Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, M E <maxplaysdrums@y...> wrote:
> Has anyone here used the Alesis pro triggering module? It looks 
pretty powerful- stacks of voices, and 6 outputs. 

Max,

The DM5 has been getting fair to middling reviews on the board 
lately, and the DM Pro is flat out a better module. It's a 20 bit 
engine (Xpress is 16; DM5 18) that can stack four notes at a time. It 
has sixteen inputs, six stereo outputs, four effects, a slot for 8 MB 
flash cards to add samples, and an input for auxiliary sources like a 
CD player. The hat input is fully variable--unlike the DM5, which is 
a switch type, and the HH65, which adds a middle position only to 
open and closed; you'd have to get a new controller to take 
advantage  of it (the Yamaha HH80 may need a polarity adaptor). In 
fact, were it not for the absence of stereo capability and an onboard 
sequencer (if that matters), it would probably take over as the main 
module for Xpress owners (listing for nearly twice as much, though 
the street price has dropped considerably since the company fell on 
hard times). 

Peter Hart seems to have evidence that the Pro's reliability is 
spotty. If you can get a deal on one of these and can't find a 
discontinued Xtreme, don't want to wait for the Xtreme's replacement, 
and don't want a Roland TD10 or 8 now, it is certainly a viable 
higher end option. But, as always, no matter what kind of 
recommendation anyone may give, the best thing that you can do is try 
it out yourself under controlled conditions. 

Personally, if I were going to spend $500 to $600 on a module, I 
wouldn't buy anything that didn't please me completely, especially 
with new modules about to be released and others currently on the 
market that surpass it in certain respects. Re-sale value for one of 
these will not get higher. Make sure you get a deal--under $500 new 
and much less used.

Ed

Ed.