Korena by Guitar Center
Product detailSKU #1274115061092

AlesisSR-16 Drum Machine

Alesis
Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine
1/8

Independent shopping perspective

The Korena take

A compact drum machine with 233 built-in sounds and 12 velocity pads, aimed at songwriters and practicing musicians who want patterns without a computer.

Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine product detail
Product studyAlesis SR-16 Drum Machine
Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine alternate view
Alternate view

Strong match

Who this is for

  • Practicing to a real groove instead of a click
  • Songwriters sketching arrangements away from a DAW
  • Solo and duo acts needing backing rhythm live

Consider the trade-offs

When to look elsewhere

  • Producers who want to load their own samples
  • Anyone needing USB audio or direct DAW integration
  • Players wanting modern electronic and trap kit sounds

What matters in use

The specifications, translated

Catalog numbers tell only part of the story. These are the details most likely to change how this product feels, sounds, or fits into a setup.

Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine construction detail

Detail 01

233 sounds, 12 accessible from pads

Only 12 sounds sit under your fingers at once. Reaching the rest means assigning them into a kit first.

Detail 02

Dynamic Articulation on the pads

Harder hits change tone, not just volume, so programmed parts breathe instead of sounding machine-flat.

Detail 03

16-voice polyphony

Sixteen sounds can ring at once. Dense cymbal and tom fills with long decays can cut each other off.

Detail 04

4 audio outputs (2 stereo pairs)

Send kick and snare to one pair, everything else to the other, so a mixer or recorder can process them separately.

Detail 05

MIDI Clock and Song Position Pointer

Locks tempo to a sequencer or DAW and follows when you jump to a different point in the song.

Detail 06

Two footswitch jacks

Start/stop and fills are hands-free, which is what makes it usable while you play guitar or bass live.

Final check

Know before you order

  1. 01Uses a 9 VAC external transformer — not a standard 9V pedal supply
  2. 02No USB audio; recording means running the outputs into an interface
  3. 03200 of the 400 patterns are user slots, the rest are fixed presets
Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine close-up

Product questions

Before you decide

Straight answers to the questions shoppers most often ask about this product.

01Can I load my own samples onto it?

No. The 233 sounds are fixed in the unit. You can stack and edit them into your own kits, but you cannot import new audio.

02Does it work as a metronome for practice?

Yes. Tempo runs 20-255 BPM with patterns from 1 to 128 beats, so you can practice odd time signatures against real drum parts.

03Will it sync to my DAW?

Yes, over MIDI Clock with Song Position Pointer. You need a MIDI interface, since the unit has MIDI ports rather than USB.

04Can I trigger the sounds from a MIDI controller?

Yes. 120 sounds are reachable over MIDI with 127 velocity levels, versus 12 sounds and 8 loudness levels from the onboard pads.

Reference

Full specifications

The complete catalog record, organized around the decisions musicians make when comparing gear.

1 detailsPickups & controls
Footswitch Jacks/Functions
2; start/stop, count/A/B/fill
25 detailsOther
Pads
12 velocity sensitive (with Dynamic Articulation)
Timing Resolution
96 ppq
Sample/DAC Bit Resolution
16/18
MIDI Program Change Response
Kit
Panning
7-position user programmable
Notes/Patterns/Songs
12,000/400 (200 user, 200 preset)/100
Audio Outputs
4 (2 stereo pairs)
Sounds
233
Tier
new
Sync
MIDI Clock/Song Position Pointer
Kits
50 user, 50 preset
Dynamic Articulation
Modulates tone
Category Source
detail
Sounds Accessible via MIDI
120
Sounds Accessible via Pads
12
Dimensions
(WxHxD) 9.25"x 1.5" x 6.5"
Korena Special
false
Polyphony
16 voice
Weight
2.5 lb.
Other Features
Sound stacking, step editing, stereo samples with reverb and ambience
Velocity Response
8 loudness levels via pads, 127 via MIDI
Tempo Range
20-255 BPM
Source Id
site51274115061092
Time Signature Range
1-128 beats per pattern
Power
9 VAC External Transformer, UL, and CSA Approved