Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Yeah, troubleshooting--even unsuccessful troubleshooting--is a great 
way to get familiar with the module. The DTXpress is a terrific 
piece of equipment for its price, despite the slightly clunky user 
interface. You get a healthy smattering of many features that 
inhabit the higher end, and many that are desirable in their own 
right. Plus, this group has collectively cultivated something of a 
relationship with Yamaha, as well as with some of the cottage 
industries making aftermarket products, that enhances our positions 
as consumers a bit. Tell Dave Kysiki that you're a member of this 
group. Try that with Roland or ddrum. 

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "herondrums" <herondrums@y...> 
wrote:
> You are trooper to hang in there with this, I really am thankful 
for 
> your help.  I feel like I'm so close to a solution, wouldn't it be 
> cool if we could figure this out!  I will email the guy at Yamaha, 
> and keep fiddling.  I wish I had more experience under my belt, 
but 
> heck, I'm learning a lot along the way! In the meantime, I have to 
> program some kits to play.  I want to try some layering. I bought 
> this kit because I was tired of hauling the acoustic set to 
> rehearsal, and wanted a lightweight solution. It's been a blast to 
> play!
> Raven
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "liberatusvirus" 
> <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> > I'm grasping at straws here, but did you save the original kit 
when 
> > you changed the note numbers? If not, they may have reverted 
back 
> to 
> > default, which might explain why the settings didn't hold, 
though 
> > that wouldn't explain why you've lost sound completely. You 
didn't 
> > somehow mute all the channels on the Program Change, Bank Select 
> > page of the Song Job Mode, did you? I'm just not convinced that 
new 
> > note numbers can't be transferred to the data in a pad song. 
After 
> > all, new note numbers can be transferred to floating voices on 
the 
> > DTXpress for access by MIDI devices like my MidiKiti (after a 
reset 
> > on DTXII, which I don't have), which accesses voices 
corresponding 
> > to note numbers set in the utility menu regardless of which kit 
in 
> > the DTX I happen to be playing. If I thought that you might have 
> > forgotten to plug the damn thing in, I would have suggested 
that, 
> > too. Overlooking the simple things is often the reason for 
> > frustrating situations, as we have all found out. Most recently, 
> > check Vern's post about the mystery kit. 
> > 
> > By the way, other more labor-intensive--and probably not 
intended-- 
> > ways of laying percussion in DTX songs exist. One way is to 
record 
> > the song with the kit that you want, as you've already done. 
Then 
> > switch the original note numbers and voices within that kit to 
the 
> > rims of triggers that you don't use, and program the body of the 
> > pads for other voices with the note numbers originally set for 
the 
> > rims. You are essentially fooling the DTX into playing the song 
> back 
> > as initially recorded, because it still recognizes the note 
numbers 
> > and voices, but you are also free to accompany the song with a 
> > second kit programmed to the pads. Get it? 
> > 
> > But, like you, I find it hard to give up on your problem at this 
> > point. If troubleshooting's starting to get you down, email Dave 
> > Kyski (dksyki@y...), Head of Customer Support, who's 
> > particularly good with MIDI. While you're waiting for a reply, 
we 
> > can keep batting it around.
> > 
> > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "herondrums" <herondrums@y...> 
> > wrote:
> > > Yep, it us the whole song that is not playing, and yep, all my 
> > volume 
> > > levels are up.  I have done a factory reset, and it is a DTX2. 
> > When I 
> > > look at the new settings for the note numbers it comes 
> > up "(drumkit 
> > > data)", so it must be assigning those numbers only for the 
> > original 
> > > kit. I'm starting to think this cannot be done (but I'm still 
> > > hoping)... I'm curious, this seems like something a drummer 
would 
> > buy 
> > > an electronic kit for, is to have layers of percussion 
available, 
> > or 
> > > do I just think that way because I was a conga/percussion 
player 
> > for 
> > > ten years before I picked up the set?  Do other electronic 
kits 
> > have 
> > > this feature available?  Hmmm.
> > > 
> > > Raven
> > > 
> > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "liberatusvirus" 
> > > <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> > > > Oooh, did I misunderstand? The whole song, not just the 
> > percussion, 
> > > > isn't playing when you hit the pad? Check to make sure that 
> none 
> > > of  
> > > > your original settings have drifted; the new note numbers 
for 
> > drum 
> > > > voices shouldn't affect what's coming from the tone 
generator 
> on 
> > > > other channels. I'm too sleepy to think straight anymore.
> > > > 
> > > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "liberatusvirus" 
> > > > <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> > > > > Okay, let's try this. The page in the utility menu after 
> Voice 
> > > > > (5.1), where you set the numbers for your chosen sounds, 
is 
> > > > Volume, 
> > > > > Pan (5.2), followed by other pages (5.3 to 5.6)that 
determine 
> > the 
> > > > > characteristics of the note numbers set in 5-1. Remember 
that 
> > > when 
> > > > > you moved the song from its original kit to the pad of 
> another 
> > > > kit, 
> > > > > the voice characteristics associated with those numbers in 
> the 
> > > > > original kit cannot follow it, because they are now in an 
> > alien  
> > > > > environment; the note numbers in the song are floating 
> without 
> > > > > parameters. These pages in the utility menu restore them. 
I'm 
> > > > hoping 
> > > > > that the pad song is muted because the level of the 
> individual 
> > > > > voices is low or nonexistent. If you were trying to access 
> > voices 
> > > > > outside of a particular chosen kit in the dtx from an 
> external 
> > > > > sequencer or MIDI device, these are the pages that you 
would 
> > use. 
> > > > > The same should be true under these circumstances. Give it 
a 
> > try. 
> > > > > I'm assuming that you haven't changed any of the settings 
> that 
> > > > > allowed pad song to work before.
> > > > > 
> > > > > By the way, do you have the DTXpress II? If so, did you do 
a 
> > > > factory 
> > > > > reset before you did anything else? After weeks of 
agonizing 
> > > about 
> > > > > why certain basic MIDI functions didn't seem to be working 
> > with 
> > > > new 
> > > > > modules, we discovered, with Yamaha's help, that out of 
the 
> > box, 
> > > > the 
> > > > > DTXpess brain had a bug that prevented MIDI transmission 
over 
> > > > > channel 10, and maybe other channels as well. The reset 
cured 
> > it. 
> > > > We 
> > > > > can leave the reset as a last resort, or contact Yamaha, 
if 
> we 
> > > > can't 
> > > > > figure out what else to do. 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "herondrums" 
> > <herondrums@y...> 
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > Ed,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I've tried what you suggested, I found blank notes in 
120-
> > 127, 
> > > > > When I 
> > > > > > try to play back the song in another kit, the song light 
> > blinks 
> > > > > like 
> > > > > > its playing, but no sound comes through(the song does 
play 
> > in 
> > > > the 
> > > > > > original kit).  I have channel 10 on and in vdrum
(however, 
> I 
> > am 
> > > > a 
> > > > > > novice so I could be doing something wrong) so I feel 
like 
> > > we're 
> > > > > > closer, but not quiter there. Ideas, anyone?
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Raven
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "liberatusvirus" 
> > > > > > <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> > > > > > > Raven,
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I hope you don't think that we're ignoring you. I'm 
> > actually 
> > > > > > writing 
> > > > > > > this in a rush. I'd venture a troubleshooting 
suggestion 
> > or 
> > > > two 
> > > > > > now, 
> > > > > > > but the truth is, I've forgotten the pad song 
function, 
> > and 
> > > > I'd 
> > > > > > have 
> > > > > > > to refresh my memory before I ventured anything that 
> > wouldn't 
> > > > > send 
> > > > > > > you off on a wildgoose chase. Hopefully, someone who's 
> > more 
> > > > > current 
> > > > > > > with it will emerge and help, but if not, I'll try to 
dig 
> > > into 
> > > > > it 
> > > > > > > late tonight or tomorrow morning. Weekends are 
sometimes 
> > slow 
> > > > > with 
> > > > > > > this group, but replies usually start flying on 
Monday. 
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Ed
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "herondrums" 
> > > > <herondrums@y...> 
> > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > > Hey all,
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > I've scoured my DTX2 manual and the message boards, 
and 
> > > > can't 
> > > > > > find 
> > > > > > > > the answer to this.  I have recorded a pad song that 
> > uses 
> > > > > congas 
> > > > > > > and 
> > > > > > > > other assorted percussion, however, when I switch to 
a 
> > > > > different 
> > > > > > > kit, 
> > > > > > > > I lose the original sounds and only get the sounds 
that 
> > are 
> > > > > > > assigned 
> > > > > > > > to that kit. So I am getting playback of the song, 
but 
> > not 
> > > > > with 
> > > > > > > the 
> > > > > > > > sounds I want(I'm not getting the piano sounds that 
> > others 
> > > > > have 
> > > > > > > had 
> > > > > > > > trouble with, its just that my congas turn to toms 
or 
> > > > whatever 
> > > > > is 
> > > > > > > > assigned to that kit). Can I do what I'm trying to, 
or 
> > is 
> > > it 
> > > > > > > beyond 
> > > > > > > > the capabilities of the DTX2?  I'm hoping the 
> limitation 
> > is 
> > > > my 
> > > > > > > brain 
> > > > > > > > and not the DTX2's. I am a new owner, and love the 
set, 
> > but 
> > > > it 
> > > > > is 
> > > > > > > a 
> > > > > > > > bit frustrating. Any help is really appreciated!
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Raven