Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Keith,

Brian Allison of Hope Drums (basically a Pintech store) posted this 
announcement on the Pintech-Visulite forum, which I started with 
Brian LaRue at Pintech (when he was in charge there). I think that 
I'd offered Allison ownership of the forum when LaRue and I dropped 
out. Anyway, does this new product remind you of anything?

Many of our customers have asked, so I have teamed up with the 
manufacturer of the Ultimate Trigger Splitter to offer you guys this 
great product!! 

A standard Y Stereo Splitter Adapter*** will not allow you to use two 
mono pads on the Roland TD-6, 8, 12, 20 or the SPD20 pad, but the 
Ultimate Trigger Splitter will!!! This great product allows you to 
split dual zone inputs (that normally require a dual zone pad), so 
that you can use two single zone pads!!! What this means is that you 
can add up to two different pads to your drum kit, without having to 
buy another expensive module or MIDI device!!

Your Ultimate Trigger Splitter comes complete with instructions for 
optimal use with the Roland TD6/ 8/ 12 / 20 Modules. 

Check it out at http://www.hopedrums.com/Ultimate%20Trigger%
20Splitter.htm

 
 
Attachment: 12k (image/jpeg) Ultimate Trigger Splitter Logo.jpg

Interesting.  It doesn't look very large, although there aren't too
many components needed to make my circuit so it could all be in there.
 My box is large because I mounted the connectors in it and added some
adjustment.  

I seem to remember some discussion on one of the forums a while ago
which used just a resistor from the second pad to trigger the rim
switch, so maybe it is like that.

Keith.

This might be relevent to my ideas for setting up my kit... I'd 
intended, as I explained in my introduction, to use the snare port of 
the DTXPIV for a PCY130SC (hard to find cymbal, it's a 3-zone cymbal 
like the PCY150S, but 13inches - I was lucky to get my hands on it).  
However, I'm wondering what other ways I could set up my kit - I 
already have ordered some splitters from Drumbalaya.  I'm curious if 
anyone has tested the DTXpander on a 3-zone port.  I know the port is 
expecting a piezo and two switches, but beyond that my technical 
knowledge is limited.  Is there a way to split one into three different 
monos?  Now THAT would be a great feature for expansion!

 -- Phill

Phill,

You can certainly use the DTXpander on a 3 zone port to use 3 mono
pads - there is a circuit in the files section.  The only difference
is the extra transistor and a 10k series resistor in the rim switch.

The expansion capabilities of the DTXpress IV are a little different
to the earlier versions.  On the DTXpress I, II & III all inputs were
dual zone with some 3 zone, and hence quite a few were unused - eg the
toms were usually used as mono inputs, wasting their rim switch
capability.  However, on the DTXpress IV the tom inputs are only mono.
 Overall, you get 12 inputs though, compared to the DTXpress I, II &
III which have 10.  On the DTXpress IV you have nine mono, two 3 zone
& one dual zone maxing 17 zones in total. On the DTXpress III you get
2 mono ones, three 3 zone and 5 dual zone, making 21 zones in total (I
think!)

Keith.

Keith,

Thanks, good to know.  Right now I'm planning on using all of the 
triple-zone ports (snare, crash and ride) for cymbal pads, so I can 
have 9 different chokeable zones, set up basically like this:

Snare Port: PCY130SC rim = Crash cymbal, bow = Crash cwith modified 
attack and polyphony to allow swells, bell = 8" splash.

Crash port: PCY150S(1) rim=Crash/Ride 18" cymbal, bow=same cymbal 
with swells, bell= 10" splash.

Ride port: PCY150S(2) set up backwards to avoid accidental choking: 
rim (which I'll have to deliberatly reach for) = Sizzle cymbal, bow = 
Ride cymbal, bell = Ride bell.

I'm also going to layer each zone, so that I get more variations in 
sound.  

Anyway, honestly, I can't build a DTXpander, I'm not that handy. But 
the IDEA is really sweet - it'd give you at LEAST 20 pads you can 
hook up to the DTXP4 (and I'm not counting splitting the Hi-Hat 
port)!  Better get a bigger rack!

 -- Phill (But who DOESN'T want a bigger rack... heheh... erm *ahem*.)