Alesis ControlPad USB/MIDI Drum Pad Controller

Gain ultimate control over your sound. The Control Pad is designed for maximum versatility with bonus plug-in options and easy to use USB/MIDI controls.

Overall User Ratings (based on 16 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(16) (see rating details)
Submitted March 13, 2007 by a customer from gmail.com

"No-brainer."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
There are few products that would quite replace this - none at this price point - so if it breaks, I'll replace it with the very same thing.
Sound
n/a. This is not a sound module.
Features
All-in-one USB bus powered solution. Presently, there is nothing on the market to compare. Expandable via MIDI I/O and additional pedal/ trigger ins. Makes sense and works as advertised.
Ease of Use
Makes sense and works as advertised. Simple, which is what I was looking for.
Quality
Mine is perfect. Lightweight (a personal preference) but not so light as to be a problem. Stays put confidently on a flat surface. Note: case is plastic, so you're not going to want to bash mercilessly on it as if it were a real a drum (or a DK10 for that matter).
Value
2 bills for a single piece of gear that gets the job done. That says it all.
Manufacturer Support
No experience with Alesis customer support as yet.
The Wow Factor
Wanted it from the day it was announced. (Needed it years ago.)

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Various
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Submitted April 5, 2008 by a customer from gmail.com

"MIDI and drums best of both worlds"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I would have to say that, other than a piano, this is probably the most inspiring single piece of gear I own - the night I got it I played for about five hours straight. It's like the perfect hybrid of a drum set and a MIDI controller, because you can assign the pads to trigger whatever you want. If lost I would probably just buy another one.
Sound
N/A
Features
Included software is decent. Has plenty of jacks to plug in additional triggers - I plugged in sustain pedals to use as kick and hi-hat and it worked great. USB plug and play is a good feature too, just hook it up to the computer and it's running, doesn't need drivers or a power adapter.
Ease of Use
Incredibly easy to use. I own several kinds of MIDI controls and this one is by far the easiest. Only three buttons, one to choose the function and the other two to increment up or down. For the pad-specific settings just hit the pad you want to adjust. Didn't have to open the manual. If you have ever used MIDI or electronic drums (or even if not) it's very intuitive.
Quality
The sensitivity of the pads is good. The plastic shell seems like it could potentially crack if you were playing really hard and missed the pads, but I've hit it playing normally and no problem. It seems like a solid made piece of equipment especially for the price.
Value
Definitely a great value, the only thing like it is the Performance Pad and the Roland SPD. If you only need MIDI this seems like the one to get, the SPD for all I know might be incredible but it only has six pads anyway, and this is definitely sensitive and versatile enough for my needs.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed it.
The Wow Factor
It's great, it does everything I wanted it to do without any confusing useless junk tacked on. Plus it looks classy and is a pretty unique piece of gear - it will definitely get admirers. If you watch The Knife in their live videos he plays something like this (it may be the SPD), and it looks amazing. I honestly don't know why there aren't more products like this. If you're a drummer why would you want to tap on little finger pads?

Musical Background:

Active musician

Musical Style:

Rock, Electronic
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Submitted March 21, 2007 by a customer from MSN.COM

"The Best For The Money"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I use it to program midi drum parts, bass parts, lead phrases, etc in my studio
Sound
I use it with the Roland XV-5080
Features
It comes with everything you need. My Roland SPD 11 APC-33 mounting kit fit perfectly on the Alesie Control Pad, For clamping it to a stand
Ease of Use
It is a control pad so not a whole lot of brains to set it up, there is no voice editing like my Roland SPD-11
Quality
8- Piezo trigger pads 2- 1/4" External trigger inputs 1- 1/4" Footswitch input (kick) 1- 1/4" Footswitch input (Hi Hat on/off control) 1- 1/4" TRS input for up/down value footswitch USB 1.1 Jack MIDI In/Out Jacks
Value
For under $200.00 US dollars compair to my Roland you can`t go wrong
Manufacturer Support
I contacted Alesis on a few qustions I had & they responded via email quickly
The Wow Factor
It is Built To Last

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Country, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Blues, etc
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Submitted April 17, 2011

Alesis Control Pad USB Customer Review

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I think this baby will serve me well!
Sound
No sound
Features
You have a lot of versatility with this controller in terms of what kind of midi message you want to send with is just what I was looking for.
Ease of Use
Very easy to figure out how to set it up. I wish all midi controls were as intuitive.
Quality
Time will tell if the pad hold up...seems to be my only concern at this point.
Value
Can't find anything better for the money.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't used.
The Wow Factor
Silly question for such a product.
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