Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "tstolz55" <stolz@e...> wrote:
> Hello to the group,
> 
> I have enjoyed reading the content in this group and I have learned
> quite a bit from it.  I am interested in learning to play the drums
> (casually) and I want to go with an electronic set because I need 
the
> ability to be able to play with headphones and do not have much 
space
> for a drumset.  I have narrowed my choices down to the DTXpress II 
and
> the V-Club.  I am leaning towards the Yamaha but it seems that all 
of
> the salespeople in the stores say that the Roland is far superior 
for
> just a little bit more money.  I tend to like the features of the
> Yamaha but the salespeople seem to say there is a big difference in
> the sound. My question is, if hypothetically both sets were roughly
> the same cost would most members of this group still purchase the
> Yamaha?
> 
> Also, I have read that the rubber pads on the V-Club tend to dry out
> and not age well.  Is this a problem with the rubber on the DTXpress
> II also?

Hi Todd,

I'm completely impartial on the quality of the respective kits 
(though not on other matters that are involved), but I doubt that 
your salespeople are. Roland is a much larger player in the e-drum 
market than Yamaha is at the moment. Many people, even salespeople, 
still equate Roland with e-drums. Going by total sales, Roland far 
outweighs Yamaha. But I'd be surprised if the Roland V-Club outsold 
the Yamaha DTXpress, which is hugely popular. Arguably, the TD-6 
module is the most finished in the Roland line, being the newest and 
having the advantage of no COSM to muddle up the sounds. Whether you 
like those sounds better than the DTXPUII's is a personal matter, but 
I don't believe that anyone who bought either one would be terribly 
unhappy. I do think, however, that the Yamaha provides more bang for 
the buck by far, and not just because Roland products are typically 
overpriced. Price being equal, I'd still opt for the Yamaha (and not 
just because the Roland would still be overpriced). 

One factor not well known is that Yamaha's e-drum division is much 
more accessible than Roland's. This group has a good relationship 
with management, and the interaction shows signs of becoming even 
more productive. I haven't heard that Roland rubber pads wear out 
faster than any other company's, though I have heard that the piezos 
will eventually lose their sensitivity. Yamaha pads are subject to 
the same sort of depreciation, but the lifespan for a rubber pad in 
general is fairly long, regardless of what you do to them in the 
normal course of events. Go with your gut instinct. Play both kits as 
much as you can; the one that feels, and sounds, the best to you is 
the one that you should buy. Not everyone will have the same 
reaction. So far as anything can be determined on paper, I go with 
the Yamaha, but I also go with it because I don't much like the V-
Club on the rack (though I do prefer round cymbals). Factor in the 
upcoming changes incorporated into the DTXpressIIISP, and my position 
becomes even stronger. 

Ed