Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
> You'll probably have to keep the volume and gain parameters down when 
> using the Logitech. But when convenient, can you give us a report on 
> how this system behaves with the DTXpress? Can you hear any strain, 
> breakup, distortion, etc., when you turn it up a little? Are the 
> toms/kick through the woofer and the snare/cymbals/transients through 
> the tweeter convincing and well-defined or legless and indistinct? 
> Overall, is the Logitech a satisfactory way to amplify the kit 
> compared to a modest keyboard amp? My suspicion is that, at the very 
> least, body is seriously thin at low levels, and clarity suffers at 
> higher levels, but in the interests of saving money, the thunder and 
> lightening may be expendable for some people who don't want to wear 
> cans all the time, although once you've felt the power,it's hard to 
> be satisfied with less.
> 
> Ed

Ed,

I am impressed with the Logitech and have not heard any distortion
from it yet, and it goes pretty loud.  The reason I chose it was that
it uses a sub-woofer which, while a little smaller than the Yamaha
one, is claimed to be a proper 6th order design.  I spent a lot of
time looking at speaker design for Hi-Fi a while ago and decided that
a well designed sub-woofer can give seriously good bass.  It is what
Bose have been using for years (and I thought they had patents on some
designs).  I am dubious as to the design pedigree of some of the
keyboard speaker enclosures.

Yesterday at the end of my drum lesson I cranked up the volume and let
the drum teacher have a play and he seemed impressed, particulalry
with the floor tom sound (Room1 Lo).  Still no distortion.

There is a sub-woofer adjustment knob on the wired remote which is
useful because in my small room the bass resonates a bit if it is
turned up too far.  It helps to balance out the midrange and bass as well.

I cannot yet compare with a keyboard amp but when I get chance I am
hoping to get round to meeting John Allsop who is local and has the
Behringer KX1200.  I was planning on buying one of those but it got
the thumbs down from 'er indoors when she saw a picture and the
dimensions!  The Logitech is also half the price.

I have been using computer speakers since I bought the DTXpress III
but they were "80W" PMPO which probably translates to around 5W RMS. 
There was no kick to the bass and if you turned it up to drown out the
stick noise the bass distorted horribly.  I managed to avoid blowing
them up, although that was plan B to get the wife to agree to some new
ones - turn it up so you rip the cones to bits and have to buy some
new ones!

I did try some Wharfdale Active Diamonds I had lying around, but they
were woolly sounding and distorted on the bass at anything above
modest volumes.  The Logitechs are made for home theatre so are
designed to shake the room a bit I think.

Keith.