The Drumeo eKit bundle is a new way for budding drummers to pick up the sticks and play the drums, packaging an entry-level electronic drum kit with a 1-year Drumeo membership and two other video drum courses. In this article we’ll have a look at this new kit and why you might want to consider it if you’re new to the world of drumming.
What’s included in the Drumeo eKit Bundle?
The eKit bundle comes with the following items:
- Alesis Nitro Max eKit (with Drumeo branding)
- Bass drum pedal
- Size 5A Drumsticks
- 1-year Drumeo membership
- 30-day Drummer course (lifetime access)
- 30-day Chops course (lifetime access)
All in all, the package has a total value of $1005.95 if purchased separately, but is available for $499. In effect, the $240 Drumeo membership and 2x courses worth $127 each are included for free with this kit, compared to buying the standard non-Drumeo branded Alesis Nitro Max. However, as we will see below, you can get the Nitro Max for less elsewhere.
Where is the Drumeo eKit bundle available?
The bundle is only sold directly at Drumeo.com and available globally. However, only customers in the United States and Canada will benefit from free shipping.
For customers elsewhere in the world, there are additional shipping charges, and potentially customs charges, depending on your country’s rules on importing goods.
How does this look in practice? As I am based in the UK, I am charged a $60 shipping fee. In addition, I will also have to pay customs charges of 2.5%, as the total package is over £135 in value but under £630. Customs fees are usually collected by the courier company and are set by the UK Government, and not Drumeo. As a result, the fee is not included in the shipping summary on the Drumeo website when you order.
The fees in your country may vary, and you’ll need to check your government’s importing rules to find out how much this is likely to be.
One other limitation I found during the ordering process is that it’s not clear if the eKit I’ll be receiving will come with a UK plug and power supply instead of a North American one. Of course, it’s reasonable to expect this, but most sites selling electronics specify this for the avoidance of any doubt. In future it would be good if Drumeo adds this for clarity.
Drumeo eKit vs Alesis Nitro Max
The Drumeo eKit is actually a branded version of the Alesis Nitro Max. If you’re not bothered by the Drumeo branding, you can also pick up the vanilla Nitro Max for less at other retailers like GuitarCenter.com, where at the time of writing it sells for $399. Comparing the two, you’ll see that the kits are identical, other than the fact that the red accents on the original are swapped to blue on the Drumeo version, or also available as an all-black package.
One factor you may consider is that Alesis sells an upgrade pack for the Nitro Max, which adds an additional floor tom and cymbal pad plus hardware to mount them to the kit. If you opt for the Drumeo version this will still be compatible, but a matching blue version is not available.
Is the Nitro Max a good kit?
The Nitro Max is an entry-level kit with single-zone drum and cymbal pads, plus a dual-zone snare drum. This means the snare is the only drum where the rim and head can be triggered, while the ride cymbal can trigger a bell sound by hitting the cymbal harder, in lieu of a real bell zone.
This might not mean much to the beginner drummers that this kit is aimed at, but essentially what it means is the kit has fewer usable playing surfaces as compared to a more advanced kit, such as a Roland TD-17 or even a TD-07. This is usually fine for beginners, but may mean you’ll outgrow the Nitro Max and need to buy a more advanced kit to be able to play more expressively.
Of course, both of those Roland kits are more expensive than the Alesis Nitro Max, but it’s important to remember what you are getting and what is lacking on a budget kit. This is why I typically recommend spending around $849-900+ on an electronic drum kit, to ensure you get a kit that responds as close as possible to a real acoustic kit without breaking the bank.
The lower price of the Nitro Max is most apparent in a build quality issue, where the snare drum mount has a tendency to loosen over time while playing. Check out the 65 Drums review at the 5 minute mark for a clear demonstration of this issue.
The other area where the low price of this kit shows is the drum sounds. On the surface, they sound like they should be good with 400 samples from BFD, a high-quality drum sample library.
However, I found that when played, the drums exhibit a “machine gunning” effect, which comes from a limited number of samples recorded for each drum and cymbal on the kit. As a result, the kit can sound a bit robotic and repetitive. This contrasts with higher-end drum modules or drum libraries, or the standalone version of BFD, which include more samples per instrument for a more realistic feel.
This can be fixed by plugging your eDrums into a Mac or PC and triggering BFD or another drum library like EZdrummer or Superior Drummer via the computer, making your eDrums sound more real.
Should you buy the Drumeo eKit Bundle?
If you are new to drumming, like the look of the Drumeo platform and need your first eDrum kit, then the Drumeo eKit Bundle is worth a look. However, be sure to consider the following factors:
- Check out the used eDrum market in your area – could you buy a second hand Roland kit or other premium eKit for a similar price?
- If you like the look of the Alesis Nitro Max, check how much the non-Drumeo version costs at stores like Guitar Center
- If you live outside of the US or Canada, be sure to factor shipping and customs duties into the total cost. Can you get a better deal buying an eKit locally and subscribing to Drumeo separately?
Do Electronic Drums feel like Acoustic Drums?
Can you use Alesis pads with Roland Drum Modules?
Electronic drums that look acoustic – Roundup
