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The Alesis SamplePad series is one of the best-loved when it comes to drum pads. As always, Alesis offers a great combination of quality and affordability. The Alesis SamplePad 4 features four rubber pads. It is a compact, lightweight, and easily transportable piece of kit that makes it ideal for use at gigs. But don’t let the small size fool you, it is loaded with loads of amazing features too.
Usability is an important part of any drum pad. It has to be simple to load your own samples, and there should also be a large choice of ready-to-go samples loaded on to the drum pad too. That’s definitely true with the Alesis SamplePad 4. It has an SD/SDHC slot so that you can very easily transfer music from your laptop or computer to be used on the Alesis SamplePad 4.
The Alesis SamplePad 4 is a great piece of kit that should definitely be considered by anyone looking for a new drum pad or sample pad to integrate into their set-up, whether you’re a drummer or a DJ.
Alesis SamplePad 4
Key Features
The Alesis SamplePad 4 might seem small, but it is also packed with lots of awesome features. Here are the most important:
Built-in Library of Sounds: The Alesis SamplePad 4 comes already loaded with 25 of the most common and requested drum sounds.
LED Illumination: The rubber pads have blue LED lights integrated into them so that they are illuminated, which is perfect for live performances in dark environments.
Pre-Set Kits: The Alesis SamplePad 4 has 10 pre-set kits already loaded onto it, so you can start playing as soon as it arrives.
SD Card Slot: Both SD and SDHC cards can be loaded into the Alesis SamplePad 4, which gives you a maximum of 512 sounds and 91 drum kits at once.
Four Percussive Pads: The four choices truly open up your options for sound creation.
Compact Size: The Alesis SamplePad is both lightweight and compact making it very portable.
Pros
+ The ability to plug in an SDHC or SD card truly opens up huge possibilities, as you can choose from as many as 512 different sound and 91 drum kits. For such a little, affordable drum pad, the options seem endless.
+ It’s so small and compact that it is perfect for live performances. Not only is it portable enough to take it to you for gigs, but the LED illumination will make it much easier to ensure that you hit the right pad, even if you’re using another percussion machine or turntables at the same time.
+ The 6.3mm stereo output jack opens up your options even further, as you can connect the Alesis SamplePad 4 to your headphones, speakers, or mixing console with a lot of ease. You could also hook it up to a second Alesis SamplePad, which will double your number of available drum pads.
Cons
- The only slight criticism of the Alesis SamplePad 4 is that the rubber pads could be a little stronger and durable. Then again, when you’re purchasing a drum pad of this quality for such a low price tag, a slight drawback such as this is to be expected.
Who Is It Suitable For?
The Alesis SamplePad 4 is an all-in-one percussion pad that will suit anyone who is looking for a drum pad. Despite its small size, it can offer you up to 512 sounds and 91 drum kits, which is exactly what you want from a drum pad.
If you’re looking for a drum pad to use at home or for live performances, then the Alesis SamplePad 4 is a great choice, and the price tag cannot be sniffed at either.
Why We Like It
Percussion pads can tend to be either overly heavy and unwieldy or too small and flimsy to withstand hard hits from drumsticks. The Alesis SamplePad 4 is neither of these things. It is a hard-wearing, compact drum pad that can store up to 512 sounds and 91 drum kits, which means that it gives you the versatility and choice that you need from a top drum pad.
Other related product
Alesis Sample Pad Pro
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