| StoreTags: alesis, hr16, drum machine, review
Author: bla on September 26 2007 Viewed 5883 times. 17 people liked this blog. You can rate it below if you haven't already.
People who enjoyed reading this: mechp, linde, SenorFrio, jogn, Otterfan, skab, bodo, adcBicycle, energygiant, Adjective, mlbot, DrexonField, astroid, Unknownforce, jcd, lilt, dustmite
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reposting my old review that was here years ago
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HR-16 high sample rate 16 bit digital drum machine
I’ve got two of the hr16 (the grey one). There’s a hr16b (black) which is the same but has different sounds. I think that's the one used by Mike Paradinas in a lot of his old stuff.
There are 16 independent voices- 12 monophonic pads 3 hi hat pads that share the same audio channel so they cut each other off and a crash pad that uses two channels so it can overlap itself and the click uses one voice.
Each voice can be set to one of 49 samples- I think i read that they were 48khz. There are 10 kicks, 8 snares, 5 toms, 5 hats, 2 rides, 1 crash, timbale, 2 congas, 2 wood blocks, claves, cabasa, 2 maracas, shaker, agogo bell, 2 cowbells, triangle, tambourine, hand clap, fingersnap and drum sticks. Most are acoustic samples but there are also 2 electronic kicks an electronic tom and an electronic snare but the snare sounds like a dirty tom (no snappyness). There’s also a gated reverb kick and snare.
Each pad has its own mix settings: volume 0-99, 7 position pan and selected output 1 or 2.Tuning setting: -16 to +15 over an octave and a half
There are 100 patterns- each can be stored with its own set of settings. If used as a midi sound module these sets can be switched with program changes. The pads can each be assigned a different midi note number but these are the same for every pattern.
Via midi it will play 32 different volumes but it will only record in a pattern 8 different volumes. The pads are velocity sensitive (if they work) or you can choose the volume of the hit (1-8) to be recorded.
Each pattern can be up to 682 beats in length and they can be copied to each other to add one pattern to the end of another or individual pad data can be copied to another pad or another pattern merging it with existing data on that pad. Pad data or whole patterns can be offset forwards or backwards by a number of 384th notes.
There are 10 quantize settings ¼ 1/6 1/8 1/12 1/16 1/24 1/32 1/48 1/64 and ‘off’ for 384th notes (96 subdivisions per beat).
A variable amount of swing can be selected for each quantize setting. Quantize and swing only affect incoming recording data- auto quantize only. You can’t quantize or unquantize something that’s already been recorded.
It loop records and overdubs so patterns can be built up one hit at a time or there is a step edit mode but its a bit difficult because you can’t go back a step and it’s easy to accidentally delete loads of hits if the button stutters.
In song mode you can create songs of up to 255 steps. Each step can be a pattern or a tempo change and the song can be set to loop.
Data can be sent and received through midi sysex or saved and loaded on tape (or any audio recorder- I use minidisc)
As well as midi clock in and out it will sync to a tape sync signal. It outputs tape sync so it can be used to put a sync track on multitrack tape and then sync to it and generate midi clock for other devices.
There are 4 ¼ inch jack outputs (2 sets of 2 stereo or 4 seperate if panned all the way).Tape in and out mini jacks for data load/save and tape sync in and out.Midi in and out and an option to echo midi in to midi out.(thru)
The main problem is the buttons wearing out because they’re old (I think 1987 was the first). Cleaning the contacts helps a bit but they’re always going to be dodgy. Also because of the age the internal battery for the memory might be dead and it’s a soldering job to replace it. The power supply is AC not DC so you have to use a special more expensive one.
Main good points for me are they’re really cheap. It has a fairly high resolution in the sequencer (384th notes). I like the wide range of the tuning setting for each drum. Also the processor is totally fearless- you can write solid 384th notes on every pad and turn up the tempo to 255 and it won’t slow down or miss a single beat- the newer sr16 can’t handle that kind of thing at all but it’s a lot easier to use. The only problem I had was when I sent it loads of midi notes and program changes at once and it got stuck on pattern 00 and I had to switch it off and on again.
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09/26/07
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mechp
I gotta say, I love it that the community is reviewing stuff in blogs! Thanks a mill, bla. 
09/26/07
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mechp
this in going onto the list right now!
09/26/07
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linde
09/26/07
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bla
i was hoping someone would post that
09/26/07
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mechp
It's too bad the music is lame.... he's reeeeeeal good.
09/26/07
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SenorFrio
Holy hell! David Haynes has got the tools and the talent! I'm going to start practicing on my HR16! Dope!
Thanks for the review!! Anybody know how to replace a slider on these things? I actually just need the handle for the slider. Any suggestions?
09/26/07
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bla
while on the subject of hr16's heres a release of mine that uses 2 hr16's and some effects: link direct link : link
09/26/07
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jogn
fuck i can never do rolls on that mofo.
09/26/07
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bla
i would never even begin to try to play with the pads on mine- they just wouldnt work
theyre just about ok for building up a loop 1 hit at a time- i always preset the velocity and so i dont have to rely on the pads sensetivity
09/26/07
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sweettrip
add a Boss Metal Zone to it and you'll get instant classic Autechre, specially with the rim shot.
09/26/07
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tantan
omg david haynes is amazing!!!
09/26/07
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monkvolcano
him and this guy should go head to head... link
btw. i really like the idea of reviving all the old em411 stuff.. more tips and tricks!
09/26/07
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bla
how thoughtless of me- i never mentioned it has a start/stop footswitch socket
09/26/07
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bla
heres the manual :http://www.alesis.com/downloads/manuals/HR16_HR16B_MMT8_Manual.pdf
i looked on ebay for current prices- hardly any there in £'s but for US $'s between $25 and $75
09/26/07
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bla
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