Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "zapaxe" <a_zapelectric@h...> 
wrote:
> > Hi Ed,
> > 
> > Thanks for the reply. It's a slow weekend here;)...
> > 
> > I guess, it's all just marketing hype as with anything else. 
Come 
> > out with a new and improved version of something, 
add 'something' 
> to 
> > the new version and make millions! True fair enough! 
> > I have not got the chance to play with the DTX III brain yet. 
I'm 
> > also trying to deal with my new Alesis DM Pro!
> > I sure would like to see a drum module that can have unlimited 
> > capablities to add high rate samples from a software drum sample 
> CD. 
> > I think the new DTXtreme does this, but as I remember it's 
limited! 
> > I may have to learn to do that the hard way with midi, a CD 
sampler 
> > and something like Battery. I know some Cubasers are doing this, 
> but 
> > it seems complicated.
> > Oh I'm sure there are many who have made comparisons after their 
> > upgrade from one module to the next! "Hellooo people's, are 
you's 
> > listrening????" :)
> > Well I'm listening with the 'same' set-up I always use...My AKG 
271-
> > Studio headphones. It's not that the #III module sounds bad, 
it's 
> > just I'm not WOW'd as I hoped...Oh well maybe theirs hope for my 
DM 
> > Pro to give me some wood 'lol'.
> > If not, I better learn to use to use a software drum sampler 
with 
> my 
> > DAW recordings! Btw, I use my edrums only in my home studio, not 
> > live.
> 
> Steve,
> 
> The Yamaha DTXtremeIIS is still 16 bit, with the same sampling 
rate 
> as any other Yamaha module past or present.  The Alesis is 20 bit, 
I 
> believe, but, as I said before, that won't guarantee better sound 
in 
> general to anyone's ears. The single advantage that dedicated 
modules 
> have is convenience, and the more developed the module, the more 
it 
> approaches the quality of a good sampler and associated software. 
You 
> will certainly get cleaner, fuller, more resolved, and arguably 
more 
> realistic sound with a PC or Mac and samples, but your software 
will 
> have to be up to snuff. As you surmise, the technique is more 
> complicated and obviously less portable. 
> 
> Ed


True Ed, 

The DM Pro is 20 bit. Now although one may not hear the difference, 
how hard can it be to impliment a higher sample rate! I suspect 
Yamaha just recycles samples they already have. But it's said that 
one you get the sounds in a DAW envirenment, every single 
calculation from the FX's down to the fader movements degrade the 
audio quality. Of course using midi till mix down would remedy this 
issue.
I had contacted Yamaha quite a while back (as if it matters or 
helps) and made some suggestions and requests.
Keeping OT here, one of my suggestions was to have a drum module 
that could be loaded with drum & cymbal samples from a high quality 
sample CD. This would take care of the complication somewhat & the 
portability issues. Of course then 3, 4 years later they bring us 
the DTXtreme II module, but I'm not sure it loads these 
samples...Does it??? I mentioned that the DM Pro has a PCMCIA which 
can use Alesis Q-cards to import more samples and also according the 
DM Pro manual (as I just read it moments ago) by 
using "SoundBridge"  software I can burn samples from any source to 
a flash RAM card and bring it in the DM Pro. There was also a 
mention of Digidesign "Sample Cell" which in addition can create 
volocities along with the "SoundBridge" software - I could be wrong 
about needing "SampleCell" for this. 
This sounds very exciting!...And a little more complicated. It seems 
that the DM Pro IS the answer I'm looking for...? I'll have to read 
up on that DTXtreme II module in this sample importing capability. 
Maybe I should get rid of my DTXpress I & III modules...?

Steve