Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I just got a dtxpress II kit, I have to cables to run to and from my 
pc, now, what program do I need to record stuff and play midi and 
whatnot to my drums, can I use the one at best buy called "digital 
music" its like a 40 dollar program. Or, do I even need a program. 
please give a short simple outline of what I need to do, that manual 
is too intimidating at the moment. Thanks,
Rob

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Rob" <robarrie2003@y...> wrote:
> I just got a dtxpress II kit, I have to cables to run to and from 
my 
> pc, now, what program do I need to record stuff and play midi and 
> whatnot to my drums, can I use the one at best buy called "digital 
> music" its like a 40 dollar program. Or, do I even need a program. 
> please give a short simple outline of what I need to do, that 
manual 
> is too intimidating at the moment. Thanks,

Rob,

Are you referring to Voyetra's Digital Music Starter Kit? I don't 
know anything about it beyond what I just read in the product 
description at the Best Buy site. But, from what I read, the software 
would give you the capability of recording MIDI tracks from the 
DTXpress module, and it should also allow you to send MIDI material 
into the DTXpress' sequencer/recorder to add your own accompaniment. 
I don't know what your goals are at this point. There are PC 
sequencing programs, those from Sonar and Steinberg for example, that 
undoubtedly outclass the Voyetra program, allowing you to manipulate 
more material in myriad ways, but at a minimum cost of $100+ more. 
But if all you need for now is a program to help you get acquainted 
with some of the MIDI features that the DTXpress supports, Digital 
Music might be fun and instructive to have. Again, I don't whether, 
or how quickly, you are likely to outgrow it. If you play at least 
one other MIDI-compatable instrument and want to start composing and 
recording your own songs, something on the order of the Voyetra,  
Sonar (Cakewalk), or Steinberg (Cubase) software will be unavoidable, 
unless you decide to record on external equipment not connected to 
your PC. 

From the standpoint of basic sequencing (recording yourself playing 
to MIDI music), all you need is a soundcard with its own software, 
and MIDI out, that will permit you to transmit MIDI songs from your 
PC to the DTXpress. If, at the moment, that's all you're trying to 
do, don't spend money on a sequencer. If importing music into the 
DTXpress for the sole purpose of practicing, without any need to 
record, just connect the outputs of a CD player--external or PC-
driven from a soundcard--into the 1/8" aux. jack on the front of the 
DTXpress module (using an adapter and "Y" cable as necessary), 
balance the music from it with the kit via the module's internal 
volume settings and the knobs on the faceplate, and play along until 
the cows come home. No software or MIDI required.

Ed

Thanks Ed, now why can't they make it that easy in the manuals. I 
guess for a few dollars more the other programs seem to be a better 
choice in the long run. You know what would be awsome is to have a 
program that cuts out drums from real music in some time of format, 
the guy at the music store said that he never heard of one, and cd's 
and such are 2 tracks and would be impossible to pick apart 
instruments. I'm supprised with all the technology theres nothing 
like that. 
Rob

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Rob" <robarrie2003@y...> wrote:
> Thanks Ed, now why can't they make it that easy in the manuals. I 
> guess for a few dollars more the other programs seem to be a better 
> choice in the long run. You know what would be awsome is to have a 
> program that cuts out drums from real music in some time of format, 
> the guy at the music store said that he never heard of one, and 
cd's 
> and such are 2 tracks and would be impossible to pick apart 
> instruments. I'm supprised with all the technology theres nothing 
> like that. 

Short of going back to the multitrack masters, not much can be done, 
though I think that modern, expensive digital processing has been 
able to do wonders isolating instruments on older recordings. Of 
course, that's one of MIDI's advantages, shutting off the channel 10. 
But there are companies that offer CDs without drums, and other 
instruments, for practice. The Music Minus One series was out in the 
1960s and is still around (I used it when I played trombone). I 
forget the name of another company that puts out bass loops and such 
for drummers to accompany; it's mentioned--by me, I think--somewhere 
in the archives. Another--granted, longshot--option, involves the 
early stereo music that emerged at the beginning of the British 
Invasion (including the Beatles). These fledging two channel 
recordings often panned the drums completely to one side. If you run 
one of those recordings through the DTXpress, muting the drum track, 
you can be Ringo, Charlie, or god knows who else.