Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Elster" <jelster@c...> wrote:
> Greetings to the group,
> 
> I am a newbie both to the DTX2.0 AND to playing drums.  Picked up 
my 
> first set of sticks about 3 months ago (I am 39 years old) and took 
> lessons from our drummer at church (which is where we have a DTX2.0 
> although our kit itself appears to be a bit older than the one 
> pictured on the front page of this group).  Since then I have 
> purchased a CB5 set for home, and now that our drummer has left the 
> church I have inherited full-time duties on our set.
> 
> Since playing it, I have noticed that there seems to be quite a bit 
> of difference in the volumes between pads (snare, hi-hat & bass all 
> sound ok when they produce sound, but the toms seem very low while 
> the one cymbal is very loud and the other seems a little soft).  
The 
> church could not locate the manual and thanks to the group, I was 
> able to download one which I believe was 30+ pages, but then I saw 
> another one which was I believe much bigger.  So, I think something 
> needs to be done to 'tune' the set as they have had it for almost 7 
> years & I don't think it has had any work done on it.
> 
> So, my question to you is:
> 
> Where should I start?

Hey Joe,

where you goin' with that drum in your hand--sorry, terrible joke. 
Welcome and happy holidays. In case you didn't know, you seem to have 
a DTXv2.0, which is a slightly different animal from a DTXpress 
(incidentally, nobody in this country has the DTXpress on our front 
page; it doesn't release until March). The DTX is the oldest of the 
discontinued Yamaha models, but it is still popular, with a module 
that in many ways surpasses the Xpress one. You should still be ale 
to get a PDF manual for it by visiting our "Links" section and 
clicking on the address for Yamaha online manuals. A number of 
factors can cause a relative imbalance in the pads--for example, 
different volume settings for individual voices; different gains and 
min. velocities for individual triggers (whether located in the 
module or on the bottom of the pads); wear on the inside or outside 
of the pads; pads by different manufacturers; input attenuation 
switches on the back of the module not all set the same way; etc. 

If you want to start from scratch with the module, especially if all 
of the components are standard DTX ones, you might do well performing 
a factory reset (or "preset"), which Yamaha explains in its utility 
section. Then you'll at least be in the ballpark when you start fine 
tuning to suit yourself an your environment. Incidentally, there is a 
dedicated DTX group at Yahoo as well, whose members will be well 
versed in the details of the module. Some are members here as well; 
so one of them might see your plea.

Ed