Alesis D4 Drum Machines

 

 

My favorite thing about the Alesis D4 is the ease with which I can get the sound I want. It is also really easy to adjust the volume, tuning, and panning. I would like to congratulate Alesis for doing a great job with the controls on the machine's front panel. Personally, I connect the D4 to my computerized sequencer and use the D4 as a drum module.

I have really enjoyed working with that set up. I can easily pan the sounds using the seven presets (like dead center, soft right, hard left, etc), but I would rather have more control over the panning. At least nine settings are really needed here. The D4 includes both useful and odd, not-so-useful sounds. You can use to work on a rock song from the '80s or '90s.

The sounds are generally at the right frequency and pitch, so only minimal tweaking with the equalizer is needed. However, the tom sounds are awfully commercial and do not give you the right sound for modern music. The cymbals sound great initially but die down too quickly.

 

The quick decay is not a problem in fast songs, but it is noticeable during pauses and slower tunes. The bongos, timbales, and claves sound pretty good. The LCD worked beautifully for a while. The entire system still works, but sadly the LCD went whack a bit ago. Now it only displays about half the characters correctly, which is annoying (to say the least).

We know that no drum module can capture the drama of a real drummer on a real state. Do not try to fake the drumming in very expressive tunes with this machine. Instead, use the D4 excels when you need a solid beat, like country rock music, ballads, heavy metal, and so forth. You can also use it to compliment real percussion. Just do not try to push it past its uses and you will really enjoy it!