Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

Hi Chris,
For what it's worth, this is my opinion.
The SDX is a far more flexible machine than ANY other machine on the market.
It is capable or WARPING sound to a point where the original sound can be altered to be something totally new and fresh.
The sound quality and authenticity of sound leaves the Roland gear sounding like drum machines / toys IMO.
I own Roland TD-10, TD-20. they do not inspire me, they live in a box.
While I understand their appeal as practice kits, they are not personal in any way, whereas the sounds I create with SDX feel as though they are my own and contain something of my own personality and choice/taste in creating them.They have an identity which is personal.
The SDX really does work despite any bad publicity, all of the issues with the software can be worked around in my experience.
I have used SDX since 1991 and own several units. I run the system using external ZIP drives and the sound quality is wonderful.
I am familiar with ddrum3/4/2BOX etc ...the ddrum3 is a great machine, but all of these lack what the SDX has.
The 2BOX requires a computer to do any serious editing...so if on a gig and you want to edit something you had better have a laptop with you.
The ddrum3 is great,  but when the sounds are selected by playing across the pad 'positionally' you simply get the next sample across.
You cannot alter the pitch or filter brightness or pan position simply by playing a different area of the pad...SDX plays and manipulates sounds as if you have a separate 'whammy bar' on all of these functions simultaneously. NOTHING ELSE on the market does this to my knowledge...not in 1987 , not in 2014...it is peerless in this particular feature. Buy one if you get the chance.
Regards, Bruce