Latest Firmware Version: 1.

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Release Date: November 26, 2019

To install Firmware Update v1.5, first ensure that your Strike Module is hooked up to a
USB port on your computer. Then please follow the instructions below.

For Windows Users:

1. Double-click on the icon for the Alesis Strike Updater .exe file.
2. Follow the instructions on your computer to install the updater application.
3. After the installation is complete, click the Finish button to exit the Setup Wizard.
4. Locate the icon for the newly installed updater in C: > Program Files (x86) > Alesis >
Strike Firmware Updater > Alesis Strike Firmware Updater.exe.
5. Double-click on the updater icon, then follow the instructions on your computer to
run the updater.

For Mac Users:

1. Double-click on the icon for the Alesis Strike Updater .dmg file.
2. When the installer window appears with the Alesis Strike Updater icon, double click
this icon.
3. After the next window asks if you would like to open the application, click Open.
4. When the next window appears, click Update.

If you’re having trouble with any of the above steps, please contact our technical support
team at alesis.com/support. We’ll be happy to help!

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Changes Since Firmware Version 1.4

• New Kits: The following kits have been added:

o 001-Big Bird Kit
o 002-Amp Room
o 003-Spank
o 004-Reggae MK2
o 005-Cajon

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Changes Since Firmware Version 1.3

• Improved Kit Loading Times: Drum kits now load super fast!
• Direct Recording to SD Card: The sample recording feature now streams audio
directly to and from your SD card. This means that the time limit for Sample Mode is
now based on how much space is available on your SD card. For any very long audio
recordings, Strike will draw the waveform in real-time.
• New Sounds: Free for your playing pleasure are 15 brand new kits comprised of 28
new instruments and over 500 MB of new samples. Enjoy!
• Updated User Interface: Beautiful new graphics have been added for the Kit Menu,
and all menus now have easier to see buttons and highlight colors.

• Improved Hi-Hat Performance: Further refinements have been made to hi-hat

playability. The calibration Reset function is no longer required; Strike is always
aware of your hi-hat stand’s behavior. We’ve also simplified the hi-hat pedal setup
menu, making it easier to fine tune with a wide variety of hardware and playing
styles.

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 How To Setup Your Hi-Hat Pedal:
1. After setting up your Strike hi-hat cymbal and pedal, press the Triggers button.
2. Select either the Hi-Hat Bow or Hi-Hat Edge zone.
3. Press the F1/F2 Pedal button, then navigate to the Offset parameter.
4. Play your hi-hat normally, preferably
with musical open/closed pedal
patterns.
5. While playing, turn the Offset
parameter up or down. The Offset
lets Strike compensate for where your
hi-hat pedal hardware actually closes.
If it is set too low, you will find the hi-
hat cymbal does not play closed
sounds or make a “chick” sound as
you’d like.
6. That is the most important part of the setup! After you find a good Offset,
everything else is preferential.
7. For example, go to the Foot Sens parameter. This will allow you to make the
“chick” sound more or less dynamic. Some more nuanced playing styles might
benefit from slightly lowering the settings here.
8. The Splash parameter allows you to make it easier or harder to execute a hi-hat
splash sound. Higher settings make it easier.
9. You can further refine the dynamics of your chick sound with the Velocity Curve
setting.
10. You can also fine tune how easy it is to get closed versus open hi-hat cymbal
sounds with the Pedal Curve parameter. The “Log” curves tend to favor closed
or semi-open sounds, while the “Exp” curves favor semi-open and open sounds
that might help with rock/metal playing. Feel free to experiment!
• Minor bug fixes.

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Changes Since Firmware Version 1.2

• Power Station New England Kit Expansion: Added two new preset kits.
• Improved Playability: Extensive improvement of trigger response and realism.
• Automatic Hi-Hat Calibration: Firmware now automatically adjusts to the hi-hat
pedal and hardware performance. If you adjusted the position of your top hi-hat
cymbal or your hi-hat pedal hardware, enter Trigger Mode (press Edit > Triggers),
set Trig to HiHat Bow or HiHat Edge, and then press F1/F2/Pedal. In the screen
that appears, press F1/F2/HiHat Reset to initialize the calibration.
We also added three new parameters to
Trigger Mode, though you should not have
to adjust them for most hi-hat hardware:
Chick (New!): Raises or lowers the
point at which your pedal will trigger
the “chick/stomp” sound. If you play
with the top cymbal really high above
the bottom one, or if your hi-hat pedal
has high-tension springs, increasing
this setting may help you get a more
consistent chick/stomp sound.
Tightness (New!): You should not have to adjust this much, but if you tend to
play with very little distance between the hi-hat cymbals when opening and
closing them, lowering this setting may help capture the finer details of your
playing. If this setting is too low, you may trigger unintentional “chick/stomp”
sounds while striking the top cymbal.
Sensitivity (New!): Lowering this setting can help increase the dynamic range of
the “chick/stomp” sound (though setting it too low can cause inconsistent chick
volumes).

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 Splash: This setting determines how easy or hard it is to create a hi-hat “splash”
sound. Higher values make it more difficult to “splash,” though you may prefer
that depending on your “footwork.”
Curve: If you prefer to hear more closed or semi-open sounds, choose one of
the logarithmic curves (Log 1–4). If you prefer a more open sound, choose an
exponential curve (Exp 1–4). Select Linear for an even balance between these.
• Compressor, EQ, and FX2 processor: Kit FX Mode now includes a built-in compressor
and equalizer, great for adding those final touches to your sound. We also added an
FX2 processor (the previous FX tab is now FX1).

• Updated Effect Routing: Onboard effects are now pre-fader so adjusting your Strike
module’s sliders will adjust any associated effects too, such as reverb or delay tails.
• Program Change Receive: Send MIDI program change messages to your Strike
module’s MIDI input or USB port. The numbers of program change messages
correspond to the kits listed in the current folder. Alternatively, send MIDI CC #118 to
increment by one kit or MIDI CC #119 to decrement by one kit.
• Minor bug fixes.

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Changes Since Firmware Version 1.1

Important: This update is required in order to use the Strike Editor software.

• USB mass-storage capability: Communicate with the

Strike Editor software and edit your Strike module’s SD
card contents directly from your computer.

• Sample Mode: Added Internal and Internal+Aux

input recording modes. Sample yourself playing solo
or playing along with music from your Aux input.

• Loop Mode: Each of the two layers on each trigger

can be set to loop its playback. One strike starts the
loop, and one more stops it. You can turn this on or off
for each layer independently in the Voice menus. If you
want the loop to play indefinitely, set its Decay to 99.

• Layer Velocity Limit High/Low: In the Voice menus,

configure a layer to play in certain velocity ranges only.
For example, set a trigger to loop or an ensemble “hit”
sound from Layer B only after high-velocity strikes.

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• Metronome Output Routing: Route the metronome
to the Main Out, the Hdph Out, or both. Set this
Output setting in the Utility > Metro menu.

• Adjustable Splash Performance: Adjust the

consistency of the “splash” sound to compensate for
your hi-hat pedal design. Set this in the Triggers >
Pedal menu. The default is 70, which accommodates
most hi-hat pedal setups. Lower numbers generally
provide easier or more frequent splashes. If you are
generating too many splashes, increase this value.

• Factory Reset: Hold the Stop and Enter buttons while powering on the Strike module to
reset to the default Triggers and Utility menu settings.

• General trigger performance enhancements. Improved dynamic range for a more realistic
acoustic kit experience, allowing lighter and more articulate playing when desired.
o If you prefer a less dynamic feel (i.e., an easier way to get a louder sound), go to the
Utility > Trigger menu and set the Trig Sensitivity to High. Alternatively—or
additionally—adjust the Sensitivity parameter for each trigger (in Trigger Mode).
o If an instrument in a specific kit isn’t responding with the desired “feel,” adjust its
Velocity > Level parameter (in the Velocity tab in Voice Mode). Lowering this value
reduces its dynamic range, resulting in a “hotter,” more compressed sound, which
can suit some types of instruments or playing styles.
o Finally, remember that you can use the sensitivity knobs on the sides of each of your
Strike toms and snare drum. This is a subtler but easier adjustment that makes the drum
more or less sensitive while also effectively “resizing” the “strike zone” on the mesh head.

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• Added Utility Kit folder, containing an empty user kit (for creating new kits from scratch).

• Minor bug fixes.

• Minor user interface updates to improve navigation.

Changes Since Firmware Version 1.0

Important: New Triggers menu settings will be loaded to accommodate the firmware improvements.
However any saved kits, instruments, or samples/loops on your SD card will not be affected.

• Improved overall drum and cymbal trigger performance.

• Improved hi-hat pedal performance, including greater dynamic range for “chick” sound and
a more forgiving Triggers > Pedal adjustment process.

• Minor bug fixes.