--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, john@j... wrote:
> Well, one of the frustrations I have with the kit is the inability
to
> load my own samples. Listening to Real Gone, Tom Waits, there seem
to
> be the sounds of all manner of kitchen implements in there which are
> unavailable to me through the DT Express. So, linking to a PC and
> opening up a world of sampled drum sounds sounds interesting.
>
> I'm wondering though, firstly, at a very basic level, if I recorded
> the sound of me hitting a baking tray with a wooden spoon and set
that
> up as a sample, it would be a fairly unsubtle affair. I'd trigger,
> presumably, the same sample, with the same dynamics every time. The
> more subtle I wanted it, the more I'd need professional recording
and
> processing equipment and knowledge. And, there's the cost of the PC,
> and the software, and the cables and so on. And then there's the
PC's
> unreliability when it comes to going out on the road.
>
> Would it actually be simpler and cheaper to change the DTXpress
brain
> for something else that does allow you to import samples. Is there a
> Yamaha upgrade path or would I be headed into Roland territory?
J.,
With a PC and a good sampling program you'd be able to process the
kitchen sink to your heart's content. But the complexity of the
setup, especially on the road, is the reason why modules are so
attractive, unless you have a dedicated tech person and a big budget.
If importing samples is an important feature for you, you might just
as well leave the DTXpress behind. Roland won't help you, since none
of its modules currently can accept samples (although people expect
the hideously expensive TD-20 eventually to acquire that capacity).
The only modules on the market that sample at this point are the
exquisite-soundng ddrum4, which may be worth looking into, though, as
a ten-year old model never upgraded in memory capacity and MIDI
capability, it has significant practical limitations (I own one but
not for sampling); the Alesis DM Pro, which is all but moribund; and
the Yamaha DTXTIIU, which is probably your best bet (and a damn good
module to boot). The Yamaha costs considerably less than the Roland
high-end module, more like the TD-8. It doesn't have a tremendous
memory for sampling, but maybe for your needs; OGD or someone else
here, or at Yahoo DTXtreme or DTXperience.com, can probably give you
some pointers. As far as getting the particular samples to sound good
before they reach the module, you might look for individual
collections of software samples that include what you want.
Of course, the other thing you could do if you want to retain the
DTXPress and not spend too much more money, is to try and find a used
or otherwise affordable hardware sampler that you could use in
conjunction with the DTXpress module.
Ed
