Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi everyone.

Enjoying reading past post right now...

I was a pro drummer in my youth but gave it all up 15 years back.

Long wanted to play again but the electronic kits have never appealed to me.

I was working with Steve Negus from a band called Saga last fall and he opened my eyes to some new gear.

Would anyone be able to take a moment to perhaps answer the following for me?

1) Any problems - I have been hearing reports of the kick drum playing up?
2) What is the head response like compared to an acoustic kit?
3) What are the cymbals like on response?
4) What sticks do you use?
5) Can you recommend a kick pedal. I used to have a very fast foot - played with my toes, so I like a loose feel rather than a pumping action.
6) How good are the sounds in there?
7) Do you have to be careful of climate control - I am thinking of having it set up in the loft and the temp can dip low there?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Graham

Hi! I'll get straight to it:

1) Any problems - I have been hearing reports of the
kick drum playing up?
 - Out of the 40 or so members of this mailing list,
only a couple have reported problems. That's pretty
normal I'd say. My kick is perfect.

2) What is the head response like compared to an
acoustic kit?
 - Like any set of e-drums, you can change the
triggers/pads according to your desires. A few of us
have opted for the DIY rototom triggers and others
have gone to S&S or PinTech. The Yamaha pads
themselves are fine, if a bit on the firm side.
There's obviously a long way to go in terms of getting
an e-drum to "feel" like a real drum. On a real snare,
you get that taut resonance at the edges and that big
deep crack in the middle. On the DTXpress, you get a
big deep crack in the middle and the same sound
(albeit at a lower volume) near the edge. Sensitivity
is good but not as good as a real drum. Possibly the
rototom triggers would help here. The key is to try
the Yammy pads and then start looking at higher
quality stuff. Remember, the DTXpress is a budget kit
- so some of its properties are not quite up to the
"pro" level.

3) What are the cymbals like on response?
 - For basic rock/funk/country/techno whatever -
they're fine. If you're playing quiet jazzy passages,
you might notice the limitations. Again it depende on
the quality of the trigger/pad and the Yammy ones that
comes with the brain are aimed at budget level.

4) What sticks do you use?
- ProMark 5A

5) Can you recommend a kick pedal. I used to have a
very fast foot - played with my toes, so I
like a loose feel rather than a pumping action.
 - I use a DW pedal, very clean and accurate. Again,
the kick is a personal choice so one man's poison may
be another man's meat.

6) How good are the sounds in there?
 - This is where the DTXpress scores points. The
sounds are damn good. AWM2 synthesis, dual voice per
pad, reverb...check out my website for more on this
http://welcome.to/DTXpressions.
In a live situation (I heard Andy play them live last
week in Tin Omen), they are indistinguishable from
real drums.

7) Do you have to be careful of climate control - I am
thinking of having it set up in the loft and the temp
can dip low there?
 - Most electronic equipment can stand low(ish)
temperatures - watch out for condensation if you use a
heater. I anticipate no problem other than a sluggish
LCD display.

So there you have it. I could carry on, but I'm sure
others would like a go...
My recommendation : Go with the DTXpress "brain" and
make/buy your own pads

TTFN
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Hi Giles.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply and I would still welcome any 
others! :0)

That is comforting to know there are relatively few problems and that perhaps 
the kick drum trouble is limited.

As this is all new to me after 15 years away, I totally walked away from 
drums :( , so the "DIY rototom triggers and S&S or PinTech" all unknown to me.

Being realistic, I think perhaps I would start with something like this and 
then work up to other things, but still would enjoy knowing what these other 
pads are about.

Is the Pro Mark 5A what most people use. Certainly seems that way from the 
comments I have found on the web. Any particular reason for this, reach, 
strength, weight etc?

The comments about the sounds are very welcoming and may just have settled 
all my fears. 

I noted comments about the low headphone out put, but as I am still reading 
through past digests, was that ever sorted?

Off to visit your web site now and thanks for making a newbie feel very 
welcome.

Cheers

Graham

Hi Graham
Another valued member! (fawn, cringe)

S&S and PinTech manufacture other pads that some feel
are generally superior to the Yammy pads.  Check out
the website for links to them. If you gave up drumming
15 years ago, you MUST remember the old Remo RotoToms.
Well, some of us are now picking these up second
(3rd?) hand, stuffing them with foam and fitting
triggers to them. Some people are never happy...

The Pro Mark 5A, I guess, is just a popular choice of
stick. Some feel that heavier sticks give a better
sound, but I'm not convinced. After all, it's
electronic - the maximum volume is limited (MIDI 127)
- you just can't get louder by using a heavier stick.

The low headphone output was never sorted. Some ideas
came out, but at the the end of the day, everyone
agreed that the best solution was to shove the output
through an external amp and use the headphones on the
amp. I use very efficient BeyerDynamic studio cans so
the low volume problem isn't as obvious to me, but I
can imagine a cheap pair of phones from Tandy might
not be very loud.

I think you'll be happy with the DTXpress. There's
loads of experience in this forum now. If you have
problems, someone will know the answer (it'll probably
be in the digest!)
Let us know if you get the kit.
Cheers for now.
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Well Giles, I think you have done enough to set aside my fears - what 
commission are you on? :0)

Just off to a well known drum store in the UK ( Wembley ) to test run one and 
perhaps bring it home!.

Thanks for the additional pad information and as for Rototoms, indeed, I used 
to use two and of all the equipment I had, I retained just one 10'' Roto and 
a deep Gretsch snare ( the centre piece of my old kit - which was a Premier 
single head )

I have also had a chance to walk through your web site, many thanks for the 
work put into that. Very informative and I will return there later.

I am sure the 18 tips in there will be a good place to dip into once I have 
found my way around the DTXpress.

It's funny. I read in an early digest, someone else mention playing 15 years 
ago and now finding the DTXpress, making a comeback.
Perhaps this is the drummers version of the 7 year itch?!!

Finally, what is the Geographic spread of the members on the list? Worldwide, 
Europe or just UK.

More later today, and thanks again for your time and assistance.

Cheers again

Graham

>I noted comments about the low headphone out put, but as I am still reading 
>through past digests, was that ever sorted?

	Personally, I find the headphone output volume sufficient. Well, I do
always have the
	volume on the max, but it's enough for me and I'm actually glad it doesn't
get any
	louder because I'd probably turn it gradually louder and louder over time
and end
	up damaging my hearing.

	I'm worried that the kicking sounds thru to the apartment below me. Which
do you
	people think would be better: some foam under the kick tower and pedal, or
a small
	riser (I believe that's what you call it. A platform that only touches the
floor at the
	corners)?

	And another thing. I tried to connect the kit to my stereo set, but the
output from the
	DTXpress was way too loud, so that adjusting volume was very difficult.
The sound
	also had *way* too much bass in it. There was also some distortion.

	Some peoplek were wondering about the geography of the list. The list is
international,
	of course, why wouldn't it? I'm Finnish, BTW.

>I noted comments about the low headphone out put, but as I am still reading 
>through past digests, was that ever sorted?

	Personally, I find the headphone output volume sufficient. Well, I do
always have the
	volume on the max, but it's enough for me and I'm actually glad it doesn't
get any
	louder because I'd probably turn it gradually louder and louder over time
and end
	up damaging my hearing.

	I'm worried that the kicking sounds thru to the apartment below me. Which
do you
	people think would be better: some foam under the kick tower and pedal, or
a small
	riser (I believe that's what you call it. A platform that only touches the
floor at the
	corners)?

	And another thing. I tried to connect the kit to my stereo set, but the
output from the
	DTXpress was way too loud, so that adjusting volume was very difficult.
The sound
	also had *way* too much bass in it. There was also some distortion.

	Some peoplek were wondering about the geography of the list. The list is
international,
	of course, why wouldn't it? I'm Finnish, BTW.

In a message dated 20/1/2000 20:47:01, luikero@... writes:

<<Personally, I find the headphone output volume sufficient.>>

So far I have to agree.
First tiny niggle, mentioned before I believe, any reason the cymbal pads 
could not have been made of the same material as the drum pads?
You can hear the click over the sample in the headphones which I will get 
used to.

Just wondered.

Cheers

Graham