Audio & Hi-Fi · Head-to-head
Roland TD-07KV vs Alesis Nitro Max
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Electronic Drum Kits: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The TD-07KV pairs Roland's tension-adjustable mesh pads with larger cymbals, a real kick pad and a module that doubles as a USB audio interface. The Nitro Max gives a beginner more drum surface and a complete kick setup for a much smaller outlay.
Roland TD-07KV
Buy itA compact V-Drums kit with double-ply mesh heads, 12-inch crash and ride, a KD-10 kick pad and a module that records over USB.
- Snare and toms use Roland's double-ply, tension-adjustable mesh heads, and the 8-inch PDX-8 snare has separate head and rim zones.
- The CY-8 crash and ride are 12-inch pads with choke support, larger than the 10-inch cymbals on both budget kits here.
- Bluetooth 4.2 streams audio and sends MIDI, and USB carries 2-in, 2-out audio plus MIDI to a computer.
- Roland states the kick pedal and drum throne are not included, so budget for both.
- The three PDX-6A toms are 6-inch single-zone pads, and Roland notes they do not support rimshots.
- Output and headphones share one 3.5 mm stereo mini jack, so a full-size headphone plug needs an adapter.
Alesis Nitro Max
Buy itAn eight-piece mesh kit with a 10-inch dual-zone snare, a kick tower with pedal, Bluetooth audio and 32 BFD-sourced kits.
- The 10-inch dual-zone mesh snare is the largest snare surface among the three mesh kits here.
- A kick drum tower and kick pedal come in the box, along with cables, sticks, a drum key and a 4-post aluminium rack.
- Alesis lists 32 preset kits plus 16 user kits, 440 sounds, 60 play-along tracks, a metronome, sequencer and recorder.
- All three cymbals are 10-inch pads, and Alesis lists choke only on the crash.
- The three 8-inch toms are single-zone.
- Alesis lists USB/MIDI and Bluetooth audio streaming, but does not list USB audio or Bluetooth MIDI.
Side by side
The 9 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Roland TD-07KV Our pick | Alesis Nitro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | New and returning drummers who want the most realistic feel per unit of spend and are happy to add their own pedal and throne. | Beginners on a tight budget who want a complete kit, kick pedal included, that they can play the day it arrives. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
| Snare pad | 8-inch mesh, head and rim zones | 10-inch dual-zone mesh |
| Tom pads | Three 6-inch mesh, single zone | Three 8-inch mesh, single zone |
| Kick | KD-10 pad, pedal not included | Kick tower, pedal included |
| Cymbals | 12-inch crash and ride with choke, 10-inch hi-hat | 10-inch crash (choke), ride and hi-hat |
| Hi-hat | Pad with control pedal | Pad with foot controller |
| Kits (preset / user) | 25 / 25 | 32 / 16 |
| Bluetooth | Audio and MIDI | Audio streaming |
| USB | Audio (2 x 2) and MIDI | USB/MIDI |
| Headphone jack | 3.5 mm, shared with output | 3.5 mm |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Roland TD-07KV if
new and returning drummers who want the most realistic feel per unit of spend and are happy to add their own pedal and throne.
Know before buying: roland states the kick pedal and drum throne are not included, so budget for both.
Pick the Alesis Nitro Max if
beginners on a tight budget who want a complete kit, kick pedal included, that they can play the day it arrives.
Know before buying: all three cymbals are 10-inch pads, and Alesis lists choke only on the crash.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Roland TD-07KV - A compact V-Drums kit with double-ply mesh heads, 12-inch crash and ride, a KD-10 kick pad and a module that records over USB. Choose the Alesis Nitro Max instead if beginners on a tight budget who want a complete kit, kick pedal included, that they can play the day it arrives.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Electronic Drum Kits: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).