Alesis SR-16 distorted sounds
I got this machine off ebay.Looks great sounds bad.All the drum tones sound distorted and scratchy.followed the manual instructions on turning down the volume on the individual drums that didn't help.The volume control knob has a lot of background static and some other sites mentioned problems with the volume control.I have a yamaha drum machine and it works fine using the same connections.Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Music - Alesis - Sr 16 Stereo Drum Machine
Answers & Comments
The distorted and low volume output plus noise is usually caused by using the wrong power supply adapter. The Alesis SR-16 takes a 9V "A/C" supply not "DC". The A/C supply provides a negative voltage swing which wouldn't exist with a DC supply. So check and make sure you have 9V A/C output supply not DC.
Thanks for the info, I have the same problem and I was using an 9V DC converter, with the 9V AC adapter it works perfectly.
I've heard from other users the same complaint. This problem would have to be caused by one of the op-amp chips on the output side. Probably not worth the trouble, you'd have to put a scope on it to nail it down. Before you give up on it, get a magnifying glass and look for bad solder, cracks or breaks in the foil. Good luck.