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.

velbright

August 19, 2011 @ 6:46 pm

marcus - on my SR-16, I have main and auxiliary out and can configure a drum hit to be on one out the other, I don't know if yours is a different version or what :S

Shredder11

May 9, 2011 @ 10:21 am

Now that you can pick up almost any drum machine on Ebay for the same money, you may as well look out for a Yamaha RY30 which was the best on the market in 1991 and still is! It has a sound, feel and specification that musicians appreciate. You can be very creative and also put in a real performance with it, plus you can expand it with cards full of samples and there are plenty of connection sockets.

Shredder11

May 9, 2011 @ 10:21 am

I have used this machine many times since it was first released in a vain attempt to see what all the fuss was about, but alas I cannot. The problem for me is that the sounds have no depth and are very hard or clicky; the acoustic sounds are not that natural...far too exaggerated and processed sounding. The pads are too small and shiny for any half decent real-time drum work and despite the large number of on-board samples, most of them sound too similar.

watseka

April 13, 2011 @ 10:54 am

Hey Marcus,
Have you tried panning the kick and snare to opposite sides? You'd have to use to cables (Left and Right) into the mix, but you could treat them with differing volume and EQ.
I use the SR-16 for my comedic metal duo. It's pretty versatile. My only complaint is I'm running out of space to save songs.

marcus

March 20, 2011 @ 3:27 pm

I am a jazz/funk/fusion musician and i use the SR16 for my live set i think its ideal for what i'm doing run it thru the mixing board with some EQ and you,re good to go.My only beef is that you can't separate the snare and the kick for independant mixing live.

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