Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

> 
> Hooray, Keith. Nice work. Eager to hear the details and the plans. 
> Any idea what you intend to do with it?
> 
> Ed

Well, I don't need one yet - I only started drumming at the beginning
of the year and I still don't hit half the pads I have (at least not
at the right time).  However, I had thought that if there was some
demand I would make a nice boxed one with 11 inputs, three driving one
triple zone input, the other 8 driving 4 dual zones.  This would allow
the three toms and the kick to double up as whatever you want and the
cymbal to add a couple of extra sounds, still leaving inputs 9 and 10
free.

I had thought of just a simple box with 2 in and one out (like I have
just made) but then if you wanted four of them it would get a bit
messy.  I thought if 11 inputs could be crammed into a box the same
size as the DTX module it would be good.

I thought I would treat it as a business venture.  While I won't get
rich, at least I could make a bit of money for my time getting it into
production.  There will be quite a bit to do to make it a decent
product (PCB layout, cases to make etc) but even if there were only a
couple of dozen people who wanted one it would be worth it.

I may look at battery operation, but a 12V DC input like the DTX is
probably a sensible option.  

One snag is that I am in the UK and the big market is probably in the
USA.  Shipping is expensive and with the dollar being weak it may not
seem a bargain compared to buying a new DTX module over there.  Over
here a DTX module costs around 300 GBP.  In the USA they cost $440(?).
 If I made a box for half the price of a DTX module, say 150 GBP, by
the time I had paid 33 GBP to ship it to the USA (depending on weight)
it would end up at around $330 at current exchange rates.  I guess
there would be no sales tax on the export so that would save 17.5% and
bring it down to around $290, and if I shipped a few at a time it
would save something.  It needs a bit of thought and I need to cost
out what the bits would cost, when I know what people want.  I guess I
could let someone in the USA build it under license, but it hardly
seems worth it for small volumes, and is not as much fun.

Any suggestions as to what people want would be appreaciated (how many
inputs, dual or triple input, power supply or battery, metal or
plastic case, adjustments?).  One limitation is obviously that you
cannot play both sounds simultaneously, but if they are used for
"peripheral" sounds like cymbal, triangle, cow bells, chimes, gong,
woodblock, etc, that should not be too much of a problem.

Got to go, stomach's rumbling and I should be elsewhere.

Keith.