Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "linkitout" <ddido@b...> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> I was thinking about buying a Roland mesh head snare to replace the 
> standard rubber snare of the DTX, and I was wondering if there can 
be 
> problems.. I've read some posts but didn't fully understand if 
Roland 
> mesh head snare work (well) or not with DTX, sorry if someone 
already 
> talked about this.

Here's what I can tell you. Nothing in principle prevents the Roland 
PD-120 from working through a Yamaha module. I've never tried it, but 
I've heard that the rim trigger level is too low (probably because of 
the piezo's placement). If you have your heart set on the Roland, 
don't buy it unless you can try it first, or unless you can send it 
back without penalty if you don't like it. The Yamaha module is 
limited in its sensitivity adjustment; its settings can't always 
compensate inherently for either too high or too low a signal from 
another manufacturer's pads. You might be able to tame a trigger that 
registers too much gain on modest hits by inserting a pot between it 
and its input or by using a cable that contains its own pot, but a 
trigger that fails to register much at all when you give it a good 
whack might never work satisfactorily. For the Roland mesh, you might 
want to use the DT10/20 pad type parameter and flip up the DIP switch 
on the back of the module that corresponds to the input, treating the 
snare like a triggered acoustic. 

Remember that the money paid for a Roland isn't necessarily 
justified. You could also use a DTXtremeI snare (if you can find 
one), converting the mylar to mesh and inserting the correct foam. 
Yamaha can help with that. The Pintech meshes are another viable 
option. Some people have observed that the signal from them is too 
strong, but others haven't complained about it at all.

Ed