Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "zapaxe" <a_zapelectric@h...> wrote:
> Very interesting, thanks for the heads up! You'd think that e-drum 
> manufacturers would make their brains with a little more control. 
> Say like adding sounds from these software samplers.
> Which brings to mind...The DTXtremeIIS is supposed to be able to 
> have sampling capabilities...this DOES mean I could load some great 
> software samples yes?

Steve,

The manufacturers still treat drum modules as poor relations to MIDI 
keyboards, which are far more advanced in features and capability. 
Some of this is due to the fact that drums aren't as inherently 
mathematical as keyboards and require the development of special 
touch nuances, and some is due to the fact that e-drums are nowhere 
near as economically profitable as synths. It's a bit like the 
chicken and the egg: Drum modules won't be immensely popular among 
drummers until the features are better, and the companies won't 
invest in making them better until drummers start using them in 
bigger numbers. Companies also seem to deliberately withhold module 
features (for example, bit and sample rates) in order to make sure 
that something "new" is always available for release without 
exhausting the inventory of possibility. Even Yamaha has mysteriously 
said that it wants to monitor sales of its new modules before it 
offers a truly professional grade one. 

That said, things are improving. Roland has just raised the bar a 
little more, and Yamaha's impending DTXTIIS has some characteristics 
that e-drummers should welcome (ddrum, though not one of the big 
boys, is a simple, elegant, and realistic alternative that surpasses 
them in many areas). As you say, the onboard sampling ability is one 
of the things that many people want, as well as an easy way to store 
and download.

Ed