Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "quarlofx" <quarlo@e...> wrote:
> I know this is the Yamaha forum, but I am torn between the DTXpress
> III and the Roland VTour TD6S.  I've searched quite a bit, but 
really
> have not found any useful user opinions on Yamaha vs Roland.  I am
> most concerned about pad surface playability since I live over 100
> miles from the nearest music store and they have nothing approaching
> this quality anyway.
> 
> I am looking for an electronic alternative to my 60's era Ludwig kit
> which has "noise issues" and could really use any and all 
suggestions.
>  I would be eternally grateful for any advice, assistance, pointers 
to
> other sites, ..., whatever.  

How's it going?  Welcome. I assume from what you've written that 
you've done the basic research about the two kits. If you need the 
information in one convenient place, go to our "Links" section for 
the Drumbalaya and Musiciansbuy charts, which has a lot of fact and a 
little opinion. The Drumbalaya entry has not yet been updated to show 
the DTXpress III's tri-sound pads and new Motif sounds. The 
DTXpressIIISP has the new round cymbals, including hi hat on a stand, 
and other extras that I won't rehearse here. One possible advantage 
of the Roland is the mesh snare, if you covet one. Many DTXpress 
owners in the past have made such a thing their first upgrade (though 
the bundled TD-6S one is small). But that may be offset somewhat 
these days by the III's tri-sound (head, crosstick, and rimshot) 
snare and tri sound cymbal (bow, bell, and edge--only standard with 
the SP). Nothing on the Roland corresponds to them. One of the 
reasons why you might not have seen much substantive comparison of 
the two kits is that much of a preference would revolve around 
subjective reactions to sounds, feel, fit and finish, etc. Who wants 
to hear "Roland is better"/"No, Yamaha" ad nauseum (as many of us 
have). Maybe someone with extraordinary powers of discrimination can 
tell the difference, but to me, rubber is rubber is rubber, 
regardless of what name is on it. When I bought my first DTXpress 
kit, the rubber didn't bother me a bit; I was in heaven playing it 
(I'd been an acoustic drummer for forty years). 

The truth is that whichever kit you decided to buy would make you 
happy until you start noticing what else you can get with a little 
more money. This is not to imply that lasting happiness is denied 
those who buy entry-level e-kits. But eventually, if you hang around 
forums like this one, your consciousness gets raised, and, as Holmes 
used to say, the game's afoot. The Yamaha e-drum division is much 
more accessible than Roland's (with its own site, complete with 
forum, that just opened today). We actually have a running dialogue 
with principles from the company. Pad for pad, feature for feature, 
Roland also is more expensive than Yamaha--a major consideration for 
many people, regardless of personal taste. If I were in the same 
market today as you are, and I had $1,500, I'd buy the DTXpressIIISP 
and never look back (only forward). It's a lot for the money (despite 
the fact that I happen to like the Roland TD-6 module).

Ed