Alesis SR18 Reference Manual - RevD - Just Music

• Fills cannot start on the downbeat since a Fill, by definition, starts at some point
into the Main Pattern. However, anything you record on the Fill downbeat will
play on the first downbeat following the Fill (i.e., the downbeat of the next
Pattern). To show why this is a useful feature, consider that when coming out of
a fill, you'll often want to hit something like a cymbal crash on the downbeat of
the next Pattern yet not have that crash repeat every time the Pattern plays. This
way of handling Fills lets the downbeat cymbal crash be part of the Fill instead of
the Main Pattern.
• A footswitch plugged into the Count/A/B/Fill jack duplicates the FILL button
function when playing Patterns in Perform mode.
• Using the Start/Stop Footswitch
Background This way of handling Patterns explains the logic behind
having A, B, and Fill Patterns. In typical pop tunes, A would be the verse
and B the chorus. A Fill provides the Fill that transitions from verse to
chorus, and B Fill provides the Fill that transitions from chorus to verse.
Thus, one of the numbered Patterns may be all you need to put together a
tune. This structure makes it possible to put together songs in minutes
using the Preset Patterns. It also makes it easy to play drum parts live. For
example, if there's a solo happening over the A Main Pattern, you can keep
the Pattern repeating until the solo is about to end, at which point you select
the Fill that leads out of the A Main Pattern.
When the SR18 is stopped, pressing a footswitch plugged into the Start/Stop
footswitch jack is equivalent to pressing PLAY. When the SR18 is running, pressing
the footswitch is equivalent to pressing STOP.
• The ROLL Button
• Using Roll
Background The rear panel Start/Stop footswitch jack accepts a
momentary, normally open or normally closed footswitch (available at most
music stores) for remote or foot control of the stop and start functions. The
SR18 checks the footswitch on power-up to determine whether it is
normally open or normally closed, so make sure the footswitch is plugged in
(and you're not pressing it down) when you turn on power.
While playing and recording Patterns, the Roll button is used to create a series of
notes at the desired quantization rate, as described in the section 'RECORD SETUP'.
Rolls can be played live and can be recorded into a Pattern during real time playing.
The Roll function triggers a drum sound at the current swing value and quantization
rate (e.g., eighth notes, 16th notes, etc.; if quantization is off, though, this function is
inactive). This lets you play a series of drum hits without having to repeatedly press
the pads, and is typically used to create steady 16th note hi-hat parts, quarter note
kick drum parts, snare rolls, etc.
Press a pad on the first beat of what will be a series of hits and hold it down.
Immediately after pressing the pad, press and hold the ROLL button. The drum will be
retriggered at the current quantization rate for as long as the pad and ROLL button are
held down. All hits will be at the same volume as the first pad hit.
19