Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi guys! Need some help. I have a dual zone Yamaha cymbal pad, the 
PCY65S, that came with my kit, and it was defective. I think the 
connector( where the stereo cord plugs into the cymbal) is messed 
up, but I can't be sure. If I jiggle the cord in the jack, it will 
produce a sound. There than that it is dead. Yamaha replaced it with 
a new one, but I have this one that doesn't work, and if I could fix 
it, I would have another dual zone pad. How can I trouble shoot, and 
fix it. I am a newbie to this hands on stuff, and I know some of you 
guys can help me out. Also, do I need a special midi cable? I was 
told that I needed one with a biult in opto-isolater (what ever THAT 
is)...I wanna hook up my DTXpress II to my PC. ANY help will be 
appreciated

Hi Jadie (if I may),

I think we did this before. Back in December, I posted, "Any 
reputable PC to Midi adaptor should have the necessary opto-
isolator to protect the connected components, but if it isn't 
mentioned in the advertising, it seems that the only way to make 
sure is to take it apart (ugh) or ask the company/store that sells 
it. Ed and Charlotte at Drumbalaya carry a variety of cables, and 
I'm sure that they'd give you the information." Giles Hearn explains 
what the opto-isolator does back in post #50.

As for the busted PCY65, I don't have any Yammy cymbals on hand to 
be specific, but you really don't have anything to lose by opening 
it up and checking for anything loose. You can also resolder every 
connection in sight; sometimes that works. I went through all that 
stuff with a kick pad a couple of years ago, but it didn't help in 
my case. If nothing obviously wrong is visible, or none of your 
tightening/resoldering shows results, a component may be bad. You 
could try to replace the piezo, for instance; they're cheap. Maybe 
someone else will have a specific suggestion.

Ed

Ed




--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "jadiebooshkie 
<jadiebooshkie@y...>" <jadiebooshkie@y...> wrote:
> 
> Hi guys! Need some help. I have a dual zone Yamaha cymbal pad, the 
> PCY65S, that came with my kit, and it was defective. I think the 
> connector( where the stereo cord plugs into the cymbal) is messed 
> up, but I can't be sure. If I jiggle the cord in the jack, it will 
> produce a sound. There than that it is dead. Yamaha replaced it 
with 
> a new one, but I have this one that doesn't work, and if I could 
fix 
> it, I would have another dual zone pad. How can I trouble shoot, 
and 
> fix it. I am a newbie to this hands on stuff, and I know some of 
you 
> guys can help me out. Also, do I need a special midi cable? I was 
> told that I needed one with a biult in opto-isolater (what ever 
THAT 
> is)...I wanna hook up my DTXpress II to my PC. ANY help will be 
> appreciated

Here's a little more on fixing the pad from someone else. It's 
pretty much what I said, but it does have the radio shack part 
number for a new piezo: 
"Try:
1:
spray wd40 on a 1/4 jack and insert into the pad and move it around.
This cleans the contacts which sometimes oxidize.
2:
disassemble the pad, remove the circuit board, and resolder all
connections. Sometimes hairline fractures occur which are very hard
to see right at the point the through hole connects to the traces. 
You
may have to 'scratch' the trace to build a small solder bridge.

3:
Replace the piezo sensor with a Radio Shack 273-091 ( about $2 ).

4:
I have seen the pot on the circuit board go bad, again, this can be 
replaced
at Radio Shack

That's all there is - there's not much to one of these pads."

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "jadiebooshkie 
<jadiebooshkie@y...>" <jadiebooshkie@y...> wrote:
> 
> Hi guys! Need some help. I have a dual zone Yamaha cymbal pad, the 
> PCY65S, that came with my kit, and it was defective. I think the 
> connector( where the stereo cord plugs into the cymbal) is messed 
> up, but I can't be sure. If I jiggle the cord in the jack, it will 
> produce a sound. There than that it is dead. Yamaha replaced it 
with 
> a new one, but I have this one that doesn't work, and if I could 
fix 
> it, I would have another dual zone pad. How can I trouble shoot, 
and 
> fix it. I am a newbie to this hands on stuff, and I know some of 
you 
> guys can help me out. Also, do I need a special midi cable? I was 
> told that I needed one with a biult in opto-isolater (what ever 
THAT 
> is)...I wanna hook up my DTXpress II to my PC. ANY help will be 
> appreciated