Has anyone tried out the new Alesis SR-18 drum machine with Sonar 7....?? The SR-16 was really nice and this is suppose to be and updated version....

Mike G..

I just made a dissappointing discovery about the SR-18. On the SR-16 there was setting where you could set up a "count-in" before the unit started recording. This option is not available on the SR-18. It's difficult to hit rec and play...and start playing your pattern all at once....The updated sounds are really nice, but I will probably just return it because of the omission of the the setting of the "count in".....

Just an FYI....

Mike G...

ORIGINAL: Plyrman

I just made a dissappointing discovery about the SR-18. On the SR-16 there was setting where you could set up a "count-in" before the unit started recording. This option is not available on the SR-18. It's difficult to hit rec and play...and start playing your pattern all at once....The updated sounds are really nice, but I will probably just return it because of the omission of the the setting of the "count in".....

Just an FYI....

Mike G...

Just create another 2 or 4 bar pattern with a clave beat or something on the quarter notes and insert it at the beginning.

I don't recall my old SR16 having a count-in facility............................

Isn't it a "round robin" recording system? The loop length is the count in - you don't need to hit the pads right away, wait until the next start comes around. Isn't it the metronome click you actually miss? It's probably needing turning on in a menu. Long time since I programmed an SR16 (but I still use the sounds sometimes), but if my memory is correct, it worked like that.

ORIGINAL: jim y

Isn't it a "round robin" recording system? The loop length is the count in - you don't need to hit the pads right away, wait until the next start comes around. Isn't it the metronome click you actually miss? It's probably needing turning on in a menu. Long time since I programmed an SR16 (but I still use the sounds sometimes), but if my memory is correct, it worked like that.

yeah, that's it - spot on Jim!!!

No count-in facility exists on the SR-16

The scenario I was talking about was building up a song from your constructed loops

I don't recall my old SR16 having a count-in facility............................

Well, it wasn't a "count-in" ...but what the SR-16 has is the ability to create a "start point"....if you go thru the "Record set-up" menu.....right after the length page is a page labeled....."->start"....you could input how many beats you wanted before the recording started......this page is missing from the SR-18....I called Alesis to comfirm and yes it's not there anymore.....The SR-18 does have something called "Append" where you can add two patterns together.....I will try that.....

Or what I may do is set up the SR-18 as the Master MTC and have it start Sonar.....which is what you have to do anyhow when recording the drum parts from Midi to Audio....

I got waylayed, I was interested in the subject SR18 too.

Purely about the sound - how does the 18's compare to the 16? I get the impression they may have caught up with the dmp5 drum modules sounds with the SR18, but I've not heard them. There's not much wrong with the old SR16 sounds, but I always felt cymbals lacked top end "zing" and the drums short of stick attack.

Jim

I've looked at the new sr18 but I was a not that impressed wit the demos but the new akai xr20 looks loads better based on the demos I've heard.

There's an audio demo here on the Alesis site. Not all that scintillating. I get better sounds from my DR-880 which also has an ace built-in guitar processor. Still, I'm a drum machine nut so I'll probably check it out more closely when they start hitting the shops here in the UK.

As I've mentioned.............the sounds are petty good ....but I do C-Jazz....depends on what genre you do ..I guess....


Mike G....