Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- "coachman6666" wrote:
> I am getting my dtx press II in like a week...

Congratulations!

> Is there anything special I should know?

Here's a digest of a few replies to the last person who asked the 
same thing.

*** From me:

Have fun.

A couple of things while you're in set-up mode. First, if you have 
room try to set it up away from a wall so you can walk all around 
it. It will make adjusting and cabling a lot easier, and you will 
want to adjust things for a while. Once you're happy, if you need to 
you can simply carry it to its final location as it's all very 
light. Second, don't worry too much about tidying the cables away 
until you're happy with the setup, then just use the velcro strips. 
Thirdly, make sure you're using the stereo and mono cables on the 
correct pads. The hi-hat footswitch must have a stereo cable, not a 
mono. Lastly, the first thing you should do after switching your 
module on is a "factory reset" (check the user guide on how to do 
this). There's a bug or two in the software that might bite if you 
don't. Do this before you adjust anything else.

*** From Ed (liberatusvirus):

A book by a drummer named Russ Miller, The Drum Set Crash Course, or 
something like that, came out some time ago with information and a 
CD about and for the DTXpress. The CD contains audio and MIDI files, 
if I'm not mistaken. It should still be available from Russ Miller's 
website if you're interested. I don't think it ever accompanied the 
DTXpress itself; it certainly hasn't for a long time.

In the DTXpression site, hosted by Vern Graner, which you can access 
from the Links section of this board, you can download a sysex 
program called DTXchange to your computer, allowing you to store 
kits that you create and even exchange them with other Xpress users. 
Check out Vern's site, which originated with the founding fathers of 
this board a few years ago, anyway; it has some very helpful tips

*** From OldGuyDrummer (check out his set-up in the photos section!):

1. If you are the type of person that really likes to dig into 
settings (like I am and others here) and wants to create news kits, 
you really must get at a minimum a cable that connects from your 
game port of your sound card to the midi in/out on the dtxpress 
module. It's easy to get lost in the menu's of the modules and 
accidently change something. I know, when I first got my set I had 
programmed three new kits and ended losing them when I had to do a 
Factory reset, because I couldn't figure out what I did. The cable
and the DTXChange utility is a must. If you find that your satisfied 
with the kits it comes with then don't bother with it for a while. 

2.If you are like the rest of us, the first thing you start to do is 
figure out, what can you plug into that spare zone 9,10? (Barpads-
yes; single zone pads-yes; dual zone pads-no) Go into the photos 
section of this group and you'll find plenty of ideas to get you 
started. 

PS- If you live above anybody else.. better make GOOD Friends with 
them before you start playing it. The bass pedal sound (vibration) 
will be heard by the neighbors living below you. There have been 
several solutions talk about here, just do a search of the archive.

> I have been playing acoustic
> drums for 3 years now.

Don't expect it to be quite the same. A kit like this is an 
electronic instrument you play using drumming techniques, rather 
than a complete subtitute for an acoustic kit.

And... have fun!

Stewart