to hit them very hard, and when I say very hard it is very hard!
Hi Justin, Can you please answer this question, Is it possible to connect SPD SX as an audio midi interface to an Ipad? this will enable options such as live looping, etc..., can you please test this and let us know if it works.
Can you turn the pad and/or side lights off on the Alesis entirely?
I have nothing to say, so, hi!
Alesis gave us some much needed features but completely missed the mark on the most simple things. Why cant I hook up my VH10? Why isnt there sample management software? No trigger presets? Extra inputs dont mean "jack" (lol) if they hardly work. Same goes for all of the loops/samples. All they do is sit there and take up space. Alesis almost took over with this but like always, over promise and under deliver.
which has the better standard drum and cymbal sounds?
Great review...
Hello, thank you very much for your video, it is very interesting. I don't understand the language very well, so maybe some of my questions have been answered in the video. I can change banks and at times would the bpm change? on both machines? Could you make a demonstration video of both machines in real situations? Thank you
kick sounds great, superb vid bud, your groove has reall y come on, tight as now :), great watching you develop
Just bought Alesis, and it seems disappointing. Is it true that the pads have to be hit much harder (than SPDsx, Nord) to register a minimum sound? even at the top setting. The load time is also ridiculous for 2020
When realesed new Roland SPD-SX series ?!
Making a practice pad kit with 3 triggers. (2 kicks/1snare). Using yamaha pads. Wonder if I could get one of these instead of buying a drum module?
Would you possibly do a video on the "Hihat Acous" samples? For the life of me I cannot figure out Alesis's abbreviations for the sample names.
Do you think it's possible to add another trigger controlled by the foot pedal and a bass drum pad? Thnks a lot
Sir pls tempo sync setup setting Vedio
Dam. this is sick!
Thanks for the great review! I have one question. Will roland hi hat controller would work with strike multipad? After doing the research, i figured the kick would work but havent seen any reviews on hi hat controller. Please let me know because if it works, im thinking about buying alesis over roland
Can Alesis use Roland's APC-33 Mounting Clamp?
I'm wanting to buy an alesis strike multipad and would love to connect a hi hat and kick pedal to it so I can play it like a compact kick with pedals.. can someone please tell me a easy budget friendly way to do this? Brand pedals and what kind of pedals? etc ???
Justin nice job but I have a problem with Alesis my BPM on the preset kits don't change? I would like to change the speed on the factory presets but I tried calling Alesis customer service but all they do is put on hold? Maybe you might know something about that!
Hey, i hope someond can still answer my questions.
I have:
Roland kt 10
Roland fd 9
Roland 6,3 mm kabel
Roland stativ pds10
Do they fit into the Alesis?
I hope someone can still answer me here and thank you in advance.
MIDI CLOCK SYNC
What was the advantage of Yamaha DTX-Multi 12 or Roland Octapad if I want to use external triggers? I have the Alesis Strike Multipad and am thinking of eventually buying some triggers and pedals to play with.
QUESTION.... have any of you guys ever MISSED the pad, and hit the shit out of your control panel? Lol..... that's ALWAYS been my concern with these types. I have an Octapad.... the control panel is out of the way and off to the side!
i'd go for the alesis most likely but i still need to do more research so that could change.. great video man.. thanks!
hello, is this possible to choose different routing out for two layer en the same pad? for example pad 1, layer A master+phone, layer B phone only. ???
How does this work with a Yamaha EAD10?
Btw love your vids
Hey justin, on the foot switch....any particular one you'd recommend?
What if I don't need to import samples and I just want to play normal drums, with both a hi-hat pedal and a kick drum pedal, but I don't have room for a real drum kit and I live in an apartment, and I just want the drum pads to send a midi signal to my synth?