Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

OK Brett I'll fill in amongst your mail where the questions are and sum up at the end.


1)The DTXpress looks like it has a limited number of pads that it can support (inputs?). I'm wanting to try to semi-recreate my acoustic kit (4 toms, 2 crash, 1 splash, 1 china, ride cym, and HH. From the looks of the kit, you are limited to a single crash  and ride cym, with 3 toms. Correct me if I'm wrong, but would I need more than the 10 inputs  in the DTXpress to accomplish what I want?

OK, you get 8 stereo inputs, which use a standard trigger for the channel one and an inverter circuit in channel two.  Channel two is for rim shots which in the Yamaha pads is done using a condensor rather than a piezo, so a Roland dual trigger pad wouldn't work on a DTXpress dual trigger input.  I'm looking into building condensor trigger pads as we speak, not enough time to dedicate to it at the moment though.
	The DTXpress pads you get with the kit are only single zone, so there is a possibility there of adding another 8 triggers one way or another for 16 so far.
Trigger inputs 9 and 10 are mono inputs, occupying the same stereo jack, so if you plug one mono pad into that jack all you get is channel 9.  I built a stereo to 2x mono splitter and use this to give me two independent mono pad inputs for 9 and 10. ( Inputs 9 and 10 are both standard type - not inverted, that's why this works)  
	So potentially there are 18 triggers in the DTXpress brain, if only they were more accessable.

2) If I have to add a new brain to support additional pads, how would it work with the DTXpress unit?  
	The DTXpress is fully MIDI compatible, so you could add a pad to midi converter which you could use to trigger sounds from the DTXpress box, so long as it all has distinct notes, I'm no MIDI expert, so I hope someone else answers this one better.

3)I've also been checking out the nice web page at http://www.logiztix.com/stix/pads2.htm
that gives you instructions on buiding your own e-kits. I'm thinking of going this route to add more triggers to a DTXpress kit at a lower cost. What I'm curious about is how truly feasible this is. Will the DTXpress unit accept homemade drums like they say? 
	Very feasible indead.  I bought just the brain and pedal and built all my own pads, I now have more pads than inputs.  All works great, but others don't seem to have had the success I have.  I think the DTXpress comes pretty fully loaded on pads, only the 9/10 jack is open, so there's not much room to add more.  Definate recommendation on the Logiztix site though.  Especially as they have instructions in the members area for mesh head pads, just like those V-Custom pads you tried.

Anyone have any luck trying this? 
	As you may guess I have tried this and had tremendous luck.  I don't think I'll ever buy a manufacturers pad again.  Try it out, these pads realy work and are so sensative I'm having to solder resistors into the circuits to get the dynamics I want from the DTXpress.


The DTXpress is a great box, with 18 possible inputs - assuming your looking at replacing the single zone pads with dual zone ones, or building your own.  The nearest rival on price would be the Alesis DM5 brain, but that only has 12 mono inputs, one of which is taken up by the hi hat pedal.  I don't think there is another brain on the market that can touch this one for value.  Even the entire kit is a real steal.  Minor warning to those in the UK though.  Yamaha UK are now out of stock until February, demand outstrips supply again.

Keep postin guy, hope I've helped.