Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hello out there in E-drum land!

I'm a drummer of 25+ years and a working songwriter. I bought the 
DTXpress 3 special for recording my song demos as getting real drums 
to sound good in a home studio is all but impossible. I searched for 
the past couple months and read every review I could get my hands on 
and decided on the DTXpress 3 special. So, here I am, a week into my 
new kit and my review....


The stock kits: 1-10 scale (5)

In all the preset kits, IMO, you can count the usable ones on one 
hand with fingers left over! The rest are filler, many sound like the 
sounds on my very old $250 Yamaha psr-270 cheapy keyboard. Overall I 
was very disappointed in the stock kits.


Cymbals: (4)

The "specials" claim to fame is supposed to be the new and improved 
cymbal sounds and new hi-hat controller. If these are new and 
improved sounds I can only imagine what the older version cymbals 
sound like. I've come across only a couple that can reasonably pass 
for real cymbals. Most of the hi-hat sounds are weak at best and 
barely acceptable at most. Of course I know I'm not playing real 
hats, believe me I KNOW! The hats react nothing like real hats. 
Supposedly Yamaha says you get a full range from closed to open... I 
hear three levels and to get a half open swishy sound is all but 
impossible. The ride is "decent," some of the sounds are fairly real 
sounding, but you can't play fast patterns on the bell, no matter 
what settings, it just wont pick out all the strikes.


Snare pad: (7)

This is by far the best part of the kit, I can get a pretty good d-
stroke roll going and even something resembling a press/buzz roll. 
But rim-shots in relation to the snare sound are always too loud.


Kick: (4)

Most sounds are not real sounding at all and no matter what I do I 
always get double triggering when I play intricate and sometimes not 
so intricate grooves.


The kick pedal and thrown: (8)(4)

Pedal is a cheapy, but I like cheapy pedals. The thrown is a REAL 
cheapy and I don't like REAL cheapy throwns at all.


The rack and connecters: (6)

Rack is light, seems relatively sturdy, looks ok, sort of cheapish, 
marks easily. Connectors are very hard to move on the tubing and 
makes marks, it seems constantly retightening is required as I'm not 
a hard player but the toms always move.


All the other stuff, the songs... The goofy, gimmickry, almost 
useless sounds...  The lessons, etc., I don't have any interest in. 
It would seem this kit was designed for a 10 year old just starting 
out, not a semiprofessional as marketed.

As you can see I was not impressed at all. If anyone wants them, make 
me an offer. Maybe you'll get use out of them. They are in near 
perfect shape, but for the unavoidable marks on the tubing.


Ps. I did not come here to sell them, I'll probably end up putting 
them on ebay. I just wanted to give my honest opinion.