Alesis Nitro Mesh vs Turbo Mesh Electronic Drum Kit

Alesis make some excellent electronic drum kits for all budgets, and two of the most popular kits are the Nitro and Turbo Mesh. But what is the difference between them?

In this article I’ll compare all the differences and highlight the similarities between these two electric drum kits so you can decide which one is the best for you.

Alesis Nitro vs Turbo

The Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit is more expensive compared to the Turbo Mesh kit and has several upgraded features including a dual-zone snare and kick tower instead of just a pedal. The Nitro Mesh also has a more advanced drum module with more sounds, kits and tracks built-in.

Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit	Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit
Single-zone snare	Dual-zone snare
Kick pedal	Kick tower and pedal
Drum module has 120 sounds and 10 kits	Drum module has 385 sounds and 40 kits
Drum module has 30 built-in tracks	Drum module has 60 built-in tracks
3-digit LED display	Backlit segment LCD display
No onboard recording	Supports onboard recording
2-Point Steel Frame	4-Point Aluminium Frame
Expansion Kit Not Available	Expansion Kit Available

Check out these Amazon links to the products to check the current prices:

• Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit
• Alesis Turbo Mesh Electronic Drum Kit

Images link to Amazon

Kit Components

The Alesis Nitro Mesh kit is an 8-piece electronic drum kit, whereas the Turbo Mesh is a 7-piece kit.

The main difference between components of the Turbo Mesh and Nitro Mesh kits are that the Nitro Mesh kit has a kick pad tower and pedal, whereas the Turbo Mesh only has a kick pedal.

Kick Tower

The difference between the kick drum is one of the main reasons why some people will opt for the more expensive Nitro Mesh Kit.

The Turbo Mesh kit contains a kick pedal controller but the Nitro Mesh kit also has a kick tower. This makes the Nitro Mesh feel more like an authentic acoustic drum kit. The kick pedal on the other hand just doesn’t feel as good. The advantage of the pedal though is that it does save some space.

Snare

Another key difference in the components of each kit is that the Nitro Mesh kit has a dual-zone snare whereas the Turbo Mesh kit only has a single-zone snare.

The dual-zone snare on the Nitro Mesh allows you to achieve different sounds if you hit the head in the centre compared to the edge. This again makes the Nitro feel a bit more authentic and more closely related to an acoustic kit.

Drum Module

There are 4 main differences between the drum module in the Alesis Nitro and the Turbo:

1. The Nitro drum module has 385 sounds and 40 different kits whereas the Turbo drum module has 120 sounds and 10 different kits.
2. The Nitro drum module has 60-built-in play-along tracks whereas the Turbo module only has 30 built-in play-along.
3. The Nitro drum module has a backlit segment LCD display whereas the Turbo drum module has a 3-digit LED display.
4. The Nitro drum module suports onboard recording unlike the Turbo drum module.

The drum module in the Alesis Nitro is more complex and the sounds are more realistic compared to the module in the Turbo.

Images link to Amazon

Other Specification Differences

There are also a couple of other notable differences between these kits:

• The Nitro Mesh kit has MIDI in/out jacks so you can connect to other sound modules or audio gears. The Turbo Mesh kit does not have this functionality.
• The Turbo Mesh kit has a steel frame whereas the Nitro Mesh kit has an aluminium frame. The frame on the Nitro Mesh also has more points making it feel more study and stable.

Price

The Alesis Nitro Mesh electronic drum kit is more expensive compared to the Turbo Mesh kit.

In the USA, the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit costs approximately $450, whereas the Turbo Mesh kit costs approximately $350. In the UK, the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit costs roughly £400 on average whereas the Turbo Mesh kit costs only around £315.

You can also get an expanded version of the Alesis Nitro Mesh which is a 10-piece kit. This kit has an extra crash cymbal and tom pad. The Alesis Nitro Mesh Expanded kit costs roughly $570 in the USA and £490 in the UK.

The expansion pack can also be purchased separately for approximately $120 in the USA and £90 in the UK.

Similarities

Despite there being several key differences between these two drum kits, there are also many similarities as well. Here’s a rundown of the features that the Nitro Mesh and Turbo Mesh kits share:

• Same number of drums and cymbals
• Same size drum pads and cymbals
• Same mesh head design on the toms
• The drum module has a metronome built-in
• CD/ MP3 aux input
• USB/MIDI connection for virtual instruments and recording software
• Stereo line outputs and headphone output

Still not sure which Alesis kit to choose? Check out my comparison between the Alesis Nitro Mesh and Surge Mesh.

Which Drum Kit is Best?

The Alesis Nitro Mesh is a better drum kit in comparison to the Turbo Mesh kit due to the more advanced drum module, dual-zone snare and the kick tower. However, for beginners the Turbo Mesh kit could be a better option as it is cheaper and the more simplistic drum module may be appreciated.

If you are prepared to pay the extra for the Nitro Mesh, I do think that the upgrade you get in terms of the specs is worth it. However, the Turbo Mesh kit is still a fantastic option.

Check out these links to the products to check the current prices:

• Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit
• Alesis Turbo Mesh Electronic Drum Kit