Alesis SR-18 Drum Machine Reviews

AKA "Old Reliable". Had an SR-16 years ago which always worked out great for preprogramming songs for multitracking. This newer Alesis model is the SR-16 with some nice upgrades. Very easy to create patterns and then use those to create songs. There are a lot of drum kits to choose from so you can get just the sound you want for a particular type of song. As always, thanks Jimmy Hart for your help with my order.

I recommend this drum machine to anyone looking a simple a basic rhythm accompaniment

The SR18 is a blast to work with. Not only does it have an extensive list of presets (99 x 2), but it also has user presets at the same number (99 X 2). Previously I used an X2 Drummer by Mooer (a great product, by the way.) The SR18 goes far and beyond it. It allows you to create your own drum riffs and combine those into songs (different lead-ins, middle parts, and endings.)
So far, I love mine.
That said, I went out and watched several great youtube videos on how to use the SR18, create your only drum tracks, etc. Learning from the video made using the SR18 a much better experience.

I am using this for putting drum tracks while playing guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and more. That said, it isn't really made for use with any of my synths, as it doesn't have the ability to sync out. I didn't buy it for that reason. I bought it to use with guitars, etc... ( I already have a Drum Brute Impact and a DFAM for that purpose.)

The interface is easy to read and use (I did not expect the screen to be on par with an iPhone.)
Overall for its low price, it's a shockingly good value. If you are looking for a drumming kit to accompany your guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and more, this is the one for you.

FYI: I like the Alesis brand. I have an Alesis Command Drum kit I have added more drums to, and it's been a great experience. As always, Sweetwater delivers!

I had no problem with the SR 16 yet after using one of these I never looked back. The SR 18 was the upgrade with percussion and bass line accompaniment. 24bit articulation which when triggered correctly will cut through like an actual drum session. When I need A session drummer this is it for the home studio.

I bought so many drum machines looking for the shuffle beat that dancers could dance to. I was never able to program one myself, but this has one that is in the groove....no broken beat...straight driving shuffle people like to dance to. I play Blues and Country.

We are very happy with this! It sounds great through our Behringer speaker. It sounds excellent at low or louder levels and is great to play guitar with. Definitely recommended.

I love this thing. I have an SR-16, but this little bad boy is off the chain!

I played drums for years and then took up other instruments. I now record as part of the band- Neutral Earth. We use multiple drum machines, as I don't currently have a drum set. Of all the apps and drum machines we use, this is my favorite. It's great to jam with or if recording you can really get professional sounding results. It was used extensively on our cd, "Current Volts and Ohms which you can hear on YouTube. If I was forced to jam or record with only one devise, this would be my overwhelming choice.

Best jam partner ever.. after using this for about 4 months I noticed a huge improvement in my timing and looping skills.. meaning a beat of 1,2,3,4.1.2.3.4..ect..its all timing..work with it you will not be unhappy..I havea ton of music cover tunes I've worked out the tempo and pattern to ...so I just write it down and when I play a song.i just dial up my #s and away we go...I'm a guitar teacher and I highly recommend this product..

As always stellar service on this ultra professional drum machine which is a perfect tool for creating and enhancing new music.

I've been using drum machines for 30 years since my accordion teacher showed me one!
It was as big as a marshal amp head!! Lol
Now as a singer, songwriter and keyboard and guitar player I've fallen in love with the SR18
I've been through many since then but have been using the SR18 for years when solo!
The great patterns covers everything. The song program mode can create a tune from the first measure to the last!
However the great aspect of this machine is the ability to create your specific groove then have an A and B to switch between! The two pedal inputs let's you go between grooves with a tap of the external pedal and stop anytime!
More importantly you can add a bass accompaniment
and have a nice solo sound with a bass and drum sound! It's the best for live performances!!!

I really love this SR 18, wow so versatile and fairly easy to use. I was a drummer for many years and switched to bass at the start of Covid. I got this as a rehearsal and performance tool, really glad I did!
Alos, a huge shout out to Kyle Malone my Sales Engineer and trusted advisor, he also rocks! Sweetwater, Sweeeet!

The Alesis SR-18 Drum Machine may be overkill for what I'm using it for, but it's doing a great job of meeting my simple needs. I had been recording percussion with my Yamaha MX-49, but several of the percussion voices were getting flaky and it was SO hard to find exactly the percussion sound I wanted. Not to mention the difficulty in being consistent in hitting the keys.

So when I explained to my rep, Jonathan Appleton, that I most just needed something that I could play live into my recordings, he recommended the Alesis. He's guided me well on a number of past purchases, so I went with his recommendation. Am I ever glad I did!

I didn't realize how limited the Yamaha was until I started using the Alesis. I mostly just need a simple beat, and I've had fun switching among the various drum sets searching for the most appropriate sounds for my songs. Oh, and the superiority of the sounds over the MX blows me away.

I love the controls on the Alesis and being able to press pads rather than strike keys. And the fact it's small enough to keep on top of a nearby cabinet and to easily get down and hold on my lap while using it--or to put on a music stand when I prefer.

I'm not yet into programming the Alesis and I may very well never need to try that. But I'm quite satisfied with what I use it for and wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Full disclosure - this is my first drum machine, ever.

Three weeks after the purchase - this thing is not easy to figure out, the instructions are iffy, could have been more in-depth, for noobs. Experienced owners would probably disagree with my take.

Pros:
Sounds are good, does what it is supposed to do (replace a real drummer).

Cons:
Not user-friendly.

Would I recommend:
If you want to ditch a real drummer, love the challenge of figuring out poorly written instructions, and like unfriendly interfaces, sure.

Rating:
Unlike most people who are having a hard time figuring out new equipment, I will rate the unit 5 stars (instead of 1), with the understanding that I'm the only one who probably cannot figure this thing out.

A year from now, if I still have a hard time figuring this thing out, I reserve the right to re-star my review.

I got the unit today, spent about 2 or 3 hours playing with it. The owner's manual sucks (unless you are versed in sequencers). Go to YouTube, to figure it out.

Once you figure it out, it is awesome.

This is my 2nd SR-18. It's probably the best drum machine for live performance. I haven't tried any others, as I've been a loyal "Alesis" fan/owner..HR-16, SR-16 and now SR-18. On the Sr-18,each user pattern has an "A" and a "B" part. I use the "A" for the V ERSE and the "B" part for the CHORUS. I also assign each part a fill, which seamlessly lets you switch between the parts at the touch of a fill foot switch. The best part is the bright blue display, and the TEMPO is stored along with the pattern! I just punch in "0,1" on the keypad and get my customized "Reggae Beat" up instantly with the preset tempo! No fuss! The effects are great! You can have a huge exploding snare drum on one pad, and also set up a "dry" one on another pad....and use them alternately for dramatic effect. Love it!!

After owning many drum machines and performing as a one-man band keyboardist, this machine does almost EVERYTHING you would need in live performance.. So well thought out. I use ONLY my own programs, and there is plenty of room to store them. Once you get to know how to set up fills and use the FILL function, you'll be in the drivers seat. If you create a pattern (along with it's own fills)..the unit will store the TEMPO as part of the pattern. That used to be a problem in the past for me. For example, I made a "Swing beat" in pattern "48" and when I punch in that number, it comes up instantly at the proper tempo. When I'm ready to end the song, I can punch in "04 (Cha Cha beat) and will seamlessly begin my Cha Cha at the tempo i stored along with that pattern. No fuss! If you change the tempo during pattern play and don't SAVE it to the pattern, the next time you turn on the unit, it will revert to your original tempo and ignore your live editing. Only thing I don't like is that the unit will NOT remember the PAD SENSITIVITY setting you use. I usually set my pad velocity to the value of "6" for live performance along with the machine's beat that's playing...after shutting unit off, it will revert back to the "Loud" setting. So every time I turn it on, I make that adjustment quickly before I begin my set. ALL in all..I love it! Display is great in the dark or in sunlight.

It is all that i have done latin ,hiphop rock and jazz .... everyone needs one

I have been working with the SR18 for 2 years now and own two of them. The more I use it the more I am impressed with the design of this unit. It took a little time to get familiar with the programming functions but once mastered it is a breeze to work with. I am most impressed with is the A & B and associated Fill pattern concept. Once I figured out the ground rules, which the manual does a very good job of describing providing you read it carefully, I have found ways of utilizing them to maximize the available memory - not sure the designers anticipated some of the things I have been able to do utilizing the FILL patterns but if they did then I'm even more impressed with the thought that went into this design. In live performance the START STOP and FILL functions are excellent and even in SONG mode you can extend your performance to suit the situation so you are not bound by your original programming - pretty cool !! The copy function allows for movement to and from all of the A&B & FILL patterns and the tempo program change within patterns in SONG mode allows for the addition of even more expression in your live performances. It is impressive sonically and the availability of four assignable outputs allows for even greater control over the final FOH sound and if desired isolation of your count in.
I could go on but I will just wrap up by saying if you are considering adding electronic drums to your solo act or group this is, in my opinion, a unit you should seriously consider.

I was overwhelmed at first, how to record with songs that change tempos, or types of beats, like Def Leppard does. The sounds are outstanding, the percussion add-ons are as well. I usually mute the bas due to octave changes but will use to begin a key in writing.
I LOVE IT! Even though I own Tama set, and DW set. Usine Meine cymbals for TAMA, and combonation of Zildjan and Paiste for DW set.

I am still learning things it will do.

I own two SR-18's,two SR-16's and one SR-16 eqivalent Performance Pad. The sounds in the SR 16 have served me well for years but I was able to get my hands on the 18 right after having programmed nearly an albums worth of drums on the 16 (and after already having recorded the 16). In other words I was in a position do a proper A/B and see the clear difference between the units. First I had no serious intention of replacing the drums as the sounds on the 16 did the trick-that is until I heard the kicks. The kicks seemed to be more contemporary and modern having a somewaht lower focus. I think they were recorded into the machine using some of the more modern kick mics (like the Audix-D6) Then I noticed the cymbals. On the 16 you could simply change cymbal pitches to vary the hi, mid and low crashes-and this worked for me previously. The cymbals have more variety and sound more "real" to me. They seemed more 3D than the 16's comparatively 2D sound. What was the final nail in the coffin for the 16's parts being replaced were the 18's toms. They were fuller,meatier, more gutteral than the 16's. Though I had no intention of using the bass patches (as I am a bassist), through just messing around I did write a bass part for another song that will now be included on the current project. So the bass sounds are good. Another reviewer mentioned about the main and aux sounds leaking into each other. I did not find this to be the case. In fact the channel leaking or "cross talk" was significantly better on the 18 than the 16. My suspicion is that he probably had the reverb on and that is waht he was hearing. As for programming hardness/easiness that is always a subjective issue. Having logged literally thousands of hours on the 16 (had them since they came out). I did wish the programming was similar so I could work fast but no, it is not the same.....BUT!...ther are some improvements for example lets say you wanted to step edit a part you coulddn't play with fingers (say a complex fill) and you wanted to change quantization in the middle of the pattern on the 16 you'd go back to the beginning of the part with each change on the 18 you can change and stay right where you are. This was a godsend as some of my patterns were quite long and the fills sometimes needed the quantization high or off-to sound more human (waiting through every quant tic took forever! Now you can set the quant low scroll to where you want to be then change the quant back higher ,COOL!! Overall the 18 is WAY better however I did still use two of the 16's snares and the random wet hi hat. The verdict? If you hadn't heard the 18 then the 16 is a great machine and I would use it with no complaints (in fact since I'm faster on the 16 I STILL program with it ) but having heard the 18 it is now my go to unit. I use the 16 to drive the 18 via MIDI. One reviewer mentioned it's difficult programming. Look, every tool since the invention of fire has a learning curve. More features means more learning. You can't expect to fly the Space Shuttle after have gotten you driver's liscence without LEARNING! If you can't get anything out of the 18 (or the 16 for that matter) programming wise (or sonically) then I don't think any other drum machine is going to make a difference. I didn't even mention the effects-I mean Alesis MAKES multieffectors so you know what you're getting.The EQ/compression presets are dramatic enough that to me they expand the 500 sounds into sonically even MORE sounds! I Will probably get one more SR-18 for my next project!

I am a Guitar Player 4 about 35 some yrs. The SR-16 Has kept me ALIVE more than one time!! I have wrote more song's on that damm machine , ZAPPA would be proud!! I for 1 That can not wait to get this "LIL" Baby into the Studio!! The 16 was the BEST Drummer I ever had!! NEVER Late-No Drug's-A Meter 2 kill for,And the KOOLIST Thang about that Dude is,He ALWAY'S Wanted 2 Play EVERY SONG That I Did!! NOW-That'z a Hard Drummer 2 Find!! Oh Ya ,NO EGO

I love this thing. Had a combo looper & drum pedal from a big name pedal maker and the quality of drum sounds and ease of use wasn't what I was hoping for so I sent it back. Picked up the SR-18 and watched a couple of videos on Y_tube and was making patterns and songs in about an hour. In my opinion, very easy to use and understand, and I'm not a drummer but a guitar player. The quality of drum sounds is great. Had it for almost a month now and this is not getting returned - it's a keeper!
I run my L6 Helix into the instrument jack on this, out to my DT-25 head which is hooked to a 4x4 Marshall cab and it sounds fantastic. Now I just need to pick up a stereo looper pedal and I'll be set!

I really can't believe how full of features, control, and adjustability this machine is for the price. I appreciate that Greg Parke's review says most of the positive things I would say, only he said it better. I have few complaints because having owned the 16, using the 18 is pretty intuitive. My negative assessment is particular to me, and others do not seem to find negative what I do. While the 18 has advanced, I have not. I'm still stuck mostly in the 60s, 70s, and the edge of the 80s. So, I find most, but not all, of the fills pretty lame. But that's not a problem since I can develop my own. And I can build them by editing existing fills. Pretty easy. I don't think most other reviewers would agree with my assessment, but again if you do, it's pretty easily remedied. So, Alesis is great for me.

Within 24 hours I have completed a song. 95 steps, 9 phrases. For an old school style digital workstation the interface is pretty intuitive. Its really got nothing on the DAW software for ease of use, but for a guy with no computer, its not to shabby. I can see this with live applications. Great for creating drum patterns that are unique to your song. The sequencer is seamless. Hundreds of drum kits that are customizable. I am just cracking the surface. Don't listen to folks complaining about the bass. There is a mute function that can just silence it. The bass section is truly awful, but it would probably work in a pinch. I am a little concerned about the memory, I was at 6% storage capacity after completing that song. Granted its a little more complex than most, but that only puts its capacity at about 20 songs. I am sure if you do more looping it reduces the storage demands. Overall very happy.

I have used the SR 16 for years, so when it came time to upgrade, of course I looked at the SR 18. I mostly use a drum machine for live use, so it has to be very quick to change patches between songs, besides just sounding good! I looked at every drum machine out there for under $1000, and the SR 18 came out the definite winner for my needs. Loaded with features that other machines don't have that make it ideal for live use. It can be set up so each one of the 12 pads will call up a preset patch with pattern A and B, fill A and B, so calling up frequently used patches can be done on the fly, and morph from one pattern to the next. Great for keeping people on the dance floor with no pause between songs. You can even program a "song" that will automaticly change patterns as you go seamlessly from one song to the next if you want. Killer drum sounds, with many different kits to choose from, and very easy to program your own beats, and/or mix your own beats with parts of beats already in the machine. I have made many beats, using my own for the basic patterns, and using more complicated exsisting fills to make great beats. Saves a lot of time! I gave it 4.5 stars because in order to change the tempo on the fly, you need to hold down the tap tempo button and then spin the dial. Minor detail, and there may be a "work around" that I haven't found yet. This is not just a re-issue of the SR16 with a few new features. It is a whole new machine that retains all the good ideas of the SR16 with a ton of new very useful, user friendly features. The pre-loaded patterns might not be as useful right out of thebox like the SR16, but it is so easy to modify, add to, take away from, mix and match, or create totaly new beats that it doesn't really matter. Did I mention killer drum sounds? Major upgrade from the SR16 in that department! Want in your face, punchy kick drum? Check out "Power Kit 2". You better have decent subs on your PA with that one!

All but the Bass I love it. It took a bit to figure the presets to user to song and think the instructions can be explained easier for dimwits like me,... Yeah, I said it. but doing well now and I love it. just need to stay patient and stay on it. Got fed up with Boss Roland and cards that failed along with their machines. Wont buy ther crap anymore.

I am a bass player and I absolutely love my SR-16. I am anxious to try out the new SR-18 too. I only use the preset patterns because I still haven't figured out how to program the thing. Its not easy - actually its frustrating. The preset patterns do most of waht I need though. I just wish the SR-16 had a few more presets - a bo diddly beat and a walz pattern.

As I dug deeper into the unit I found the area's that had stumped me during my first session with it and I must conclude that this unit is very cool. I was able to set up patterns in no time and once I dug into the manual I was erasing and redoing things with ease. Lots of different styles are covered and infact too many good ones that I had a difficult time figuring out which ones to delete in the user bank in order to open more memory. There are about 25 free ones but that wouldn't last long for someone creative and this thing put me in the zone so at that point you either dump to your computer or you erase user presets I really like the bass sounds and in particular some of the synth bass sounds really rock. It's fairly intuitive once you delve into it which I really didn't do before I started thinking there were areas of annoyance. Not much here to dislike. For anyone, like myself, who likes to jam on their own or needs accompaniment for your idea's, I'm thinking this unit won't let you down. These are software times but I'm atill a hardware guy and this thing is quite inspiring and these drum sounds are really nice to my ears. I did find on one occasion that it acted a bit quirky and wouldn't allow me to record a bass line so I shut it off and turned it back on and returned to my user preset and all was fine. Perhaps I did something as the bass part was flashing and somehow I couldn't figure out how to change that. Overall it's very good and I give this unit a solid 8.5 out of 10. Nice job Alesis!

This Alesis drum machine is perfect for studio use, but i'm not sure about live applications. But then again I don't have any intentions on using it live. My sole purpose is for my home studio that I don't have room to set up a complete drum room to do home demo recordings. When I write new songs or even want to get rhythm ideas for new songs, I just pan through the machine and experiment with different drum sounds to get riff ideas from. And when I get a finished song I can lay down my drum parts with the machine. It really does sound like a real drummer. But the learning curve is a bear to get down. They probably need to make a series of videos that you can get with a really good instructor on them that can take it slowly and show everyone how to make a complete song and use all of the components correctly. So I gave the Alesis people a 4 on this because of the learning curve and that they haven't done any kind of education with it.

The Alesis SR-18 is a welcome update to the now classic SR-16. The sample library is very extensive, ranging from acoustic to electronic sounds. Honestly you could definitely write a full track off this unit and this unit alone with some creative sequencing and the help of a DAW. The SR-18 sounds are wonderfully editable with pitch adjustment up and down an octave, low-pass non-resonant filtering, and, probably most importantly, decay editing. The onboard compression/EQ processing options sound quite good and the reverb algorithms are actually stellar in my opinion as well. They really deliver amazing & lush sounding standard reverbs as well as more washed out or effecty type algorithms. The onboard sequencer is easy to use but a little tiresome. Sequencing from a computer is much better for getting the nuances of off-the-grid looseness. If you wanted to gig with it you could program in the DAW and then record unquantized straight in to keep your original computer programmed feel. The only real downside to this unit, and it's somewhat irksome, is that the sample library isn't organized super intuitively. Alike samples aren't always grouped together so if you're looking for which clap to use for instance, you can't just browse all the options in series. Apart from that the samples are really quite useable and even the bass/synth sounds are pretty interesting too even if they don't have any real-time control. The SR-18 does so much to enhance the SR-16 that I really hope we get a similar & unexpected leap to what Alesis does in its hopeful next upgrade.

Very good sound, but you must watch you tube videos to understand how to proceed. It does a lot. Good device.

In comparison to my 30 year old SR-16, I don't think the SR-18 has the fullness of my older unit. But, there are several settings on the SR-18 that I have yet to check-out. With that being said, I still think that Elesis has one of the finer drummers on the market!

At first I was disappointed. Once I found out how to turn off the Bass. I could fit the beats to my music. I like being able to speed up or slow down the beats without changing the pitch. This makes the machine more creative and there is no end to what I can learn from it. My drummer friends don't like it. ( job security ). The 5 th star comes after I learn to use it more.

The drums in 24-Bit sound great. The method in how you are required to build patterns and songs hasn't changed. One thing that I wish would have changed or that some programming guru would provide is a software editor/ patter/ song creator. Why not? Don't tell me "But it's so easy on the SR-18 / SR-16!" Software always makes things easier! You would think Alesis after waiting 20 years to follow up the SR-16 they would have gone just a little bit further and provided some PC/MAC editior...this is the 21st century right?

Don't get me wrong, the presets are great. But and editor would have made this piece of gear over the top!
Come on Alesis hire a software engineer and do us all a favor!

Within a few hours taking the SR-18 out of the box I had already programmed my own original song without even reading the users manual. The on board sounds are truly amazing and very high quality. The ease of use is great. You can go back and edit every step and beat of a pattern or song while it's stopped, or add/erase sounds in real time while looping. The Effects, EQ and Compression sound great. Tons of memory, great customization options for drum sets and tweaking and tuning individual sounds. Quantization and Swing settings for rolls are fantastic features.
I have thus far only found two sizable flaws with this machine. One, the velocity is useless! You have to practically hit one of the pads with a hammer to hear a noticeable difference in volume from slightly pressing it, no matter which setting you have the velocity on. You can go back and change the volumes of each step manually, but it'd be much nicer to be able to have a more capable velocity control for live use. The second problem is that the main and aux outputs leak into each other. So if you want to send the drum and percussion layers to the separate outputs for simultaneous recording purposes, you're going to get some low level spill that will muddy up your track. But this can be worked around by recording one layer at a time.
Overall I am impressed with this machine, you can't beat it for the price. I would definitely recommend this product. You just have to hear it for yourself!

I picked one of these up for cheap with a broken power switch, fixed it, and now it's on my desk. The sounds are very configurable- envelope, pitching, effects (reverb/eq/comp), has a third output for an Aux track (for sidechaining, bass, etc). The effects just have presets, but the presets sound really good. And it has a very 90's bass synth, too! Patterns, fills, song mode... lots to love here.

Now, for the bad- the pads aren't sensitive at all. Manual says they can do 8 steps of velocity, but that's just not happening. And I absolutely hate the user interface. It's like typing a novel on a Nokia flip phone... you can do it, but you're not in for a good time. If you just want to use the stock patterns and kits, go for it. But the shift/page/scroll flip phone UI is just masochism in 2022. I, too, had to watch all the YouTube videos just to figure it out.

To be fair, this module is fantastic to use with an external sequencer, like a Keystep, Circuit Tracks, or other groovebox. BUT if you have something like an MC-101 or Circuit, they already have great bass and drum sounds in them, making this not really necessary.

I really want to love this machine, but honestly, it will probably get flipped and replaced with a groovebox in the near future.

Overall?

I do like the ALESIS SR18. It has outstanding multi-sample, stereo quality drum, percussion and bass sounds, with plenty of cool drum patterns and kits and variations, along with an adequately varied range of passable bass lines. I decidedly do not like its overall user interface. Reviews here will cover these SR18 functions, and its puts and takes according to all the different reviewers' tastes and aptitudes. Most of these lay out the reality that this unit is decidedly button intensive, step-by-step oriented, and in most ways not intuitively easy to use or even follow. Here though are some specifics that might help you envision what you will be pitting yourself against in the SR18.

Begin?

Unbox - set included documentation aside - plug in included A/C adapter or insert not included AA batteries- press Power button at rear of unit - plug in 1/4" headphones - insure volume knob at rear is a few notches above the minimum.

This will get you to the best place to start - by hearing the SR18 drum and bass machine before you get too balled up in its mechanics. You can simply follow the instructions on the nifty blue sticker included on the face of the unit - placed directly underneath and pointing you to the equally blue 'Effects' button - which irregardless tells you to instead 'Press and Hold the Pattern/Song button, then press Play' to activate the Song Demo that comes pre-arranged on the unit. (I mentioned quirky in the review title. This is a quick example. Blue sticker pointing to a blue button with instructions to utilize two entirely different buttons required in order to first get the song demo loaded, so that second it can be played.) What you will hear is an initially extraordinarily busy, then varied and at times more musically identifiable, run-through of the SR18's basic capabilities.

Next?

The 'SR18 Professional Drum Machine' comes with a 58 page 'Reference Manual' ... and nothing has ever been more accurately described. Keep this handy and open to the Table Of Contents page - which breaks the Manual down into 20 individual sections. Read the Introduction in the first 7 pages to get a run-down of how the unit is designed to function, via 'Patterns' 'Sub-Patterns' and 'Voices'. The SR18 documentation also includes a single page front and back cheat sheet of (front side) SR18 Pattern List (100 Presets/76 User listed in total) - SR18 Kit List (102 in total) - SR18 Bass List (50 in total) - and (back side) the SR18 Sound List (588 in total) comprised of - Kick Drums - Snare Drums - Hi-Hats - Toms - Cymbals - Percussion - Misc. The introductory pages will also note that each 'Pattern' is actually a 'Main Pattern' which integrates four different 'Sub-Patterns' accessible via their respective A and B buttons, along with their associated A and B 'Fill Patterns'. And lest we forget, when you flip the unit over the underside includes a large sticker which lists the 100 'Preset Rhythm Patterns' and 76 'User Rhythm Patterns', I guess just in case you aren't keeping all of the above documentation open and handy as per recommendation.

From here?

Don't make any frikkin plans. The SR18 requires that you read and master its functions and process sequences. Period. Otherwise you will be missing out on everything that it can do to be the backbone of your songs and performances. Nevertheless, it does also note 'How "Looping" Simplifies Recording' by pointing out that any 'Pattern' can instead be loaded and played, and will repeat over and over again. I found out pretty quickly that this looping content is good for practice sessions, i.e. scales, and not much else. So seriously, don't make any frikkin plans. The SR18 requires a serious investment in time, dedication and experimentation. Otherwise, you will just have seriously over-priced but equally snazzy metronome.

Lastly?

The aforementioned blue Effects button can be utilized to make the output from the SR18 sound a lot less robotic and canned. These Effects include 22 Reverb Types and 14 Compression and EQ Types. I use them a lot to sweeten my sound output from the unit. The Pattern presets utilize them to nice effect as well.

Make no mistake, this unit is fully capable of producing professional quality drum, percussion and bass content for use in recording, song writing or just noodling. I had not anticipated that using it would inspire me to do more in the way of song writing as it has. For me, that has been where the SR18 shines, especially when compared with the lesser quality sound and capabilities of its forerunner, the SR16. I can take some Pattern rhythm content that I like, integrating bass line with key changes when required to improve the bass usability, laid out in recording steps, resulting in something that I can then play along and write with. It's not fast but you can end up with the backbone for a song before you know it. Or the Pattern Play function can be used the same way, to produce a basic beat and bass line, using the pre-selected SR18 Main Patterns which along with the Fill button can integrate in bass key changes, so that you get a realistic drum and bass line that you can use to write against with a whole lot less work.

Your mileage may vary of course. Good luck and godspeed.

The Alesis SR-18 is a good balance of options and user-friendliness. The interfaces are simple enough to learn and get used to if you find the right YouTube video. While the Alesis manual is probably okay, I am not keen on manuals and found YouTube the better option to get tips to start me on the Alesis. After I got the Alesis, I learned later that my BOSS RC-500 looper pedal may be all I need for backing rhythm in my live set. BOSS RC-500 has so many tempo / rhythm options and already meets my looping and other needs of recording backing tracks, so I'm told ... the manual and YouTube is not too forthcoming with how, but I am told the BOSS RC-500 will let me pre-record entire songs ... thus all I need to do live is sing and solo over my looped riffs and beats ... so I'm told. So far, I have only gotten a basic functionality of live looping and playback. But this review is about Alesis, so let me continue that. Honestly, I have not plugged Alesis back in since I discovered the rhythm options on my BOSS RC-500. Trouble with BOSS RC-500 is that the tempo / rhythm picks up whatever effect I have on my Line 6 Helix ... say I have a distortion setting going ... the BOSS RC-500 then distorts from that. Sounds better on clean channel. Probably a way to route around this issue ... but again, if I am not a manual person, I am not a logical thinker when it comes to these things. Thus, here I am. Alesis does not have this issue as I route it directly into my Bose PA. But on clean channel, BOSS RC-500 does not sound any more "tinny" or "electronic" than the Alesis. I decided to keep the Alesis, but I am first exploring all my options with the BOSS RC-500 ... that pedal is just too darn good in several ways. Alesis may be for you. It is not bad at all. But these have been my experiences so far with trying to get some rhythm behind my one-man-band live show.

I've had this drum machine for several years now. I'm working up a new set list and I finally got frustrated enough to vent my anger with this machine! I'm sure it does some wonderful things IF YOU'RE A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER! The SR-18 isn't what I would call "user friendly". Secondly, I have never heard ANY drummer play some of the beats that are on there! Many of them are simply useless! Even the beats that are useable aren't grouped in any useable format. The Latin beats are somewhat together but there are a few that are not grouped with them. Same with the rock beats. It might be helpful if they were grouped by time signatures. The bottom line is, I'm tired of having to search through all 99 beats to find one to use for a particular song. If you want a lot of bells and whistles, this might be the machine for you. If you want a simple, basic drum machine, move on and save yourself some aggravation.

First of all, let me say that I did read up on the SR-18 and was pretty much aware before hand of what it could and could not do.
That said, I think the importance of what it could NOT do became glaringly clearer when I began using it.
Let me start with what I'm happy about. I think the quality of the sounds are very good. I also believe the ability to create your own patterns are not too difficult to master. I owned an SR-16 previously, so I was somewhat familiar with the 18. The FILL and ROLL functions also works very cool and usable. The 18 has a pleasant appearance. It's also very programmable.
On to the need for improvement! I use this machine completely, for recording. I don't perform out any more. So I would like to use the 18 for the drum parts in my DAW recordings. Without a USB connection, that's very difficult. Can't believe, in this day and age, that Alesis did not put in a USB function! And yes, I know about the MIDI connectors, but that's NOT the same thing at all, and everyone should realize that. MIDI is a very limited communication and requires a mediator to convert data to the computer and DAW. Thirdly, of course, is the requirement posed on us from Alesis, to mute bass and percussion on very pattern we use. Is this unit sold as a bass guitar? NO! It's a DRUM unit! Why IMPOSE that on us??? As a nice-to-have, offer it up as a enable, IF we want it. Don't force it on us, just because you think it's cool! At the VERT least, there should have been a BIOS update to change that by now! The 18 has been available now for, I believe, half a decade...
As a software engineer, the first thing you learn is: User Friendly. In layman's terms, that basically means a manual is supplied, but NOT required. The unit is 'friendly' to the user. It will be do what the user needs, and will be easy to figure out. That simple! And it's doable. The 18 is not very user friendly (IMHO). I can manage, but I had a 16, AND I'm a software engineer. A user should not be required to meet those conditions.
Now I know it probably sounds like I hate the unit. I don't. As I said, it does have good sound. But it could use some very easy to do improvement
All this aid, I would like to commend the Alesis developers for producing as complex a piece of equipment as the SR-18. The chore is complicated by having to stay competitive with other companies and emerging trends. And of course, there's always the problem for seasoned pros getting what they need when the target audience is most likely 18 year olds who want to hear the extreme.

I love the logic of A/B and A fill and B fill for live performance, but of 175 patterns pre-loaded, only one,of maybe three, straight ahead jazz patterns works for me and one for Bossa Nova. the rest are too heavy-handed to work with my songs or "rock, rock, rock, hard rock, house, blues..." patterns that i will never use. I asked tech support why they don't have different firmware versions so you can load the memory with patterns such that a majority are in your chosen genre. The alesis tech support person said, "That's a great idea!" While i do want my greatness to be recognized, I would rather have a more functional drum machine. How about a library of drum patterns that can be loaded in from a website? The only way I see to add patterns is to hit pads with your fingers. I'm white. I'm not going down that road. I play keyboard and sing. I pay Alesis to nab a talented drummer put his beautiful patterns in this box.

I need a battery powered drum machine for street playing. This one sounds good and does a gazillion things. But I don't need all of those things. And I am having to spend a lot of time learning how to get what I need from this thing. I learned Logic Pro with less trouble. Maybe I will find a tutorial somewhere (I have been looking) that will give me the breakthrough I need.

I WILL get this thing working.

I had been using the previous SR-16 for my duo, (keyboard/keyboard bass, and guitar/steel drum/synth horn). It works fine, but is hard to read and somewhat dated. I really like this new machine. I have not had it on the gig yet, but the sounds are better and the patterns better and more numerous. Don"t think the operation is the same as the SR 16. It is quite different, but not difficult to get used to. I also play acoustic guitar and occasionally do gigs as a guitar vocalist. With the SR-18, the bass accompaniment feature is very useful and gives me the option of turning into a nice acoustic trio. Having been offered the choice between the SR-16, SR-18, and the Boss DR machine as what my sales rep described as good, better, and best, I am happy with my choice of the SR-18. At about... approximately 1/2 the price of the Boss, I think this is the best choice for me. I also think it will work well for me in my home recording studio when I choose not to play acoustic or digital drums. It"s a good choice In most situations.

Alesis SR18 is an awesome machine except for 2 problems...I've had to replace power source cord twice in 2 yrs. Also it drains break batteries very quickly. .....

Okay, let me start by saying I have no problem with the drum sounds or the sequencing or the creation of users defined patterns or songs. No problems. Well done, and intuitive. Picked that stuff fairly quickly.

The problem is the BASS. Most (if not all, I haven't checked out all the factory presets yet) of the preset patterns have a bass line already in them. And you can't delete or turn down the bass. I didn't want a bass machine or a rhythm section machine. I wanted a drum machine. I AM A BASS PLAYER for crying out loud! I was so dissappointed in this aspect of the unit. I saw that if you copy the presets into the user defined areas, you can then turn the bass off or down. Really? Why not just have a function to turn the bass off/down and leave it in the preset area, Alesis??? This is another classic example of engineers over doing it. There are so many beeps and dings and apps and extra gizmos on everything you buy today from cars to greeting cards because some overpaid and undersupervised engineer thought it would be "cool". Don't give me what YOU want to because YOU think it's cool. Give me what I want. Give me what I need. An item has been engineered to perfection when the engineer can think of nothing else to TAKE AWAY, not when they can no longer think of something else to ADD.

I have owned a HR16 and a SR16 for decades. I got this one because its 24 bit I thought I would update. With the bass parts that need erased and all the effects that I did not put on it is annoying. Alesis should put one out without all the crap on it.

I bought this based on a few vids I saw online and, mostly, on the reputation this thing seems to have. IMO it's not deserved! Alesis has really slept on their laurels. Drum sounds are as convincing as they were in the 90's, which means not so great in 2021! User interface seems overcomplicated. Not easy to use out of the gate. Not inspiring.

I own an Alesis SR-16 and love it!! Bought the SR-18 a few years ago thinking it would be better than the SR-16 but it wasn't. The sound wasn't as realistic to me. I was very disappointed. I tried to use it several different times but it just didn't get any better. Went back to using the SR-16.

After using the Alesis SR-16 for many years I decided to take the plunge and buy the SR-18. Why bother trying it ? That was my impression after I spent hours investing my time! Most of drum beats cannot be used playing normal songs! If you want funk and punk, maybe it's useful. They took all of the standard beats in the SR-16 and discarded them. Why did they put all of those weird drum beats in this machine? Now for the bass guitar? The bass does not follow songs correctly. It does put bass in there but a lot of the notes are way off "BASS" ! I've been playing music for over 50 years. Yes, playing the Hard Rock era and have been through all sorts of music era's and genre's. I think a bass guitarist would balk at this. What ever happened to the designer of the SR-16? You know when you get a sequel to something, it's never as good as the original. The other thing is it requires you to hold down the bass key - hit pattern key - and then hit the up and down arrow to change the thing into the right key. I listened closely to the bass patterns within songs and this sounds funky! Another BAD feature is the volume control in the BACK of the machine. Playing live is tough enough without making it more difficult for the player. The volume control was hard to turn being in the back of the machine. Nice try Alesis, but no cigar! Please --when designing the next version of your drum machine - ask some seasoned musicians to test it out thoroughly!

As a long-time user of the SR16 I was looking forward to incorporating the SR18 into my live performances. I would like to know what the engineers were thinking when they added random bass lines to each pattern. This feature has made this machine utterly useless as a live performance drum machine. If I wanted atonal music at my performances, I would hand out airhorns to members of the audience. I am hopeful that car companies do not follow alesis's engineering trend as I do not need a propeller on my van. I will be returning this machine in hopes of finding a real drum machine.