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ALESIS
SR-16
Reference Manual
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................1 1.1 WELCOME TO THE SR-16 DRUM MACHINE!................................................................1 1.1A If You Just Can't Wait…...................................................................................1 1.1B SR-16 Quick Description................................................................................1 1.1C About this Manual...............................................
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3.1J Select New Patterns and Fills While in Compose (Record) Mode........................22 3.1K Using Fill to Create Repetitive Drum Hits..........................................................23 3.2 ERASE FUNCTIONS....................................................................................................24 3.2A Erase Mistakes While Recording.....................................................................24 3.2B Erase an Entire Pattern.......................................
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6.5 PAGE 5: ACCEPT EXTERNAL CLOCK DATA (CLOCK IN)..............................................44 6.6 PAGE 6: SEND CLOCK DATA TO OTHER DEVICES (CLOCKOUT)................................44 6.7 PAGE 7: MERGE MIDI IN WITH MIDI OUT (MIDITHRU)......................................................45 6.8 PAGE 8: SELECT DRUM SETS VIA MIDI PROGRAM CHANGES (PRG CHNG).................46 6.9 PAGE 9: MAP DRUM NOTES (NOTE MAP)....................................................................46 CHAPTER
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 WELCOME TO THE SR-16 DRUM MACHINE! 1.1A If You Just Can't Wait… Turn to section 1.4, 10 Steps to Instant Gratification, and start making sounds. Some of the terms in that section may not make sense, but just follow the instructions, and get ready to hear some great grooves and have a good time. When you're ready to learn more, return to the beginning to learn SR-16 basics. The goal of the SR-16's design team has been to create a musical instrument, not a computer th
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8. Applications: This additional information will help you get the most out of the SR-16. 9. MIDI Supplement: This brief, entry-level explanation of MIDI explains the basic theory behind the MIDI protocol. Feel free to cover topics in a different order. For example, if creating a whacked-out Drum Set is important to you, read the Drum Set section before you start recording. If you come up with a great tune, skip ahead to the Backup section so that you don't accidentally erase the tune or otherw
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After perfecting these Patterns, Song mode offers two ways to create a song: • Program a list of Patterns, in the order in which they are to be played. • Select Patterns in real time, and the SR-16 will remember your performance. The SR-16 stores up to 100 User-programmable Songs. Breaking a song into Patterns saves time since elements of a song often repeat. Example: The second verse might have the same drum pattern as the first verse. Rather than record the same Pattern twice, simply record on
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1.2C How "Looping" Simplifies Recording To simplify recording in Compose mode, a Pattern will "loop" over and over again. Example: Suppose you want to record an 8-beat pattern. While recording, the pattern will record through all 8 beats, then immediately jump back to the beginning and continue recording through all 8 beats again. The SR-16 will remain in record mode, and continue to loop, until you press STOP or switch over to Perform mode. You will hear any previously-played parts as you reco
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1.2F Physical Layout The SR-16 includes seven main types of controls, along with a group of connectors (located on the back panel). The control groups (see diagram) are: • Pads (play buttons). Tapping each button triggers an SR-16 voice. • Function buttons. These six buttons select various functions, some of which include multiple "pages" of options. • Tempo/Page buttons. These alter the tempo and also select different "pages" present in the Drum Set, Record Setup, MIDI Setup, and Backup functi
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1.2G Display Layout The LCD is divided into several "windows." Each window contains information that helps you monitor the SR-16's status, and/or indicates what type of data should be entered. • Name, "dialog" box, real time Song/Pattern readout, beat counter. This is the most commonly-used area of the display. It shows Pattern and Song names, the beat counter if a Pattern or Song is playing, and the Pattern (including A/B/Fill/Preset or User designators) that is currently playing in Song mode.
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number will be in parenthesis—for example, step (4)—to prevent confusion with Song steps or step edit mode. 1.3 IMPORTANT: HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SR-16 1.3A Entering Numbers The SR-16 identifies Patterns and Songs, as well as many other parameters, with numbers. You need to type in (enter) these numbers in a specific way (as described below). 1.3B The Cursor When the SR-16 wants you to enter a number in the "Dialog" box, the display will show the previously-entered number (or the defaul
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These buttons, and the TEMPO/PAGE buttons, also have a "scroll" feature. If you press and hold a button, after a short pause the display will either increment or decrement at a rapid rate. 1.3F Buttons that Toggle The Mode buttons, FILL button, and several function buttons (DRUM SET, RECORD SETUP, MIDI SETUP, and BACKUP) "toggle" between two states. Each button press sets the switch to its alternate state. Example: Press the PATTERN/SONG button once to change from Pattern to Song; press again
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7. To hear the built-in demo, hold down the PATTERN/SONG button and press PLAY. To stop the demo, press STOP. If you want to play along with the demo, feel free to bash away on the pads. 8. Press PLAY, and you'll hear a Preset Pattern. (In case the SR-16 has already been played with, make sure that the display shows PERFORM and does not show USER before continuing. To choose Perform mode, press the PERFORM/COMPOSE button until the Perform/Compose section of the display shows PERFORM). To choose
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CHAPTER 2: RECORD SETUP Several parameters are often adjusted prior to recording a Pattern, such as metronome, Pattern length, etc. General instructions are: 1. Press the RECORD SETUP button. 2. Use the PAGE (up and down) buttons to select different "pages" of functions; the display's lower right window shows the page number. These pages are described below. 3. Adjust values on pages, if necessary, as described for each page. 4. After making all needed changes, press RECORD SETUP again to exit,
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Quantization shifts your playing to the specified beat while you play, so choose the desired value before tapping out your rhythms. Remember that you can also change quantization while recording if, for example, you want to record snare with eighth note quantization but high-hats with 16th note quantization. Note: The quantize value also sets the step length in Step Edit mode (section 2.9). Background As you record a Pattern, quantization shifts all drum events to the nearest selected rhythmic
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2.3 PAGE 3: ENABLE CLICK (METRONOME) AND SET RHYTHM (CLICK SELECT) The display shows CLICK SELECT; the Click window shows the click's rhythmic value. CLICK SELECT SETUP RECORD PAGE CLICK Enter the click value with the INC/DEC or number buttons (1 = quarter note, 2 = quarter note triplet, 3 = 8th note, 4 = 8th note triplet, 5 = 16th note, 6 = 16th note triplet, 7-0 = Click Off). The click is audible only in Compose mode. 2.4 PAGE 4: SET CLICK (METRONOME) VOLUME (CLICK VOL) The display shows CL
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2.5 PAGE 5: ADJUST VELOCITY RESPONSE (VELOCITY) There are 11 ways in which a pad's output level can respond to the force with which you tap it: soft, medium, loud, and eight fixed responses. VELOCITY LOUD SETUP RECORD PAGE PERFORM The display says VELOCITY. To select the desired dynamic response, use the INC/DEC or number buttons (1 = Fixed 1, 2 = Fixed 2, 3 = Fixed 3, 4 = Fixed 4, 5 = Fixed 5, 6 = Fixed 6, 7 = Fixed 7, 8 = Fixed 8, 9 = Soft, and 0 = Loud). Medium can be selected only with the
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2.6 PAGE 6: ADD/REMOVE BEATS FROM PATTERN END (LENGTH) This option either adds beats to, or subtracts beats from, the end of the Pattern. The Pattern length can be set prior to, or after, recording. Shortening a Pattern's end point erases any drum events that fall outside the remaining part of the Pattern; lengthening a Pattern's end point adds silence at the end of a Pattern. It is also important to note that changing a Pattern's length also changes the length of the associated Fill Pattern.
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The display says ### BEAT and START. This indicates a Pattern's length in beats (quarter notes). Enter the desired length with the INC/DEC or number buttons (this must be a three digit number; enter leading zeroes if necessary). A smaller value compared to the original length will remove the difference, in beats, from the beginning of the Pattern. A larger value will add the difference, in beats, to the beginning of the Pattern. Background An example will help clarify how beats are added to o
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than one drum event occurs on the same sub-beat, the PAGE UP/DOWN buttons step forward or backward respectively through each drum one at a time. 001/00 DRUM VOL 8 STEP EDIT SWING OFF QUANTIZE If no drum event exists on this beat/sub-beat, the display will show no pad number, and EMPTY in place of volume data. To navigate through the steps at the current quantization rate, use the PAGE UP button to move forward or PAGE DOWN to move backward. If a drum exists between those beats that fall on the
