alesis SR16: backing up to HD possible?

[downonthestreet]

I know you can back up drum patterns and songs to cassette tape, but can you back up from the drum machine to your computer HD instead? If so, how is this done, please?

Cheers

Ross

[travelin travis]

you want to back up songs? or the samples from the sr16? you can save the midi data to hard drive via a midi cable and sound card but the actual sampled sounds would just have to be recorded thru a stereo sound card input.

you could record a sample library from the sr16 to use in a soft sampler and use the sr16 to trigger the library on a pc via midi.

[downonthestreet]

TravisinFlorida

I only want to back up patterns and songs on the SR16, not the actual sounds. (ie: I want to be able to load these patterns amd songs back into the SR16 in the future, but clear the SR16 for now, as I've run out of space to record new patterns and songs).

So, you're saying I need a MIDI cable going from the SR16 into my soundcard to record the MIDI data to my HD and thus save my current patterns and songs for reloading into the SR16 in the future?

It's quite a while ago since I saved MIDI data to cassette tape, and that was from my old HR16. I'm sure I didn't use a MIDI cable then - just the usual RCA plug type cable going into the cassette recorder. Is the SR16 different, then? Can't I use the RCA plug type cables to go out of the SR16 and into my soundcard to the HD to record MIDI data?

Cheers

Ross

[travelin travis]

midi data is sent thru midi cables. audio is sent over audio cables. to record the midi data to your pc, you will need software capable of recording midi. there are plenty of free progs you could use for this. as far as reloading the midi data back into the sr-16, i don't know how you would go about it or if it is even possible. but, you could playback the midi data from the pc to trigger the sr-16 sounds.

i'm pretty sure someone has made a free library of the sr-16 sounds.

[travelin travis]

Scratch my last comment. Apparently, you can backup to tape. Here's the manual:

http://www.alesis.com/downloads/manuals/SR16_Manual.pdf

Check out page 48 (page 53 of the .pdf)

To backup to hard drive, you need software capable of recording System Exclusive data. Whatever that is.

[downonthestreet]

Thanks, TravisinFlorida. Tape is obviously the best way to go.

Cheers

[travelin travis]

i was right in the post about "audio is sent over audio cables". the sr-16 creates tones that represent the midi data and that is what is recorded to tape, tones.

[carelessorc]

You can do lots with a MIDI connection and it's quicker than recording audio.
You need a piece of software that will handle System Exclusive (don't worry it's just MIDI data) and the good news is there's lots of free stuff out there: MIDI OX is one example, and Alesis have one on their website.
Recording audio is slower, and you would need an audio recording programme.

Orc