Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi Oldguydrummer (did I say how much I like that name?),

Your setup certainly does seem like fun to play, and to look at. 
Please do post pictures. Are you going to need a small railway to 
negotiate all of the triggers and modules?

I do most of my e-drum purchasing online because of the prices and 
also because of the usual unavailability of what I want within 
hailing distance. But I was at the nearest Guitar Center recently to 
buy some Pearl rack clamps. I took the opportunity to get 
reacquainted with the Roland kits, all of which they had on display, 
in surprisingly good playing condition. They also had the DTXpress 
II and I. I wasn't price shopping at the time, but their advertised 
deals didn't seem to be too bad. Negotiating might have made them 
even better.

Your great success there, however, may well have had something to do 
with volume and relatively expensive purchases; not many people walk 
out of a music store with one electronic kit, let alone two, as well 
as a keyboard amp. If you can establish a good initial relationship 
with your local brick and mortar store, and intend to keep buying 
from it, you're usually doing everyone, including yourself, a favor. 
But to give the other side equal time, the clamps that I bought at 
Guitar Center cost me $20 apiece; Midwest sells the same ones for 
$13; even with ground shipping, they win the price battle hands 
down. Admittedly, I didn't haggle, but I wasn't moved to. Clamps are 
vastly different merchandise from kits and amps.

At any rate, thanks for the update and tip. We promise not to tell 
your wife. And if I can't make bail next time, can I give you a 
holler?

Ed



--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "oldguydrummer" <rdamon@m...> wrote:
> Hello to all, I am new here. I have been reading your posts for 
> several months now, and you all have to be some of the most 
helpful 
> people on the planet. Super advice givers, Thanks.
>  
> Last summer when I bought my two DtxpressII kits, I got the best 
> price I could online and printed out the quote and took it to my 
> local Guitar Center Store and they price matched it. They even 
> deducted the equalant of the local sales tax. The kits were quoted 
> online to come with the basic kit plus a thone, bass pedal, 
> headphones and a cd. They price matched and gave me the free items 
> lists for each kit. Since I didn't need two thones and two 
> headphones, they let me swap them out for better headphones, 
sticks 
> and cables for the $995.99 per kit. In addition, since I bought a 
> Roland KC500 at the same time they discounted it to $449.99 from 
> their list price of $499.99. Since then I have taken other store 
> catalogs in and not only have they price matched but they have 
always 
> beat them. Example, Midwest list a Gilbraltor multiclamp for 
$19.95, 
> they gave it to me for $15. So if your near a Guitar Center, it 
would 
> be well worth it check them out.
> 
> Quick summary of my toy. As you are reading this, remember..I have 
no 
> kids to feed/support/bail out of jail,etc...
> I am just completing phase III of my kit project, (which my wifes 
> refers to it as the "Final phase".)
> 
> Phase I was the two kits above plus the Roland KC500.
> 
> Phase II, I added three PCY80S and one PCY10.
> 
> Phase III, I added a third DtxpressII module, three PCY65s, four 
> PCY10, one BP80, a Mackie DXF12 Mixer and a Midiman4x4.
> 
> I also currently building a cable distribution system consisting 
of 
> 1" pvc electrical conduits and LB conduit fittings. Each 1" pvc 
> condulet (LB) nicely holds 5 TRS jacks, of which I have eight 
> condulets located at varies points around the rack. The conduits 
feed 
> back to two larger condulet fittings (each containing 16 TRS jacks)
> and a 4x4 box that contains 8 TRS jacks for a total of 40 
> distribution points. All jacks are feed with stereo cables. 
> 
> (HeHE, This is the great part about my wife not knowing how to use 
> the computer and being able to see what I post on the web.)
> 
> My logic for this arrangemtn was: A module uses up to 10 jacks, 
three 
> modules x 10 jacks = 30 jacks which leaves 10 spare jacks for now. 
> Now I told my wife that the extra jacks are for flexibility to 
shift 
> pads around, or if something breaks...but...lets see 10 spare 
jacks 
> could be for.....say...a fourth module....in the 
> future...hmmmmmm...could be Phase IV????)
> Any way, I should have the project complete within another week or 
so 
> and I will post some pictures if anyone is interested.
> 
> The only thing I need to experiment with is getting all the 
modules 
> to change to the same user kit number by hitting the one BP80 
(left 
> pad=dec, right pad=inc. When there was just two modules, it was 
easy, 
> but now with three modules, I'll need to dig the manuals back, 
unless 
> someone here knows.
> 
> Again, thanks for all the wonder advice so far.
> 
> OldGuyDrummer
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "liberatusvirus" 
> <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> > Hi KLX,
> > 
> > Here are two good stores, in terms of price and service: 
Drumbalya 
> > (shopping.netledger.com), which deals exclusively with 
electronic 
> > drums, has the kit for $999, though they seem to be offering 
some 
> > kind of discount over that price. Midwest Percussion 
> > (midwestpercussion.com), which, as its name implies, is a 
drummer's 
> > store--and a good one. Their price is $995, and they throw in a 
> > throne and a kick, which don't come standard with the DTX, 
valued 
> at 
> > $200 or so (other good stores like Riks Music do, too, but not 
> > necessarily the same items at the same price). If you don't need 
> the 
> > free merchandise, savings are even higher. Most stores hover 
around 
> > the same price for the kit (just under $1000); the difference 
among 
> > them tend to be what they offer free and/or whether you like the 
> > vibe, shipping options/cost, etc. If you see a much lower price 
> > elsewhere, watch out for the shipping charge; sometimes that's 
> where 
> > they git ya.
> > 
> > Ed
> > 
> > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "KLX Racer" <klxracer@y...> 
wrote:
> > > Cheers for that, looks like my mind is made up!!  The 
versatility 
> > of 
> > > the electric kit certainly did appeal and I must admit that 
after 
> > > selling my Tama kit late last year I kept all of my cymbals, 
so I 
> > > have a bunch of Zildjians (3 crashes, a splash, a china, and a 
> > ride) 
> > > at home which I could easily mount up for a live situation.
> > > 
> > > Oh well, time to hit the shopping button I guess - any 
> suggestions 
> > > for where I can find the best price.  I am in Australia but 
have 
> > > relatives in the continental US whom I normally use for 
getting 
> > gear 
> > > in the USA.
> > > 
> > > KLXracer
> > > 
> > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "underneathheaven" 
> > <realvast@s...> 
> > > wrote:
> > > > Hey KLX!  Most of the reasons you mentioned for purchasing 
an 
> > > > electronic kit were the same as mine.  Particularly being 
able 
> > to 
> > > > play with headphones, along to external music, and a sick 
> amount 
> > > of 
> > > > sounds that are able to be manipulated causing a stand still 
in 
> > > any 
> > > > current social life you have.  Electronic drums are easy to 
> > record 
> > > > with, easy to transport, excellent to practice with, and fun 
to 
> > > play 
> > > > gigs with.  I think a monster electronic set with three or 
so 
> > > > modules and a ton of extra pads and cymbals looks pretty 
cool.  
> > > The 
> > > > audience will be impressed too.  Or they won't even know 
what 
> > the 
> > > > hell your playing on.  If your worried about looks why don't 
> you 
> > > > throw in some real cymbals or something?  Besides its not 
about 
> > > > shiny oak drums, its about music, its about what you play.  
No 
> > > ones 
> > > > gonna care about a crappy drummer on an awesome looking 
set.  
> > > > Besides I have a user defined kit I call "chick magnet" for 
> > > obvious 
> > > > reasons.  Can acoustic drums do that? :)
> > > > 
> > > > - UN.H
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > P.S. I love acoustic drums too.
> > > >  
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "KLX Racer" <klxracer@y...> 
> > wrote:
> > > > > Hi All,
> > > > > 
> > > > > I am currently looking at purchasing a DTXpress II kit 
> > following 
> > > > > many years playing acoustic drums.  My reasons for going 
> > > electric:
> > > > > 
> > > > > - I live in an apartment complex, acoustic drums just 
aren't 
> > > > > feasible any longer
> > > > > - Practise with headphones and not annoy my wife!
> > > > > - Easy to record and jam with the rest of the band quietly 
at 
> > > home.
> > > > > - Multiple drum sounds
> > > > > - Small and light, easily transported to gigs etc.
> > > > > 
> > > > > We play mostly rock / hard rock, and are looking to use 
the 
> > kit 
> > > > for 
> > > > > jamming, practise, some home recording, and some small 
gigs.  
> > Is 
> > > > > there anybody else in a similar situation who could offer 
> > > > feedback / 
> > > > > assurance that I am going the right way?
> > > > > 
> > > > > The only downsides I can see are that it does not have the 
> > > > aesthetic 
> > > > > appeal of a fullsize acoustic kit, and it does not have 
the 
> > raw 
> > > > > acoustic sound (or does it?).
> > > > > 
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > KLXracer