Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

dg27

dg27

New member
I'll be in India in September-October and would like to bring my Alesis SR-16 drum machine. It's 110V (not 100-240V like many devices these days). I contacted Alesis about getting a voltage converter to convert to the correct voltage in India and they insisted that I should only use their own proprietary dual voltage adapter, which they said is only available in India. I've contacted the dealer they recommended several times and never got a response. Unfortunately I'll be very far from where this dealer is located, so it's not like I can just go there and buy it.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever used an Alesis drum machine with a voltage converter.

I know this is a very obscure question, but I'm running out of time so I thought I'd ask.
 
What kind of amp draw does this thing take? I might have a device that will do exactly what you need.
 
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Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

Alesis says it's 9V AC 830 mA. I need it to work with 220/240V (in India).

The thing is there are tons of voltage converters out there that run from under $20 to close to $200.

But I exchanged a string of what became a bit heated emails with the Alesis CS guy when he was insisting that only their converter would work. As he put it:

3rd party Voltage Converters aren’t supported or advised.

What kills me is they have only one distributor, who does not respond to emails.

dg
 
I have an international transformer that will work in Asia with their 240 volt. It's a type C, which can work in a Type D socket. It is heavy, but it'll do the job. The only thing is an AC-AC adapter is basically only a transformer in a box. So if the voltage is high from outlet, it will be on the adapter for the Alesis. I think this might be why they are pushing theirs. If you're interested in it, I could sell it for cheap.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

Thanks, I'll pass for now. Weight and bulk are major concerns. I travel there 3X per year and leave lots of stuff in New Delhi. I'm better off finding something there and leaving it.

Thanks for your help just the same.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

I'll keep an eye out for a 9vac adapter that will work on 240 volt
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

This thing ought to work: http://tinyurl.com/ku4u4pp

Up to 240v input and 9VAC output. It can output up to 1 amp which is enough for the Alesis, and all you need is a Type A to type C or D adapter.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

Thanks so much--this might be the ticket. I have India adapters up the wazoo because I go there so often, but I dreaded carrying around a bulky transformer box. I'm always overweight when I travel within India by plane as it is...

Thanks again.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

I live in a country with 240v mains electricity. One of my elderly Roland S-760 samplers is 110v. It runs perfectly on a generic step-down AC transformer.

As trevorus has already pointed out, the bulky transformer and extra cabling are a bore but what other choice is there?
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

trevorus said:
This thing ought to work: http://tinyurl.com/ku4u4pp

Up to 240v input and 9VAC output. It can output up to 1 amp which is enough for the Alesis, and all you need is a Type A to type C or D adapter.
Click to expand...

Funkfingers said:
One of my elderly Roland S-760 samplers is 110v. It runs perfectly on a generic step-down AC transformer....the bulky transformer and extra cabling are a bore but what other choice is there?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm wondering about the adapter trevorus posted: Is that actually a transformer?

I had a 110V device fry a few years ago the day I got to India the first time, which is why I'm really skittish about all this.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

How long will you be in India? Can the SR-16 run on dry cells? Can such objects be taken on aeroplanes any more?
 
dg27 said:
That's what I'm wondering about the adapter trevorus posted: Is that actually a transformer?

I had a 110V device fry a few years ago the day I got to India the first time, which is why I'm really skittish about all this.
Click to expand...
The adapter I posted is for Line 6 gear, which uses a 9 volt AC power supply. Your Alesis (according to their website) uses the same supply voltage. The issue is, a simple step down transformer type power supply can get you from 120 volts to 9 volts AC. Plug that into 240, and you're likely to have 18 volts, roughly, on the output, and likely jump the insulation in the primary winding. The supply I posted looks like a smaller switch mode power supply, which would be able to keep a consistent 9 volts AC output within it's given supply voltage range. Either way, I would check with a multimeter first, after hooking the new supply up to 240 volts and making sure everything looked OK, and you have a 9 volt output coming from it.
Funkfingers said:
How long will you be in India? Can the SR-16 run on dry cells? Can such objects be taken on aeroplanes any more?
Click to expand...
As I referenced above, the power supply needs an AC output, not DC. This is not something a dry cell can do on its own.
 
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Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

trevorus said:
The adapter I posted is for Line 6 gear, which uses a 9 volt AC power supply. Your Alesis (according to their website) uses the same supply voltage. The issue is, a simple step down transformer type power supply can get you from 120 volts to 9 volts AC. Plug that into 240, and you're likely to have 18 volts, roughly, on the output, and likely jump the insulation in the primary winding. The supply I posted looks like a smaller switch mode power supply, which would be able to keep a consistent 9 volts AC output within it's given supply voltage range. Either way, I would check with a multimeter first, after hooking the new supply up to 240 volts and making sure everything looked OK, and you have a 9 volt output coming from it.

As I referenced above, the power supply needs an AC output, not DC. This is not something a dry cell can do on its own.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I think a safer bet is trying to get the one Alesis recommended in India. This is all very useful to know as an alternative option though--thanks so much for providing.

Funkfingers said:
How long will you be in India? Can such objects be taken on aeroplanes any more?
Click to expand...

No problem taking this sort of thing on planes. I spend 3 months a year in India and about a month in other countries outside the U.S.

My funniest plane incident was when I was in Trivandrum (southern-most India) and they found both my melodica and my blues harp to be very suspicious. I played the beginning of the intro to "Sweet Virginia" at the security checkpoint to demonstrate that (at least if used properly) the harp is not a weapon.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

I've taken my blackface deluxe reverb over to europe a few times. I use a voltage transfromer/converter from ACUPWR. It's made in the US and not a cheapo Chineese model that will blow up. I found it on Amazon.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

Thanks--I'll look for it.
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

trevorus said:
This thing ought to work: http://tinyurl.com/ku4u4pp

Up to 240v input and 9VAC output. It can output up to 1 amp which is enough for the Alesis, and all you need is a Type A to type C or D adapter.
Click to expand...

That says 9VAC in the title, but if you zoom in on the adapter it is a DC output, also says DC in the "AC-DC Switching Adaptor Power Supply", so I would be a little hesitant to order that one.

This looks like what you need, says currently unavailable though - http://www.amazon.com/UpBright®-Adapter-Alesis-Supply-Charger/dp/B00ENCDMBK

Might search for the brand and part number, maybe ebay?
 
Re: Anyone ever use a US-built (110V) Alesis drum machine outside the US?

Thanks--that one you posted is an earphone type plug, not barrel, which is what the Alesis SR-16 uses.

When I contacted Alesis they were very adamant about only using their India adapter, which is a bit of a hassle to get when I'm over there (I will be there again on March.) I haven't brought this with me because of this issue. I'm kind of p!ssed because the SR-16 has features I prefer over the SR-18, but the 18 takes AA batteries. Oy.
 
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