If you want to join the know-it-alls at gearslutz.com debating analog vs. digital synthesis, I promise I won’t stop you. What I will say is that this machine can make some pretty cool sounds. In the end, that’s all that matters. Not a bunch of technical circuitry. Overview of the I/O – Nord Drum 3P Production Powerhouse Strike MultiPad seamlessly transitions from a stage essential to a studio-centric goliath thanks to an on-board 2-in/2-out audio interface and premium software suite for immediate out-of-the-box potential. Ableton Live Lite is a revolutionary, multi-award-winning music production solution that lets you spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/ MIDI environment. Ableton Live Lite brings your acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments—as well as your digital audio recordings and MIDI sequences—together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use. In case you feel like we left out an electronic drum pad you love using, feel free to leave a comment down below. To import sounds and loops from an external USB thumb drive, press the F3 (Import) button, and use the Main Encoder to select the sample to import. The Multi-Pad Sampling function makes it easy to capture inspiration on the fly, while the three powerful multi-effects engines provide real-time control over your sound. Plus, with Ableton Live integration, you can use the SPD-SX as a pad controller for music production sessions.

With its four velocity-sensitive pads and built-in library of over 25 high-quality drum sounds, the SamplePad 4 allows you to create dynamic beats with ease. It also features an SD card slot, allowing you to expand your sound library by loading your own samples. The Alesis Strike MultiPad surpasses the capabilities of previous electronic drum pads, offering musicians a powerful and versatile percussion pad. With its sheer percussive power and easy-to-use design, this pad allows you to play and sample any sound or effect with ease. It also includes five built-in effects processors for sample editing, giving you even more control over your music. Timpani is an orchestral patch with, you guessed it, timpani. I suppose it’s useful if you want to add a few orchestral elements to your set. Eight thousand samples sounds like a lot... and I can assure you it is! They range from every imaginable drum sample through to all manner of ethnic percussion loops, synth pads, guitar riffs and melodic tones, spread across 42 categories! The quality of the samples is exceptional, and the variety feels almost endless.I honestly couldn’t get over the number of trigger inputs that are available on this pad. You can have a major setup with controlled all by just this one unit.

Nord’s 3P is similar in looks to the SPD-SX, but is nothing alike. The 3P is actually a synthesizer, not a sampler, though it functions like any other drum pad. This 6-channel modeling percussion synthesizer offers a wide range of features and specifications that will surely impress you. Maybe this product doesn’t totally fit this post, but I wanted to include it since Nord is such a well-known brand. The big thing to remember is that it is a percussion synthesizer. The unit is not a sampler. Therefore, all the sounds from the unit are made inside the unit using synthesis. Is this a good or bad thing? It’s really up to you. Modes of Synthesis with the Drum 3P In addition to all the great features mentioned thus far, the unit also functions as an audio interface ( 2in/2out). Furthermore, Alesis have made capturing your samples extremely easy. You can use a microphone, your phone, your computer, the USB input or virtually any other audio device to capture live or pre-recorded samples. Powerful Editing

The SPD-SX Pro provides a wide range of sounds and features that make it perfect for drummers. Its advanced triggering and sampling technology ensures accurate and responsive performance every time. The electronic drum pad that stood out to us was the Roland SPD-SX Pro. Thanks to the incredible ability to import custom samples, excellent durability, external trigger inputs, a stereo auxiliary input, and overall great feel, choosing the Roland SPD-SX Pro as our favorite wasn’t a difficult decision. The Roland SPD-SX and Alesis Strike MultiPad are the two big hitters vying for the top percussion pad spot. The former has been the go-to for a number of years thanks to its intuitive design, CD sound quality and perfect integration into v-drum setups or working as a standalone instrument. Sample Mamager - Get complete control of your sample library and browse, play and delete any samples you have saved to the Strike MultiPad. You also get the option to export samples from internal storage to an external USB drive! Press the F3 (Output) button to adjust the Audio and MIDI note output of that particular pad. This is not a global setting, so

For modern drummers and percussionists who want to evolve their sound, the Alesis Strike MultiPad is an indispensable tool, giving you everything you need to take your performance to another level. Playing with my band, Vinyl Theatre. You can see the SPD-SX and malletKAT on the right side of the photo. Sample. Edit. Loop. Perform. SAMPLE anything you want—any sound, any effect, from anywhere. Use your mic, your phone, your computer, USB input or another audio device to capture live or pre-recorded samples, even off the internet. We even include 6GB+ of premium in-demand content to get you going. It’s definitely a step up in price when compared to the SamplePad Pro, but with the added features and build quality, I believe it’s justified. [wp-review id=”4504″] You can layer up to 2 sounds per pad. You can also adjust the volume, pan, and effects of each layer when the Strike MultiPad is in Sound Mode.

Two of the trigger inputs are dual-zone and one is mono; you can really get creative with the types of additional trigger pads you add to your sample pad. Auxiliary output

The looping functionality is great and the ability to overdub samples in real-time from the unit standalone is superb. You can now browse, play, and delete any samples saved to Strike MultiPad’s internal storage, as well as export them from internal storage to an external USB device.You can now preview and import samples via USB in any major bitrate or sample rate (44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88kHz, 96kHz, 16 or 24 bit).