I think If you search at google or YouTube: Alesis SamplePad 4 noise, you will find it consistently. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. During the summer of 2011 Alesis unveiled its compact and highly affordable Percpad - an intuitive four-zone drum pad with onboard drum and percussion sounds, MIDI out and an additional trigger input. Do you have a question about the Alesis SamplePad 4 or do you need help? Alesis also recently released a new sample pad, the Strike MultiPad. The SamplePad 4 is relatively easy to use and understand. Pretty good. Though the pad is relatively small, it’s not so small that you won’t have accuracy when going to hit the four pads. 4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but not great. This is great for percussion samples like congas or bongos. Nevertheless, the SamplePad is very easy to use. As always, Alesis offers a great combination of quality and affordability. A simple Google search will reveal plenty of options for you to choose from (or you can check out my lists of free drum kits or acoustic drum samples). Terms of Use Having scroll arrows as the only controls may seem a little too minimalistic. 18 people found this helpful. With four pads and a dual-trigger input on the back, I’m able to start, stop, change songs, and trigger samples from my playback rig without wasting pads on my SPD-SX. Review the Alesis SamplePad 4 Compact Percussion Pad | Sweetwater. It comes equipped with four responsive, LED-illuminated rubber pads, dual zone trigger input, and ten preset kits. BUY THE ALESIS SAMPLEPAD 4 | https://goo.gl/URCQS6 Support Me on Patreon! Perfect for start and stop. With a built-in library of the most commonly requested percussion and electronic drum sounds and the ability to load samples, the only limit is your imagination. Home Please refresh the page and try again. August 19, 2018. These are sensitivity to velocity, so they can detect some subtleties in your playing. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is an all-in-one percussion and sample-playing instrument. Samples are simply dropped on to the SD card from a computer and can be loaded within the user interface on the pad (need to be 16-bit, mono or stereo .wav files!). Here we have the latest in a line of 'Multi-pads' from the e-boffins at Alesis. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. Am I able to use a mono DI box if i use only the L/mono out? See, I use a laptop computer to run our backing tracks alongside a Roland SPD-SX to trigger the playback. You’ll notice the SD card slot, main volume, and headphone volume controls are also on the front panel. YouTube on this topic . Perfect for start and stop. Alesis has actually made it a bit too clutter-free. This review sums up my many opinions about the model and whether you should buy it or not. Alesis Sample Pad 4 Review. Unfortunately have no dedicated SD Card Reader on my mac. When a sound is selected on your SD card, you can load it into a specific pad and save a new user kit. I used the Alesis SamplePad Pro for about 4 months, including live gigging. It's okay. All rights reserved. It is a compact, lightweight, and easily … However, being so compact, (half the size of its stable-mate), it will slot into the tightest available space and it's around half the price too. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is a four–pad sample–triggering instrument designed primarily for drummers and percussionists. Most featured images provided by photographer Jake Maciosek. I’ve been obsessed with drums and percussion (especially all the gear) since day one of playing. I did not test other pads before so I can not really make a comparison. There was a problem. Alesis, if you're reading it would be great to be able to rename the kit names, instead of kit1, kit2 etc. Unfortunately there are some Samplepad 4’s which have a sort of 60hz hum cycle loop which can’t be ground lifted by a DI box. All in all a great input device for “drummy” things. The Alesis SamplePad Pro contains eight drum pads. For me, the Alesis SamplePad 4 worked perfectly in my situation. This awesome offering from Alesis makes it easy for people to customise, perform and play music that is truly unique and innovative. The layers may have different trigger thresholds, for example there's potential for fat- sounding samples depending on velocity. One useful aspect is the pad control mode - striking any predefined pad (or external trigger), will act as a controller. View the manual for the Alesis SamplePad 4 here, for free. At a glance it appears there are many similarities with the Alesis SamplePad Pro, including the black finish ABS casing, graphics and minimalist controls. Toms and cymbals are not included in the pre-loaded samples. Also long delay between switching kits should be mentioned (once you have samples on SD). Speaking of backing tracks, I spent two years trying to figure out the best way to set up a playback rig. The problem is, I only end up using four pads on the Roland out of the total nine. You can try using different power sources to try an isolate the problem. It comes equipped with four responsive, LED-illuminated rubber pads, dual zone trigger input, and ten preset kits. About After reading pretty mixed reviews on the 4 pad product I decided to purchase it and give it a go. This is simply because they are not using a DI box to convert a line-level signal to a balanced signal that a mixing board can use properly. Alesis Samplepad Drum Machine review by Juno Reviews on 08.03.2012 at 17:39pm. Visit our corporate site. This includes six pads on the main face of the device, and two on each of the top corners. It comes equipped with four responsive, LED-illuminated rubber pads, dual zone trigger input, and ten preset kits. This is really no issue for me as I have my own collection of samples that I use and I’m mainly using this for MIDI control of Ableton Live. The menu system is very easy to follow but does take a little getting used to, as does any electronic interface. Instead they are located on the front and rear sides. Incredible Value and Small Footprint on Stage. Could be better. Let’s say you’re importing a snare sample to your sample pad. I’ve been playing for twenty-plus years. I Like it. The Alesis SamplePad 4 features four rubber pads. In addition to my need to start playback before each song, I also have two additional trigger pads: one under my hi-hat and one to the right of my floor tom. Our first thoughts are how solid the pad feels - robust and reassuringly 'gigworthy'. Is it worth the $300 though?In my opinion it really is. While the model has four playable pads, its bigger brother has eight. Facets of any user sample may be altered, copied and saved (without affecting the original), including tuning, pan and reverb. Alesis SamplePad Pro Percussion Pad Equipped with an SD card slot and USB port, the Alesis SamplePad lets you drag and drop samples from a computer, then … Manual. I was blown away by how easy the unit was to use, and the quality and consistency of their sounds. For such a purpose it is OK, but for real drummer it might be not that good. (0 Alesis SamplePad 4 reviews) Ask questions about this product 5-Star Guarantee and Price Promise © The provided samples included out of the box are pretty mediocre. While the on-board samples are superb and a clearly useful attribute, triggering your own captured ones is where the real fun is to be had. This awesome offering from Alesis makes it easy for people to customise, perform and play music that is truly unique and innovative. It wasn’t until I followed these steps that I was able to be efficient and flawless every night. There are four arrows on the right of the instrument that are used to control the parameters of the illuminated display. Biggest problem is quality of this thing. Related: Our favorite electronic drum kits available on the market. Helpful. Verified Purchase. I was nervous at first seeing only one trigger in on the back, but it is, in fact, a dual-zone input. Very importantly, it also allows for custom sampling via an SD card, which is a very big plus. Questions about the Alesis SamplePad 4 Compact Percussion Pad? You can then adjust the velocity level on the SamplePad 4 to determine when the “crossover” is of which sample to trigger. The Alesis SamplePad series is one of the best-loved when it comes to drum pads. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … The samples need to be in the root directory of your card. January 24, 2017 Music Background: Hip Hop Producer. I … Many users have complained about output noise and other problems when using the SamplePad 4. Here are the features of the Alesis SamplePad 4: Note about line-level signals: You WILL need a stereo passive DI box if you want to use this in a live situation. Paiste PST X Cymbal Series Review: Affordable Effect Cymbals. In terms of dynamics of playing a snare drum, think of two velocity layers as two different volume hits. As the pad is struck, the perimeter LEDs become brighter, providing a useful indicator for both editing and live performance. Use: The Alesis SamplePad consists of 4 pads (plus the possibility of a fifth sample pedal), a Alesis DM6 Review: A Pro Drummer’s Secret Weapon? Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Alesis SamplePad | Multi-Pad Sample Instrument with Velocity Sensitive Pads, Drum Sounds and SD Card Slot (Black) at Amazon.com. The Edge's guitar tip for using delay can make you a tighter player. As I stated earlier, the SamplePad 4 was perfect for what I needed at the time. Disclaimer Compact and feature-packed - The Alesis SamplePad 4 is an all-in-one percussion and sample-playing instrument perfect for drummers, musicians, producers and live performers. To the front we find a single SD slot (for up to 32GB), volume controls for headphones and output. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is priced at US $179 and is expected to ship in 4Q 2015. SamplePad 4 Reviews Sort By Date Sort By Rating Write Your Review. Have you tried that? Right off the bat, I was very impressed at the cool factor given off by the Strike MultiPad. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is an all-in-one percussion and sample-playing instrument. BA1 1UA. Alesis SamplePad 4 Review. Contact Us, this isn’t the only sampling pad available, Alternate Mode malletKAT: An Excellent MIDI Percussion Controller For Drummers, Pearl malletSTATION Review – Read This Before You Buy, 8 Of The Best Electronic Drum Pads To Elevate Your Live Performance, https://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/412613-clean-power-myth.html. Super decent. As much as I’d love to buy the spd-sx from Roland my usage of a drum pad doesn’t … The topmost pads are narrow 'bar type' triggers, positioned at the very back/edge of the box. Alesis Sample Pad 4 Review. The Alesis Sample Pad 4 is one of those instruments that are all-in-one percussion. By far the most fun can be the loop facility which (as it says on the tin), will sound any sample continuously. I really like the samples that Alesis has vs. Roland and Yamaha and I like the way the menus are layed out. If that isn’t it, I would suggest contacting Alesis support directly. Any sound can be assigned to any pad. test results: Read review. This drum pad is perfect for drummers looking to add some element of sampling to their playing or those who need to control a DAW like Ableton Live for backing tracks. Privacy Policy The SamplePad 4 is a powerful tool, and suitable for musicians who are looking to expand their sound potential. PDF . The only other thing I can think of is that the power you are using isn’t “clean.” This is a pretty contentious topic and is one that I am not completely knowledgable on. Read conclusion . Show all. A good introduction pad for someone starting out. Or call us at (800) 222-4700. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Alesis Sample Pad 4 | Compact 4-Pad Percussion and Sample Triggering Instrument at Amazon.com. Samples may be layered by assigning any two sounds to one of the four pads. Once powered up, with the fluorescent blue around the pads, it looks stunning and practical too - useful for a visual stick guide on any darkened, dimly-lit stage. Now, this isn’t the only sampling pad available. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, The 25 best VST/AU plugin synths in the world right now: all the best soft synths you need in your DAW, Google launches spectacular free online electronic music exhibition, featuring playable AR vintage synths, Free music samples: download loops, hits and multis from SampleRadar, Train your ears and become a better producer with the Balancing Channels app from Ultimate Producer, The best DAWs 2021: the best digital audio workstations for PC and Mac, Native Instruments and iZotope come together to create “an unprecedented alliance to shape the future of music making and audio production”, Clark: “I wanted to write an album that reflects how club music isn’t really working for me anymore”. As much as I’d love to buy the spd-sx from Roland my usage of a drum pad doesn’t justify the cost. This manual comes under the category Not categorized and has been rated by 1 people with an average of a 7.5. The SamplePad 4 is a powerful tool, and suitable for musicians who are looking to expand their sound potential. Bath It comes with amazing features such as ten preset kits and very responsive four LED-illuminated rubber pads. There are many libraries available on the internet with amazing sounds. In practice, one key press is all it takes to swap between the user kits and, we don't have to wait for samples to load upon each change. Downloads. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is perfect for touring drummers who run backing tracks that don’t need access to lots of physically-played samples in a show. This sample pad contains many different in-built drum kits and sounds. The Alesis Samplepad 4 is perfect for anyone interested in triggering samples and electronic drum sounds, but not married to the idea. With a built-in library of the most commonly requested percussion and electronic drum sounds and the ability to load samples, the only limit is your imagination. You will receive a verification email shortly. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. PDF . Other than that, it also comes with a dual-zone trigger input. It comes equipped with four velocity sensitive, LED-illuminated rubber pads, dual zone trigger input and eight preset kits. A little annoying, but I am able to get both pads working by using a Y-cable. Also to mention is that copying data to/from device using the internal SD Card reader is very slow. Your Overall Rating: I really dislike it. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. I use it us an additional element to my live hip-hop gigs. Alesis SamplePad 4 Sample Pad The Alesis SamplePad 4 Sample Pad is a compact all-in-one percussion and sample-playing instrument, equipped with four responsive, LED-illuminated rubber pads, dual zone trigger input, and ten preset kits, a built-in library of the most commonly requested percussion and electronic drum sounds and the ability to load samples. NB: a standard 32GB SD card will store over 80 user kits and a huge number of user samples - tons of room. Alesis already has the Performance Pad (pad-come-drum machine with on-board drum sounds), Percpad (on-board drum sounds), SamplePad and SamplePad Pro (also having on-board drum sounds but with the ability to play user samples). The Alesis SamplePad 4 is perfect for the drummer looking to add just a splash of electronics to acoustic drums. Alesis entered the market as one of the first serious contenders to the major Roland and Yamaha sample pads. For example, a pad may be used to start/stop the metronome or external sequencer, trigger a sample while halting the previous or, conversely, playing a sample and then sounding others over the previous. The other two are much larger and occupy the lion's share of the allotted space. The pad supports an SD card with a maximum capacity of 32GB. Though smaller than a typical laptop computer, it has four sensibly sized rubber pads — two square and two presented as raised bars — with blue ‘cruising’ lights underneath to help guide your aim when the venue lights go out. Read conclusion . “The SamplePad 4 combines every trait the modern electronic percussionist wants: it’s extremely capable with its built-in sounds and preset kits, has great expansion potential and is easy to play,” says Walter Skorupski, Product Manager for Alesis. I purchased this sample pad as an add-on for my electronic drum kit to expand the available sound at my disposal. I use an Alesis Samplepad 4 for triggering and some extra effects on my acoustic kit and have never had any of the malfunction issues that I've always read about. I’m still wishing they had included traditional MIDI I/O on this unit, but I understand that it’s a bit too small to fit all of that. test results: Read review. These range from acoustic sounds, electronic hits, world music to musical synth pads. Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2018. Is it still worth buying a hardware drum machine in 2021 (and, if so, why)? I dislike it. Its even more strange when the said item is an electronic percussion instrument. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is an all-in-one percussion and sample-playing instrument. After reading pretty mixed reviews on the 4 pad product I decided to purchase it and give it a go. 4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but not great. While this may not be on the level of the Roland V-Drum module, having two velocity layers per pad allows you to play more dynamically with your sounds. While the model has four playable pads, its bigger brother has eight. Importing samples is as simple as dropping them to an SD card and plugging it into your Sample Pad 4. For such a purpose it is OK, but for real drummer it might be not that good. If you remember, I looked at the Alesis Samplepad a few months ago and you can read the review here and I was impressed on quite a few levels.