Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Ed,

Thanks a lot for all this valuable information. I'll do the searches 
you suggest, and then I'll visit a drum shop to see what I can find.

I'm living near Bordeaux, France, and I'm not sure all the brands 
and models you mention will be available, but I'll see...

Thanks again, and I'll keep the group informed of my experience.

Regards
Daniel

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "danielmouly" <danielmouly@y...> 
> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Hi,
> > I'm new to this group and I'd like to know what brnds/models of 
> mesh 
> > snares I can attach to my good old DTXPress I kit ?
> > 
> > Christmas is coming soon, and I'd like to add this kind of item 
to 
> > my wish list.
> > 
> 
> Hi Daniel,
> 
> Good to have you with us. The most popular, and probably not 
> coincidentally the most affordable, is the 10" ConcertCast dual-
zone 
> snare from Pintech; the price usually hovers a little above $100 
new. 
> They also show up on ebay fairly often, and Ed Morin at Drumbalaya 
> often stocks used ones with his new ones. Pintech also has a 14" 
full-
> fledged snare called the AX14S, which is usually $180 new. I've 
> written a lot on this forum about how the Pintech meshes do with 
the 
> Yamaha modules. Run a search on Pintech, pot (for potentiometer), 
> ConcertCast, or AX14S.  Something recent should pop up--as 
recently 
> as a couple of days ago. 
> 
> Hart makes a really attractive snare, and once upon a time, it 
didn't 
> work at all well with any Yamahas. I've heard fairly recently, 
> however, that the TE3-triggered Harts don't seem to have the old 
> problems. If you're interested in the Harts, which are more 
expensive 
> than the Pintech options, check out Hart Dynamics Int'l's website 
and 
> call their number. Binky may be able to help with mix and match. 
Hart 
> was supposed to have hosted Tony Verderosa some months ago for the 
> sole purpose of evaluating their components through Yamaha 
> electronics (although I've heard that tune before).
> 
> The Rolands should work, maybe with a compromise or two, but my 
(and 
> others') biggest gripe about them is their cost. But it's what the 
> market will bear for the industry leader. 
> 
> The main issue with all of the mesh snares is the sensitivity of 
the 
> triggering from soft to loud, and drummers don't have the same 
> tolerance or demands. It's always best to try before you buy, but 
if 
> you can't, make sure that you can return anything that doesn't 
> satisfy you. Personally, I lean toward the Pintechs, partially 
> because I know them best. If you have a Guitar Center nearby, see 
if 
> you can attach a Roland to a DTXpress module and flail away for a 
> while with various trigger settings using your own headphones. 
Some 
> GCs even have a Pintech kit on hand (what do you think 
McConaghy?). 
> You have to be savvy about pad type, velocity curves, and the 
Yamaha 
> DIP switches on the back to get an accurate reading of dynamic 
range. 
> 
> You might be able to get away with connecting a 10" Pintech on the 
> rack where your Yamaha snare is, though you'll have to turn the 
> clamp, but ulimately a separate stand is better for positioning. 
All 
> of the other snares definitely need stands. One benefit of 
severing 
> the mesh snares from the rack is that they won't be subject to 
> crosstalk, allowing for low rejection numbers, a low minumum 
> velocity, and high gain (if it appeals to you). Consider also that 
a 
> big 13 or 14 inch snare will seem really incongruous with the 8.5" 
> Yamaha toms and relatively small rack. That's one reason to go 
with 
> the small Pintech. I've assumed that you want dual zones so that 
you 
> can use the rim as well. Only the Pintech ConcertCasts offer a 
single 
> zone, if I'm not mistaken.
> 
> Ed