Initial Setup

The instruction sheet in the box was clear, but I preferred the downloadable PDF because it allows you to zoom in for greater detail.

The assembled drum frame is sturdy and feels confidently strong and secure for its size. Bonus points for the slotted locking mechanisms on the curved cross bars, which contribute greatly to its overall structural integrity.

As someone who has worked with various e-kit systems, I found that adding the pads and cymbals was quick and intuitive. It was easy to position things exactly where I wanted them. Alesis also provides a comprehensive setup video for someone entirely new to the process on its website.

Wiring up the kit was equally straightforward, thanks to cables and jacks that are clearly labeled on a multi-pin snake with a D-Sub connector on the brain side and ten individual ¹/₄” jacks on the pad ends. I really like this for convenience and organization compared to having individual cables, as I’ve experienced on other e-drum systems. The only downside would be in the unlikely event of a bad cable, in which case you couldn’t simply swap one out as you could with the Strata Prime, for example.

Nicely, there are two more dedicated ¹/₄” inputs on the back of the drum brain if and when you want to add additional triggers, which was a pleasant surprise when I first noticed them. I connected some old pads from another manufacturer with no problem.

After first powering up the brain, I was prompted to connect to the internet and download the latest firmware, which was about as simple a process as it could be.

The Drum Pads

These are the same pads used with the Prime kit, just smaller sizes. The snare is 12″ compared to 14″ on the Prime, and the toms are 8″ (x2) and 10″ for the floor tom. They are smaller targets than I am used to hitting, but I quickly adjusted. Like all mesh-head pads, these are easily tunable, which is more about feel than pitch since it doesn’t affect the tuning of the samples in any way.

The Cymbal Pads

The Core cymbals are also smaller than the Prime, but again, it’s not a huge issue for me. The hi-hats and crashes are 12″ while the ride is 14″. All the cymbals are 360° playable, so it doesn’t matter if they rotate on the stand. They are also mutable by grabbing them, which, for some reason, still makes me smile. They have a great texture resembling the ridges in a metal cymbal, which may not matter much when playing, but it looks cool.

The Drum Module

The drum module features 25 MB of BFD drum samples, which is just over half of what the bigger Prime kit features, but it doesn’t feel skimpy by any means. The really nice looking 7″ touchscreen is bright and clear, and offers great visual feedback as to what drum you’re hitting or editing. Being a touchscreen helps reduce the number of buttons on the interface.

Editing is a breeze. Hit “Select” to choose a drum for editing by hitting the pad. Once selected, there are loads of options, with the most useful being onscreen. This includes drum volume, damping (decay), attack, tuning, dynamics and pan, with a physical knob for each function.

Swapping a sound with a new sample is as easy as selecting the pad, tapping on samples in a list to audition them, and finally clicking the check mark to load the sample—so quick.

The Ins and Outs

In addition to the aforementioned trigger inputs, you get a line-level Aux In with independent level control, a dedicated ¹/₄” headphone out, MIDI I/O, USB (bidirectional MIDI, no audio) and Bluetooth. The Bluetooth works great for playing along with your favorite songs for fun, practice and learning how to play along with a band.

Playing the Kit

The smaller footprint is no indication of its power and playability, and this kit is a blast to play. I have even used it for practice exercises when it’s off since the pads feel great. I dove right in without reading the manual or even the quick start guide. I was quite comfortable moving from patch to patch, altering the tuning of the drums, adjusting the room ambiance, muting, soloing and adjusting individual drum levels and panning. Nothing felt hidden or out of place, and all the important features were readily available.

My only initial head-scratcher was not getting the hi-hat to open when expected. The PDF manual solved this by pointing out the “pedal bottom” knob right in front of me the whole time! Once I adjusted that to my playing style, all was well.

Despite being a slightly scaled-down version of the flagship brain—like the Strata Prime hit with a shrink ray—this kit goes deep with a full complement of sounds and editing features.

Recording the Kit

Strata Core supports 5-pin MIDI and bidirectional MIDI over USB, so playing MIDI grooves in your DAW is painless. That said, the Strata Core only offers stereo outputs, but by triggering the brain via MIDI and muting certain note ranges, you could record the various drums one track at a time if desired.

You can also use a VSTi with the Strata Core. BFD Player is a great free solution (reviewed August 2024) and pairs nicely with this kit. BFD has preset maps for the Strata series and many more, so no painful mapping is required.

Quirks

One small thing to be aware of is the load time when switching kits, which isn’t long but not instantaneous. Seamlessly switching between kits during a song may not be easy, but how often would you expect to need to do that in the first place?

As an acoustic drummer, the smaller pad sizes took a little getting used to, but I just needed to move the pads farther apart to match the spacing of my regular drum kit and then focus on hitting the center of the drum.

Into the Strata-sphere

I’ve heard others say it, and I’ll have to agree with them and repeat that the Alesis Strata Core may be the best e-kit for under $2,000 today. It’s easy to set up, fun to play, compact yet powerful, and it happens to sound great, too—what more can you ask for?

Price: $1,999

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