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.

VISITOR COMMENTS (7)

Comments page 2 of 2

Click here to add a comment

Your Name:

Email Address:

Image verification:

Message:

Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

marcus

Posted 5 days ago

I WANT ONE.
check out later godflesh albums from 93 onwards...
uses a sr 16, sounds brilliant.
sadly all i have at the moment is a yamaha rx21. lol

Evan Long

Posted 146 days ago

I tried the SR-16 for a week when deciding on my first drum machine. Between this and the similarly priced DR-660 from Boss, there was no contest; the Dr. Rhythm outshined this unit by a mile. The sounds were boring and the machine was relatively difficult to program.

Jacqueline

Posted 196 days ago

hmmm...my only drum machine and whilst it has great features the sounds themselves are a little uninspiring and mindnumbingly acoustic, the few electronic sounds are barely enough to put a kit together, however it makes a very good midi drum module and once i have finished circuit bending it it's true sonic potential may very well be realised!

Ras

Posted 219 days ago

I use this thing for hip hop, it sounds mad nice when you record thru analog FX onto tape.

Peter

Posted 402 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.

<21>