Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "jclco_md" <jclco_md@y...> wrote:
> Thanks for your reply.  My kit is actually driven by the older 
> retired DTX Version 2 brain.  I appologize for posting in the wrong 
> group but since I don't find a home and DTXpress is the closest 
thing 
> that matches my unit, I thought my situation should be similar.  

Jim,

You're completely welcome here. Sometimes people confuse the XpressII 
and the DTXv2.0. So I wanted to make sure. The two have ample overlap.
 
> Your feedback about the AX14S is very helpful.  Setup wise, I hope 
> it's the same and I never thought that I need to change the pad 
type 
> in the trigger menu.  Thanks for your pointer.  Now since my 
original 
> snare is a TP80S (dual-zone) and it takes up only one input in my 
DTX 
> V2 module, I think I might not need to do anything special about 
> that.  

Unfortunately the "s" in TP80s doen't signify dual-zone, but stereo. 
I won't go into detail about the differences here, the main one is 
that stereo pads (which are gum-rubber) will work in a single stereo 
input such as you find on Yamaha and Roland modules, whereas dual-
zone pads (not gum rubber), although they have double-sound 
capability as well, need two mono inputs. Nor do they recognize a 
stereo input as anything but a mono in sheep's clothing. The long and 
short of it is that you'll need two inputs of any kind to use a dual-
zone AX14s, including using a TRS splitter to access 9 and 10.

> What about sensitivity of the AX14S?  I saw on the prior postings 
back in January that you guys had to adjust the hot spot 
> area.  That part of tuning will come in handy when I get mine.  

The AX14s is plenty sensitive when setup correctly. It has a bit of a 
hot spot where the piezo is located (so what else is new), but I've 
never found it to be much of a problem. Walt (god bless'im), the 
owner of the DTX group, seems to have noticed it more after he 
switched to the Xtreme snare.
 
> Have you make further adjustment to it lately?  How about double or 
buzz 
> rolls?? Are they pretty authentic to real drums in your opinion?

I rarely make trigger adjustments to the AX14s anymore, only voice 
changes. Since it's on its own stand, it doesn't need a lot of 
tweaking once you've found the parameters that work. You have to 
spend quite a bit of money to get electronic snare-drum dynamics to 
approximate, to any degree, the subtle dynamics of an acoustic, but 
the AX14s will certainly give you full double-stroke capability 
through the DTX or Xpress modules, except at an extremely low 
velocity (I double-stroke and buzz a lot). By the way, the AX14s is 
supposed to be capable of positional sensing (accurate sound based on 
where the snare is hit) through the Roland TD8 and 10, and possibly 
the discontinued Xtreme; it's debatable. Although the DTX and Xpress 
modules technically don't support positional sensing, you might be 
able to achieve something like it by using the AX14s' intrinsic 
sensitivity to its advantage. If you set a relatively high gain, and 
low min. velocity (with the AX14s on a separate stand), you can get a 
reduced volume level at the edges of the drum that is not totally 
unlike how an acoustic snare behaves near the lugs. Experiment.
> 
> Now for the cymbal, I haven't investigated the Zenbal 14" before. I 
> like the fact that it can be a dual zone chokable thing. I wonder 
if 
> the feel is good though! In the product description, it 
> says "Separate center and edge sounds".  Does it mean the edge and 
> the bell trigger one sound and then the face triggers the other?  
> That will be cool!!  Also, I assume the original Yamaha cymbal arm 
> will fit this thing, right?  

Unlike the AX14s, the Pintech Zenbal gum-rubber cymbal is a stereo 
model that will provide two voices in a dedicated stereo input with a 
stereo cable. Compared to the Yamaha stereo cymbals, which it 
resembles in principle, it has a more authentic feel; in fact, it 
swings. Like all stereo cymbals, its sounds are triggered on bow and 
edge (where the choke is also located). If the bell makes any sound 
at all, it's the sound of the center, where the cymbal's piezo pickup 
is located, but it's not wired for anything specific itself. Dual-
zone cymbals--the double-mono variety, like the AX14s--divide their 
sounds between bell and bow. Roland's higher-end cymbals are capable 
of edge, bow, and bell through the TD10 with partcular settings. 
Yamaha is rumored to be coming up with a similar design that will 
probably work through a stereo input like the three-sound snare on 
the XpressII.
 
> The hi-hat pad was what I was referring to.  Sure enough, I love 
the 
> Visu-Lite's design.  The price might be a bit out of my range.  So 
I 
> might need to wait a bit and see what other companies have to offer.
> 
> Overall, your feedback is well appreciated and I will let you guys 
> know my 2 cents of these products once I try them.

Please let us know. Equipment reviews through various modules are 
invaluable.

Ed