Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

> With a PC and a good sampling program you'd be able to process the
> kitchen sink to your heart's content. But the complexity of the
> setup, especially on the road, is the reason why modules are so
> attractive, unless you have a dedicated tech person and a big budget.
> If importing samples is an important feature for you, you might just
> as well leave the DTXpress behind. Roland won't help you, since none
> of its modules currently can accept samples (although people expect
> the hideously expensive TD-20 eventually to acquire that capacity).
>
> The only modules on the market that sample at this point are the
> exquisite-soundng ddrum4, which may be worth looking into, though, as
> a ten-year old model never upgraded in memory capacity and MIDI
> capability, it has significant practical limitations (I own one but
> not for sampling); the Alesis DM Pro, which is all but moribund; and
> the Yamaha DTXTIIU, which is probably your best bet (and a damn good
> module to boot). The Yamaha costs considerably less than the Roland
> high-end module, more like the TD-8. It doesn't have a tremendous
> memory for sampling, but maybe for your needs; OGD or someone else
> here, or at Yahoo DTXtreme or DTXperience.com, can probably give you
> some pointers. As far as getting the particular samples to sound good
> before they reach the module, you might look for individual
> collections of software samples that include what you want.
>
> Of course, the other thing you could do if you want to retain the
> DTXPress and not spend too much more money, is to try and find a used
> or otherwise affordable hardware sampler that you could use in
> conjunction with the DTXpress module.
>
> Ed

Thanks, that's all wonderfully useful stuff .. I'll need a little time
to digest it :-)

J