Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hey Players,

Another newbie to the group returning to e-drumming after 10+ years.
My last kit was the silver and black triangular Roland kit with the 
DDR30 brain.  I now own a DTXpress II kit and love it!  The feel is 
lightyears better!

I was browsing some of the photos of kits submitted by everyone - 
very cool!  I noticed in quite a few that there were many pads in the 
picture but I could only see one DTXpress brain.

I know there is a way to get two single zone pads out of the 9/10 
input on the brain, but is there another way to get more pads with 
different sounds out of a single brain?  Inputs 2,6,7 maybe?

Thanks!
Rich
a.k.a. echo_man

"I'm in a groove now ... or is it a rut?"  N.P.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "rjwyatt_99" <rjwyatt@n...> wrote:
> Hey Players,
> 
> Another newbie to the group returning to e-drumming after 10+ years.
> My last kit was the silver and black triangular Roland kit with the 
> DDR30 brain.  I now own a DTXpress II kit and love it!  The feel is 
> lightyears better!
> 
> I was browsing some of the photos of kits submitted by everyone - 
> very cool!  I noticed in quite a few that there were many pads in 
the 
> picture but I could only see one DTXpress brain.
> 
> I know there is a way to get two single zone pads out of the 9/10 
> input on the brain, but is there another way to get more pads with 
> different sounds out of a single brain?  Inputs 2,6,7 maybe?

Rich,

Welcome to the group, and to the world of drummers again. When some 
people have exhausted the open inputs on the Xpress, they use 
splitters out of certain inputs to duplicate voices on other pads. At 
this point, there is no way to divide the separate voices from stereo 
inputs onto separate pads. People have been discussing the 
possibility and experimenting on it for a long time. Suffice it to 
say that until further notice, it is impossible. We just had a 
renewed running discussion on the subject again this month. Somewhere 
down the line, if you want more inputs, you'll have to get a second 
module or a trigger to midi device like the old Aphex, Roland PM-16, 
Kat MIDIkiti, or current Roland TMC-6.

Ed

> > 
> > I know there is a way to get two single zone pads out of the 9/10 
> > input on the brain, but is there another way to get more pads 
with 
> > different sounds out of a single brain?  Inputs 2,6,7 maybe?
> 
> Rich,
> 
> Welcome to the group, and to the world of drummers again. When some 
> people have exhausted the open inputs on the Xpress, they use 
> splitters out of certain inputs to duplicate voices on other pads. 
At 
> this point, there is no way to divide the separate voices from 
stereo 
> inputs onto separate pads. People have been discussing the 
> possibility and experimenting on it for a long time. Suffice it to 
> say that until further notice, it is impossible. We just had a 
> renewed running discussion on the subject again this month. 
Somewhere 
> down the line, if you want more inputs, you'll have to get a second 
> module or a trigger to midi device like the old Aphex, Roland PM-
16, 
> Kat MIDIkiti, or current Roland TMC-6.
> 
> Ed

Ed,

Thanks for the response.
Could you use the midi devices to trigger the DTXpress brain via it's 
MIDI IN port?  I'm thinking about getting an old Roland Octapad off 
of ebay to add some additional pads.

Cheers,
Rich.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "rjwyatt_99" <rjwyatt@n...> wrote:
> Could you use the midi devices to trigger the DTXpress brain via 
it's 
> MIDI IN port?  I'm thinking about getting an old Roland Octapad off 
> of ebay to add some additional pads.

Rich,

Yes, all of the devices that I mentioned work through the MIDI input. 
You simply access the voices you want via MIDI note numbers from the 
DTXpress, adjusting trigger and voice parameters on the respective 
units to your liking. If you're using the DTXpress II, however, 
remember to do a factory reset (or preset, as the manual calls it) 
before you connect the Octopad. The module shipped with a bug that 
disables external MIDI connections unless you do so. We discovered it 
on this board, the hard way, before Yamaha came to the rescue.

Ed

> Thanks for the response.
> Could you use the midi devices to trigger the DTXpress brain via it's
> MIDI IN port?  I'm thinking about getting an old Roland Octapad off
> of ebay to add some additional pads.
>
> Cheers,
> Rich.

Welcome Rich,

It will indeed work, as that's more or less what I've done with my DTXpress
(Mk1).
I already had the PAD 80  - Octapad II, and as a bonus, it even had the drum
clamp. So if you do get one, try and get one with the clamp.
The Octapad II has 6 external inputs, with 3 way velocity switching /
mixing, plus each pad or external input can send on any MIDI channel (good
for tuned percussion).
There was a Octapad I, memory fails me if it had external inputs.
The only down side of the Octapad's I & II, was the hard playing surface,
but they work well.
Roland added internal sounds to produce the SPD series, these have a
rubberised surface, much easier to play on.
(NB the SPD 6 has no external inputs to my knowledge - I don't think it has
a MIDI in either)

With my set up:
MIDI out sequencer -----> MIDI in PAD 80
MIDI out PAD 80 --------> MIDI in DTX
MDI out DTX --------------> MIDI in to sequencer

Both DTX, and PAD 80 have software MIDI thru's so signals from the sequencer
are still received by the DTX.
If the MIDI thru is switched on in the sequencer you get a MIDI loop!
Nasty!!!!


Hope this helps.

the Sonic Energy Authority - a sound investment

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "the Sonic Energy Authority" 
<sonicenergyauthority@n...> wrote:
> 
> It will indeed work, as that's more or less what I've done with my 
DTXpress
> (Mk1).
> I already had the PAD 80  - Octapad II, and as a bonus, it even had 
the drum
> clamp. So if you do get one, try and get one with the clamp.
> The Octapad II has 6 external inputs, with 3 way velocity 
switching /
> mixing, plus each pad or external input can send on any MIDI 
channel (good
> for tuned percussion).

Mr Authority, or should I can you Sonic!  ;}

Thanks!

Hmmm...the external inputs to the Octapad can be assigned MIDI notes 
and channels ... could you hook up extra pads to those inputs to the 
Octapad and get more pads on your DTXpress Brain?

New pad (TP65?)  ---> Octapad external input
Octapad MIDI out ---> DTXpress MIDI in

Just thinkin out loud...

Cheers,
Rich.

> Mr Authority, or should I can you Sonic!  ;}
>
> Thanks!
>
> Hmmm...the external inputs to the Octapad can be assigned MIDI notes
> and channels ... could you hook up extra pads to those inputs to the
> Octapad and get more pads on your DTXpress Brain?
>
> New pad (TP65?)  ---> Octapad external input
> Octapad MIDI out ---> DTXpress MIDI in
>
> Just thinkin out loud...
>

Hi Rich,

You've hit the nail on the head, or should that be pad to the trigger -
whatever..

I'm using 3 of the external inputs of the Octapad;

1 - A Yamaha cymbol wedge (PCY65 possibliy?).
It's assinged to the same voice as the rim on my main (stereo) cymbol pad,
which as luck would have it, means I can still choke the cymbol by grabbing
the other pad.

2 - A Yamaha TP65 pad (it's a bit ropey - triggers okay, but there's little
dynamics) I'm using it as a china cymbal.

3 - Is the rim trigger if the DTXreme snare pad I purchased just before
Christmas.
I've set the Octapad to send the note for a sidestick sound, but have
velocity switched it so on max velocity it produces a rimshot.
With a bit of tweaking you get reasonable results, but I wouldn't trust it
in a live set-up, in a recording set-up fine, as I can edit the MIDI notes
later.
The DTX snare input is used on the main pad of the DTXreme snare, and it
triggers even if only the rim is hit. Again, I can edit the MIDI notes
later.

I've set various different sounds on the Octapads own pads, shakers, another
snare, tambourine, and so fourth, but I rarely play them.
I'm mostly using the Octapad to expand the DTX's inputs.

You have to remember the unit is fairly large, a separate trigger-to-MIDI
interface might be more suitable. It depends what's about on ebay, and on
the price your willing to pay. All I can say is, an Octapad will work, I
know, as I've done it. Roland & Yamaha working together in harmony, wish
they would do it more often.



Paul Preston
(aka the Sonic Energy Authority)