Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I've tried the DTXtreme II at Guitar Center many times.  I know a lot
of people who consider the Xtreme to have a better acoustic feel than
the mesh pads that are out there.

That might be true, but I never pay attention to that; I just know I'm
hitting rubber, and if I get it into my mind that it's rubber, it
doesnt bother me how much it feels like an acoustic set, you know?

Anyway, the sounds on the DTXtreme II are amazing.  The cymbal and
hi-hat sounds are great... superior to any other module I've heard in
that aspect.  The feel of the round cymbal pads is great; the bell is
easy to access and very responsive.

I'd go for it... definitely!


--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Nick Carroll" <njcarroll56@y...> wrote:
> Can I think aloud for a moment? I may be coming into some money in 
> the next few months and am seriously considering upgrading from my 
> DTXpress I to a DTXtreme IIs module.  The reasons:
> 
> 1. I'll get to use a three-zone snare and get cross-stick as well as 
> rimshot for the first time on the same pad
> 2. A TP120SD three-zone snare pad would, I assume, be a big 
> improvement on the old two-zone TP80, particularly for rim 
> responsiveness.
> 3. I'll get to use a round, three-zone cymbal pad for the first 
> time, and dispense with the bell pad that is notoriously slow-riding
> 4. I'll have outputs for an extra cymbal and tom plus two other 
> stereo sockets
> 5. I can privately listen to the metronome through headphones while 
> playing, and the band won't have to hear it
> 6. I can hit both the rim and the head together and get both sounds 
> simultaneously
> 7. I can adjust relative pad volumes while playing by using the 
> sliding switches on the brain
> 8. I'll have access to heaps more sounds including (hopefully!) a 
> better range of cymbal sounds.
> 9. I can use my existing frame and most of my existing pads, thereby 
> saving on the cost of a whole new setup.
> 10. Not to mention sampling and digital transference capabilities 
> that I probably wouldn't be using in the short term.
> 
> I'm not sure on the relative costs of a new DTXtreme IIS vs. the 
> DTXpress III, and I'd be interested in what others think about their 
> relative merits.  The other thing I'm thinking about is the idea of 
> ordering on-line.  The main drum retailer here in Adelaide, 
> Australia, has quoted me $3,300 (that's $2,320 US) just for a 
> DTXtreme brain!  Yet I see that Drumbalaya is offering the whole kit 
> for US$2,599.  Can anyone tell me what I'd be up for in shipping 
> costs to Australia if I bought on-line?