Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hello,

Please direct me to a more appropriate board if this is not a good 
place to ask a question about setting up the brain for DTXTREME IIS.

I am hoping the question is relative to earlier brains as well, since 
this one is fairly new.

First, I will warn you that with 25 years behind the kit, I have zero 
experience with these electronic modules.  I have started a new 
project and plan to trigger my acoustic kit to elimate all the open 
mics, etc.

I purchased the DTXTREME IIS brain and have been pouring over the 
manual for the last 2 days just to try to get some of the information 
to sink in.

The one thing that is confusing me most at this point, is I came 
across a section of the manual that talks about programming NOTES to 
each channel.  This precedes a section on programming VOICES.  VOICES 
I understand, notes ...I do not.

Is this an optional thing, it doesn't appear so, since the section on 
voices, seems to reference notes... arggggghhh.

I don't know notes, I am but a lowly self taught old fashioned 
drummer!

How do I know what notes to tell it for each trigger channel?  Are 
there any guidelines?  I have 11 toms from 6x6 to 18x24, snare and 
kick.  I tune them on 'soft' or 'wet' side.  I don't know what notes 
they should be :-)

Can anyone offer some guidance?

Thanks in advance for any light shed!
Vick

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "vl2000_us" <temp1111@w...> wrote:
 
> The one thing that is confusing me most at this point, is I came 
> across a section of the manual that talks about programming NOTES 
to 
> each channel.  This precedes a section on programming VOICES.  
VOICES 
> I understand, notes ...I do not.
> 
> Is this an optional thing, it doesn't appear so, since the section 
on 
> voices, seems to reference notes... arggggghhh.
> 
> I don't know notes, I am but a lowly self taught old fashioned 
> drummer!
> 
> How do I know what notes to tell it for each trigger channel?  Are 
> there any guidelines?  I have 11 toms from 6x6 to 18x24, snare and 
> kick.  I tune them on 'soft' or 'wet' side.  I don't know what 
notes 
> they should be :-)

Hi Vick,

This is a fine place to discuss the DTXT2S module. A bunch of members 
have it. I don't happen to be one of them at the moment, but I'll be 
happy to get your foot in the door. As basically a MIDI instrument, 
an electronic drum module includes note numbers among its settings as 
part of the MIDI language that instructs MIDI-compatible devices 
about what sounds to play and how to play them. There are sixteen 
MIDI channels available to transmit such commands. Traditionally, 
percussion voices get their data through MIDI channel 10, the default 
for drum modules. Each of a Yamaha module's inputs has traditionally 
had its own note number, which will correspond to any percussion 
voice preset to it at the factory or assigned to it by a user (unless 
the user changes it for some reason). Generally, MIDI-challenged 
drummers who just want to bang away can ignore these note numbers as 
they program their selected voices for pitch, decay, volume, etc. An 
elaborate module like the DTXT2S, however, also allows drummers to 
make tonal music in addition to the thumping that normally gets 
programmed via channel 10. You can create all sorts of patterns, 
loops, phrases, songs, and chords on the internal tone generator to 
play as the sampled instrument of your choice, when pads or keys are 
struck, routing the commands along the channel of your choice. 
Obviously, you can't instruct an instrument, even a tone generator, 
to play a chord or a melody unless you also tell it what notes to 
use; the module deploys the standard MIDI code for this purpose (I 
believe that p. 41 of the manual is a primer on note numbers in this 
context).

For now, you'll probably stick to setting up percussion voices by 
input from the list somewhere in the manual; note numbers should 
simply go along for the ride without making any further demands. 
However, as you venture into the world of MIDI, notes and their 
accompanying numbers per se will become significant. As you master 
the module, and germinate ideas to implement, the notes will also 
seem less daunting.  

I've just extrapolated very simply from the Yamaha modules with which 
I'm somewhat familiar. I hope that I haven't misrepresented the 
DTXT2S. I'm sure that someone will say so if need be (Cheakser, 
OGD?). Why don't you try programming your drums, or simply hooking 
them up to a preset kit, and see what specific questions arise. 

Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> This is a fine place to discuss the DTXT2S module. A bunch of 

Thanks for your warm welcome :-)



> the user changes it for some reason). Generally, MIDI-challenged 
> drummers who just want to bang away can ignore these note numbers 
as 
> they program their selected voices for pitch, decay, volume, etc. 



This may very well be my answer.  The manual made me think that I HAD 
to program these notes first, prior to assigning a voice.  This 
totally threw me for a loop!  If it's ok to just skip by that section 
and go right to voices, I can start to dig in!





An 
> elaborate module like the DTXT2S, however, also allows drummers to 
> make tonal music in addition to the thumping that normally gets 
> programmed via channel 10. You can create all sorts of patterns, 
> loops, phrases, songs, and chords on the internal tone generator to 
> play as the sampled instrument of your choice, when pads or keys 
are 
> struck, routing the commands along the channel of your choice.



Definately not for my project :-)  My primary goal is to trigger my 
acoustic set by finding similar voices in the module and maybe adding 
some chorusing or layering to thicken the sound.  My secondary goal, 
is to marry the pads from the DTXT2S into my acoustic kit for second 
snare, handclap and some other special needs sounds.  If I can do all 
this without getting into the whole 'notes' area, I will be 
thrilled :-)  Nothing wrong with notes, but I'm a tad long in the 
tooth to start a whole new learning curve :-)

Thank you so much for your guidance!

Vic

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "temp1111" <temp1111@w...> wrote:
> Ed,
> So are you saying that as long as I am not using the notes perse', 
I can basically assign any voice to any note and the voice will 
remain as it is supposed to be and is not affected by the note at 
all.  In other words the note just becomes a 'pointer' to the voice.  
The the voice can be adjusted as needed.  For example it wouldn't 
matter if I assigned a C, D or F to a given voice, the voice is going 
to sound the same, unless I specifically change the voice?  Am I on 
the correct track with this line of thinking?

The way other Yamaha modules work is that if you are working with 
untuned percussion voices, you don't change pitch by selecting notes 
from a scale per se (say, middle "C") but via a numerical setting 
that raises or lowers the voice by increments. So long as you're 
working with drum/cymbal/percussion voices, the note number assigned 
to them will not change regardless of how you tinker with the voice. 
As I said, that's my take on it from previous experience. I don't 
have the module itself with me, though I've read through the manual. 
Drumsonly, Cheakster, and OGD should be able to confirm.

> Speaking of 'chords', I can think of several instances where I 
might want to try layering more than one voice together, such as a 
snare and a handclap, multiple toms (to thicken it up), etc.  
Assuming I'm anywhere near the right track (above) regarding notes, 
would I have to assign an arbitrary additional note to that trigger 
first?  Then, assign the additional voice?  This is kinda what I am 
thinking but the manual is not very clear on this, as it seems to be 
written for someone who already knows about midi notes, e-drums, 
etc., as opposed to a lifetime acoustic player :-)

Again, extrapolating from previous experience, when working with drum 
voices, the module should give you a distinct option for stacking or 
alternating voices, and you should be able to follow the thread of 
steps easily enough without getting tangled up in extraneous music 
theory. For instance, the DTXpress allows two voices to be stacked 
via the voice menu; you don't assign MIDI notes to do so.

Let me add that these functions all seem daunting in the abstract. 
But once you get the actual module in front of you, and you realize 
that it won't blow up or laugh at you if you make a mistake, they 
eventually begin to accumulate their own logic (regardless of the 
module's deficiencies in that respect). 

Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
 > The way other Yamaha modules work is that if you are working with 
> untuned percussion voices, you don't change pitch by selecting 
notes 
> from a scale per se (say, middle "C") but via a numerical setting 
> that raises or lowers the voice by increments. So long as you're 
> working with drum/cymbal/percussion voices, the note number 
assigned 
> to them will not change regardless of how you tinker with the 
voice. 
> As I said, that's my take on it from previous experience. I don't 
> have the module itself with me, though I've read through the 
manual. 
> Drumsonly, Cheakster, and OGD should be able to confirm.
> 
> > Again, extrapolating from previous experience, when working with 
drum 
> voices, the module should give you a distinct option for stacking 
or 
> alternating voices, and you should be able to follow the thread of 
> steps easily enough without getting tangled up in extraneous music 
> theory. For instance, the DTXpress allows two voices to be stacked 
> via the voice menu; you don't assign MIDI notes to do so.
> 
> > Ed

CONFIRMED! ED!
 
I have done absolutely nothing with "midi--notes", etc., but am  
having a ball extending and altering the voices in all directions!!
This module offers incredible voice control, and , with the RED pad 
control BUTTON (which itself can be assigned several different 
parameters to control), you can do a final tweak 
of "tone", "volume", "tension" etc!
And YES! You can layer the pads. I have not done much with this yet, 
but have seen as many as 3 velocity layered voices in a pre-
programed snare.


(from Temp1111)
> but the manual is not very clear on this, as it seems to be 
> written for someone who already knows about midi notes, e-drums, 
> etc., as opposed to a lifetime acoustic player :-)
> 
You are right on!!
  The truth is..it's very simple! The sad thing is...you just have 
to figure it out to get to the simplicity! The manual will not start 
at step (a).... Once I stumble into something and work with it, I 
then go back to the manual and it makes a little more sense. I 
just "broke the code" on some really cool EFFECTS this 
weekend....WOW!...a whole new range of great sounds!It's endless! IT 
JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!
Enjoy!
Dan