Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "daddykingcool" <daddykingcool@y...> 
wrote:
 
> Will do and thnaks again.  Out of interest when a drummer moves 
from 
> an acoustic kit to electronic does he/she need to drastically 
adjust 
> their technique?  When I explained to the person I purcahsed the 
kit 
> from about the problem of pads not sounding his reply was:
> 
> "You appear to be having difficulty with the kit, i can assure you 
> that all electronic kits except top of the range ones function in 
> this way. There is an expectation you would change your drumming 
> style to suit the kit, as they are not as responsive as real 
drums.  
> You would need to have bought a kit with mesh heads. Also when 
> playing live most drummers use the kit to trigger samples rather 
> than rely on the on board sounds. May i suggest you go to a music 
> shop and try another kit which will hopefully reassure you that i 
> have not sold you a defective unit" 
> 
> Is this a fair reply?
> 

Darrell,

There is an element of truth in what your seller told you. Problems 
like crosstalk and the machine-gun effect come with the territory, 
and they require an adjustment in expectations and technique--and 
sometimes, as he says, in the particular electronic kit that you 
ultimately choose. Electronic drums are instruments in their own 
right, not simply approximations of their acoustic counterparts. 
There have been many discussions, on this board and others, about the 
extent to which people should consider e-drums and acoustics as 
overlapping media. They are unquestionably variations on a similar 
theme, but they diverge enough in their capacities to merit genuine 
distinction, even though certain people (I being one of them) are 
more interested in creating good acoustic-like sounds than in mining 
the electronic side. 

Part of the difference is how you play them. When it comes to 
physical exertion, electronic drums show the law of diminishing 
returns far more quickly. Beyond a certain threshold, hitting them 
any harder won't have any value. Not only do you court physical 
injury when overplaying rubber pads; you can also mis-hit in a way 
that causes dropouts in the sound or false triggers of one sort or 
another or damage your equipment. And you won't get any louder for 
your trouble (the difference in dynamic range and sensitivity between 
acoustics and electronics is well in favor the former--no matter what 
kit you play). You learn to let the module do the work. For example, 
we've often advised newcomers having trouble with the performance of 
their Yamaha cymbals to crash with more of a glancing blow than a 
direct hit. Whenever a stick maintains contact with a cymbal for too 
long, it risks having the cymbal behave in a contrary manner--either 
choking itself or voicing inopportunely. The same is true of, say, a 
kick drum. If you're used to holding your pedal against your acoustic 
bass drum and bring the same tendency to your elecronics, you're 
courting unwanted double triggers. Learning how to program and play 
your electronics over time pays huge dividends; it will become second 
nature, without interfering with your acoustic technique. These are 
just some examples of what playing a rubber kit entails. You trade a 
certain kind of sensitivity, tonality, and subtlety for extraordinary 
versatility when moving from acoustics to electronics.

High-end e-kits behave, feel, and sound differently from the entry 
level, more like acoustic kits in certain respects, though still only 
approximately. Mesh head pads are built with shells like acoustic 
drums, and the mesh heads look and feel (some more than others) like 
mylar heads. They encourage the illusion of playing acoustics, but 
many people find these woven heads, particularly those from Roland, 
Pintech, and a few other companies, too bouncy. Mesh heads, however, 
have represented a higher order of e-drum for a long time, though 
some people prefer rubber. The Yamaha DTXtremeIIS uses a certain kind 
of textured rubber that feels far superior to that on any other kit--
whether a Yamaha, a Roland, a Pintech, et al.--but it cannot be 
classified as entry-level. To its everlasting credit, it costs far 
less than the Roland' top of the line TD-20 and gives Yamaha's 
characteristic bang for the buck. 

Cymbals also show a hierarchy based on how well they simulate the 
appearance and response of acoustics. Companies like Hart, 
Smartrigger, and Pintech offer high-quality cymbals that often, but 
not always, mate well with Yamaha modules. Mix and match is fun, but 
it must be done with care. Not everything will work smoothly and 
effectively in a Yamaha context. Most after-market equipment is 
manufactured to meet Roland specifications, since Roland is the 
market leader by far. But some companies have shown a willingness to 
design specifically for Yamaha--a couple of them, Visu-lite and 
Pintech (now linked) in direct response to us. Smartrigger has also 
been working with a couple of us to produce Yamaha versions of their 
attractive products; it remains to be seen how successful they will 
be.

The statement that e-drummers who play live tend to trigger samples 
rather than use the stock voices in modules also has an element of 
truth. Creating and triggering your own samples, or choosing them 
from the countless offerings in computer software, can bring more 
control to your sound. But it comes at great cost, in money, time, 
and convenience. Drum modules are simply easier to use than 
combinations of samplers, trigger interfaces, and computers. Also, a 
few modules at this point have a limited sampling capacity of their 
own (DTXtremeIIS, ddrum4, and Alessis Pro). Many drummers use their 
modules unembellished for stage work, whether a DTXpress or something 
more expensive. They can sound really stunning live--their warts, 
like the machine-gun effect, often effectively disguised by effects, 
room ambience, programming, and judicious playing. Nothing in the 
world dictates that you can't like the voices on your module. Look 
closely and you'll see the ddrum modules in Peter Gabriel's stage 
arsenal; Tony Verderosa and Akira Jimbo use Yamaha, Neil Pert Roland--
well, you get the idea.  You'll be able to appreciate what you have--
until you have the cash, need, or desire to move to something else 
(upgrading, or simply changing, is an occupational hazard among e-
drummers, not unlike what audiophiles do).

I've run my mouth, er fingers, off more than I intended, and I've 
barely scratched the surface about e-drums. Hopefully, I've helped a 
little bit.

Ed