As I have mentioned before, I am quite a fan of the Alesis SR 16 drum machine. Its sounds and user friendly nature indeed make it a classic. I have used it on dozens of songs over the years, and many recordings in my home studio. It's no wonder it has been a hugely popular drum machine since 1990!
I actually have a playlist dedicated exclusively to the Alesis SR 16. Please feel free to check it out. I have a video that is a general review of this device, plus I also have a number of how-to videos explaining how to use the various features that this drum machine offers.
I wouldn't say that the Alesis SR 16 is the greatest drum machine ever made. But I do understand why it is so popular, and why it has been used on so many hit records. It is very versatile, and the sounds are still very top-notch after all these years. This drum machine has been used in so many styles of music, including pop, rock, metal, house, techno, jazz, ambient, ethnic and even country.
In this video, I show you how to adjust velocity sensitivity on the SR 16. This is also sometimes referred to as touch response. In theory, with touch response on, the harder you hit the pad, the louder the sampled sound will be. On the other hand, the softer you hit the pad, the quieter the sound will be. This entire concept was created to make electronic devices sound more like natural, authentic instruments. It provides musicians with greater articulation, and a more "real" feel in the programming.
I can appreciate this, and I can understand how some musicians would really enjoy such a feature. But for me, I was never a big fan of touch response. I want the key or the pad to have the same volume every single time I hit it. I am not really interested in trying to make an electronic device sound "real". I want my electronic compositions to sound just that...electronic, synthy and other-worldly. That's just my preference. Usually the first thing I do with any drum machine or synth is turn the touch response feature off.
So, I will show you very clearly how to adjust velocity sensitivity on the Alesis SR 16. The great thing is, you have many options. You can completely turn it off, or you can set it to various degrees of sensitivity. I will show all of that in this video.
Do you own the SR 16? What do you think of it? Do you think it is a classic drum machine? Or can you name another drum machine that you think is much better? What style of music do you use it for?
On this channel I post videos relating to retro and vintage technology. Things like cassettes, CDs, old cameras, laser disc, radios, TVs, DVDs, vinyl, VCRs, home recording gear, microphones, mixers, synthesizers, drum machines, video games, and so much more. If this is your thing, please subscribe!
20 авг 2024
