Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi,

Are the round DTXpress III Special cymbals "softer" than the wedge
ones?  I find the wedge ones OK for a crash cymbal but a bit hard when
used as a ride, compared to say the TP65 pads.  

If not, would the DTXtreme cymbals be better?

Keith.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Keith" <keith@k...> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Are the round DTXpress III Special cymbals "softer" than the wedge
> ones?  I find the wedge ones OK for a crash cymbal but a bit hard 
when
> used as a ride, compared to say the TP65 pads.  
> 
> If not, would the DTXtreme cymbals be better?

Hi Keith,

The DTXPIIISP and DTXTIIS round cymbals are identical. The mere fact
that they stand up to the force of a strike better recommends them
over the wedges in my opinion, but I can't say whether they are
softer per se. My impression is that they are more realistic in every
way.

Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
>
> 
> The DTXPIIISP and DTXTIIS round cymbals are identical. The mere fact
> that they stand up to the force of a strike better recommends them
> over the wedges in my opinion, but I can't say whether they are
> softer per se. My impression is that they are more realistic in every
> way.
> 

Ed,

Having never played real drums I guess "realistic" is not really what
I am after!  I have been playing the TP65 as a hi-hat for a while
which seems fine, but as I now progress to using the ride a lot more
it is a bit of a shock.  I guess whacking a piece of tin would be as
well :-)

Keith.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Keith" <keith@k...> wrote:
> 
> Ed,
> 
> Having never played real drums I guess "realistic" is not really 
what
> I am after!  I have been playing the TP65 as a hi-hat for a while
> which seems fine, but as I now progress to using the ride a lot more
> it is a bit of a shock.  I guess whacking a piece of tin would be as
> well :-)

Realistic might not be what you're after now, but if you ever spent 
some time with a quality acoustic cymbal, realism might become your 
holy grail. The feel of the stick on a metal cymbal and the rebound, 
when played without undue force and at least a semblance of good 
technique, has a gentility and grace about it that makes the rubber 
pads seem positively ungainly when used as a substitute. Rubber just 
doesn't have the touch, regardless of how sensitive the electronics 
are. If hitting something to make percussive sounds is the only goal, 
your preference for soft rubber is as good as anyone's. If trying to 
duplicate an acoustic drumming experience, with similar response, 
approximating metal cymbals is an important part of the deal. I find 
the higher-end Yamaha and Roland rubber cymbals fine to play, but I 
much prefer either Hart's metal ride, Smartrigger's full range of 
metal cymbals--which I haven't tried yet but will in time--and Visu-
lite's acrylics. But maybe you have to be an old geezer who played 
acoustic drums for 35 years to have this opinion.  

Ed

Kieth,
The rubber is a little thicker on the PCY130/130S/150S as oppose to 
the PCY65s/80s. Because the newer cymbals are more balanced 
(counterweighted) they are more giving that the PCY65/S wedges. The 
rubber at the rims of the PCY130/150 is nearly double what is on the 
PCY65 and is definitely softer to hit. If you are using a PCY65 for a 
hihat pad like I was on my first kit and you want something more 
forgiving pad, the RHH130 is not it. The RHH130 does not give in at 
all and is pretty stiff and is more like hitting a heavy set of 15" 
Newbeat hats that are tightly closed. It would have been nice if 
Yamaha had let the upper rubber pad of the RHH130 float a little, 
even if it did not physically move up and down like the new Roland 
hats. When I gets some free time this spring, I made work on a 
modification of it.



OGD

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Keith" <keith@k...> wrote:
> > 
> > Ed,
> > 
> > Having never played real drums I guess "realistic" is not really 
> what
> > I am after!  I have been playing the TP65 as a hi-hat for a while
> > which seems fine, but as I now progress to using the ride a lot 
more
> > it is a bit of a shock.  I guess whacking a piece of tin would be 
as
> > well :-)
> 
> Realistic might not be what you're after now, but if you ever spent 
> some time with a quality acoustic cymbal, realism might become your 
> holy grail. The feel of the stick on a metal cymbal and the 
rebound, 
> when played without undue force and at least a semblance of good 
> technique, has a gentility and grace about it that makes the rubber 
> pads seem positively ungainly when used as a substitute. Rubber 
just 
> doesn't have the touch, regardless of how sensitive the electronics 
> are. If hitting something to make percussive sounds is the only 
goal, 
> your preference for soft rubber is as good as anyone's. If trying 
to 
> duplicate an acoustic drumming experience, with similar response, 
> approximating metal cymbals is an important part of the deal. I 
find 

> the higher-end Yamaha and Roland rubber cymbals fine to play, but I 
> much prefer either Hart's metal ride, Smartrigger's full range of 
> metal cymbals--which I haven't tried yet but will in time--and Visu-
> lite's acrylics. But maybe you have to be an old geezer who played 
> acoustic drums for 35 years to have this opinion.  
> 
> Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "oldguydrummer" <rdamon@m...> wrote:
> 
> Kieth,
> The rubber is a little thicker on the PCY130/130S/150S as oppose to 
> the PCY65s/80s. 

OGD,

Thanks, I may look at a PCY130 - they don't seem to expensive.  It is
the ride cymbal I am using the PCY65 for where I find it a little hard
(mainly because it makes a noisy thud).  I am using the TP65 for the
hi-hat and that is fine.

Any luck with the "magic box yet"?

Keith

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Aaron L." <elmastero@c...> wrote:
> Long time lurker here...........
> 
> Just curious as to whether the Hart Ecymbals actually make a sound 
when hit
> (without being powered or anything).  I looked at a few on ebay and 
they
> look like real cymbals.  Might defeat the purpose of playing them 
in your
> apartment, right?

Aaron,

Only the ride is really metal, or at least used to be, and it has a 
rubber strip on the playing area, or used to. The other Ecymbals that 
look like metal are only coated (and the coating has been known to 
flake a little bit). I owned the ride a couple of years ago, and it 
had a bit of ping to it, a little more than the rubber ones, but I 
honestly can't remember just how bad it was. But you should go to 
drumbalaya.com, where various components are rated by how much noise 
they make. I think the Harts have the rating. Remember also that the 
metal ride may not trigger well through your Yamaha module, though 
the crashes will be fine.

Ed