Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

HI Richard

DTXpress@egroups.com (Richard C. MacDonald) wrote in

>If you want the gory details on headphone volume, go through the
>archives of the list. It's been a popular subject. 

Ah. At the time, I had simply subscribed to the list - I didn't realise 
the archive was available. Now found, thanks to you, and skipped through.

Seems to me that the "headphones level" in my subject was superfluous. 
All you needed to know was that I was a new user, and you could predict 
what topic I would raise first <g>

>1) Make sure the overall kit volume is up to 127 (manual page 47)

Had found this already, but thanks.

>2) Get some quality, enclosed headphones. I bought some
>Sennheiser HD200's for under $100 and it changed everything. Plenty
>loud. You'll use 'em on your home and portable stereos as well.

Sure. My current headphones are enclosed, as I prefer that type, but are 
not anything special - Technics consumer-level phones. Looks like I need 
to go shopping for something a bit better - having taken in the good 
advice upthread about impedence levels and such.

OK, while I am here, a bit about myself. I am 41, and an amateur 
musician, living just north of Peterborough. Up to now, my main 
instruments have been 12-string acoustic guitar and vocals - I play with 
an existing band, Patchwork (2 x acoustic guitars, bass and keys/flute, 
no drums!), with gigs just a couple of times a year (we play my own 
compositions, which are largely science fiction oriented, so tend to play 
sf conventions). The frequency of these gigs suit some of the band, but I 
want to do more.

Recently the bass player needed to put together a scratch 70/80's cover 
band, and needed a drummer - he suggested that as a guitarist I have 
always had a good sense of rhythm, and did I want to give it a try. It 
really appealed to me, as I am very much the front man in Patchwork, and 
I liked the idea of a more regular band that I could sit at the back and 
just enjoy playing.

So, as I mentioned, we have bought an acoustic kit between us (as he also 
plays drums - he just prefers bass), and I have now just gone for a 
DTXpress, having picked up a good secondhand deal.

We intend to use the DTXpress in the following ways:-

a) Practice, both in absence of acoustic kit, and late at night.

b) Recording. I have a small home studio with digital recording, and it 
will be a lot easier to record percussion from the DTXpress than miking 
up the acoustic kit. Not only that - I have the option of recording via 
MIDI, and fixing my fluffs, while keeping the 'real' feel. Whether this 
technique is just used for my draft demos, or for recordings we intend to 
release, remains to be seen (based on the results we get), but it'll at 
least make the first creative effort easier.

c) To augment the live kit - i.e. hanging a couple of pads off the kit 
with electric tom sounds or whatever.

Hope this hasn't been too boring - I often think it helps to know who you 
are talking to.

Chris