DM10 MKII Studio kit image


The Alesis DM10 MKII Studio Kit is a premium nine-piece electronic drum set with our exclusive Alesis dual-zone mesh drum heads that deliver an unprecedented degree of realistic drum “feel” and personal expression for modern electronic drummers. These ultra-quiet mesh drum heads come closer to duplicating the feel of an acoustic drum head and their natural rebound better than any previous Alesis electronic drum kit. This article answers the most popular questions about the features and functionality of the DM10 MKII Studio Kit.




Frequently Asked Questions:



How many pieces are included in the kit?


The DM10 MKII kit is a 9 piece kit with the possibility to expand to a total of 11 pads. Here is what is included with the kit:

  • (2) 8" Mesh Drum Pads
  • (2) 10" Mesh Drum Pads
  • 8" Mesh Kick Pad
  • DMPad 12" Hi-Hat
  • (2) DMPad 12" Crash
  • DMPad 14" Ride



How does the DM10MKII Studio kit compare with the DM10MKII Pro kit?


The chart below compares the two kits side-by-side:


User-added image



Does the DM10 MKII Studio Kit support double-kick pedals?


Yes, it is compatible with double-kick pedals. If using dual-beaters, try to keep both beaters as close to the center of the drum as possible. If they are spread out and closer to the edges, the response may not be as strong.



Can you load custom samples into the DM10 MKII Module?


Yes! You can use the drum module with a USB flash drive to save/load samples or kits, and even record songs. Your USB flash drive can have a capacity of 4–64 GB, and it must use a FAT32 file system to work properly with the drum module. Each sample must be a 16-bit WAV file with a maximum file size of 15 MB. It can have a sampling rate of 48, 44.1, 32, 22.05, or 11.025 kHz.




We recommend using a kick beater made of a hard material such as plastic, wood or metal when using a mesh kick pad.

Felt beaters can be popular with electronic drum kits with rubber pads, but they should be avoided for use with mesh drum heads. The added friction from the felt can quickly wear down and puncture a hole in the mesh.




Your favorite sticks will work just fine! Some companies do make sticks designed specifically for electronic drum kits, but while these are great options, they're not necessary. Any wooden or nylon tip sticks in any shape will work just fine.

If you'd like to avoid the wooden sticks getting worn down and catching on the mesh, nylon tipped sticks work great. Keep in mind, unlike acoustic drums, the material used in the sticks and shape of the tip will not have any effect on the sound produced.



Can I reset the module to its factory default settings? If So, How?


To return the drum module to its original default settings:

  1. Press Kit to enter the Kit Selection page (if you are not already viewing it).
  2. Press Menu to enter the Kit Menu.
  3. Use the Down and Up buttons to select Factory Reset, and then press Enter.
  4. Use the Down and Up buttons to select which settings you want to return to the defaults: Kit (only the user kits), Song (only the user songs), Voice (only the user voices), Trigger Settings (all trigger settings), or All (all of the above).
  5. When "All data will be lost! Enter or Exit?" appears in the display, press Enter to continue or Exit to cancel.
  6. Wait a minute while the module restores its default settings. After "Reset OK!" appears on the display, the default settings are restored.
  7. Press Exit to return to the previous page.



Is there any built-in play along tracks inside the module?


There are 120 preset songs that you can play along to. Songs 001–060 include a full band accompaniment to play along to, Songs 061–070 are percussion loops, and Songs 071–120 are “one-shot” accompaniments. You can adjust the volume of the accompaniment and your electronic drum kit separately.

To play a song:

  1. Press Song to enter the Song Selection page (if you are not already viewing it). To switch between the preset songs and user songs (001–120 and 121–125) and the songs available on a USB flash drive, press Song.
  2. Use the dial or Left (t) and Right (u) buttons to select a song.
  3. Press Start/Stop to play the song.



What is crosstalk and do I need to do anything to prevent it?


Crosstalk is the vibration from one pad causing a second pad to trigger. For example, striking the Ride cymbal causing Tom 3 to trigger without being hit. Inversely, crosstalk could also cause a trigger to be ignored, such as striking both the Ride and Tom 3 at the same time, but only the Ride is triggered. The vibration of one pad can be enough to cause sympathetic vibrations in another; setting off the trigger and causing the pad to sound inadvertently. Crosstalk is the vibration from one pad causing a second pad to trigger. For example, striking the Ride cymbal causing Tom 3 to trigger without being hit. Inversely, crosstalk could also cause a trigger to be ignored, such as striking both the Ride and Tom 3 at the same time, but only the Ride is triggered. The vibration of one pad can be enough to cause sympathetic vibrations in another; setting off the trigger and causing the pad to sound inadvertently.

The DM10 MKII module has been fully optimized to prevent crosstalk, but there are occasions when it could be triggered depending on how the kit is assembled. Here are some tips:

  • Make sure that none of the pads, cymbals, or clamps are touching each other.
  • Avoid wrapping cables around the rack.
  • Setting up the kit on a rug or carpeted surface can help. Hard surfaces are more prone to transfer vibrations.
  • Tighten the wing nuts on the cymbals so that the cymbals can move but won't swing or bounce. If a cymbal is bouncing and will cause more vibration, but if a cymbal is too stiff, the strike will transfer directly to the rack and the other pads.
  • If one trigger seems especially prone to crosstalk when striking other pads, increase Xtalk setting for that pad.



Can I add additional drums or cymbal pads to the module?


Yes! The back of the module has inputs for One Cymbal Pad and One Tom Pad

  • Crash Trigger Input: Connect a second cymbal pad (included) to this input using a standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS cable (single zone) or TRS cable (dual zone). Hitting the pad will trigger an additional crash cymbal sound.
  • Tom 4 Trigger Input: Connect an optional drum pad to this input using a standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS cable (single zone) or TRS cable (dual zone). Hitting the pad will trigger an additional low tom sound.



Can I use the DM10 to trigger drum software on my computer?


The DM10 MKII module comes with a USB connection allowing you to connect the module to a computer and send MIDI messages over this connection. It is class-compliant which means that it will work with any modern Mac or PC without the need to download any software or drivers.

You may need to adjust some settings in the drum module to ensure all MIDI communication can be properly sent or received. To adjust the MIDI settings:

  1. Press Kit to enter the Kit Selection page (if you are not already viewing it).
  2. Press Menu to enter the Kit Menu.
  3. Use the Down and Up buttons to select Utility, and then press Enter. The display will show the Utility menu.
  4. Use the Down and Up buttons to select GM Mode.
  5. Use the dial or Left and Right buttons to select On or Off.
  6. On: MIDI messages sent into the drum module’s MIDI In will trigger sounds from the General MIDI (GM) specification.
  7. Off: MIDI messages sent into the drum module’s MIDI In will trigger the module’s internal sounds (the ones played by each kit).
  8. Use the Down and Up buttons to select Local Ctrl.
  9. Use the dial or Left and Right buttons to select On or Off.
  10. On: Playing the pads connected to the drum module will trigger the drum module’s internal sounds.
  11. Off: Playing the pads will send MIDI notes from the drum module to a connected computer (connected to the USB MIDI port) or MIDI device (connected to the MIDI Out). See Trigger Settings to learn how to set the MIDI notes.
  12. Press Exit to return to the Kit Menu. Press it once more to return to the Kit Selection page.