Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi! Accoustic to electric was very easy for me ... I am a steady 
gigger , playing on average 2 to 3 nights a week using my Dtxpress2 
for the shows. I think the toughest part about the switch for me, is 
going from real brass to the e-cymbals,(the hats were kinda tricky to 
get the right nuances) , but.. depending on the way you adjust your 
trigger setup, volume, decay, effects etc... these probs can be 
overcome. I used to play heavy metal and hit hard to, but after a few 
years of absorbing everything  I could (learnin' it all!), I started 
playing with more control and dynamics so as I said switching up was 
fairly easy, and Ive noticed I don't
have to work as hard asbefore to get the sound I want, my playing has 
only gotten better, faster, smoother. Groovy!

I started playing drums in 1983 at age eleven, on a pearl export kit, 
but even back then I was interested  in electronics, and in 88 or 89 
I aquired a simmons v series kit (hand me down from dad), the brain 
currently still works, but all pads have been ripped apart, i took 
the triggers out and made a compact 4 on 1 pad unit ,( got 
destructive and creative at the same time! lol). it pretty neat, one 
day soon i will add some pics of my collection of gadgets. I  also 
have the yamaha dd5 four pad unit, the yamaha dd-50 seven pad unit 
and of course my DtXpress 2. The yamaha evolution of e-drums so to 
speak. 
I currently have a band website Imade to promote my latest endevour, 
we do have a couple of mp3's on the site, one was recorded on my old 
accoustic set , A CUSTOMISED birchwood westbury kit, with custom rack 
etc. very sweet setup, lotsof cymbals and toys, but i sold it to buy 
the DTXpress kit. The first song,"once around" was recorded , on a 
reel to reel here in my basement, the sound and mix isnt bad 
concidering were amateurs in the recording department! :)    The 
second song is a cover of "MIDNIGHT RIDER" by The Allman Bros. and I 
used my Dtxpess for that one, but the recording was made with just a 
pc headset mic! it sounds really clear! honest, we were all amazed at 
the sound when we were through. Its by no means near pro lvl studio 
sound, the rest of the band had no idea that i was recording us. We 
were just rehearsing, and thought I'd turn on the pc mic, fer S**ts 
and giggles! You never know what jewels you may uncover on the 
recordings. if you would like to hear them plz check us out at 
www.coolbuzz.tk . its in the media section, in "sounds".
Anyway, I'm done writing this epic of a post. 
Keep on Groovin!
JAYMZ.

James,

Thanks for the links to your bands site. It's really great to know 
of others using the DTXpress in live settings. If there are others 
on the group, I would love to hear from you as this will be the next 
big step for me.

I agree about the hi-hat peadal on the DTXII. I really didn't like 
it at first, but have made some adjustments to it (both manually and 
through the module) and it is now serving me well. The info was 
there in the manual :-) I am exploring its use as a secondary hi-
hat, clave type thing, effects trigger, or all three.

I like having both it and the bass pad as options to the acoustic hi-
hat and bass. I can switch between them (acoustic/electronic) and 
easily change the feel of a song. The options offered by those two 
electronic components alone is amazing.

Do you miss your acoustic set at all?
How did the rest of the band react when you made the switch?

Do tell... :-)

Adam

> 
> Do you miss your acoustic set at all?
> How did the rest of the band react when you made the switch?
> 
> Do tell... :-)
> 
> Adam

Well Adam, 
          for the first question, yes I do miss my accoustic set, not 
so much for the sound, but for the time and money and sweat invested 
in it.(although sound  wise, I did have a nice set of various Sabian 
AA brilliant  cymbals, my 22" heavy ride is missed the most)I 
certainly do not miss moving the kit, or setting it up! :)

as for the second, ... the band loves it! they wouldnt want me to 
switch back, maybe only for recording purposes only.

 I had played in a previous band, with our current guitar player, and 
the band leader of the previous band had a roland v-club set he 
offered me to use while in the band. It was a short lived experience, 
but the first time I sat down on that kit,  I had to have one, and 
started looking into the various kits out there, I settled on the 
yamaha because of the upright bass drum pad, big enough for my double 
pedal, the cost (big seller), the upgraded rack, the 3-zone snare 
(rim shots... Woot!), the portability, ease of module use, and 
because I already own two other yamaha products that I enjoy.  

I Hope thats what ya wanted to know! :)
Keep on groovin'! 
JAYMZ.