Alesis DM Pro Vs. Roland TD8

[Billy G]

I'm considering either the DM Pro or the TD8.

Has anyone done any side-by-side comparisons of these units?

I'm definitely impressed by the DM Pro's 16 trigger inputs, real drum samples, and the ability to add your own sample with the flash cards.

My concerns/questions are:
1) The lack of position sensing functionality on the DM Pro.
2) The TD8 can be played with brushes and the sounds are pretty good. Is the DM Pro sensitive enough for this and does it have brush samples?
3) I've heard rumors of dependability issues. Anyone know of any problems with the DM Pro?

Any and all input is welcome!

Thanks in advance.

[vdrumatic]

Originally posted by Billy G:
I'm considering either the DM Pro or the TD8.

Has anyone done any side-by-side comparisons of these units?

I'm definitely impressed by the DM Pro's 16 trigger inputs, real drum samples, and the ability to add your own sample with the flash cards.

My concerns/questions are:
1) The lack of position sensing functionality on the DM Pro.
2) The TD8 can be played with brushes and the sounds are pretty good. Is the DM Pro sensitive enough for this and does it have brush samples?
3) I've heard rumors of dependability issues. Anyone know of any problems with the DM Pro?

Any and all input is welcome!

Thanks in advance.

_____________________________________________
Hi Billy, I had 2 DM Pro's, the first unit went dead after a week. I brought it back to Sam Ash, They replaced it with a new unit for me. I had the second DM for 2 1/2 years. My opinion and experience with it was, beyond the surface adjustments it was very complex to get it to sound just right. The effects were on 2 different buses and was hard to adjust. After the whole time that I owned it, I configured 3 sets to sound pretty good. This unit would freeze up once in a while and I'd have to turn the power off then back on to reset it. It was quirky.
Last month I bought a TD 8. I've been reading a lot of pros and cons about it here. I think it's awesome. When I think back on how much tweaking I had to do with the DM Pro just to get it to trigger properly and to get decent sounds - I shake.
I plugged my Hart BX kit into the TD 8 and it was magic from the start. I love the sounds, I love how easy and logical it is to adjust. You make an adjustment, you hear a difference, it was not like that with the DM Pro.
I've recorded the TD 8 into my Boss BR 8 recording unit and it sounds super. The TD 8 has many more useful features.
I wish you luck with which ever one you go with. Regards, Rick C...

[cliff]

Buy the TD-8. Not only is the DMPro unreliable but Alesis is also. Owned 4 DMPros and 0 worked properly.

[sepdrums]

Agreed. As a dealer, I have seen many DMPro modules go in for service...multiple times....Even the DM5's lock up for no reason. Very "buggy".
Alesis will not have good tech support or service since they are restructuring.

The DMPro has a poor interface as well. It is a powerful instrument in the right hands - but needs completely reset by the user. This is tedious and not for the amature.

TD8 all the way.

Erik
SEPdrums

[Billy G]

Thanks Guys!

This is just as I had figured.
I got the same input from a very reliable source.

I had actually decided to go with the TD8 but someone offered me a very sweet deal on a DM Pro. I figured I'd float it past the group here to see if anyone had a real positive experience with it.

TD8 it is!

Thanks again,

Billy G.

[Stoovey]

In all fairness, the people with DMPro troubles most likely got the first version. Not that they shouldn't have been able to get it right the first time...

I've not had any problems with mine. Yes, it's complex. But I'd rather have something that can be used professionally without worry that my sound options will run out.

[MPCman]

Alesis is crap.. we've sold so many Monitor One speakers in our shop and there have been so much repairments on them.


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http://mpcman.flappie.nl

[zendrums]

I have also had trouble with Alesis. I owned a D4 and now own a DM 5 and they both have quirky personalities. The TD8 I have had for the past year an a half has never given me any problems. It is also hard to get products from Alesis right now. I tried to get a new power cable for the DM5 and had no luck at GC or Sam Ash. Go with the TD8 all the way!

[captain54]

the DM pro isnt that hard to work around once you get used to it....anything thats complex and multfunctional will never be plug and play, thats just a fact of life....

some people love tweaking and fiddling with modules to get them perfect, and for those, the DM pro is a dream come true..for me, its a pain in the ass..I'd rather just play....so in that respect the DM pro is not for me, but thats just a personal preference.....

I only have it because it was cheap in comparison to the other modules....I like the cymbal samples....I've used it live quite a bit and no one ever thought I was using processed cymbal samples....

the worst part of it is getting the triggering right....its probably pilot error, but its taking me forever to get the triggering, crosstalk, etc. to where its where I want it....there is a subscribers mailing list for the DM pro, and some archives that can be extremely helpful...theres's a guy on there named Bob H I believe who is more or less a DM pro guru that will even email you personally if you ask him.....

Its really a matter of personal preference and your needs and you pretty much have to try them both before you can make an intelligent decision.....

[Drumsonly2002]

Wow, like dogs on a feeding frenzy!! HEH. I guess Roland doesn't have a service depot because their stuff never breaks down. No problems with Roland units on this forum what so ever, none ever sent back? Roland vs Alesis on a Roland forum! heh! Go to a Roland forum and ask about another product and expect to get an un bias review? Brilliant. Go to a Harley Davison forum and ask if the Suzuki Intruder 1500 is a great bike. The reason I got a Dm Pro is 1. Awsome drum sounds. Studio quality samples right out of the box. 2. Rack mountable, I have the unit in a rack, with a mixer, compressor, EQ, enhancer, noise gate, and effects unit. I don't like the idea of using internal effects such as compression etc. As you guys know internal effects are a stripped down version of the real thing, IE, on board compressor vs real compressor etc. Compromises are made when making an all in one solution, especially trying to enhance the drum sample with cheap internal after effects. What does the sample sound like with out effects? I do not use internal effects to enhance the sample. My rig works and SOUNDS extremely good. I use a dry drum sample then process it out of the box with my rack gear. I add a little reverb to the snare, but do not have to do much more due to the sample being great from the get go. As far as difficulty of programming, it's not very difficult. I don't think I'm that much smarter than the average guy, (maybe I am heh) and I find it easy. Interface, and ease of use is secondary to sound quality. As a moot point, my rig in an SKB rack and looks very cool. I'm buying another Dm Pro for my studio so if any of you Dm Pro haters have a spare one I'd be really glad to relieve you of it. I'll buy it and pay for shipping. I'm buying another regardless. I appreciate the passion you Roland guys have for your stuff, shows brand loyality. If I didn't like rack mounting, and my sound quality from my Dm Pro, I'd get a D Drum module. It was my first choice but hard to get where I'm located. I love the pads Roland make and use I Roland mesh heads, foamy, and Roland piezos. I also have a KD-5 for my portable kit. I use a rack mountable 12 channel Roland mixer in my rig also. I've gotten the ideas for making my acoustics into e drums from this forum. Saved a pile of money by building my own pads, and ended up with a fantastic rig. When I play my kit, I look at the drum head and see the Roland V drums logo, and my rack and see the Alesis and Roland logo's side by side stamped on my gear. I use what it takes to get the job done. Alesis makes world class studio products, and I have one in my rack. I'm fussy about quality so I use the best any manufacturer has to offer. Myself, I prefer Alesis drum samples and am very happy with my gear. Oh, by the way: ALESIS IS MADE IN THE U.S.A.


[This message has been edited by Drumsonly2002 (edited December 30, 2001).]

[cliff]

The reason I bought 4 units was I was told the "newer" version would work. Never the case. I would not trust one out even if I got it free. Buy anything but Alesis (Roland,Ddrum,Yamaha, etc.). Just my opinion based on my experiences. If some of you have Alesis modules that work, concider yourselves very lucky.

[MPCman]

Originally posted by Drumsonly2002:
ALESIS IS MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Not everything they build. Last week I saw "made in Taiwan" or something on an Alesis M1 Active box.


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http://mpcman.flappie.nl

[Stoovey]

Here's the deal: I've talked to many people who hate Roland gear. I've also talked to some people that hate Alesis gear. Saying "it's crap" when someone asks for an objective opinion doesn't cut it. I'm happy with my DMPro, so I recommend it to anyone else who is considering it.

The best feature, as mentioned by other posters, is the rack-mountability. I want rack-mounted gear, not stuff that sits on little plastic platforms. But I do like the TD-8/10 units from a sound and feature viewpoint. If only they were rack-mountable...

[Drumsonly2002]

Cliff Please don't think I'm trying to be a wise guy, but when you say "don't work", How? I find it hard to believe all 4 units were gonzo as in not working at all. I'm not trolling. Just curious. It's just that I did a lot of research prior to buying a Dm Pro. I was so impressed with the way my Alesis D-5 worked I had to get the Dm Pro. I initially got a pintec pad that worked really well with the unit, and my converted acoustics with Roland mesh heads and pizeo's work like a dream. I know 2 drummers that's been using the same D-4 for years night after night with triggers on their acoustics and never had a problem what so ever. They turned me onto Alesis. Was it more of a trigger suituation? I know the Dm Pro's triggering was enhanced with the 2.0 upgrade. Maybe yours were prior to that? I'm having great success with my stuff. If I didn't you would be the first to know. As a side point, a cool thing I did was to rack mount both the Dm Pro and D-5. Ran the outputs from both modules (a total of 10) into my 2 mixers. That way I have tonal and volume control over 10 separate channels. For example my snare, kick, toms etc have their own channel. Since I'm using 2 rack mounted mixers, I run the 4 outputs of my mixers into a separate compressor, Eq, Behringer enhancer, and DBX noise gates. I also have an effects unit where I add a little reverb to the snare. I can instantly dial in what I want since everything is rack mounted at right at my finger tips. I got a JBL Eon-2 for a monitor (good advice from this forum), and have a great sounding kit. I got more rack gear than the sound man heh. The stuff fills 2 Skb 8 space racks. It's a bit of a pain to lug compared to just bringing a module but the end result is worth it. Makes my kit look high tec. I'm shallow when it comes to the visual aspect, always trying to impress. But the bottom line is how it works and sounds. I went the distance because I'll be drumming for a long time so I may as well enjoy the ride. Not to make this post too long but I made a 12" snare dual zone pad out of a Dixon snare drum. I got rubber tubing for chemical injectors, split it and glued it to the rim. Now I got a dual zone snare with rubber rim. I put the main snare sound to the Dm Pro, and rim to D-5. Impossible to cross trigger that way, and since they have their own channels in the mixer, I can adjust the volumes etc on the fly. Bought some of the stuff used and save a pile of $$.

[cliff]

Stoovey,
My first 2 DMPros froze up repeatedly. #3's gain control would not work and DMP #4 would trigger itself even with no pads hooked up. I had at least version 2.0 and I beleive up to 2.4 but it has been a while and I may be incorrect. Pintech no longer carries the DMP and Hart Dynamics no longer "pushes" it like they used to. I've owned several Roland modules with zero malfunctions so far.
Cliff