Yamaha Drums & Percussion

(Originally written by turm/translated from Audiofanzine FR) - How long have you been using it? One week. - Which feature do you like the most / the least? Pros: Modular system (my configuration is different from Yamaha's pictures). The sound is pretty good and you can edit many parameters for each pad (tuning, reverb, etc., see documentation). You get crazy sounds for electro but its acoustic kits also sound authentic. Cons: the rubber pads are too hard. I think it's a good idea to buy Zildjian Antivib drumsticks. The drum kit makes enough noise to disturb your environment especially the bass drum, which sounds as if someone were renovating the apartment, so you'll have to inform your neighbors. - Did you try any other models before buying it? TD3: good product but the sound module is not as comprehensive as the DTX 4 and it's been discontinued so I didn't want to wait for the TD4, which won't have as many practice options as the DTX. Nevertheless, it's a Roland product so it's very good. DTXplorer: Lower product range. lTD20: too expensive!!! Summary: when you can't play an acoustic drum kit because you live in an apartment, you'll have to buy a Midi drum kit. It's expensive but it allows you to practice and play music in your kitchen. Connect it to a PC and the possibilities multiply!!! I bought the Yamaha because I think it's more comprehensive than a Roland in this price range (two cymbals, snare and 3-zone hi-hat). The hi-hat is a pad so I might upgrade that. The sound module seemed to be more comprehensive. It certainly can't replace real drums, and as soon as I move into a house I will make a music room to play my old acoustic drum kit again. I hope this review is helpful because it was difficult for me to choose the instrument I needed. I'd like to ask DTXpress 4 Standard Kit users to write a review about it.

Argos (uk) 160 pounds-bargain! I wanted to drum in the most confined space and not disturb the family or neighboors. The presentation and layout, the acoustic feel it had and the easy to work controls maybe referring to the manual sometimes but that's what it's there for. An authentic sound and playing on this and a set of drums don't make a difference really. Easy storage tuck under the bed or in a cupboard. General MIDI compatible. The Hi hat mas in the centre. and the excessive noise made when hitting the drums, knocking against the unit. The dial was a bit annoying to use. It hasn't got a tutor on it, pedals were a bit strange to use Stable, can take lots of punishment and manical drumming (Keith Moon style). Very compact I mean compact no kidding, my house is tiny and there's stil space for it. Quality is good, well built. The feel of the pads as well eg. the floor tom pad is bouncier than the snare. ;) Recommendable to anyone even the serious drummer, good for jamming with the band This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute is an awesome drum set designed for uses of all types. A studio session drummer recently brought this kit into the studio where I work on a session that I was doing where we tracked eight songs of drums in one day! It didn't take too long to get some great sounding drums, as these drums sounded awesome right from the start. He had the 6 piece version of the kit, and I would imagine that they come in a few different configurations. Like the name states, these drums are all made from maple wood and are as sturdy as they come. You can also get the Custom Absolute kit in other materials, or even mix and match different woods if you want. I'm not a drummer, but I've recorded enough drum sets to know which sound good and which don't, and this one certainly sounds great! It's definitely a professional's drum set, so I'd only consider it if you're recording and/or gigging a lot and have a good amount of money to drop on a top of the line kit. The overall sound of these drums is deep and full, with the snare being punchy and bright. You can get different sized toms I'm sure, but the rack toms that he had were 10" and 12" I believe. The Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute is really the perfect all around drum set for recording, as it can cater to recording different types of music for sure and isn't specified toward one style. Yamaha in general makes some of the best, and most affordable drum sets around. Whether you're a professional or a beginner, they've got something for you. If you're in the market for a great drum set, definitely consider the Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit.

Are use her to play music I’ll test it out drum machines those ones that your program in with tabs and etc. I have checked out the drum machines on a K multi media and all sorts of different applications I haven’t checked for the DD5 in digital because I also have a Four track recorder well I’m planning to laydown tracks and download it to digital via audio Bus and audio button remote and then go on the IK multimedia and add more tracks if necessary. I can’t really think of very many negatives because the thing for a person that doesn’t play drums other than maybe smacking a clamp here near whatever the cases I think it is excellent I ended up with a DD 20 and I had to go and buy myself another DD5 using it on a Ford track it is unbelievable and you can also use it as a drum when you’re using your digital applications after all it is a digital drum so I picked up the sound great but I mean you can go through all of the rhythms and everything in the that first section will drive with one another you can speed it up you can slow it down you know or you can go from it beats to one to pumps and in the versus whatever you want to do or say the bridge you can start hitting the high hat by just pressing heavy-metal so you can get different rhythms a lot faster than you could if you were spinning around in circles with the DD 20 S and I found that the sound is a hell of a lot more beefier and you also have a meaty so you can go straight to meaty to get better sound excellent machine I think all the negative reviews are likely coming from my complex drummers where the others are I don’t know what to say I categorically disagreed that it’s a toy if you want to use it as one I would buy a separate one and give it to the kids but they could probably use this thing and it would survive because it’s a Stauffers a tank wonderful machine. Can’t wait to get going again. Anyway that’s my story and I’m sticking to it I run that thing through an empty 120 Yamaha and I have no complaints I Simply can’t wait to get cracking again but I would not consider the toy not the way I use it well you could probably give it to the kids to play around with anyway to think that stuff is a tank

I purchased this set, with an extra 10" tom for around $1800 off of interstatemusic.com This kit is great. Yamaha makes very good products. The toms have a good amount of warmth, while still packing some punch. The bass sounds HUGE for such a little kit. And the snare has a wide tuning range, very versatile. It comes with single braced hardware, which somehow is remarkably sturdy. The whole thing packs up into a couple bags so you can get it to your car in 2 trips max! Although, very portable, the bags become very heavy. And the bags aren't very well made (the seems on mine are beginning to come apart). I've also had a couple problems with the tom mounts. I wasn't able to get them in exactly the right place for my liking, not a big deal though. Generally built very well. The Birch/Mahogany shells have a great sound. Overall, this is an awsome kit for the drummer who has a couple gigs a night, or somone that wants a very good quality kit that is compact and sturdy, at a reasonably affordable price. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I took my first seat behind the Yamaha DTXtreme Standard 6 months ago, and I find it to be the perfect practice kit. Once you get the feel for the pads and get everything positioned to your liking, this is the most important part of enjoying an electronic set like the DTxtreme, you need to be comfortable with where the sticks are going to land. Yamaha is a trusted brand, you know you are getting quality, so the price fits the value well. It's in the same range as other brands, and so for me it was a matter of what I needed to practice. It fits the bill perfectly and I get plenty of good jam sessions in, whether just listening through a pair of headphones or plugging in for a light jam session with the band.

I have owned this set for about four years and I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best drum sets ever made. If you're looking for a fat, huge sound, the Yamaha Maple Customs are the way to go. First big plus- the snare drum. When tuned just right this drum gets that disgusting snap reminiscent of Sting era Vinnie Colaiuta. This may be due to the 7ply x 7mm. Construction- versus most 6ply x 6mm. Shells. The Bass drum sound is extremely fat. It features a 10 ply 10mm. Maple shells. This is really amazing when you compare it to the industry standard of 7ply 7mm. Shells. At 10x10mm. The maple custom comes up with 100mm of shell versus everyone else's 49mm (7x7mm.) shells- You're literally getting just over twice as much drum. All this makes for a seriously unbelievable sound but brings these drums only true drawback- they're freakin heavy! If you're looking for a set to throw around town this is not it- a 22 inch bass drum in a hard case will pretty much kill your back as I can attest to. (If you've got to case them up and throw them around- for the bass get a hard case with no foam padding and a soft case. Put the drum in the soft case to throw around town and then put the soft case in the hard case for tours and such). One thing I'd like to say about these drums is that they sound very different from the 'Maple Custom Absolutes.' I have a friend with the same drums in the 'Absolute' series and they don't resonate as well. The biggest difference is the snare drum- I even borrowed his for a week to see if I could get the same sound as my snare drum and I just couldn't get it. His drum was a little darker and just didn't have the same synergistic pop through the whole drum that I get with the 'Male Custom' snare (14x5.5). Its not a HUGE difference, but in my opinion if you're going to invest in a set of drums at this high end, go all out and get the sound you're looking for, otherwise you'll be left with yet another drum that ALMOST gets the sound you're looking for but not quite. Another great feature of these drums is that they're REALLY loud. I frequently play these drums behind a very loud, highly amplified, special event party band. I play without micing them and I never have any problem playing over the group. These drums also retain they're tunings remarkably well (even after I play with the aforementioned group!). I very rarely have to re-tune because my drums pitches have dropped. The snare drum is especially good about this- I almost never have to touch it unless I just want a different sound. I have a 16x16 floor tom I've converted to a bass drum on this kit to play in jazz situations instead of the 22x16 and it sounds okay. These drums are much better suited (in my opinion) towards getting good rock and roll/funk/r&b sounds and volume level than acoustic jazz situations (piano trio, etc.). Honestly they just ring too long and have too bright a sound. Not a bad jazz set- but they really aren't optimum in my opinion. These drums are expensive, but in my eyes are the TOP of the line, rivaled only by the Yamaha Recording Custom drums, and are well worth every penny.

I am primarily a Jazz/Fusion lover but play many local venues, casinos etc. performing and recording a wide variety of music. Currently I gig with a funk/blues band and a swing quartet. I have been playing for 30+ years. This kit was actually given to me as a gift from friends when my previous kit was destroyed in a auto mishap. Nice gift! I have great friends. I can only guess what it cost new, without hardware, maybe $800? Right out of the box, I didn't like the heads much. I used some Remo pinstripes and noticed a great improvement. The finish (deep blue) left a bit to be desired and was difficult to keep pristine and free from scratches. That problem was not much of an issue, really. I used this kit for years with much success. I love the deep end bass drum and the tom resonance was perfect for fusion when I tuned them a bit loose. I was most impressed with the way they record. Never had to dampen much of anything. Every track has been a success! Overall, a great little kit for the money. The kit needed new heads right away. The factory heads hardly lasted two gigs. The finish scratches easily revealing bare wood underneath. Not the most attractive finish. I am very pleased with the hardware, its strength, durability and ease of use. I have played many different kits in my career. I keep going back to Yamaha. This kit sounds much better than it looks. It is a great value for the low-end price. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I've been drumming for close to 2 years. Currently in an Alt-Rock band. I acquired my Stage Custom Nouveau from a local music store for 900 Canadian. They came with full hardware (2 boom stands, snare and hi-hat stand and single pedal). They are a natural woodgrain finish. I love these drums. The hardware is awesome. Even the Bass pedal is pretty good for an entry model. The stands are all sturdy, I even have an adapter arm holding a 20" cast bronze Ride symbal with a 16" Paiste Rude crash on the same stand. The stock heads are crap, yes, but I've never seen a brand new kit with nice heads. Once i got my Remo battered Pinstripes on them they hummed. The snare sounds nice and sharp as well. I was VERY impressed with the bass drum. Once I'd fiddled with it enough it came out with a low punchy tone I didn't expect to get from a mid-range kit. Only thing I can gripe about are the cheap plastic lugs. While I've never had a problem on any toms or the bassdrum, the lugs on my snare tend to break (i play a really tight snare head). At first I thought it was the environment causing fluxuations in the tension.. but after moving them I still had problems splitting the lugs. Moral of the story: If you play your Snare head REALLY tight... might consider either replacing the plastic lugs with metal lugs. I pretty much touched on this already. The quality was great. I couldn't expect more for the price range of this kit. This kit impressed me more than any other kit within 500 dollars of it. I tested the tama rockstar, tama superstar, Gretsch Catalina, PdP LX and MX and NONE of them compared to the value of the Stage Custom Nouveau Advantage. I advise anyone who can't afford to spend 2k to seriously consider this kit. It sounds spectacular for its price! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I play mainly hard rock/metal, my main drumming influences come from Abe Laboriel Jr, Tico Torres, Bobby Jarzombek, Curt Bisquera, and Thomas Lang. I needed a new snare stand, and was stuck between the Yamaha SS 840 and the SS 940. Seeing as how the price difference was only $5 Canadian between the two, I got the 940 for the ball and socket design. I payed $100.00 for it new at Long and McQuade (Canada). This thing is heavy! It's VERY sturdy and solid. I also like the ball and socket feature, which allows for almost unlimited positioning and angle posibilities. It also has four arms instead of the usual three. It doesn't go as low as I wish it would. Not really a problem though, I need a new throne anyway. Like I said above, it's very heavy, solid and sturdy. The tubes are very thick and it is double braced. It's amazing. It holds up to any style of playing. I definately recommend this to anyone looking for a new snare stand. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

After creating a Christian Funk band and playing in it for a year I was ready for a step up in my drum kits. So I set out for a 2000 grand drum kit and ending up buying a these beautiful vintage natural finish maple custom absolute nouveau drums a samual music. The price ended up being 2200 I think for this 6 piece shell pack including two set of mounting clamps from the store. It was a very good deal. These drums look so beautiful with the Natural Vintage finish especially, sound better then any other drums out there, user friendly because their easy to tune and stay in tune, punchy for funk or open for rock, these drums just cover it all. I get a lot of positive feedback from other people and bands at shows and stuff. THESE DRUMS ARE AWESOME...I can't think of any other drums that can even compare. Don't you even think paying over 3 grand from these dumb DW kits or ORANGE COUNTY kits when this made in japan maple beauty sounds better with a price tag of 2200!!!!! These isn't one thing that I can complain about with these drums.......I been playing drums from 8 years. I know what areas to look for problems in, there isn't ANY!!!!!!!! The quality is perfect....the Rims and hardware on the drums is light and shiney.........and doesn't not stratch easy! The construction of the drums is amazing. The drum shell itself is one of smoothest, best hand crafted drums I've ever seen. Not only are the drums hand crafted..the finish is also hand applied! I've always been an import fan.......from cars to now drums. Don't turn your back on one the greatest sounding drum kits in the world for one of lowest prices just because its a YAMAHA....not a American made drum. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this kit second hand for £250 from some woman who's son used to play drums but gave up. I bought it because my peavey internation series 2 wasn't very good and i had money to upgrade. It is "sun yellow" colour which is an awesome colour and everyone I know loves the colour. Entry level kit? I think not. My friend has a Pacific CX, my DP is better. My friend has a Pearl Session SMX. This matches it (but £750 cheaper!) The snare make a beautiful crack sound which matches top of the range snares, (especially tuned right, with an Aquarian Jack DeJohnette snare skin). The bass drum will give you a heart attack and cuts through bass guitar when played live. The toms are very warm and versatile. The tom mounting system, again, was unexpectedly sophisticated and very vesatile. The factory heads weren't great so I replaced them with the snare skin described above, clear pinstripes for the toms and a powerstroke 4 bass drum batter head. The hardware was average but better than expected on an entry level kit. I replaced the bass pedal beater with a pearl quad beater. The cymbals (solars) weren't good either, but you can't have everything from an entry level kit. I replaced them with an a custom 17" fast crash and a 20" zxt ride. Have yet to replace the hi-hats. After one year of ownership on my part and i play for hours every day, its still looks absolutely new! Just a totally excellent drum kit all round. Im not suprised yamaha made replaced it with the lesser rydeen. Kicks the hell out of CB or any other entry level kit. Im gonna have this kit for years to come and wont need to upgrade. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com