You ever USE BFD? Most of the Alesis stuff has one, maybe two samples per note. BFD has dozens for each, plus separate overhead and ambiance, 'room' samples.

Even my G70 has four for snare and kick, etc..

The realism doesn't come from the sample, it comes from how the sample CHANGES as you hit it harder and softer. Just like a real drum...

It's not just about the realism of the individual sounds. If that were the case, I'd probably just use audio drum loops. Stop demonizing my new toy . It's spoiling my fun....you know, the joy of anticipation. You're making me want to ship it back before I even get it. Besides, AFAIK, no one here on SZ has even heard it yet. Maybe we should wait for a little hands-on before we critique it. And let's see what it CAN do before we start listing all the things it CAN'T. I only mentioned BFD because the article did (starting to wish I hadn't). If it turns out that the company doesn't know what it's talking about and it really can't load any (custom made specifically for it) software kits, I'll be mildly disappointed but not devastated.

I've always liked Alesis products, including my trusty DPS24, still the best sounding all-in-one recorder (although out of production). I'm sure I'll like this one as well, despite any possible misrepresentation by the manufacturer about it's capabilities.

chas

Don't get me wrong, chas... I've been an avid Alesis user through the years. Still have MY trusty SR-16, too. I go all the way back to the HR-16 days and the MMT-8 (and Datadisk to load them!).

And I played around with the new SR-18 some, too. It wasn't bad. But things have moved on a bit, and I really like the arrangers' four patterns and six fills per style, rather than the two patter/two fill system that Alesis use for their drum machines. Not to mention those great TD drumkits in the G70... (kits in the GW-8 are pretty damn good, too!).

I don't know how many samples per note in the drumkit, I imagine things are MUCH better than they used to. I have a Hart Dynamics kit http://www.hartdynamics.com/ , that I still run into an Alesis D4 module, too! I don't use the sounds, much, but use the MIDI to run other things.

I am sure that you will get great use out of the kit, chas. I have used mine on a few occasions when I have had next to no time to prepare an entire gig's worth of sequenced material for a show, and simply hired a drummer in to play the kit, and laid down forty or fifty songs in a couple of days (drummer knew his stuff!). Could have never programmed that by hand in that amount of time, and they are STILL some of my most 'live' sounding sequences...

To be honest, now that I know that BFD themselves might be preparing the samples for the kit, I have great hope for the expansion. Just be realistic about what you can squeeze out of 128MB, and I'm sure we'll both be quite surprised.

Sorry to have burst your anticipatory bubble, but I hope I have at least partially reinflated it for you!

Don't worry about it. This is one of the few things in my studio that I'm getting specifically for SOMEONE ELSE to play, so I am more concerned about (physical) playability than about sound, which, based upon their other products (SR-18, etc.), should be adequate for my needs. I've always wanted a drum rig in my studio and, except for one of my houses in Hawaii, this is the first time I've had enough room to comfortably accomodate one. Bottom line, the price was right for what seems to be a decent-quality kit. We'll soon find out.

chas

BTW, all the documentation (specs, user manual, etc.) is available and downloadable. Check out the features and especially the voice list on the module; it looks crazy good.