Company:
Alesis

Project:
SR-18 Drum Machine
www.alesis.com

Objective:
Alesis wanted to release an all new drum machine with an entirely fresh sample base. In addition to the new sounds they wanted to refresh the long standing aesthetic that was established with the release of the original SR-16 many years ago.

The exisiting SR16 was one of the best selling Alesis products, so the release of the new generation drum machine needed to live up to the this repuation and take it even further.

Design Solution:
The form of the SR18 seeks to differentiate itself from the boxy SR16 using generous vertical rounds, a full width integrated lens and a better performance area. I increased the size of the drum pads and modified their spacing to provide a more playable surface area. The metallic grey housing contrasts with the black buttons and helps them stand out during performance.

In order to keep the development costs of the LD32 within budget it was decided to share some components with the Akai XR20 release. As such the LCM and sheet metal bottom housing were designed to accept the top housing of both products.