Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "edrummin" <jjff@v...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Many posters here seem to favor the keyboard amp, but are you 
losing 
> any sound quality without the rack mounted speakers like the yamaha 
> ms100dr type monitor systems? Still trying to figure the best way 
to 
> amplify the dxtreme2s. thanks for any info.

That's an interesting question. There would seem to be genuine 
advantages to having rack-mounted satellites with a subwoofer, but 
there are also a lot of intervening variables. Theoretically, this 
setup should provide good stereo separation and imaging, and the 
dispersion of the tweeters on axis at ear level should place the 
drummer in the sweet spot. But implementation is a big part of the 
battle, too. A separate subwoofer (I'm assuming that your 
hypothetical setup includes one) is a good way to relieve the 
satellites of frequency overload, but integration, in terms of 
crossover point and timbre match can also affect the results. An 
imprecise, slow, and bloated one-note sub is also a drag. Add the 
question of whether the speakers are built well enough not to 
compromise fidelity and/or dynamic range. If you have a rack-mounted 
system that satisfies your demands, then go for it. It pains me to 
say so, and I do it cautiously, but the Yamaha entries appear not to 
qualify. To my ears, the Roland system did--that is, if used as 
practice or stage monitor, not as the primary source of live 
amplification. 

But a good keyboard amp, with sufficient clean power, will guarantee 
adequate dynamic range and sidestep the issue of integration; two of 
them will provide stereo, if that happens to be important. If off-
axis sound quality is an issue, you can always position it better 
and/or tilt it up a bit. Guitar Center usually has a Roland kit with 
Roland amplification on it. Maybe you can check one out. It's much 
harder to find the Yamaha sub/satellite system. Run a seach of this 
site, and others, for user opinions; the fact that they didn't get a 
good recommendation came as a surprise to me. 

Ed