Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I use all my own pads with my DTXpress and they work just fine. I'd recommend the Pintech dual zone ST (SilenTech) snare at around $190 If I remember correctl it's a 14" snare with a mesh head and rim triggers. The only drawback of this route is that using the 9/10 channels you don't have true rim to pad triggering control so I worry you may get alot of crosstalk, I hope others will comment on that as I know some people have already gone down this route.
If you bought a Yamaha dual zone pad however, it would go into channel 2 - snare, since all your channels are stereo anyway, this gives full rim to pad trigger and voice control, but using a rubber dual zone pad isn't anything like playing a real snare with rimshots.
Compromises all round I'm afraid, if only Yamaha had built their stereo sockets like Roland do there'd be no problem, but Yamaha use a different technology for their rim triggers to their pad triggers, so you cant split jacks 1-8 for two pad inputs, I know, I've tried. 
I'd go with the Pintech into 9/10 and live with it though, I've heard so many good reports about them.

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From: 	Richard C. MacDonald
Sent: 	Sunday, July 09, 2000 1:56 AM
To: 	dtxpress
Subject: 	[DTXpress] New Pad Advice

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Hi all,
I'm feeling like I need another tom so it's time to move my "snare" pad up onto the rack and get a new dual zone pad to use as the snare. Couple of ways of looking at this, I guess:
1) Get a Yamaha dual zone pad (TP80?) and keep it all easy and compatible. This gives all the pads a consistant feel and assures easy hook up and a minimum of hassle. Also relatively inexpensive.
2) Pintech: Has anyone actually gone this route yet? Mesh head, good price. Drawbacks are that they need a splitter cord and have to be run into the 9/10 input. I would have to use the 9/10 anyway for any new pad so... Mesh head would give the kit an inconsistant feel with the others being rubber? Anyone comment on this? On an acoustic set, the snare feels different from the toms anyway, so is this a big deal?
3) Roland V or Hart Acoustech: Expensive but excellent feel and response. Similar cord or mesh head issues?

If anyone has added pads to the DTXpress, I'd like to hear how it's working. 
Thanks,
Rick