Alesis SR16

[chip]

Hi folks. I am thinking about buying a SR16 to use with the BR80 instead or in conjunction with the on board drums.
 I have been using the Kaossilator  to help with the drums but it is pretty limited.
 My questions are.
1. Is the SR 16 any better sound wise than the BR80 drums?

2. Is it easier to use it and can you do things on the fly. Meaning, I can put fills in etc while the track plays back in real time?

3 Can I connect it to the BR80 either by using line in and the 1/4 inch input on the BR. I use the Kaos in either method.

4. I have a cable with two 1/4 inch male jacks one end and a stereo mini jack at the other for line in, and an adapter for the mini jack to female 1/4 inch stereo jack for the instrument input on the BR. So this question is. Will this all work ok?

5. Not a question, but, I do hate messing about with drums, I don't use midi, I don't like computers for music recording, so a standalone that is is easy to use and can be done in real time with minimal fuss using simple fills, beats would be very beneficial. The BR80 drums are ok and are easier to program than the other BR's but it is still a long drawn out process. The SR16 can be picked up for a reasonable price used so I may get one depending on, hopefully your feedback.

Kind regards Chip.

[cuthbert]

2. Is it easier to use it and can you do things on the fly. Meaning, I can put fills in etc while the track plays back in real time?

Nope - you'd need MTC to sync the BR-80 with the SR-16, and the BR-80 has no MIDI support. Therefore, you'd have to build your drum pattern in the SR-16, and then manually record it into your BR-80. If you had to make a change to the drum pattern later, you'd have to re-record it into the BR-80 again and find some way to synchronize it manually.

3 Can I connect it to the BR80 either by using line in and the 1/4 inch input on the BR. I use the Kaos in either method.

4. I have a cable with two 1/4 inch male jacks one end and a stereo mini jack at the other for line in, and an adapter for the mini jack to female 1/4 inch stereo jack for the instrument input on the BR. So this question is. Will this all work ok?

Line In on the BR-80 is the most correct option, since the SR-16 has a line-level output.

[fenderbender]

Hi Chip

Dont really know anything about midi but
I have used an S16 for years for live gigs
you have 2 std jack outputs +2 Aux
mini jack in/out so you could hook it up to the BR80-
then the midi out/thru
also jack imput for start/stop pedal and jack imput for count.A/B fills-

============
the preset drum pattens are OK -but it depends what you are looking for

If you are into making your own patterns and beats you can do so
and you can save up to 50 songs(drums) on it

Have a look thru this
http://www.alesis.com/sr16

Tommy

[chip]

Thanks for the replies.

 If I can elaborate. Lets say I have a track recorded 120bpm, the drum pattern (BR80) is playing the same throughout the entire song, there is a count in of say 4 measures. Can I not start the SR16 at that point and use the machine to improvise over the original click track, putting fills etc in wherever I want to. I could then delete/ silence the BR80 drum pattern leaving the SR16 in place or with the BR80 drums still included. This is what I do with the Kaos 2, but like I say it's a little limited. I can get the Kaos synced with the BR80 drums manually without reverting to midi.
Cheers Chip.

[Geir]

Can I not start the SR16 at that point and use the machine to improvise over the original click track, putting fills etc in wherever I want to. I could then delete/ silence the BR80 drum pattern leaving the SR16 in place or with the BR80 drums still included

Yes you can. You'd have to be quite accurate when starting the fills tho ... or just try until you nail it been there, done that with similar tasks.

I have a SR16 myself, but haven't used it on any recording yet ... I did make some drum-tracks when I first got it a couple of years ago, but for me it was just slowing down my workflow too much to use it. With my current tempo it might not be a problem so maybe I should wipe the dust of it

[Oldrottenhead]

i have one too, it's been in the wardrobe in my bedroom for years. a great piece of kit but i don't have the patience or skills to program it.

[hooper]

There's no way to sync a programmed pattern on the SR-16 to the programmed drums on the BR80 without a MIDI hook-up.  You could connect the L/R audio outs of the SR-16 to the stereo line-in on your BR80 and record audio drum sounds while you tap on the SR-16's little rubber pads with your fingers.  However, in that case you would be much, much better off using this:
 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-percussion/alesis-alesis-percpad-elec-drum-pad
And have more fun since you can play it with drum sticks.

[chip]

OK. so we have some who say it can't be done and some who say it can..... Personally I would say it can be done, if it can be done using the Kaos 2 then it seems logical that the same sort of thing can be done with the SR16.

Anyway, regarding a question I asked. Are the drum sounds on the SR16 better than the BR80/800/900 etc? If they are not then I won't bother but if they are better by a 1/2 mile or more I may bother.

It seems strange that such a respected machine is found hanging around in so many wardrobes. My drum patterns are not to technical and revolve around the standard 4/4, more rock and roll than prog, but, the BR80 drums never seem to land just right and the cymbals are dreadful as is the Kaos 2. I can however get a great deep kick drum out of the Kaos 2 something the BR80 can't do. I don't want to get into deep programing of drum machines, it's an endless time consuming task, one I have no time for. The SR16 jumped to mind because of it's ability in a live set up and  it seems you can put fills in on the go. Basically it sounds very user friendly for my rather simple drum arrangements. I could of course ring up Ringo but he's always busy.

[cuthbert]

Hi chip,

The only way it can be done with the BR-80 is manually, which is inexact as the drum machine and the recorder are not running on the same clock. Timing could be slightly off in each take that you record from the SR-16. As hooper mentions, at this point you're playing the SR-16 live like an electronic drum kit.

However, with a BR recorder that supports MIDI, such as the BR-864, you can actually have the SR-16 clock-synced with the recorder, and sync between the two devices is then rock-solid, as they are both regulated by the same MIDI timecode. This means that you can edit the pattern on the SR-16 any time, and as long as there are the same number of measures and tempo, you can edit it freely without recording it each time to the BR-864, and the drum machine just plays back through the line input as you do other recording. And then when you are finished with the drum track, you can print it to stereo tracks on the recorder. 64Guitars may be able to provide more insight on this workflow (I don't have a BR-864 myself).

hth,
cuth

[AndyR]

Woof! Cuthbert, many thanks! You've just managed to open my mind to what I could do

Chip, I have an SR-16, haven't used it since I was recording with a DAW, at least 6-7 years ago.

What they're saying about BRs with no MIDI support is right - no ability to clock synch on the BR, and therefore it will be very difficult to get the BR and the SR-16 to play in time together, if at all. You could use it to overdub live drum hits that you play on the SR-16's pads.

NEway, Cuthbert, I have a BR1600, I've never even attempted to use it's MIDI support. You've just made me realise how easy it would be - nice one

Chip, yes, in my opinion, I think the SR-16 might have "better" drum sounds (it'll be personal opinion though!). You've certainly got a LOT more control, you can layer sounds to create kits, and you have mixer capabilities (volume, panning) on individual  instruments across the kit - something that I really miss on the BRs.