Vintage Synth Explorer

Alesis • SR-16

For serious programmers and those who want to use it as a sound module, the SR-16 provides comprehensive MIDI programming and MIDI implementation. In addition to more than 200 drum and rhythm samples (both in dry form or with reverb), a Dynamic Articulation feature enables a drum's tone to change, depending on how hard it's hit. Comes with fifty preset rhythm patterns (played in by top studio drummers), each with an A and B variation, plus A and B fill, for a total of four different rhythms in each pattern. Of course, you can create and save your own customized patterns and songs. Also includes four outputs, twelve velocity-sensitive pads, 16-voice polyphony, sample/DAC bit resolution 16/18, sound stacking, step editing and a 20-255BPM tempo range.

No doubt the SR-16 is a powerful drum machine, but ultimately it also sounds like a drum machine. If you need some drums to accompany your keyboard or guitar playing, for example, the SR-16 has been the go-to drum machine for many years. But all those bumper stickers about drum machines having no soul just might be directed at the SR-16. It may be a great tool for musicians but in the studio its sound just can't beat the real deal - or loops and more modern drum & percussion instruments and software. It has been used by Autechre and Vangelis.

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Peter

Posted 100 days ago

this is fun to jam out patterns and maybe a little else if you get creative with it. a lot of reviews say it's cheesy that a lot of sounds have reverb on them, but I think it's kind of cool because there are dry versions of the same sounds, so you can switch between them in a pattern. also there are 2 groups you can assign pads to so they gate each other and that helps tighten up the massive 80s reverb. compared to the older hr-16 I thought it was odd that you can't play fills except while you're recording. also you can't pitch the sounds very far (-4 to +3). but there are 2 sets of outputs and you can circuit bend if you want to get more into the sounds.

Blacklight

Posted 123 days ago

I've had my SR-16 since the early 90's. Sound wise, This thing is nice for rock oriented music. For techno, house, and dance music, maybe not so much. There's not a lot of analog drum sounds in it. That said, the sounds it does have are really decent.
It IS a bit of a bear to program manually, but if you use a computer sequencer, or patch builder, it's not much of a problem.
The SR-16 is fairly sturdy. The only issue that I'm having with it now is that the volume pot needs cleaning and some of the drum pads are kind of getting extra sensative for some reason. But considering that I've had this thing for more than 10 years, that's a pretty good run for a little drum machine that I've carried around with me everywhere.

Walter Slavik

Posted 367 days ago

I bought my SR-16 in 1991, as a replacement for a Roland TR-505; I had it for 17 years, and I didn’t find it very inspiring, actually I found it totally frustrating; I preferred the Roland for rhythmic patterns.
But the SR-16 sounds were light years ahead of the Roland, the frustration totally disappeared when I sold the SR-16, bought ADDICTIVE DRUMS software, and also bought an Alesis SR-18.
If I ever want SR-16 sounds there are some in the SR-18!

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