Drummers, make room for the newly released Alesis DM7 USB Kit. Now shipping, the DM7 USB Kit is an electronic drum set featuring eight Velocity-sensitive drum and cymbal pads, more than 400 sounds to trigger, USB connectivity, easy assembly, and more.

The DM7 USB Kit's large snare pad has three zones that enable head, rimshot, and cross-stick triggering. Likewise, the crash cymbal allows you to stop or "choke" the sound by grabbing the pad with your hand, while the responsive rubber pads allow you to play and practice quietly, comfortably.

What powers the new kit is the DM7 sound module, which provides a library of 418 drum, cymbal, and percussion instruments in 80 kits. Fifty of those kits are ready-to-play presets, and the remaining 30 are user-based, so you can custom-create your own kits. The module also sports easy-to-use controls for adjusting instruments’ pitch, panning, and reverb level; extra tools such as practice exercises, a metronome, 52 play-along songs; and a 1/4-inch mix input for playing along with external audio sources.

With the DM7 USB Kit's standard USB connection and included Toontrack EZ Drummer Lite software, you can connect the drum set to a Mac or PC and record, edit, add more sounds, and so forth. The DM7 USB Kit works with virtually all MIDI software, including virtual sound modules (VSTs) as well as recording, sequencing and programming applications. To expand your sound options, you can connect the DM7 USB Kit to any MIDI sound module or other MIDI-compliant sound source.

Assembling the kit is as easy as 1-2-3, notes Alesis. The DM7 USB Kit’s preassembled four-post rack, which provides the set’s solid, balanced foundation, is very easy to put together. Its rugged 1.5-inch tubing is compatible with rack components, and the large wingbolts on all clamps are easy to adjust without the use of a drumkey or other tools.

All in all, the electronic drum set includes the DM7 USB drum module, triple-zone 12" drum pad, 3 single-zone 8" pads, kick pad with stand, 8" hi-hat, 12" crash with choke, 12" ride, hi-hat control pedal, rack with mounting hardware, cable snake, module mount, power supply, software CD, screwdriver, drumkey, and quick start guide.

Alesis DM7 USB Kit features:

• Five-drum, three-cymbal drum kit with USB-enabled drum module
• 418 Stereo sounds in 80 kits (50 preset, 30 user)
• Large, triple-zone snare pad for triggering head, rim-shot, and cross-stick sounds
• Crash with choke feature to immediately stop the sound
• Flexible metronome and learning exercises to help you become a better drummer
• Record your performance, listen back, and share with friends
• 30 Custom drum kits let you mix and match your favorite sounds together
• Customize individual drum and cymbal sounds' volume, pan, tuning, and reverb settings
• Eight studio EQ settings create the perfect room, club, or stadium sound
• 1/4" Line In mixes your iPod or other music player to play along with
• Pre-assembled, four-post rack for quick setup and stable support
• Rack clamps feature large wing-bolts allowing fast, secure adjustment
• Mini-boom cymbal tilters position your cymbals exactly where you like them
• Retractable spurs hold the large kick pad in place when being played
• Headphone output
• Line Out to connect to an amplifier, PA or recording system
• USB connection to play and record to your favorite computer music software
• Includes ToonTrack EZ Drummer Lite software
• Shipping dimensions: 33.8" (D) x 22.4" (W) x 13" (H)
• Shipping weight: 48 lbs.

The DM7 USB Kit is now available for $799 (MSRP) or $599 (estimated Street). For more information, please visit alesis.com.