Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Keith" <keith@k...> wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I notice a few posts about problems with compatibility between other
> pads and the DTXpress box & vice versa.  Does anyone have any 
detailed
> technical information about why this is?  As you may know I have
> designed the "magic box" and the first pre-production ones are now
> being made, but I could possibly incorporate something in the box
> which allows, for example, Roland cycmbals to work better with the
> DTXpress or Yamaha pads to work with a Roland.  I did consider 
buying
> a Roland pad to find this out, but have you seen the price of Roland
> bits?!!!

Keith,

I don't have any measurements to back this up, but I believe that the 
DTXPU3's crude sensitivity parameters are not always able to create 
an adequate dynamic range with other company's pads. Sometimes a 
piezo is buried too deeply into the guts of a pad for the Yamaha to 
retrieve an adequate signal (as was the case with certain Harts), and 
sometimes the piezo produces too hot a signal for a light touch (as 
with the Pintech meshes). As I've said before, if you can design a 
sensitivity adjustment into the magic box that can fine-tune the 
DTXPU's sensitivity, then you've probably covered the bases. Most 
other modules are more accommodating. It will be interesting to see 
how the first ones behave.

Also, it remains to be seen whether the magic box has as much value 
with mesh kits as with rubber kits. Mesh owners are more likely to 
have upscale options for increasing inputs, and they are more apt to 
require better triggering than a switch input would offer. But the 
magic box might still come in handy with stereo inputs that would 
otherwise go to waste for those who mainly use mono or dual-piezo 
pads and cymbals.

Ed