I wrote an article not too long ago about my old Alesis DM10 drum kit. I said I’d do a follow up on my mesh head conversion, so here it is! I decided to purchase a conversion kit that included all the pieces I needed from 682Drums.com. You might be able to piece together a conversion for less, but the kit was only $125 and it provided a clean and easy conversion. The price will obviously vary depending on how many heads you have; my kit came with 6 heads, 6 foam cones, and 6 shields.
The conversion itself is simple on the Alesis kit. First, you remove the rim and head. You’ll see a gray middle foam layer. 682 Drums says to cut this layer out with scissors, but I was able to tear it with my hands fairly easily and avoid the risk of cutting any wires. You then simply flip the trigger over; the wires should be long enough (one of mine was a little tight, but in the end it was fine). This is one of the nice parts of the conversion kit versus putting a kit together yourself; you just cover the trigger with the pre-cut shield, hiding the now exposed wires and trigger components. This is key in keeping the conversion clean and factory-like, as the mesh heads are slightly transparent. Next, you stick the foam cone to the center of the trigger, top it off with the mesh head and rim, and you’re done!
You have the ability to tighten the mesh head to achieve your desired response, so there’s no worry of having too much bounce. These heads will give you much better playability and a more realistic feel. The other benefit is that they’re MUCH quieter than the Alesis mylar heads. The Alesis DM10 module is a great product with a lot of adjustability. Alesis now sells these kits with a mesh head option, but if you already have the older kit, or are looking to save a few bucks and find a used kit, this conversion is a great option. It will help you obtain a better feel of the premium kits for a fraction of the cost. Happy converting!
Photo Credit: 682 Drums
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