Simmons Titan 50 vs. Alesis Nitro Mesh Drum Kits

The Simmons Titan 50 and the Alesis Nitro Mesh drum kits are very similar in a lot of ways but they do have some differences. They are similarly priced, have similar amounts and types of pads, and can be expanded in similar ways. Let’s take a look at both of them and see how they compare.

Alesis Nitro Mesh

(On the right)

The Snare Pad

The snare on the Titan 50 is larger in diameter than the Nitro Mesh, which is an advantage for sure. Both kits have good feeling, 2 ply mesh heads. Both kits have dual zone snares with rim shot capabilities, but the Titan 50 snare feels like it does it better. Playing the Titan 50 snare feels a little more natural like an acoustic in terms of how it reacts. The rim shot capabilities on the Nitro Mesh snare are there, but the differences between cross stick sounds and rim shots feels a little inconsistent.

The Tom Pads

The biggest similarity between these two kits is the tom pads. Both kits have three single zone tom pads using mesh heads that feel pretty similar during play.

The Hi-Hat Pad

The hi hat pads are also pretty similar. Both kits have 10 inch, single zone hi-hat pads that are controlled with an electronic pedal. The pedals on both kits feel decent but a little springy and spongy. The way the hi-hats play is also similar. They can do foot taps but not foot splashes with the hi-hat sound. They also both seem to have three sound variations and not a lot of nuance in between – open, closed and half-open.

The Crash Cymbal Pad

Both kits have similar crash pads. They are 10 inch, single zone pads with a choke.

The Ride Cymbal Pad

The ride pad is, once again, pretty similar between these two kits. It’s a 10 inch rubber pad on both kits and the bell sound is generated on most of the drum kits by hitting the pad harder.

The Kick Tower

The kick pads look similar and they both have a pad width of 6 inches. The pads are rubber and respond well during play on both kits. The biggest difference between these two kick towers is the ability to use a double kick pedal. Neither kick tower is perfectly ideal for double kick, but the Titan 50 is more likely to work with a double pedal than the Nitro Mesh.

The difference maker is the width of the clip that the kick pedal clamps on to. On the Titan 50, the clip for the drum pedal clamp is wider, and it’s easier to center up a pedal such as an Iron Cobra double pedal on this tower as a result. On the Nitro Mesh, the clip for the drum pedal is very narrow, and it doesn’t give you much left-to-right flexibility when clamping on your pedal, so it’s harder to center up a double kick pedal that has a larger offset between the beaters and the clamp.

For the record, I was able to get my Iron Cobra pedal to center and clamp well on the Titan 50 but not the Nitro Mesh. I also found that my Axis longboards didn’t work well with either of them.

The Kick Pedal

Both kits include a kick pedal, and both are single chain pedals that feel pretty cheap. It’s great though that they include pedals, since it will save beginners the extra expense. More experienced drummers using these kits will want to use a different kick pedal than what’s included, most likely.

The Rack

The racks are pretty similar at first glance. They both feel pretty similar in terms of sturdiness. Their both about the same height and feel kinda short. The Titan 50 rack comes fully assembled and the Nitro Mesh doesn’t, that’s an advantage for the Titan 50 in my opinion. The Titan 50 cross bars are rectangular and clamps are less likely to slip and rotate on them. The Nitro Mesh cross bars are round, and while it’s not a huge issue, the pads might rotate on the cross bars if you don’t tighten them down well.

The Drum Module

These drum modules have some differences but as far as depth of features goes they are pretty similar. They offer similar features in terms of sound editing and utility settings. In terms of sound expansion, Simmons is making new kits that can be loaded into the Titan 50 module via Titan Packs. Alesis doesn’t appear to be doing anything like this with the Nitro module.

We prefer the sounds of the Titan 50 over the Nitro Mesh. The Titan 50 acoustic drum kit sounds give the impression that they were recorded in a better environment with a tight room sound. The cymbal sounds on the Titan 50 feel like they ring out better and have more presence. The sounds on the Nitro Mesh feel more artificial, especially the cymbals. There’s more sounds overall on the Nitro Mesh, though, and the Nitro Mesh offers some unique drum kit sounds.

Expandability

Can add one more tom and crash cymbal

Expandability is another area where these kits are about the same. Both kits have an expansion pack available that gives you one more tom and crash pad, and both modules include the extra inputs for the pads.

The Wrap Up

If we had to pick one of the two, we’d go with the Titan 50. There’s some arguments to be made in service of both, but the Titan 50 feels a little higher quality with it’s hardware and drum sounds. The issues we have with the Nitro Mesh aren’t issues on the Titan 50. The only reason we could see for picking the Nitro Mesh over the Titan 50 is if you prefer the sounds on the Nitro Mesh.

Alesis Nitro Mesh