Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "daniel peralta" <batepercu@h...> 
wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm seriously thinking in buying a dtx-express drumkit soon.
> I played and tested one in a shop recently, and it looks excellent.
> I also tested a roland kit,and i think the dtx gives a better feel.
> (in my opinion)
> Can anyone give tips about the durability of the dtx, i'm a teacher 
> so i was thinking in using this for permament lessons and practice.
> 
> Is it a good and reliable drumkit in the long run? I mean it can 
> sound good the first year, but does anyone here have it more than 5 
> years, and how does it work? Do the pads still have the same 
> feel,etc..or any problems with the sound module!
> 
> Also i want to comment on the bassdrum pedal of all these 
electronic 
> kits, i think the basspedal is a bit fragile and moves around a lot 
> (unless i put a really thick carpet,or try to adjust it not to 
move).
> Anyone having a solution for this, im one of those drummers that 
> lifts the whole leg and my pedal gets a big amount of pressure.
> The acoustic kits can stand this because of the weight of the 
> bassdrum.

Hi Daniel,

I checked out the site. Fantastic. A great asset. I hope a lot of 
people reply to your question. One man's perspective is that the 
DTXpress (and to be fair, the Roland V-Club) is as durable a learning 
tool as you can get. Just check out the sitting duck in your local 
Guitar Center, which gets an inordinate amount of abuse and, as the 
saying goes, keeps right on ticking. Any poor sound is usually 
attributable to programming or monitoring rather than any defect in 
the kit itself. I've had a DTXpress module in my arsenal for four 
years, and it's never skipped a beat. Once you get it attached to a 
rack, nothing's going to happen to it while you play. Like any piece 
of electronics, it might be heir to an incidental problem here and 
there, like a power supply on the fritz, a worn battery (which takes 
a long time), or a software bug (the DTXpress had at least one when 
shipped), but by and large, you won't find a more trouble-free 
system. Many DTXv2.0 systems, which predate the DTXpress and resemble 
it, are still in use after five years and fetching cash on ebay.  

The gum-rubber pads are inherently stolid. Yamaha makes a small pitch 
for replacing them when the signal gets attenuated, and no apparent 
cause other than age presents itself, but I've never heard of anyone 
ever wearing out one of those things on the outside from playing. 
Yamaha's traditional wedge cymbal was more prone to damage, 
relatively at least. Once in a while some abusive heavy hitter would 
find a crack, but this remote possibility in no way constitutes a 
reason not to buy. Sometimes piezos go south, and wires work 
themselves loose internally, but not often and not prohibitively. 
Piezos cost next to nothing at radio shack. 

What you lose with the DTXpress as a learning tool is the art of 
tuning, a certain feel, and a certain geographical sense, but, to my 
mind, a little parallel instruction is enough to reduce any 
incompatibility. Considering the alternative surfaces that I had for 
practice as a kid in the early 1960s, the DTXpress rubber pads are a 
gift from heaven. And not much is worse than the noise of a novice 
drummer fighting with rudiments on a loud acoustic snare. The ability 
to maintain velocity and keep the sound low will probably keep many 
teachers from an early grave. 

I absolutely loathed the kick drum tower that came with my early 
incarnation of the DTXpress, but not because it moved. As I recall, 
the velcro worked fairly well for me on a carpet, and I have a heavy 
foot. I've never tried the apparently superior new one; maybe someone 
can give you an update. You realize that the DTXpress doesn't come 
with a pedal; you have to use your own. If your pedal has spikes 
and/or velcro, you should be okay. I use an Axis pedal and sometimes 
a Yamaha pedal with my Drum Tech pad; neither of them migrates.

Ed