Please note, if you click and make a purchase through links on our site, we may receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Which is Better?

The Surge Mesh SE is a slightly better alternative to the Nitro Max, offering a larger kick pad and dual-zone toms for more nuanced sounds. However, the Alesis Nitro Max still offers a broad sound palette and convenient features like Bluetooth, making it suitable for those who value technological integration and sound variety.

Alesis Nitro Max vs Surge Mesh Special Edition Head to Head

When comparing the Alesis Nitro Max to the Surge Mesh Special Edition, the decision largely hinges on specific feature preferences and performance needs. The Nitro Max boasts a larger library of sounds and Bluetooth connectivity while the Surge Mesh SE offers a larger kick pad and dual-zone toms.

Key Differences

The Nitro Max offers a more extensive sound library of 440 sounds compared to the Surge Mesh SE's 385 sounds. This might be significant for users looking for a wide range of percussion voices.

The Surge Mesh SE features a more substantial 8-inch kick pad, which might offer a more realistic playing experience, especially for drummers who are used to acoustic sets.

The Nitro Max stands out with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing for wireless audio streaming and MIDI data transfer, a feature absent in the Surge Mesh SE.

The Surge Mesh SE elevates the playing experience with dual-zone toms, providing a more nuanced and expressive performance capability.

The Alesis Nitro Max is equipped with the Nitro Max Drum Module, while the Surge Mesh SE uses the Surge Drum Module.

Kick Pad Size
5-inch
8-inch
Number of Sounds
440
385
Drum Module Name
Nitro Max Drum Module
Surge Drum Module
Bluetooth Connection
Yes
No
MIDI Connectivity
MIDI-over-USB
MIDI-over-USBMIDI-5-Pin

Key Features in Common

Both models employ mesh for the snare and tom pads, ensuring a more authentic and responsive drumming experience.

Each kit features a 10-inch mesh snare and a 10-inch electronic hi-hat, maintaining a consistent feel across critical components.

Both models come with 10-inch ride and crash cymbal pads, with single-trigger ride zones and crash cymbals that support choking, mimicking the behavior of acoustic cymbals.

A range of on-board features like metronomes, on-board recording, auxiliary inputs, and additional pad/cymbal inputs are standard on both kits, supporting practice and performance versatility.

Kick Type
Tower
Tower
Snare Pad Size
10-inch
10-inch

Check out the Alesis Nitro Max in action.

And here's a video of the Surge Mesh SE.

Price Comparison Between The Alesis Nitro Max and Surge Mesh SE

Use the below to get up-to-date prices for both the Alesis Nitro Max and Surge Mesh SE

We have included a head-to-head comparison of the specs and features on both the Alesis Nitro Max and Surge Mesh SE.

Hi-Hat

Hi-Hat Size (Inches)
10-inch
10-inch
Hi-Hat Type
Electronic hi-hat pedal
Electronic hi-hat pedal

Cymbal Pads

Ride Cymbal Pad Size (Inches)
10-inch
10-inch
Ride Cymbal Zones
Single-Trigger
Single-Trigger
Number of Crash Cymbal Pads
1
1
Crash Cymbal Sizes
10"
10"
Crash cymbal choke
Yes
Yes

Toms

Tom pad sizes
8", 8", 8"
8", 8", 8"
Number of Tom Pads
3
3
Tom Pad Material
Mesh
Mesh
Tom Zones
Single-Zone
Dual-Zone

Drum Module

Number of Sounds
440
385
Drum Module Name
Nitro Max Drum Module
Surge Drum Module
Additional Features
60 built-in play-along tracks, performance recorder
Built-in learning features, sixty play-along music tracks
Display
Backlid LED
Backlit LCD screen
Bluetooth Connection
Yes
No
Metronome
Yes
Yes
On-Board Recording (of internal sounds)
Yes
Yes
Additional Pad/Cymbal Inputs
2
2
Audio Outputs
2 Main Outputs (Left and Right), 1/8" inch mini-headphone output
2 Main Outputs(Left and Right)
Audio Input (Auxiliary Input)
1/8" inch
1/8" inch
Effects and Sound Editing Capabilities
Average
Average
MIDI Connectivity
MIDI-over-USB
MIDI-over-USBMIDI-5-Pin
Number of Kits
48
40

Snare

Snare Mount Type
Mounted to Rack
Mounted to Rack
Snare Pad Size
10-inch
10-inch
Snare Pad Material
Mesh
Mesh
Snare Zones
Dual-Zone
Dual-Zone

Kick

Kick Type
Tower
Tower
Kick Pad Material
Rubber
Mesh
Kick Pad Size
5-inch
8-inch

Verdict

In conclusion, your choice between the Alesis Nitro Max and Surge Mesh SE should be guided by what aspects you value more in your drumming experience: technological conveniences and a vast sound library or a more authentic playing feel and nuanced performance capabilities.

Matt Taylor

Matt Taylor

I'm Matt Taylor, a guitarist with a genuine love for music. I've had the pleasure of playing in a few bands and collaborating with some amazing artists along the way. As a music journalist, my goal is to share my passion and learnings with you while keeping my finger on the pulse of emerging trends and talents.