Bad Gear - Alesis SR-16 - Least S€xy Drum Machine???

In this episode of Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools, we are going to ignore the developments of the last 30 years and rediscover the living fossil that is the Alesis SR-16. Do we really have to make backups onto tape? Drum plugins anyone?

[@AudioPilz]

Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz Support the channel regardless of what your G.A.S. tells you to buy: EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105 US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759

[@oig40203]

In 1996 the drummer for the band I played with broke his freakin' neck and couldn't play with us for 8 months. We replaced him with the SR-16 for live shows and it worked perfectly. He programmed every song for us and we never missed a show. We never missed a beat either.

[@AudioPilz]

More beer left in the backstage fridge, too!

[@gasolineandwine]

Reminds me of Кино using a Yamaha drum machine instead of having an actual drummer in the band.

[@oig40203]

@@Kolavskaya He turned out to be a better manager than drummer!

[@pavels470]

I jamed with a drummer with a broken neck, he still played with all bolts and braces, scaffolding attached to him, had to love his spirit though. He broke it stage diving at a Kreator gig in Sydney Australia, 1993🙂🤟

[@JunkBondTrader]

lol he comes back "hey guys, I'm ready to play again!" **awkward silence** "yeah.... about that... We sorta decided to keep the Alesis in the band...." Just totally Ringo Strarr him.

[@AlexBallMusic]

This series should be named "Bad Gear that my kookie tunes will make you actually want to buy". That metal was awesome btw 😂

[@AudioPilz]

Oh, Mr. Ball. Always nice to have you around. THX!!!

[@the80386]

It should be renamed [ High Precision Exposé of Untalented Whiners and Blame-Shifters in the Audio Production Arena ]

[@illford]

@@the80386 there is no such thing as bad gear in terms of sound it's just poorly designed or explained by the creators. Sane thing goes for most software, except if it's free and it bugs you every five minutes to pay for it

[@richardsaffle]

I’m a metal guy who’s been a “closet electronic” guy for a while, coming out. Totally shocked by the metal sequence.

[@AudioPilz]

I'll take this as a compliment ;)

[@petertauscher316]

Sounds better than anything Attack Attack or Asking Alexandria or those guys ever put out 👌

[@ThoughtsEtcEtcEtc]

You’re kind is popular in America

[@b.benjamineriksson6030]

A metal guy that's a "closet electronic" guy sound like half of Norwegian Black Metal scene i the 90s.

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Mortician used the SR16

[@MisterNiles]

In the 90s I used to write entire tracks on this thing trying to emulate a real drummer. It was a huge pain in the ass, and took hours and hours and ended up sounding like a real drummer who was in an accident and had their brain replaced with a 1990s drum machine. I'm still buying a used one after seeing this.

[@AudioPilz]

I'll take this as a compliment. I produced so many lobotomized drum tracks ;)

[@ShadowPlay1919]

@@AudioPilz sounds perfect for industrial music

[@ABenny-gg3hk]

Dead. Best comment ever

[@somoanuevos]

i'm selling one in western Canada if you're still looking, i'll ship anywhere in north america

[@mrz80]

@@AudioPilz I am SO looking forward to this! (*bangs head repeatedly against a really pretty nice Nektar keyboard to get in the right headspace *)

[@APMTenants]

SR-16 has to hold the record for the longest production of an electronic instrument, and it’s still going. I would call that legendary, not bad.

[@nephrium]

The metal drumming was unironically rad.

[@AudioPilz]

The SR-16 REALLY surprised me in that application. Thought it would be cheesy - but it packs quite some punch

[@Schuli]

@Luke After a while the repeating crash sound, which got no round robin, tell you it's not real, but in the first seconds i can't tell either :D

[@sonicjackalopeproductions3342]

Ok, as a New Wave guy and a huge fan of the Synthpop and Synthwave, I am not afraid to say... I like it

[@AudioPilz]

Great for that genres!

[@partirparlesarmoires]

I'm like you ! And it's also great for dark shoegaze, it's been used a lot by the great Lycia on their records.

[@trollingisasport]

Look up the cover that one guy did of Into the Groove with it. Convinced me to buy it right away.

[@Marc9889]

It may be old, but for 60 bucks, I'd be on it like fat on a mother-in-law.

[@AudioPilz]

It's a no brainer

[@nintendoor1]

grotesque and unnecessary, but i guess i agree?

[@mrz80]

I would never use a line like that. I've always gotten on better with my mother in law than with my mom. :P

[@Marc9889]

@@mrz80 You are very fortunate in that respect... And the line is courtesy of Steve Martin.

[@mrz80]

@@Marc9889 Ah, ok, if it comes from one of the premier bluegrass banjo players of our generation I'm ok with it :D :D

[@hansneervoort6167]

The fact that it still sells after all this time, speaks for itself.

[@AudioPilz]

Absolutely! That thing got some staying power

[@seedmole]

I literally just bought one after spending hours researching the best option for a drum machine/module with multiple outputs, this was the most affordable option by a ridiculous margin

[@mboocock77]

Just bought one for 50 quid..2nd hand...not bad as I don't have a laptop

[@seanshea8596]

Former alesis Tech support here. If you have to slam your pads you have a common problem where all the pads transmit midi at about minus 25 of what they should. You can tell if you have presets left because those are recorded at the proper velocity and will sound louder than you can hit the pads

[@AudioPilz]

Great to have an expert around! Do you have a link to a more in depth problem description?

[@adamdamico9269]

I just picked one up today for $15 and I think it has this issue. Can I fix it by opening it up and cleaning the pad contacts? What's the fix?

[@seanshea8596]

@@adamdamico9269 I don't know if there is a fix. I always just triggered it with an external controller through midi which is a workaround rather than fix. Even with bad pads it will still record velocity from external Midi sources.

[@cdwhiley]

@@AudioPilz take it apart. clean both the back of the pad and the contacts. Then there is a trick of using graphite pencil lead on the contact surfaces. I've been advised to do this on my alesis mmt8. perhaps this would be of some help to you.

[@mrz80]

@@cdwhiley I learned the "clean it and dope the contacts with graphite" trick getting old TV remote controls working after the channel-up and channel-down buttons wore out.

[@slimriddim4145]

I gigged one of these for many years in a duo act and for me, the hardest thing was finding realistic, cross-genre snare samples and also the amount of time it took to prog songs using on-board functionality. In the days before these things were loaded with memory card slots, I went out and bought a second one to cope with the set. I owe those little machines big time - we were working 6 nights a week with them. God bless the SR16.

[@AudioPilz]

Great workhorse drum machine

[@kalenbaker7901]

Somehow, these "Bad Gear" vids just convince me to buy a piece of gear even more. Got a DX7 after watching your video (was planning on getting one anyway) and now I want this since it's cheap and sounds pretty 80s

[@AudioPilz]

Cool! There should be a DX7 in every household;) SR-16 replaced my drum plugs!

[@mrz80]

Can't swing the dead presidents for a DX7? Download DEXED. It's a freebie 6-op FM synth that, if memory serves, will digest DX7 sysex dumps.

[@TheAnthraxBiology]

I think the samples are actually pretty cool especially for house and post punk

[@AudioPilz]

It's the ultimate Metal drum machine

[@ewarre22]

As someone starting a solo blackened grind project, I am very excited.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!

[@mikemeengs5720]

A friend used this machine on his metal album that I mixed. I was very impressed by both the sound and his programming

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, it fits the mix so nicely!

[@matthewlister3755]

I'm a classical guitarist by trade but I like to make synthwave beats as a fun hobby. This drum machine sat in the shop I teach out of for years and years. One day I asked the manager what it was. He said, "Why, do you want a drum machine? I can cut you a deal." I said I wanted to hear it first. My initial impression was good God, this thing is some serious trash, but when I got to the kits that weren't trying too hard to sound like actual drums I was instantly intrigued. "How much?" "$50. Please get it the fuck out of the store, it's just going to sit here." I sat and watched the same VHS tutorial ripped to KZbin. Good God what a snoozer. Once I got into MIDI functionality the thing instantly made more sense. I'm working on a beat with this thing, some synths, all controlled by a Yamaha QY10, and recorded into a four track cassette. Yes, I know, I'm just that kind of asshole. I have fun, though, and that's what matters, because this kind of musical dumbfuckery is never going to pay the bills for me anyway. My concert guitar was handmade in Spain. My electronic gear? For the most part I own hobbyist gear for hobbyist clownery. I spent about the same for a Pocket Operator Rhythm and got a lot more with the Alesis SR-16 (again, all of this is hobbyist gear for hobbyist clownery), so is this drum machine really that bad?

[@AudioPilz]

No, it's just not very s€xy ;)

[@vprice509]

Yes, I think it is that bad. I don't like drum machines that sound anything like real drums. Just like I don't like Siri, Alexa et al aping a human voice. I don't want AI assistants to sound any more human than Stephen Hawking.

[@VestedUTuber]

I wouldn't say it's a bad drum machine outright, just more trouble than it's worth without external control equipment. Its samples are pretty good, though, if a bit hard to fit into most electronic genres.

[@fishercawkey]

@@AudioPilz Now that's a piece of bad gear you must review: The Yamaha QY10! Complete with VHS-tape-shaped storage box...

[@kingstumble]

The SR16 is a perfectly decent drum machine if you like the sound of real drums. If you prefer electronic farts and burps then of course you won't like it.

[@AudioPilz]

You can get quite some burps and farts out of it

[@thetruemrstallings]

I agree with you. I've had one since 2004 and it will never leave my studio.

[@savanaviolenta]

@@thetruemrstallings mine too

[@mrz80]

I just want a kick that sounds like a *kick*, not a bowl of oatmeal set on a 2x6 and struck with a rubber mallet!

[@OverCoat]

I picked one of these up at a goodwill for 20 bucks. Pairs nicely with all my other hand-me-down 90s gear!

[@AudioPilz]

Total music production workhorse!

[@mrz80]

SCORE!

[@jilloplo]

streetcleaner by godflesh uses the sr-16 and it sounds great in their noisy industrial metal. I used it for a deathgrind project recently! i love this dumb machine

[@AudioPilz]

It replaced all my drum plugs

[@JN-qj9gf]

I've loved godflesh forever but when I looked at how much a nightmare these are to program just made me appreciate them more.

[@ilyas_elouchihi]

Godflesh never fails to amaze me

[@petebunke]

pretty sure it's an hr-16, there's an interview where jkb mentions he got it cuz you can layer samples

[@rorz999]

Streetcleaner was recorded and released before this drum machine existed...

[@empinchen]

As a glorified metronome, this bass player really liked it.

[@AudioPilz]

It IS pretty s€xy for a metronome;)

[@superslonic]

I've bought a used SR-16 last week, I think it's the first version. And one of the purposes I was going to use it, was kind of an advanced metronome. But I was pretty surprised and kind of disappointed to find out that the internal clock of my SR-16 isn't very accurate. The BPM is a little faster than it's indicated on the screen, and the beat doesn't seem very stable. Maybe it's only my particular SR-16. But on the other hand it gives that "live" feeling. When syncing from another device with midi cable, everything's fine.

[@johnnydeformed7123]

I've been looking at the SR16 for a while and this video clinched it. I got it about a week ago and I love it. The sequencer is actually very compatible with my brain and I'm discovering a new way of making music. The workflow is admittedly slow but it's intuitive and I'm not spending much time being frustrated that it's not working at all.

[@AudioPilz]

Congrats!

[@RayTheProducer]

You are stupidly talented. I mean...just amazing.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@AudioPilz]

Don't forget to check out the "How to fake metal guitars" - tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKPZgZl7hrqnqrs

[@georgegeorgio1751]

Metal , no thanks.

[@kenfusion]

Thanks I will . I like old school heavy metal from the 70s and hair metal from the 80s 😁

[@gon2u38]

Try washing the equipment BEFORE YOU MAKE A VIDEO!!! ITS GROSS!!!!!!

[@AndrewJohnClive]

🤣

[@palyndrumatix7790]

Sinus wave + distortion and for power chords with modulated adsr ;)

[@microbug3487]

The sequencer has one unique feature: dynamic fill-ins. At the time the machine first hit the market no one had that, and even today it is still a rare feature. This is great for jamming, and it has a footswitch, another missing feature on todays drum machines :) BTW: The "successor", the SR-18, also available as Akai XR-20, is much worse and could be a good candidate for your series, since its bass part is not permanently mutable, the fills are not dynamic and the sounds are more "meh" than "yeah".

[@AudioPilz]

Great input, thanks!

[@superlean5991]

This is one of the best channels on synth stuff. Honestly you are hilarious and have such a good / funny take on all these pieces of gear

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@stevejohnson243]

If you want a little more creative freedom and fun, I recently synced up my SR16 with a Drumbrute Impact. They work and sound great together. I didn’t think it was possible because the SR16 doesn’t work well with some newer gear (from my experience). But now it sounds like a have cool percussion section as opposed to just a drummer.

[@pfgpowell]

I take your point about the sounds and styles sounding dated and sooo last year, dear, but will you take my point that nothing dates faster than this year's fashion. And, bizarrely, what goes around comes around: I'm British and all that 1950s, 1960s and 1970s furniture which to my mind is awful is making a 'cool' comeback. More to the point the music scene around the world is not so diverse that there is 'a market' for every musical style you can shake a stick at. So, me, I'm not put off sounding dated. Hang around long enough and I'm hip again.

[@AudioPilz]

True that! It all comes back eventually

[@Scyber_Official]

For a drum machine that's 30+ years old and around, $100 used it still holds up. Gonna get my hands on one ASAP before it becomes the next 808.

[@AudioPilz]

Too many on the market for it to become an 808. Great drum machine nonetheless

[@glenesis]

There are probably about a billion of em out there by now. They've been selling it for nearly 30 years. It's the McDonalds Hamburger of drum machines: Billions and Billions Sold 😂 Mine lives on my desk.

[@johanmalm8378]

This was fucking fun! What a video! It's up there with the Sholky gangsters!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Sholky FTW!!!

[@cl9826]

This was also the drum machine used for the loop in 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins

[@AudioPilz]

I only found out after completing the episode😢

[@desbrowne1900]

I have been using Alesis sr16 for Years..Professionally. There are plenty of 'true' great sounding samples to choose from..just "build' a kit that suits you..this machine can sound better than some of the goddamn awful professional drumming you hear on studio recordings nowadays, cold, clinical, soulless. Just spend some time experimenting with sounds, and the manual carefully brings you through all you need to know. I have edited all my own sounds. There's a reason why this machine is still widely used and still available to buy..ps what has 'sexy' got to do with it..?!

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@Haze763]

Well put man. Spend some time to build your own kit by stacking some samples and tuning.

[@PuppetXeno]

I used to double the bass and snare drum sounds using Perc 1 & 2. The internal sounds of the SR16 stack wonderfully. Also, a little bit of processing goes a long way in sparking up this machine. Plus, the internal sequencer really is no rocket science, and it saves the exact moments when you press "fill" making for decent dynamics in terms of fill starts and so. I sometimes still use the sequencer to trigger (arguably much more versatile) samples in my DAW in my current recordings. Really a cool machine. But for those working exclusively in DAWs of course it's quite obsolete.

[@AudioPilz]

I use it with a DAW a lot. The samples just always "work"

[@rickrockzyootoob]

I actually like the sound of it, but I'm putting mine up for sale after I discovered over the weekend that you can't change kits via MIDI program change. They CLAIM it does, but it doesn't work. I ain't gonna be running back and forth from my PC to this thing just to try out kits for a song. My Boss DR-660 is still the best and most versatile.

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

Was hoping for a Godflesh mention, how awesome.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks. Godflesh 4 life!

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

@@AudioPilz Even tho i seem to recall them using an HR-16 raher than an SR. Makes very little difference, i know.

[@Tehstroyer]

@@VuotoPneumaNN I think they switched later? The SR-16 has no layering, which in the HR-16 was the basis of the early Godflesh sound. But I _think_ I remember Justin mentioning this one in an interview as well?

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

@@Tehstroyer I'm not sure. I looked it up and found mention of them using the HR but none of the SR.

[@Tehstroyer]

​@@VuotoPneumaNN "The HR16 blew up on our first tour of the US, and was replaced with the newer SR16." instagram.com/p/CBGOaS9pEMz/ Not sure if it was used otherwise, but still.

[@andrewstanworth529]

Now i remembered that i've got this, i have 17 hardware drum machines. I blame bad gear for at least 4 of those. And for reminding me about this un. (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)

[@johotrod66]

The first Manic Street Preachers album is all SR16

[@AudioPilz]

Didn't Billy Corgan sell his recently?

[@plantpoweredmuscle]

I want to make synthwave. I have a sr16 but recently got a tr8s new for only $550. Do I really need the tr8s for synthwave or Tycho style drums?

[@tomblaze2]

hipsters into the sr-16 + Delay add some vibey chorus guitar and we got some hot new indie pop

[@AudioPilz]

Currently working on the Hipster Synth episode ;)

[@NathanChisholm041]

@@AudioPilz We need it asap!

[@AudioPilz]

@@NathanChisholm041 c'mon I have to sleep from time to time ;)

[@BubblegumOctopu]

It definitely takes some work but this thing can get stupid heavy with the right compression and reverb!! A lot of really good snares and kicks if you're into late 80s/90s anime OSTs and jpop or citypop stuff. Unrelated, but I'm pretty sure it's used on the original vocal songs for the 4kids localization of Pokemon. Listen to the snare on that opening song and you'll never unhear it :P I honestly really wish more drum machines had "fill" patterns the way this one does, really useful feature the few times I've ever used it for DAWless stuff

[@AudioPilz]

It replaced all my drum plugs

[@pentexsucks43]

Just got one, one of the best drum machines I've ever owned. Its perfect for industrial metal

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@PrisonBrain]

Good for industrial metal you say? Happy to hear cause I'm looking for some kit for my group which is to play industrial metal and whatnot. Thanks

[@stephane406]

@@PrisonBrain the kawai R-50e is also a good choice (got the two of them, for me the kawai is the one for industrial, just my pov).

[@mattjbyron2010]

bro sr16 is NIN drums in a plastic box. Add distortion and gated reverb to taste. Its those hard hitting, wide AF drum sounds. Your search is over. @@PrisonBrain

[@scoreeclectic]

Wonderful, I hope you will never run out of bad gears!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks. Unfortunately, it is a constant struggle. Especially during lockdown...

[@yvesturgeon9585]

If you're ready to dedicate a lot ( and I mean a lot ) of your time to it.... ( Don't throw away the user guide!! Believe me .you will need it!! ) the drum sounds are still amazing to this day...

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!!!

[@juliusebola9389]

It's great if you're looking for that early 90s Janet Jackson drum sound.

[@AudioPilz]

It's on So. Many. Records.

[@feelingevaporated2912]

That’s a great sound.

[@JamieBarnes11]

Early 90s Janet Jackson was genius though

[@ClosetoHumanMusic]

I fucking LOVE the way this thing sounds. Yes the sequencer is clunky but I just sampled all the sounds and create Battery kits. 😃

[@AudioPilz]

We call it: "the easy way";)

[@ClosetoHumanMusic]

@@AudioPilz Work smarter not harder!

[@BFBeast666]

I'm a metalhead learning new skills during pandemic lockdown, like playing keyboards and how to program sequencers. I tend to like synthwave as well. So... good job on totally faking the metalcore.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@Mr.Gump5780]

It was NOT great for soul R&B but i painstakingly managed to get a few chart topping hits out of it. Even though I had to add other external percussion tracks to bring out more of the human feel

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@CaidicusProductions]

A great bad gear episode would be the Jupiter 80, a synth hated for taking the Jupiter name and doing something decidedly not Jupiter 8 with it.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the input!

[@robnic52]

The Alesis official 'How to use our SR-16 videos 1 and 2' found here on KZbin are actually very informative and clear (seems slightly dated but stick with it). A relatively quick way to get well aquainted with a complex and still capable machine. Also lots of in-depth hints like doubling certain drums and claps at different velocities to make a more realistic effect.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the heads up!!!

[@maxcruz666]

I don't see what is so dated about this drum machine..if you look at any drum kit the Snare, Toms, Bass drum etc. all basically sound the same. What makes the difference is what you do with the drums in the mixer. Well this drum machine contains excellent samples of wet as well as dry drum kits, so it's up to you what your final sounds winds up being/sounding like, just like a regular drum kit. And if you record your drums separately/live not sequenced snare hat toms bass drum, unless you tell whomever listens to your track/music they will never know..that's how good this machine is.

[@AudioPilz]

I use it a lot but modern drum plugins offer stuff no one has ever dreamed of back then

[@TheAmerind]

This video despite its title, convinced me to buy one.

[@AudioPilz]

Great workhorse drum machine! Happy to hear that!

[@drewnorth3816]

I used the SR-16 exclusively as a click track when recording to 2" tape. for over a decade, back in the 2000's. Never actually tried to use it as a drum machine. I kinda like the sounds you got out of it though.

[@randykalish7558]

I'm expecting my 16 in the mail today, so after seeing this I'm totaly shaken 😱 with laughter. I just know it'll be as difficult as I make it, after I'm broke in.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, it can be quite a challenge!!!

[@Beatlesfan151]

I might be a hipster cuz that was dope...who am I kidding I’m totally a hipster 🙃

[@AudioPilz]

Aren't we all in a way?

[@ELACEBAL]

Brutal!!!! Congratulations !!!! True metal just with samples!!!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@funkyfoe12]

I'm really enjoying your content! I really enjoy how you sort of redeem the "bad gear".

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@TheStudioDrummer]

Hilarious! I want one now...

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Get one, they're cheap!

[@sakurahertz]

These videos are worth watching just for these music demos 🔥🔥

[@AudioPilz]

Happy to hear that, thanks!

[@petero94707]

They are the soundtrack to the dystopian future I didn’t know I needed.

[@romanyel]

I get your headline. It's not pretty. I bought one because it sounds closest to my live kit because I use them together. I enjoy your channel.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@thelanavishnuorchestra]

You are the Simon Whistler of music tech.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Big fan of his work!

[@strangfangers]

The SR-16 is not a technno dance beat creator out of the box. You have to use the basic array of effects (compression, reverb, delay, chorus, flange, doubling, phase, yatta, yatta) to get a techno dance sound so, why wouldn't you want to create your own original percussive sounds!? Modern beat sounds came from using crazy effects on acoustic drums, trash cans, car hoods, etc..

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!!!

[@rodrigomacias]

As I was listening the 80's sequence I was actually thinking "This could sound good on some metal tracks"

[@AudioPilz]

😂 great minds...

[@WebbChannel1]

Very amusing, witty, and entertaining video - I LIKED IT !! Thanks... You showed us what you say is a BAD Drum Machine - Could you recommend a GOOD ONE that is reasonably priced?

[@AudioPilz]

Not a drum machine in the traditional sense of the word but the Volca Sample is really good at drum machine duties

[@jeffbakalar1535]

Thanks for the on point analysis... this was my first purchase of a drum machine long ago. I liked that it was easy to use as a regular musician, I'm not patient enough for deep levels of programming. That being said- never mind the limited range of drum sounds- the sr16 can be pushed into exciting levels of expression especially if you take it off of quantize and exploit the considerable unorthodox possibilities. It's very good for odd time signatures, and the dynamic quality of the pads is worth the frustration of getting to know the limits. Ikue Mori no less used this model to do some great work for many years. A best seller for a reason...

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Absolutely, it replaced most of my drum plugins

[@skinnyhastrup4614]

Go after the Mattel Synsonic Drums! :D

[@tomasmulcahymusic]

"It took me an entire night of falling asleep over pre-internet tutorials to realise I can't get any music out of it" 😂

[@AudioPilz]

Story of my life

[@villeville6838]

Ackchyually, atleast the first Godflesh albums were made with SR's predecessor, HR-16. Not sure about the later ones. I read an interview with Justin Broadrick, and he cites the ability to tune the drums as a great feature in the HR. Is it possible to tune the drums in the Alesis SR-16?

[@AudioPilz]

The tuning range is not huge but it's possible

[@Yezu666]

I'm legit now waiting for your gore-grind-death-core album.

[@AudioPilz]

In the making!

[@Patrick-857]

I only know about this machine because of Godflesh.

[@AudioPilz]

They are probably the single most prominent Alesis drum machine users ;)

[@Nick-df1pv]

The sounds worked pretty good with a 707 kick, now I'd probably pair it with the Volca kick and an acoustic 3x13 snare.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice combination!

[@LouisSerieusement]

Bad gear suggestion : instrumental rack of the 90's, there are plenty of them, some cheap some damn expensive for what they are, lot of them work with expansion card which is a shame but which is fun at the same time, a bit like collecting Magic cards ; Of course many will sound ok, a few will sound awesome, but I''m pretty sure there are bad gear in this category as well

[@AudioPilz]

That's quite a rabbit hole to go down ;)

[@DateTreeSound]

the sequencer is actually kind of amazing- different quantize levels at each layer- works best with an external drum pad. also the 4 outputs mean it plays well with all the old guitar pedals in your closet- it can also be bent pretty easily which makes it great for far out downsampling. pretty bad as a primary drum machine, but great as an addition to a live rig. also the midi out means it can trigger external drum modules.

[@AudioPilz]

Had quite some fun with it in the Bad Gear jam kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZWVkHyworRgaJo

[@HereComesPopoBawa]

Yes! I did the same things with mine!

[@TheBelse]

you rip clockworks off by Mesuggah ? ...AWESOME .!

[@AudioPilz]

An amateur copies, an artist steals;)

[@howardanderson3061]

I used to work with a bass player who used the SR-16 for backing him and myself on guitar. It was an alright drum machine for it's day, I never would have imagined that people would use it for Metal...Lol The SR-16 was a good solid drum machine (for it's time) maybe it would be fun to use it now to see what it would sound like. I love this channel, great stuff!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@danielortizdecaracas]

this Alesis SR16 in this video includes the Yamaha Montage Wheel? 😂😅😂😅

[@AudioPilz]

😂

[@tomblaze2]

@3:35 - Hipster and into it

[@AudioPilz]

Damn, when will the techno clubs reopen?

[@gabrielshepard]

Godflesh and many other bands used this because it was a cheap alternative to hiring a session drummer for the writing process. Also...... by default a lot of those bands were proprietarily mosty as the lead primary writer.... and lets face it.... they don't play drums well.... lol (the guitar players that is) So out of necessity mostly and price

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@Skiamakhos]

I used one of these back in about 1990 when I was in a goth band with my sis & her boyfriend. We started out with the drum machine, me on bass, Nick on lead guitar, my sis "singing" - 1 problem: she was utterly tone deaf. Oh well. Eventually we got a guy called Chris to do live drums alongside the SR-16. We found the SR-16 fairly easy to use, tbh. I read up on drum machine programming & Nick & I came up with some pretty good grooves. I liked that you could get a whole song programmed in, with different stuff going on in the intro, verses, chorus, hook & end. I mean, it was the first hardware drum machine I've used & compared to the 4 track portastudio we used to create tapes it was really simple.

[@AudioPilz]

Having a band like that should be mandatory for all young people

[@musicmakelightning]

How about the Alesis HR-16? I was one of the first to have one. I mean - 16 bits! Per word/sample! What resolution. At what sample rate? Who can remember. All a mystery. But tunable sounds and midi too! When it came out I immediately connected it to my MacPlus via an Opcode interface and ran Studio Vision Pro. What an amazing setup for 198x (what year? Who can remember.) Mine is probably buried in a box in the attic where it has been for nearly 35 years. Oddly, the stuff we could do back then with computer-ized music was the stuff of dreams. One of these days you may check out an old Ensoniq EPS or Mirage. I had them both. They made bleeps and lo-fi groans we all figured we could use someday - but actually couldn't.

[@AudioPilz]

Wow, Opcode interfaces, forgot about those

[@musicmakelightning]

@neville animusic Could be. At the time, when it was new, it was a marvel to those of us who couldn't afford a Linn. I know I still have mine somewhere packed in a box I haven't opened since the 1990s. Just gotta remember where :) A comparison on the synth side of things - I bought a JD990 around the same time, and the sounds were amazing. They superseded it with the JV1080 which boasted a new processor and sound path. Well, I spoke to Roland about this after being gravely disappointed. The JV series was full of digital cruft and sounded quite inferior to the JD. They claimed they hadn't changed much - but the ears don't lie. ( Still have both, original units that I bought new, in a rack next to where I'm sitting right now.) I wouldn't doubt the HR has a different signal path than the SR series that probably was more economical to build with more complex chips, at the sacrifice of some distortion. Though I've never messed around with any other Alesis drum box so I couldn't say from experience.

[@savanaviolenta]

I love mine. It will never leave my studio. All instruments have their place and time to be used. You never know years after this machine may be as sought after as a real TR909, 808.i know they are cheap, but they have their place in music production.

[@AudioPilz]

Great drum machine but there are so many of them on the used market and still available new, so I don't think they will become as sought-after as the 808 or 909

[@PhilippedeBersuder]

Just to say that cleaning the volume potentiometer with WD40 is ok ! (My SR16 is 30 years old).

[@AudioPilz]

WD40 saved my life multiple times;)

[@ryanredding1622]

I wouldn't mind knowing a little more about the guitar sampling/triggering process

[@AudioPilz]

Happy to hear that. There are certainly more sophisticated methods of doing that - it was more of a "proof of concept". Will try to fit in a little tutorial...

[@ryanredding1622]

I love the sound of "unsophisticated." That's awesome! Thanks!

[@GUSCRAWF0RD]

Hipsters cannot admit they’re hipsters, which precludes them from leaving any comments

[@AudioPilz]

Words!

[@crunchyfrog555]

I've got one I've had for years. I used to use it to make rave music back in the day. It's largely all I could afford then, although I did blend it with a Boss DR550. It was OK ish. Always found the drums really flat and needed some treatment to get the best out of it. Is it dated? Most definitely. While I still have it, I haven't considered using it on anything for years.

[@AudioPilz]

The percussion sounds are really nice for techno and the standard drumkits sit really well in the mix. I like it

[@crunchyfrog555]

@@AudioPilz Oh I do too for those specific things. If you're doing those sort of tunes (as I said, I used it a lot for rave music back in the day) it does quite well indeed. These days, I just find it quite dated for anything else. I predominantly use an Elektron Model Samples partly just for ease of use (as it's a gem to play on the fly) and because it has the fluidity of being sample based. Even dated stuff still has it's place.

[@mattjbyron2010]

"Most hated audio tools"? Huh? Its the most purchased drum machine of all time and is a 100% plugin/ vst KILLER. I have not watched your video, so i hope youre kidding. Please dont tell me you consider it bad gear because of the *slightly off time midi clock. Yes, BPM of 110 is actually 109.783 or something, so it slides out of sync IF it is the master in a chain. So dont use it as the master, clock it to any other piece of gear. If there IS no chain, exact clock doesnt matter. The sensitivity is suberb. The sounds are punchy and rich. I had been working in music production for years before seeing/ hearing this thing at a friends house years back. Literally ordered one immediately standing in his living room. There is no better way to get 90's (and now modern) drum sounds...especially for the price. I'm currently syncing the sr16 with another cheapo drum machine--IK Uno Drum...and theyre awesome. Fantastic sound palette. PS--If you happen to have spent years searching for the drum sounds of early NIN--your search is over. Get an sr16 and behringer fuzz pedals for the clean "boost" setting. Instant gratification. Under $200.

[@AudioPilz]

Let's put it this way: it's more complicated;)

[@mattjbyron2010]

@@AudioPilz hi man, not just trying to be a dick, but this is a plug and play simple machine. Obviously programming beats into a piece of equipment takes well, programming. But I prefer to sequence drum machines in Cubase because its always easier and theres so many more functions and unlimited fx. But it doesnt get easier than this drum machine unless you dont care about articulation/ velocity sensitivity. (then you can get drum machine w step sequencer like 707, 808, Uno Drum, Elektron, linn, etc) -- OH ps--if you think the sr16 is complicated---god help you if you ever get ANY of the elektron gear, its another universe. Scares me lol. But almost ALL music gear will take a saturday or sunday up learning the ropes on youtube.

[@ozzyc969]

For pub live musicians making their own backing tracks well before downloadable ones from the web, this was a godsend!

[@AudioPilz]

That's what it was probably built for

[@mrNobody100]

who buys stand-alone drum machines these days with the hopes that it's going to sound like a real drummer? this does the thing you'd expect it to do, looks like. i kinda wish i bought one of these 7 years ago instead of the yamaha rx 15 i got, which freaked out after i saved too many drum patterns on it, and also the pads were so worn i had to hit it to get the samples to play, and then they'd play 3 in a row (yay used 80s drum machines)...

[@AudioPilz]

These actually still sound pretty well...

[@CaidicusProductions]

I have fallen in love with your bad gear series. Your videos have so much character and are so enjoyable to watch. Thanks for all you do.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@1RobHunter1]

It is decent but a pain in the azz to program and sequence. For it's sub $100 price you find them = worth it. More than $100 - NO!

[@AudioPilz]

Fortunately they can be found pretty cheap!

[@burntumber]

The metal segment sold me on this.

[@AudioPilz]

Best. Metal. Drummer. Ever.

[@lemelstudio]

I recently decided to list my 1991-purchased SR16 for sale and now this video is making me nostalgic. stop it!

[@AudioPilz]

Don't sell it! Nice box!

[@jmcover9000]

These machines circuit bend very well (the older non surface-mount ones), you can end up with something like a 32 pin patchbay that mangles the digital samples (with some crashes here and there). Breaking out the pins of one of the 2 large 32 pin chips (bottom right of the main board) to external headers is how this is acheived. Or find a few nice points on the chips and put them to switches.

[@AudioPilz]

Already trying to find one of the old ones. Mine has replaced my drum plugs, so it's not gonna get modded;)

[@xisotopex]

whoa I thought I was at Berhghain at 3am @03:07 I could hear boston 168 play that track during their set...

[@AudioPilz]

They broke into my studio PC!!!

[@HorologicRannygazoo]

In the early 90's this was my go to for drum programming. The sounds were highly tweakable if you had the patience to figure it out. For the price it was at that point in time, it was fantastic. I used it mostly for Smooth Jazz/New Age gigs and for house music that sounded different than the standard 909. I use virtual drum machines now -- but I picked up one of these used in working condition for $40 last year for nostalgia's sake.

[@AudioPilz]

That one aged much better than it should have;)

[@SteveAstronaut]

New Age gigs??? I live in Glastonbury and we don't even have New Age gigs here! LOL x

[@HorologicRannygazoo]

@@SteveAstronaut Late 80's, early 90's, Southern California. Most "New Age" music was New Age in name only, like on the Narada and Windham Hill record labels. Hotels, quiet bars and restaurants would hire New Age artists for ambience. Most gigs were just show up, play instrumentals quietly, go home. Couple years later, same gigs were called Smooth Jazz. Then we could cover Enya AND Kenny G! Yay!

[@EoinOSullivan1]

Watched this because I own a sr16. I had to subscribe. Thanks great video.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Pleasure to have you around

[@LondonSteveLee]

Bought my SR-16 a month after they came out - it's still going strong!

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@FathersOfDeception]

the fact you think metal bands don't use drum machines is fucking hilarious.

[@AudioPilz]

;)

[@adamg.manning6088]

That synth wave was lovely, I’d not have a problem listening to that.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Making synth wave is so much fun! I really thought about starting a synthwave band

[@tomasmulcahymusic]

@@AudioPilz please do the vocals were awesome!

[@Gainn]

The worst thing about the SR16 is people trying to sell a used one on ebay at well over retail - when it's still available brand new at under retail. DFQ is wrong with people? 😆

[@AudioPilz]

You can't blame them for trying;)

[@JohannesLabusch]

Oh my god, this brings back bad memories. I tried to record with this garbage machine decades ago, and I do sensitive singer-songwriter stuff.

[@AudioPilz]

There are probably better options for that. I feel you

[@megatron804]

perhaps its not the "garbage" machine but the turd trying to record garbage sensitive singer-songwriter stuff, hmmm makes one wonder

[@JohannesLabusch]

@@megatron804 "Makes one wonder" of course being one of those phrases that make it abundantly easy to identify an illiterate douche, who hasn't quite mastered the fine art of trolling, but is shitfaced enough to give it a shot. Well done, honey.

[@megatron804]

@@JohannesLabusch lol worst comeback ever your just making worse for yourself, dont put things down you have no idea how to use