Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi folks

Just found this group and like what I see so far...I've been playing
acousic drums for over 30 years in all kinds of bands in the UK and
the US...now I find I have 2 related problems. Firstly, I have always
hit hard and played loud. The result of which is that I now have
tinitus in my right ear. I was never comfortable with protection and
now I pay the price. I think part of the problem was that I
unknowingly disliked the sound of unmiked acoustic drums  unless they
were loud. I never played miked in the UK and so thats where it
started. So the second problem is that I don't like what I hear. It
would seem then that an electronic set might be the answer. I've tried
some electronic sets in music stores but not recently. Is there a big
difference playing live between electric and acoustic?. Did you guys
make the transition easily? does the bass drum pad move around or do
you need to anchor it or use a mat? 
Thanks.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "steed02472" <emerypa@b...> wrote:
> Hi folks
> 
> Just found this group and like what I see so far...I've been playing
> acousic drums for over 30 years in all kinds of bands in the UK and
> the US...now I find I have 2 related problems. Firstly, I have 
always
> hit hard and played loud. The result of which is that I now have
> tinitus in my right ear. I was never comfortable with protection and
> now I pay the price. I think part of the problem was that I
> unknowingly disliked the sound of unmiked acoustic drums  unless 
they
> were loud. I never played miked in the UK and so thats where it
> started. So the second problem is that I don't like what I hear. It
> would seem then that an electronic set might be the answer. I've 
tried
> some electronic sets in music stores but not recently. Is there a 
big
> difference playing live between electric and acoustic?. Did you guys
> make the transition easily? does the bass drum pad move around or do
> you need to anchor it or use a mat? 

Hi and welcome,

I'll let other people go into detail about playing an electronic kit 
live, but, for one thing, when you hit an electonic pad live, what 
dictates the volume will be your monitor--whether on the floor or in 
your ear--not the strength in your arm. That's a huge difference. You 
can adjust levels to suit your hearing. You also have more inherent 
control over how the kit responds without needing to whack it too 
hard to get the crack that you may want. It's still true that to get 
a good chest thump, the bottom end will need some power, but, in 
general, sculpting sound with electronics does not depend on brute 
force. You need to find the module that gives you the percussion 
voices that you want, or coax the voices that you want from the 
module that you get. This is a complicated question, and I hope 
others add to the answer. By the way, most kick pads have spurs 
and/or velcro to be used with a rug to keep from wandering. 
Incidentally, I started drumming back in 1963; I relish these moments 
with people who approach my longevity.

Ed

First of all, welcome!

I'm also new to the world of electronic drums. I got my DTXpressII 
just 2 weeks ago and am having a great time with it! 

To add to what Ed posted...

Control of volume with the electronics is as easy as twisting a 
knob. How much of a punch you get ultimately depends on the amp you 
have, not how hard you hit the drums. That's not to say that 
electronics aren't sensitive to different types of contact... they 
are! Which brings us to feel.

I had heard 'horror stories' about the feel of electronic drums, 
especially the gum rubber. I certainly have not found them to be as 
bad as rumored. My only guess is that the people perpetuating those 
stories must tune their drums very, very loose. 

I find the gum rubber to feel like a tightly tuned snare or small 
tom. For a player who is conscious of what he/she is doing this is 
an easy thing to adapt too. Good technique applies just as much to 
electronic drums as it does to acoustics :-)

I've found the transition between acoustic drum heads and gum rubber 
very easy. In fact I make it on a daily basis as I play a hybrid 
kit; acoustic hi-hat, bass and snare with electronics (the 
DTXpressII). I have mic's on the acoustic bass and snare to balance 
them with the electronics. Everything runs through an 8 channel 
Behringer EuroRack to my amp. As far as I am concerned I now have 
the best of both worlds.


As far as the bass drum pad goes, before I got my DTXII I had my 
doubts about it. It didn't look like much in the pictures. However, 
both the pad and the frame for the pad are very well designed. As Ed 
mentioned the DTXII has two spurs for extra bite :-). I have my set 
on a carpet, with the spurs out about a 1/8 inch (basically just the 
tips). I have really, really laid into it (with a double pedal) to 
test it and, so far, that pad hasn't budged at all. Very impressive.


As far as your second problem ("I don't like what I hear"), Ed 
summarized the options well. 

You either try all the different modules to find the one that has 
the voices you want, or buy a module and tweek the voices until they 
sound the way you want them too. With electronics the options are 
many. The only limitations are your imagination and your wallet :-) 


Hope some of this helps. If you do decide to explore electronics, 
please be sure to share the stories of your adventure with us!

Adam

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "steed02472" <emerypa@b...> wrote:
> Hi folks
> 
> Just found this group and like what I see so far...I've been 
playing
> acousic drums for over 30 years in all kinds of bands in the UK and
> the US...now I find I have 2 related problems. Firstly, I have 
always
> hit hard and played loud. The result of which is that I now have
> tinitus in my right ear. I was never comfortable with protection 
and
> now I pay the price. I think part of the problem was that I
> unknowingly disliked the sound of unmiked acoustic drums  unless 
they
> were loud. I never played miked in the UK and so thats where it
> started. So the second problem is that I don't like what I hear. It
> would seem then that an electronic set might be the answer. I've 
tried
> some electronic sets in music stores but not recently. Is there a 
big
> difference playing live between electric and acoustic?. Did you 
guys
> make the transition easily? does the bass drum pad move around or 
do
> you need to anchor it or use a mat? 
> Thanks.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "steed02472" <emerypa@b...> wrote:
> does the bass drum pad move around or do you need to anchor it 
> or use a mat? 

Welcome to the group.

On the issue of the bass pad moving I would like to add that on most 
surfaces it locks in quite well and does not budge. 

For those other times I have a thin aluminimum rod that sits behind 
the racks outermost rubber feet. It runs between the pedel and the 
pad. This eliminates any possible movement.

Roger