Alesis Perfomance Pad MIDI

You don't need a separate drum machine to play your own grooves: the Alesis Performance Pad combines eight velocity-sensitive pads with an integrated sequencer. You can play along with preset patterns or record and edit rhythms. This makes the device suitable as a percussion station for practice, as well as for studio and stage setups.

The 233 sounds can be assigned to the eight pads and combined into your own kits. For each pad, you can adjust parameters including volume, tuning and stereo position. With many sounds, Dynamic Articulation changes the tonal character according to how hard you strike; the pads respond across eight velocity levels. There are 50 presets and 50 user memory slots for kit selection.

The built-in drum machine records and plays back patterns. Recording features include quantisation, swing, a metronome and step editing. Patterns can be arranged into songs – either in advance as a sequence or in real time during playback. Pre-programmed rhythms provide a template to play along with. The device stores a total of 200 user patterns and 200 preset patterns, as well as up to 100 songs.

For playing along with external material, the Performance Pad has a stereo aux input with a 3.5 mm stereo jack. You can use it to connect, for example, a CD or MP3 player, computer or keyboard. Two inputs are provided for optional bass drum and hi-hat pedals. A MIDI output transmits pad performance and can control external sound generators or keyboards; the device also supports MIDI Clock and Song Position Pointer. It does not have a MIDI input.

There are two audio outputs for connecting to a sound system; a headphone output allows you to practise quietly. The outputs are specified as having 24-bit resolution. A mounting adapter can be attached to the underside to integrate the pad into a drum setup. The device is powered by an external 9 VAC power supply; whether this is included in the box is not specified.

If you want to play patterns directly on pads, save your own kits and control external MIDI devices, the Performance Pad brings these tasks together in one device. The combination of pads, sequencer and MIDI output is suited to practice, drum programming in the studio and use as a percussion addition on stage.