Alesis SR16 Drum Machine
Alesis SR16 The Alesis SR16 has to be one of the most popular drum machines ever made. The drum machine of choice for many songwriters, live performers, and remix engineers. Offering a selection of 233 realistic, and natural drum sounds; in both dry form as well as sampled with incomparable digital reverbs. While also featuring the exclusive Dynamic Articulation mode. Enabling you to change the tonal content of a drum sound as it's played harder, giving you a truly realistic performance. Furthermore, the SR16 features 50 preset patterns that have been physically played by the top studio drummers, rather than being programmed and quantized. Giving you enough built-in rhythmic variations for composing complete arrangements, and saving your own customized patterns and songs. Lastly, the SR16 offers complete MIDI implementation, footswitch input, flexible programming, editing features and velocity-sensitive pad buttons. Overall, the SR16 is a compact digital drum machine with over 230 sounds. Perfect for beatmakers and producers.
Alesis SR16 The Alesis SR16 has to be one of the most popular drum machines ever made. The drum machine of choice for many songwriters, live performers, and remix engineers. Offering a selection of 233 realistic, and natural drum sounds; in both dry form as well as sampled with incomparable digital reverbs. While also featuring the exclusive Dynamic Articulation mode. Enabling you to change the tonal content of a drum sound as it's played harder, giving you a truly realistic performance. Furthermore, the SR16 features 50 preset patterns that have been physically played by the top studio drummers, rather than being programmed and quantized. Giving you enough built-in rhythmic variations for composing complete arrangements, and saving your own customized patterns and songs. Lastly, the SR16 offers complete MIDI implementation, footswitch input, flexible programming, editing features and velocity-sensitive pad buttons. Overall, the SR16 is a compact digital drum machine with over 230 sounds. Perfect for beatmakers and producers.
Alesis SR16 The Alesis SR16 has to be one of the most popular drum machines ever made. The drum machine of choice for many songwriters, live performers, and remix engineers. Offering a selection of 233 realistic, and natural drum sounds; in both dry form as well as sampled with incomparable digital reverbs. While also featuring the exclusive Dynamic Articulation mode. Enabling you to change the tonal content of a drum sound as it's played harder, giving you a truly realistic performance. Furthermore, the SR16 features 50 preset patterns that have been physically played by the top studio drummers, rather than being programmed and quantized. Giving you enough built-in rhythmic variations for composing complete arrangements, and saving your own customized patterns and songs. Lastly, the SR16 offers complete MIDI implementation, footswitch input, flexible programming, editing features and velocity-sensitive pad buttons. Overall, the SR16 is a compact digital drum machine with over 230 sounds. Perfect for beatmakers and producers.
Alesis SR16 The Alesis SR16 has to be one of the most popular drum machines ever made. The drum machine of choice for many songwriters, live performers, and remix engineers. Offering a selection of 233 realistic, and natural drum sounds; in both dry form as well as sampled with incomparable digital reverbs. While also featuring the exclusive Dynamic Articulation mode. Enabling you to change the tonal content of a drum sound as it's played harder, giving you a truly realistic performance. Furthermore, the SR16 features 50 preset patterns that have been physically played by the top studio drummers, rather than being programmed and quantized. Giving you enough built-in rhythmic variations for composing complete arrangements, and saving your own customized patterns and songs. Lastly, the SR16 offers complete MIDI implementation, footswitch input, flexible programming, editing features and velocity-sensitive pad buttons. Overall, the SR16 is a compact digital drum machine with over 230 sounds. Perfect for beatmakers and producers.
in 32 offers
The lowest price for Alesis SR16 Drum Machine right now is $31.95 at Dick Smith AU, compared across 25 retailers.
The all-time low was $31.95 on 10 June 2026. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked — a great time to buy.
Prices last updated 10 June 2026.
Last updated at 10/06/2026 01:23:35
Alesis SR-16 | Studio-Grade Standalone Drum Machine with On-Board Sound Library, Performance Driven I/O and In-Built Effects
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis SR16 Digital Classic Electronic MIDI Drum Machine for Keyboards Computer
14-day returns
Alesis : SR16: Classic Drum Machine
Free delivery
Alesis Sa-16 Drum Machine Stereo Samples Preset Patterns No Power
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis Sr16 Sr-16 Portable Pro Drum Machine /sr 16 Used //armens
Delivery $170.21
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis Sr-16 Portable Electronic Drum Machine
Delivery $81.33
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis Sa-16 Drum Machine
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis Sr16 Drum Machine
Delivery $69.66
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine
Delivery $51.96
Alesis SR 16 Drum Machine
Delivery $148.47
originally posted on ebay.com
The market for drum machines these days seems dominated by 808 wannabes and analogue rhythm monsters, so this machine is something of a curiosity, dating from the time when drum machines were actually aiming to emulate real drummers. There's something to be said for drums with a real feel, and many of the patterns were apparently played in by real drummers. Looking down the list of rhythms might bring back bad memories of rhythm patterns from old electronic keyboards, and there is a certain dominance of rock etc., but having worked with electronic beats for a while, I find these actually quite refreshing and not as cheesey as they might first appear. Also the actual sounds are quite punchy and of a high quality. Add this to the MIDI capabilities, footswitch support, ... MoreThe market for drum machines these days seems dominated by 808 wannabes and analogue rhythm monsters, so this machine is something of a curiosity, dating from the time when drum machines were actually aiming to emulate real drummers. There's something to be said for drums with a real feel, and many of the patterns were apparently played in by real drummers. Looking down the list of rhythms might bring back bad memories of rhythm patterns from old electronic keyboards, and there is a certain dominance of rock etc., but having worked with electronic beats for a while, I find these actually quite refreshing and not as cheesey as they might first appear. Also the actual sounds are quite punchy and of a high quality. Add this to the MIDI capabilities, footswitch support, A/B.fill and user patterns, and I think you have quite a decent bit of kit for the money, useful for performance and recording. If I was to nitpick I would say the display is in need of an upgrade to something visible in low light (even a backlight would help, OLED would be marvellous) and the drum pads are not up to todays standards (Push etc.) Otherwise, a nice device. And great for the price!
originally posted on ebay.com
Works awesome. Got to work right out of the box! Guess this would be old school to most. This machine is just as good if not better than any drum machine now. I'm an old guitar player who used these in the 80s n 90s. I've tried several and just wasn't happy. Went with what always worked. There is a learning curve but in time is worth the hassle. Try one.
originally posted on musiciansfriend.com
I'm a 54 y/o bass player who seldom has rare access to an adult human drummer who isn't too busy to practice. So I bought this little box of drummers with the intention of saving a little and practicing my bass with drum loops and creating my own loops as I gain proficiency with the unit. So far, so good, but there are definitely a few things to consider before buying. I wish I had known then what I found out after buying.Pros: Great variety of sounds for an entry level drum machine. Does what it is supposed to do, and is simple to operate the preset patterns right out of the box. I like the volume control and the response of the pads when creating my own beats, but the buttons could be a little larger for my old guy hands.Cons: The biggest complaint I have is ... MoreI'm a 54 y/o bass player who seldom has rare access to an adult human drummer who isn't too busy to practice. So I bought this little box of drummers with the intention of saving a little and practicing my bass with drum loops and creating my own loops as I gain proficiency with the unit. So far, so good, but there are definitely a few things to consider before buying. I wish I had known then what I found out after buying.Pros: Great variety of sounds for an entry level drum machine. Does what it is supposed to do, and is simple to operate the preset patterns right out of the box. I like the volume control and the response of the pads when creating my own beats, but the buttons could be a little larger for my old guy hands.Cons: The biggest complaint I have is that the LCD display is not backlit and is extremely difficult to see the small letters and numbers without a direct light right over it. A small desk lamp solves it, but a small desk lamp is just another thing I don't need to clutter up my rack. The instruction booklet seems to have been written in an age before software like Garage Band or Ableton were sparkles in a developer's eye, and refers to cassette tapes so often I feel I am reading the manual my old 4-track recorder from 1983. It's 2020 and cassette tapes are pretty rare.I can recommend this little unit to anyone looking for a jam buddy in a box, but be aware of the limitations. If I were to buy another Alesis drum machine for the same purpose of practice, I would consider spending the extra money and upgrade to the SR-18 with the backlit LCD to avoid eye strain and enjoy a bunch more sounds.
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Is Oversized | No |
| Instrument | HI-TECH/STUDIO EQUIP |
| Composer/Series | SR |
| Production Status | 2 |
Alesis SR-16 | Studio-Grade Standalone Drum Machine with On-Board Sound Library, Performance Driven I/O and In-Built Effects
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis SR16 Digital Classic Electronic MIDI Drum Machine for Keyboards Computer
14-day returns
Alesis : SR16: Classic Drum Machine
Free delivery
Alesis Sa-16 Drum Machine Stereo Samples Preset Patterns No Power
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Alesis Sr16 Sr-16 Portable Pro Drum Machine /sr 16 Used //armens
Delivery $170.21
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
The market for drum machines these days seems dominated by 808 wannabes and analogue rhythm monsters, so this machine is something of a curiosity, dating from the time when drum machines were actually aiming to emulate real drummers. There's something to be said for drums with a real feel, and many of the patterns were apparently played in by real drummers. Looking down the list of rhythms might bring back bad memories of rhythm patterns from old electronic keyboards, and there is a certain dominance of rock etc., but having worked with electronic beats for a while, I find these actually quite refreshing and not as cheesey as they might first appear. Also the actual sounds are quite punchy and of a high quality. Add this to the MIDI capabilities, footswitch support, ... MoreThe market for drum machines these days seems dominated by 808 wannabes and analogue rhythm monsters, so this machine is something of a curiosity, dating from the time when drum machines were actually aiming to emulate real drummers. There's something to be said for drums with a real feel, and many of the patterns were apparently played in by real drummers. Looking down the list of rhythms might bring back bad memories of rhythm patterns from old electronic keyboards, and there is a certain dominance of rock etc., but having worked with electronic beats for a while, I find these actually quite refreshing and not as cheesey as they might first appear. Also the actual sounds are quite punchy and of a high quality. Add this to the MIDI capabilities, footswitch support, A/B.fill and user patterns, and I think you have quite a decent bit of kit for the money, useful for performance and recording. If I was to nitpick I would say the display is in need of an upgrade to something visible in low light (even a backlight would help, OLED would be marvellous) and the drum pads are not up to todays standards (Push etc.) Otherwise, a nice device. And great for the price!
Works awesome. Got to work right out of the box! Guess this would be old school to most. This machine is just as good if not better than any drum machine now. I'm an old guitar player who used these in the 80s n 90s. I've tried several and just wasn't happy. Went with what always worked. There is a learning curve but in time is worth the hassle. Try one.
I'm a 54 y/o bass player who seldom has rare access to an adult human drummer who isn't too busy to practice. So I bought this little box of drummers with the intention of saving a little and practicing my bass with drum loops and creating my own loops as I gain proficiency with the unit. So far, so good, but there are definitely a few things to consider before buying. I wish I had known then what I found out after buying.Pros: Great variety of sounds for an entry level drum machine. Does what it is supposed to do, and is simple to operate the preset patterns right out of the box. I like the volume control and the response of the pads when creating my own beats, but the buttons could be a little larger for my old guy hands.Cons: The biggest complaint I have is ... MoreI'm a 54 y/o bass player who seldom has rare access to an adult human drummer who isn't too busy to practice. So I bought this little box of drummers with the intention of saving a little and practicing my bass with drum loops and creating my own loops as I gain proficiency with the unit. So far, so good, but there are definitely a few things to consider before buying. I wish I had known then what I found out after buying.Pros: Great variety of sounds for an entry level drum machine. Does what it is supposed to do, and is simple to operate the preset patterns right out of the box. I like the volume control and the response of the pads when creating my own beats, but the buttons could be a little larger for my old guy hands.Cons: The biggest complaint I have is that the LCD display is not backlit and is extremely difficult to see the small letters and numbers without a direct light right over it. A small desk lamp solves it, but a small desk lamp is just another thing I don't need to clutter up my rack. The instruction booklet seems to have been written in an age before software like Garage Band or Ableton were sparkles in a developer's eye, and refers to cassette tapes so often I feel I am reading the manual my old 4-track recorder from 1983. It's 2020 and cassette tapes are pretty rare.I can recommend this little unit to anyone looking for a jam buddy in a box, but be aware of the limitations. If I were to buy another Alesis drum machine for the same purpose of practice, I would consider spending the extra money and upgrade to the SR-18 with the backlit LCD to avoid eye strain and enjoy a bunch more sounds.
A good machine to cut your teeth on. Once you get to know it its not hard at all to use. If you get really into your demos then you will want something better. But this can pretty much hang with the big boys. Only criticism i have with this machine is that you need light to record at night. There is no back lighting for the dark. But Im just nit-picking it doesnt take anything at all away from the versatility of this machine!
The sound of this machine has always intrigued me, since they first came out in the '90's... The first one I ever saw was at a music store plugged into an amp and going through the 'demo'. I looked around to see where the machine was, and the store clerk pointed to a little white box with buttons, about the size of a video tape. "THAT thing is making those drum sounds?!" He said, "it's an Alesis" (I don't know what model) and I was hooked on the idea of having a tiny device crank out sounds so real you could feel the punch! The Alesis unit has changed a bit since I first discovered it... but it is still impressive to me. - jef
My bass player & I used this for 20 yrs in playing live performance gigs. They are tough and built well. We are on the third one in that 20 yrs. I tried a Boss version, but the Alesis actually "Starts" and "Stops" in correct time when used with the footswitches; and..., the "Fill" function used with the 2nd foot pedal, allows you to actually put a drum roll in for an accent in whatever time signature you are using while performing in the "Pattern" mode. We never used the "Song" mode as it is a little involved to set up, plus it takes up precious memory. Very good in recording as you can use continual loops from the device. Hope Alesis continues to make these for years to come, becuz in my opinion, they cannot be beat. The actual sounds are close enough to genuine ... MoreMy bass player & I used this for 20 yrs in playing live performance gigs. They are tough and built well. We are on the third one in that 20 yrs. I tried a Boss version, but the Alesis actually "Starts" and "Stops" in correct time when used with the footswitches; and..., the "Fill" function used with the 2nd foot pedal, allows you to actually put a drum roll in for an accent in whatever time signature you are using while performing in the "Pattern" mode. We never used the "Song" mode as it is a little involved to set up, plus it takes up precious memory. Very good in recording as you can use continual loops from the device. Hope Alesis continues to make these for years to come, becuz in my opinion, they cannot be beat. The actual sounds are close enough to genuine drum sounds that there are no complaints when mixed in with the bass, keyboard, guitar & vocals. Close enough. Thanks, Alesis, keep making this particular reliable drum machine.
As I primarily want this as a composing tool at home and as the amps we have at home are too big and cumbersome to set up and put away, I went out and bought a tiny amp for £35 and a new guitar cable - without which this is just a boxOK, I am no drummer, but this little gizmo looks like it could be my drummer/ percussionist until I get one. Really I just want it for composing with - and it looks promising for that: but from what I have read up on this - it does a lot more than that.OK I still need to learn how to use it - but there are lots of on-line tutorials for that. As such mu feedback in 6 months time would be a lot more valuable than my feedback now.
Heard good things about the Alesis SR16 24-bit Stereo Drum Machine for years. Was given one a long time ago but it did not work, however, I received the extras with it, such as the foot switches and power supply, all good. Order this new unit at a very good price, and it works well right out of the box. It was simple to set up and to use the on-board program drum patterns, which have alternate version in the A-B mode, plus you can use special drum fills between modes. Then there are multiple patterns for each style of music to select. Have not gotten into the creation of my own drum patterns as yet, but my son that is a drummer is going to help me with that. The sounds created by this drum machine sound realistic to me and they don't have a synth sound at all! Great ... MoreHeard good things about the Alesis SR16 24-bit Stereo Drum Machine for years. Was given one a long time ago but it did not work, however, I received the extras with it, such as the foot switches and power supply, all good. Order this new unit at a very good price, and it works well right out of the box. It was simple to set up and to use the on-board program drum patterns, which have alternate version in the A-B mode, plus you can use special drum fills between modes. Then there are multiple patterns for each style of music to select. Have not gotten into the creation of my own drum patterns as yet, but my son that is a drummer is going to help me with that. The sounds created by this drum machine sound realistic to me and they don't have a synth sound at all! Great drum machine overall from what I can tell so far.
The SR-16 is probably the most well-known drum machine of all time. Its popularity is due in no small part to the ease of use combined with sophisticated technology that allows for plenty of creative expression and expansion. I chose this as my first drum machine and after going through the contents and hooking it up to my audio interface at home, I'm quite happy with my decision so far. This is a quality piece of hardware that really expands your creative options as well as music / rhythm understanding and appreciation.The most basic functionality I experimented with after plugging it in is the preset patterns. There are 50 to choose from, each with a generic label like "Blues", "Latin", "Fusion", "New Age", "Rap", etc. I suppose it's up to your own personal taste ... MoreThe SR-16 is probably the most well-known drum machine of all time. Its popularity is due in no small part to the ease of use combined with sophisticated technology that allows for plenty of creative expression and expansion. I chose this as my first drum machine and after going through the contents and hooking it up to my audio interface at home, I'm quite happy with my decision so far. This is a quality piece of hardware that really expands your creative options as well as music / rhythm understanding and appreciation.The most basic functionality I experimented with after plugging it in is the preset patterns. There are 50 to choose from, each with a generic label like "Blues", "Latin", "Fusion", "New Age", "Rap", etc. I suppose it's up to your own personal taste and interpretation how close these come to their descriptions. The good news is you can edit just about any aspect of them by substituting different drum sets or adjusting the tempo. Beyond that, you can also simply create your own patterns from scratch or by copying and pasting existing patterns you like and tweaking the drum parts individually. There are about 230 drum "voices" across kick, snare, toms, and so on and each has a corresponding pad on the machine that can be assigned to that sound. Beyond that, the on-board sounds offer a variety of reverb options, so you can simulate playing drums in a large hall, room or simply "dry" (no reverb).All of this could be a little overwhelming, but the SR-16 luckily comes with a very nice manual that is easy to read and explains everything in a logical manner. It's honestly one of the best-written tech manuals I've come across.The only minor knock against this machine is that it is such an unchanged staple over so many years (nay, decades!) it may seem a tad outdated. Other machines might have more sounds than this or more bells and whistles or a fancier display. Still, it's hard to be disappointed with this machine, especially considering the relatively low price and quality sounds and customization available. A great drum machine for the beginner/intermediate player/performer, whatever your instrument of choice.
I investigated quite a few models, but many of them are geared toward on making beats, being a DJ, etc. - not on primarily being a drum machine. Then I discovered a video where the reviewer said he really didn't need to program anything on the Alesis SR-16, he just punched in a number and hit play. That was what I was looking for (and got).I've had the unit for a little more than a week and used it every day. At this time, I have primarily been using the preset patterns (and installed the five 3/4 time waltz patterns and use them too). Some of the drum pad events needed volume tweaks, so I have five customized "user" patterns that I use along with the preset and downloaded patterns. It has met all my needs and expectations. I am playing it through a bass combo amp ... MoreI investigated quite a few models, but many of them are geared toward on making beats, being a DJ, etc. - not on primarily being a drum machine. Then I discovered a video where the reviewer said he really didn't need to program anything on the Alesis SR-16, he just punched in a number and hit play. That was what I was looking for (and got).I've had the unit for a little more than a week and used it every day. At this time, I have primarily been using the preset patterns (and installed the five 3/4 time waltz patterns and use them too). Some of the drum pad events needed volume tweaks, so I have five customized "user" patterns that I use along with the preset and downloaded patterns. It has met all my needs and expectations. I am playing it through a bass combo amp and when the amp's treble is increased a bit the SR-16 has a very realistic sound.Minor nitpicks:I would be nice to have a back-lit display.They should have included the 3/4 time waltz patterns with the standard preset patterns.The instruction booklet has not been updated for the 2004 hardware change. For example, pictures still show the older 1991 jack layout, and therefore many menu instructions that refer to them are also out of date.Backups have to be through MIDI-unless you have a tape backup system from the 90s (ha ha).
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Is Oversized | No |
| Instrument | HI-TECH/STUDIO EQUIP |
| Composer/Series | SR |
| Production Status | 2 |
