How realistic sounding is the Alesis SR-16 16-Bit Stereo Drum Machine
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Posted on Mar 11, 2004 06:48 am
cocofromscotland
Hello!
Member Since: Jan 12, 2004
I have spied this machine on the Gear Bag and wondererd if it would solve my drum probs?
Has anyone had any experience of using this little machine?? ANd would the "realisim and quality" be better than my standard rubbishy Microsoft Wave GM drums I use in Sonar??
I have been spending a lot of time trying to perfect a drum mix (which isnt THE most important thing in my music) but I want it to sound as "real" as possible.
The internal MIDI in my PC, just the bog standard GM sounds, isn't great and when I try to add FX and EQ, I seems to take ages to get a "real" sound!!
I am thinking maybe a machine like this, or another better/just as good for this price range my sovle my probs??
IF anyone can help me on this with some advice that would be very good.
I have tried Drumagog, and I am also considering buying this so I suppose I would also ask:
Should I get the drum machine (liek this one or similar priced machine) or am I better getting a software based drum machine. Based on the requirements of as real as possible to make rock beats and possibly pop beats but certainly NOT techno, house or these type of sounds and not Hip hop either - just straight ahead Rock n Roll!
P.S. I am primarily a guitarist so drums arent my strong point!
Cheers guys...
Coco.
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Mar 11, 2004 07:03 am If you are using Sonar, I will tell you this, the drum sounds from Porject5, Cakewalk's VST softsynth package, are stellar, I use them all the time, plus, not only are the built in ones great, but you can take samples of kits and make your own kits and such on Project5.
The SR-16 I have no experience with tho, personally.
tonyd1970The fat one always watches us.Member
Since: Nov 08, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 09:14 am I've had it for years. I would rate it as good.
Youll always need to add the "ambiance" ie, garage, soft room, concert hall ect to the drums, and do compression in your computer. but the basics are good. It's a little hard to use (its like 10 yrs old) so its not simple. I've done some good stuff on it. Ill post a song here at hrc in a few minutes. Understand that i dont use any of the midi functions. this is a basic drum track that i tweaked with an extra cymbol/snare track.
check in a few hours for "Walking in late sept" in my hrc music section.
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 09:17 am another new song tone? ya prolific wee monkey you...
tonyd1970The fat one always watches us.Member
Since: Nov 08, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 09:29 am Ok it's up. No its not new, it was on that last cd i sent you flame. It's just the best job i did with the drum machine. I did work on "rockin in the free world" niel young - last nite. but i got water in my left ear, and i cant sing like this.....(not that i could before) but now its worse.
I do have some new ones coming out soon. few more tweaks....
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 09:30 am groovy baby...
tonyd1970The fat one always watches us.Member
Since: Nov 08, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 09:57 am do i make you randy?
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 11, 2004 10:42 am ermmm, no.
no offence though...
Mar 11, 2004 04:32 pm Cheers guys..always good to set some nuetral, honest input!
I am also looking at the Zoom RT123..anyone heard of this one? It sounds no bad (in the music shop but Im no sure!).
Here's the spec:
The ZOOM RhythmTrak RT-123 puts a personal rhythm section within easy reach of any musician!
Light weight, compact dimensions
With a footprint corresponding to about half a magazine and a weight of a mere 550g (1.2lbs.), the RT-123 easily fits into the soft carrying case of a guitar. In the home studio, it does not take up valuable space. Taking it to a rehearsal site or onto the stage is truly easy.
A large number of preset patterns
The RT-123 offers a large number of preset patterns, it will hardly be necessary to make your own. Simply by combining the 297 presets (99 x 3 banks), you can quickly create original songs. A user memory that holds 99 patterns is also available.
Self-lit pads and keys
The pads and switches of the unit incorporate LED lights which make them very easy to see on a dark stage or in other low-light situations. The current mode setting and selected pad can be checked at a glance. This is also useful for recording in a home studio.
Drum kit focusing on real rock sounds
80 built-in drum kit types provide realistic sound and are geared especially for rock performances.
25 bass programs
Besides drums and percussion, the RT-123 also delivers a wide variety of bass programs.
3-track configuration for each pattern
Two drum/percussion tracks and one bass track make it possible to split up complicated patterns into multiple tracks. You can for example put a snare and another drum sound on separate tracks and combine these into a single rhythm pattern. By slightly shifting tracks, interesting effects can be achieved.
Line input for guitar practice
The line input allows mixing the sound of other instruments with the unit's rhythm sound.
The Groove Play for DJs
The Groove Play feature lets you assign a number of desired patterns to the pads and play them at will. Patterns can of course be created freely, so there are no limits to your creativity.
Simple operation
Operation is truly simple and intuitive, because there are no complex menu trees to navigate. Creative ideas can be realized on the spot.
Great cost-performance
Delivering great value for money, the RT-123 is an all-round performer.
MIDI capability
The RT-123 can serve as a dedicated rhythm source when receiving a MIDI note. Synchronized play using the MIDI clock is also possible, letting you use an external sequencer for example to cook up a real mind-blowing rhythm section.
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Is this worth the buck? I am SERIOUSLY tempted as I pass the music shop EVERY DAY on the way to the office! Selling for £100 is tempting and I am giving it some serious thought!! Also, does this MIDI bit mean I can design the loops using Sonar Piano Roll and have it output thru this machine, replacing the MIDI sounds with its own sounds?
Cheers guys...
DB: How easy is the Cakewalk app to use/expensive to buy??
Cheers.
