Alesis SR18 Reviews

No drummer, no problem, sort of

I bought this as I was about to start gigging again with a few friends, mainly acoustic guitar but also a saxophone and electric bass, so some amplification was going to be needed, and if amplification is needed then so is some way of keeping time. We have been using this now for several months, running directly through the PA, and for us the main advantage is that the patterns and songs can be started and stopped using a footswitch – we use a Nux NMP-2 – IMO a super reliable switch box.

There is an abundance of patterns and kits available, although as anticipated we have ended up using only a few of them.

There are some quite important limitations to programming it, inevitably very old fashioned in that way, and I have found it quite tricky to get the beats in exactly the right places. I have not worked out if it is possible to extend recorded phrases. Possibly this is more a case of my being limited rather than the machine, time will tell.

On the plus side the sounds are really very good and there are so many of them to choose from. I can see that this machine will keep me busy for years. I have not yet tried triggering it with MIDI from a DAW, which is something to look forward to! Although it is plastic it is solidly built and will doubtless last a long time, even being gigged. It’s size is another plus point (very light and portable), I have it mounted on a microphone tablet holder, as is the fact that it can at a push be run on batteries, although I would not recommend doing this as they do seem to become exhausted rather too quickly for my liking.

Overall, I have to strongly recommend it because it does what our little group needs it to do and does it, so far, completely reliably.

Alesis still masters of super Drum machines and products

After hours and hours of youtube clips and research, looking for your standard basic drum machine, user friendly and even has the extra function of Bass, and matching its younger brother world renowned Alesis SR16, the SR18 will not dissapoint and will give you hours of enjoyment creating your own drum and bass patterns, or if Just drum patterns, leave out the bass, I can't comment on the bass function as I have not used this function yet,

a drummer in a box and once off payment, but I have to add, you can never beat the live drummer, but SR18 will get you pretty close..

Classic Updated

I was an SR-16 user from the 90s. I did a ton of songwriting demos and self produced CDs using the SR-16. It's not a real drummer, but if you know how to use it, it's a damned good replacement when there's no drummers around. So, when my SR-16 blew out on me, I replaced it with this baby. It's an upgrade - it's just as easy to use, but sounds better. I haven't gotten into using it live yet, but I will. So far, it's better than its predecessor and I am all good with that.

PROs: When you get the basics of it, it does what its supposed to do and can be used for pro recordings and live shows.

CONS: it's not Steve Gadd... but if you don't expect it to be and use it for what it is, it's excellent. The bass stuff in there is icing. I've not used it yet as I also play bass, but the patches sound good.

Excellent drum machine

If there's a better hardware drum kit then I haven't found it yet. This is almost perfect for practice, composing and stage work.

Excellent drum machine. I use it for 5 years. I used it for rehearsals, concerts and recording albums. Very happy with the quality.

Found this great to custom build bass and drum backing tracks. The manual took a bit of reading but the controls are fairly intuitive.

Imagine a drummer who can keep perfect time and doesn't argue, get tired or drunk.

I was going to get an SR16 but decided to pay the extra and get the SR18. Boy am I glad I did. The patterns are great and the sounds very realistic, superb in fact. Programming is quite easy using the pads. An external keyboard gives better touch sensitivity but the pads do a good job too.

compact gear

this can do alot at a live gig without a drummer!

As expected...

Well, the Alesis performs as expected.

I have it "seated" on top of my Hammond Mini B3 at home.

And am controlling it with a rebuilt Boss FS-6 pedal.

Drum machines are not that "sexy", but they provide some sort of value while practicing at home.

Review Alesis SR18

Hello,

playing with a metronome is a good way of studying music, but playing with a metronome can become boring very fast.

so, in comes the Alesis SR18!

A lot of buttons, but can be used directly "out of the box", "as-is".

A big variety in drums and drumsounds, far more than i ever will be using. Drumsounds are of very high quality. And what's more : there are a lot of percussion sounds to make it even better.

And on top of that : there is the possibility of adding basslines to the drums, so its almost a complete band in this drummachine.

Conclusion : it's a simple and effective practising tool for me, and i can imagine someone using it live on stage for realistic drums, percussion and bass help on stage.

Glad i found this device ! And I haven't started programming it yet !

Using it for real gigs

So you've read in the Internets how better is Alesis SR16 (predecessor) and now being scared, and therefore have some doubts to buy SR18? Well, I was the same. :-)

What I really like:

1. Each pattern/song has own default tempo!

2. Sounds are really great, not "nintendo'ish" and sounds much more like human is playing. Especially, if you record the pattern with the real drum kit (electric).

3. Percussion mode.

4. Tempo and switching knob. This this was simply missing in the SR16!

5. Awesome effects for the drums.

6. Possibility to connect another instrument through (I play also bass).

7. Glowing display is just great when your gig is in the dark.

What I don't like very much (but survivable):

1. Playing pads. They are by no means better than in previous model SR16. Now they are fixed and does not canceling previous sound and does not sound triple-piano silent (PPP) when you really hitting them, like in SR16. However, you still have challenge to let it sound real.

2. MIDI channels are somewhat oddly set. When I connect my Roland V-Drums TD-20 Pro, they trigger "who knows what", but what I do expect. For that reason I had to create my own MIDI setup only for this machine. But once you've done it, it works fine.

3. You don't have much drums to use in the current set. I cannot squeeze several crash cymbals, bell, ride, toms etc. But it is enough for the rhythm and simple fills.

Myths, you could hear in the Internet:

1. Myth: Switching fills between patterns is unpredictable. Reality: They do work just like in SR16 with no differences.

2. Myth: Is very difficult to use for gigs and live play. Reality: Just like SR16, except you can much faster switch between patterns and they even do remember their default tempos!

3. Myth: It is very difficult to handle. Reality: It is as same as SR16, except it just has more features, therefore more things needs to be known. Hint: read the documentation. :-)

4. Myth: It is too expensive for its value. Reality: In fact, if you compare to other machines within its class, the prices of other devices are much higher, while feature-wise they are not as SR-18.

Verdict:

1. Totally worth its price.

2. Awesome for gigs.

3. Easily replaces your lousy drummer. :-P