Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I just purchased a DTXPRESSIIISP but it has not arriced yet.  A
question that has been nagging at me..... 

Is the DTXPRESSIIISP in any way expandable? ....
as far as something like adding a cowbell trigger without sacrificing any of the standard
triggers and sounds that come with the kit as is from the factory? 

Or are all the trigger points used up already with the hardware provided?

Also, does anyone out there have any suggestions for setup that are not already in the 
manual?

Thanks, THC

Hi,

I also just purchased a DTXPRESSIIISP and have been playing around 
with expanding it through the MIDI port.  I had an old Yamaha DD-50 
(the newer iteration of this is the DD-55).  I connected it to the 
DTXPRESS III module (MIDI out of DD-50 to MIDI in of DTXIII) and then 
mapped each of the pads to play one of the 900+ available drum voices 
of the DTXPRESS III.   You can also just use the voices from the DD-
50 (or other midi device) directly, but I found the mapping gave me 
more of the sound I was looking for...and definitely a lot more 
options for voices!   Since the DD-50 has 7 pads and two 'foot 
triggers' it gives me a potential of 9 additional 'voices' through a 
single midi connection (although I am not personally using the 'foot 
triggers').

I'm not however saying this is a perfect option, and it definitely 
takes a bit of work to get both ends in sync.  The biggest problem I 
have however is finding the right location for it...I haven't gotten 
that issue quite worked out yet.  It may be better to have one of the 
smaller units (like the 3 or 5 pad versions...or maybe something 
totally different).  But the MIDI option for expandability seems a 
reasonable one at this time.  

By-the-way, when I unplugged the DTXIII, it lost all of the mappings 
I set up (it saved my 'kits', but not the map...it may have been 
something I did, but it may not be too).  I would recommend keeping 
some sort of 'written' record if you decide to use midi mapping, so 
you can restore it all in a short amount of time.

Also, as you will find out, all of the trigger inputs are used with 
the default set.  However, the 'Crash 2' input is a stereo input, and 
according to the documentation the Crash 2 that is plugged into that 
input is only a mono, single voice pad...even though they give you a 
stereo cable for it, so you could potentially add an additional mono 
trigger to that stereo input, giving you a seperate input on both 
left and right sides (and are considered port 9 and port 10 by the 
DTX III module).  You'll see once you get your set.

I hope this was of some help.

Jeff

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "electricmusic" <thcmusic@c...> 
wrote:
> 
> I just purchased a DTXPRESSIIISP but it has not arriced yet.  A
> question that has been nagging at me..... 
> 
> Is the DTXPRESSIIISP in any way expandable? ....
> as far as something like adding a cowbell trigger without 
sacrificing any of the standard
> triggers and sounds that come with the kit as is from the factory? 
> 
> Or are all the trigger points used up already with the hardware 
provided?
> 
> Also, does anyone out there have any suggestions for setup that are 
not already in the 

> manual?
> 
> Thanks, THC

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "jkfrench" <jkfrench@y...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I also just purchased a DTXPRESSIIISP and have been playing around 
> with expanding it through the MIDI port.  I had an old Yamaha DD-50 
> (the newer iteration of this is the DD-55).  I connected it to the 
> DTXPRESS III module (MIDI out of DD-50 to MIDI in of DTXIII) and 
then 
> mapped each of the pads to play one of the 900+ available drum 
voices 
> of the DTXPRESS III.   You can also just use the voices from the DD-
> 50 (or other midi device) directly, but I found the mapping gave me 
> more of the sound I was looking for...and definitely a lot more 
> options for voices!   Since the DD-50 has 7 pads and two 'foot 
> triggers' it gives me a potential of 9 additional 'voices' through 
a 
> single midi connection (although I am not personally using 
the 'foot 
> triggers').

> By-the-way, when I unplugged the DTXIII, it lost all of the 
mappings 
> I set up (it saved my 'kits', but not the map...it may have been 
> something I did, but it may not be too).  I would recommend keeping 
> some sort of 'written' record if you decide to use midi mapping, so 
> you can restore it all in a short amount of time.
> 
> Also, as you will find out, all of the trigger inputs are used with 
> the default set.  However, the 'Crash 2' input is a stereo input, 
and 
> according to the documentation the Crash 2 that is plugged into 
that 
> input is only a mono, single voice pad...even though they give you 
a 
> stereo cable for it, so you could potentially add an additional 
mono 
> trigger to that stereo input, giving you a seperate input on both 
> left and right sides (and are considered port 9 and port 10 by the 
> DTX III module).  You'll see once you get your set.

Guys,

See my message #11284 or a fairly recent rundown on the options for 
kit expansion. I won't reiterate that material here. Even though the 
DTXpress will not retain the mapping of extra inputs on a kit by 
itself when you exit that kit, any trigger to MIDI interface (TMC) 
worth its salt will allow you to store parameters created for the 
DTXpress. Once you assign permanent note numbers to voices in the 
DTXpress Utility menu to be used with particular DTXpress kits via 
external inputs, and make the adjustments on the TMD's own bank, you 
can access them easily whenever you choose a particular kit on the 
DTXpress. The limiting factor may ultimately be the number of free 
MIDI notes on the DTXpress. I don't remember exactly how many are 
available but mayber fewer than yhou think. 

I may not be reading JK correctly, but the DTXpress stereo inputs 
(like the crash input that JK mentions) cannot be split into two mono 
pads with a Y adaptor , even though it uses a stereo cable to produce 
two sounds (look up "stereo input," "rim switch," or "FSR" for the 
reason). Input 9/10 (dual-trigger) is not simply a split stereo 
input; it is a totally diffrent animal. The only possible way to 
split a stereo input at this point is Keith Raper's hard-earned 
invention (temporarily called the "Magic Box"), which may reach the 
market in one way or another relatively soon.  Stay tuned (search the 
archives for our recent "Special Notice" to all members for a 
detailed descriptio of it and give us feed back by replying to it, if 
you haven't already).

Ed