Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I think an Intel or G3/G4/G5 (G3 would probably be plenty fast 
enough)-based drum module wouldn't be too far-fetched, and could be 
made at a cost under $1000 easily. Small embedded operating systems 
like QNX, or even Embedded Linux could be used to keep the OS friendly, 
pre-configured and even modular. Make a modular hardware platform (add 
standard PCI cards for ADAT outs, for instance, USB and FireWire 
drives) in a rack-mount form, and you'll have something that can 
actually interest more than just e-drummers.
Personally, I'm tired of getting the hand-me-down technology from the 
keyboard world. The age where e-drum systems get the insides of the 
Yamaha/Roland creations from at least 2 keyboard generations ago 
deserves to come to an end. It's getting harder to sell dedicated 
e-drum systems when anybody can piece together a Kurzweil/Starr Labs 
Event Station and  a Triton or Motif Rack and get a system that smokes 
any brain currently on the market.
I kinda long for the Simmons SDX back, the UI was incredible, the sound 
quality was amazing, and the Zone Intelligence pads were much more 
sensitive than Roland's positional sensing, and the 9" screen was 
plenty big enough for anyone. If one of today's manufacturers could 
make a module that recaptures the magic of this guy, man, I'd be 
happy...

Stuart McConaghy
Canopus Drums
Meinl Cymbals
SilverFox Sticks


On Wednesday, March 17, 2004, at 06:50  PM, moosetication wrote:

> Having ranted fit to bust, I have a few thoughts to share. I shall
> start with modules.
>
> (Before anyone has a hissy fit about my subsequent being Intel and
> Microsoft-centric, don't bother. I don't care. I will not debate the
> technical merits of the outpourings of Bill's minions. I have my
> views, none of which you can infer from my remarks here, and I'm
> sure you have yours. And if yours are in the negative, I'm sure I
> will give a damn about them just as soon as whatever you worship has
> more than a tiny fraction of the marketplace.)
>
> The year, in case Roland, Yamaha, ddrum, and any other company out
> there hasn't noticed, is 2004. Two thousand and four. Twenty-three
> years after the invention of the personal computer. Thirteen years
> after Bill and another handful of people who look like they did all
> their clothes shopping on a single trip to Target in 1972 ripped off
> Apple and launched a thing called Windows. Nine years after Windows
> finally sprang a decent user interface.
>
> So why, oh why, are these companies, who employ some remarkable
> smart people, producing drum modue user interfaces that would
> embarass a calculator? My mobile phone has a better user interface.
> Hell, MOTOROLA produces better user interfaces and what they know
> about human-computer interface design could be written in 144-point
> Gill Sans on an airmail stamp.
>
> It's pathetic. It's embarassing.
>
> And why are they continuing to design dedicated hardware? Why go to
> all the trouble of designing and fabricating what are effectively
> pathetically underpowered singe-board PCs with processing capability
> that can be comfortably outclassed by my washing machine? Andy
> Groves, his minions, and the endless hordes of his customers (PC
> makers) do it in their sleep, all day, every day.
>
> Basic PCs now cost pennies to make. Their form factors are tiny.
> They have shedloads of memory, blisteringly fast processors, 32-bit
> sound, sensible MIDI implementations, 32-bit colour, and fixed and
> removable storage. Hell, you can get a DVD drive for pocket change.
> And they support a user interface that 93% of anyone who has used a
> personal computer can understand.
>
> Why in this god-forsaken galaxy do we NOT have drum modules that are
> basically PCs? With colour, graphical interfaces, touchscreens, CD
> drives, USB ports, networking, firewire? And then spend ALL of their
> time writing decent software, and providing decent sounds, all on CD
> or DVD?
>
> Stewart
>
>
>
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>
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>
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