Alesis SR18 User Manual - Page 19

ƒ 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. ƒ A footswitch plugged into the Count/A/B/Fill jack duplicates the FILL button function when playing Patterns in Perform mode. 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. ƒ Using the Start/Stop Footswitch 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. 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. ƒ The ROLL Button 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. ƒ Using Roll 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