“At full throttle, this speaker is capable of delivering room-filling volume without strain”: Alesis Strike Amp 12 MK2 review

What is it?

In MusicRadar’s guide to the best electronic drum amps, writer Tom Bradley placed the first iteration of the Alesis Strike 12 monitor at the top spot thanks to its power and versatility. Alesis has always been known for offering great value for money and the MK1 Strike amp certainly ticked that box. So, what’s new with the MK2 model?

Well, it builds upon its predecessor with an upgraded peak power of 2500-watts, allowing for more headroom - more is more, as they say. Alongside the bump in power comes refined tonal clarity, touting itself on the official Alesis website as being “precision-tuned for electronic drums”. This refers to the improved EQ contouring feature, which now provides more natural, studio-inspired shaping, offering a balanced mix without excessive colouration.

The Alesis Strike Amp MK2 is still relatively lightweight, coming in at 15.7kg. It’s not the easiest piece of kit to cart around, granted, but compared to other 12” amplifiers - such as the Roland PM-200 - there is a noticeable difference. The multi-position design allows for flexibility - use it as a floor wedge, upright, or mounted on a pole, while a redesigned handle placement makes it even easier to transport.

Other improvements include Bluetooth functionality - which is a welcome addition, but I would argue this should have been present in the original already - and better ground noise rejection, through an upgraded ground lift switch, which effectively eliminates hum and interference.

These upgrades make it as easy a recommendation as the original. I took the new version for a test run to see how it compares.

Specification

• Power output: 2500W peak power
• Woofer: 12” woofer
• Driver: High-frequency compression driver
• Inputs: 2 XLR/¼-inch combo jacks with individual volume controls
• Output: XLR output for daisy-chaining multiple speakers
• Mounting: Integrated pole mount and floor wedge placement
• EQ: Dip switch for +3dB high/low frequency contouring
• Noise reduction: Ground noise reduction feature
• Frequency response: 50Hz - 20kHz
• Dimensions: 18.5” x 15.6” x 25.5”
• Weight: 15.7kg
• Contact: Alesis

Performance

Besides the price point - $399/£319 at the time of writing - the MK2’s biggest draw is the 2500W peak output. At full throttle, this speaker is capable of delivering room-filling volume without strain, making it a drummers’ perfect companion for live gigs. One thing I’d note though, if you’re just looking for an amplifier to use at home or in a modest studio setting, the power on offer here might actually be overkill. I even accidentally tripped a switch when first plugging it in! Be mindful of your circuits, folks.

That said, once I got the amp working and turned up to maximum output, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of distortion. I tested this amp at all volumes, using a combination of e-kit, multipad and MPC. I played through a range of tones (electronic and acoustic) and found the kicks nice and weighty, while snares were crystal clear. Cymbals sounded a bit trashy to my ears, and when I played music through it like a regular speaker, the onboard EQ sounded somewhat cheap.

In general, the low end of this speaker is a tad muddy, when compared to some of its more expensive contemporaries. This is exacerbated by the lack of configurability of the EQ too. It seems like a missed opportunity to not have any kind of High/Mid/Low knobs to tweak on the rear of the unit.

Another new addition is Bluetooth. Although I think it should really have been included in the first iteration, it’s good to see Bluetooth 5.0 support here, especially if you’re looking to use this amp to blast bangers before a show, or to play interlude music between live sets. I tested it as a Bluetooth speaker in a medium-sized room, with my phone controlling playback two rooms away. There was no latency and I found that, in spite of my EQ reservations, all genres of music were delivered with decent clarity, with the amp at half-volume for the most part.

I’d say that, for most purposes, using the Alesis Strike Amp 12 as a speaker will be just fine. Granted, it doesn’t have the best EQ and the Standard Bluetooth Codec can muddy that sound further still, but what it lacks in clarity, it makes up for in volume. Small, single-room wedding gigs or parties would be fine if this speaker were used to fuel the dancefloor. For larger gigs and needs, you could always use the XLR out to chain it together with other speakers. There’s an included High Pass Filter switch, which can give drummers a bit more sparkle in the highs, especially at a live show, which should help you cut through boomy mixes in untreated rooms (we’ve all been there).

The inbuilt ground noise reduction is another welcome update too, although ground noise from amplifiers tends to increase over time, so it’d be difficult to call this a definitive win just yet.

Verdict

Overall, I found the Alesis Strike Amp 12 MK2 to be a powerful, versatile, and portable drum monitor that delivers clear sound, at a great price. While it might not have a configurable EQ and there are better options at higher price brackets, it remains an excellent choice for drummers of all types - particularly those on a budget.

Also try

Electro Voice ZLX-G2 - $599/£399
The highest quality drum amplifier you can buy. It’s light, durable and sounds incredible. This level of performance will cost you, though.

Roland PM-200 - $499/£499
A punchy 180w amp with strong bass and onboard, configurable EQ controls. This one might be a little heavy at 21kg, but it’s an excellent choice with clear, concise sound.

Laney DH80 DrumHUB - $429/£229
An excellent choice for those who only need a 10” speaker, with clear sound and great connectivity.