Alesis HR-16:B "Killer B" advertisement from page 102 in the September 1990 issue of Keyboard Magazine.
Before software ruled the studio, drum machines like the Alesis HR-16B offered an affordable and surprisingly powerful way to get your industrial tracks bangin'. Released in the early 1990s as an update to the original HR-16, the HR-16B isn't as well-known as the TR-808 or have the power of modern groove boxes, but it carved out its own corner of electronic music history—and for one.... very... good... reason.
From the ad: "47 samples, pre-produced with reverb and processing for a killer rhythm assault right out of the box."
That's it. Right there. Those sounds. Right when industrial music was seeping into the mainstream. Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Front 242.... goth clubs were also banging.
The ad tries to promote its high sample rate16-bit samples, but compared to today's standards, that limited gritty aesthetic, along with a fairly intuitive interface, is what makes this drum machine sought after today. Its no surprise that I'm blogging about it so close to the Kawai R-100/R50 drum machines... another industrial fav.
And don't get me started on the glitching... I'll just leave this video right here.
The ad itself stands out when you are flipping through the magazine. Arriving on page 102 would usually be a checkmark against it, but it comes just pages after the wonderfully HUGE Public Enemy article... so I won't hold it's placement against it.
A giant title "Killer B" quickly grabs your attention. And then we get sparse content that is easy to read. And then, of course, is that gothy-black machine sitting atop a giant foam B.
As good and attention-grabbing as the ad is - and very ON-BRAND for Alesis - I can't help thinking the design doesn't cater to its audience. Those black-clothed, industrial leather jacket wearing Nitzer Ebb loving fans that would want to put down their hard-earned cash. AKA Me!
I don't know what the answer is... but the designer could surely have put a little bit more time and effort into solving the problem and getting a bit more grit into the design of the ad.
