Yamaha DTXpress

I bought this kit used 2 years ago for $800; I understand, given developments in e-drum technology over that time, these units are probably the same price new these days. In fact Yamaha updated the unit a few months ago - now the cymbals are chokable and there are many more samples available, so it's only become a better deal. As far as e-drums go this is CHEAP.

The DTXpress made me a believer in e-drums. The greatest asset of this unit is its durability: between concerts, daily (HEAVY) beating in practice time, and being constantly moved all over the country, the triggers -all- still work great. I've had to replace a few of the screws here and there but it cost me only half an hour and a few bucks.
Second it's REALLY easy to keep practicing if you're in an apt. - e-drums are THE way to train without pissing off your neighbors.
Another great thing about e-drums, which this unit is as good on as the best out there, is the great sound quality you can get recording and playing concerts -without a budget-. By going straight into a PA or a mixer and miking some real cymbals + a hi-hat you can get that "big studio" sound effortlessly and without any money. A huge plus if, like me, you're an amateur with no money and no connections trying to sound pro.


Not much not to like, but there are a few things. First, the cymbal samples are terrible. Fine for practicing on your own but utterly unconvincing if you're playing for others. Second, the same is true for the hi-hat, unless you're going for an 80's pop or techno "electronica" sound, in which case you're fine. Still, those are relatively easy to work around - when you play concerts or record just use a real hi-hat and cymbals, mike 'em, take a minute to adjust the levels during the sound check, and Mike Portnoy has nothin' on you but his chops. Third, double-bass players need to buy a seperate trigger. Bummer. On this matter get the biggest, most expensive one out there - the Pintech 270 or whatever. It's got a circular head with "Silentech" for a trigger receiver. The k-7 and k-40 are both flimsy.

As said above, excellent. Durable, well-made, the works.

THE way to go for electronic drummers who don't have a lot of money. ALL the big advantages of electronic drums are here in this cheap kit - sure, if I had $4,000 just sitting around which I could blow on anything, I'd get a big fancy Roland too, but that's just not the case for most of us! The fact of the matter is that the expensive electronic kit only has MORE OF THE SAME of what this kit's got for less than a quarter of the price. Go DTXpress!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it at a sale at the local music store for $675.00. I bough a Tubeworks 200 Watt Bass Amp for $375.00. It does not come with a bass pedal, but you can use the one from your acoustic set, so I did that.


This set is great! It has over 1,000 preprogrammed sounds, and you can program each drum to trigger different and/or multiple sounds. It comes with 48 preprogrammed drum kits, and 48 user kits, where you program your own sounds. It is very user friendly and easy to use. It has a built-in metronome. You can plug in your CD or MD player and play along with those songs, or you can play along with the 96(I think?!?) programmed songs and record your performances on tracks 97- 124. You can turn the volume down for practicing or use headphones. It is also easy to plug into a PC, Mac, Or MIDI device for data transfer. If you want to, you can take the drum heads off of your acoustic kit and put the triggers inside for a cool feel and sound. The most amazing thing about this unit is its size. When extended, it is as big as a regular kit, but when folded it gets so compact that it is just amazing!


The only thing I didn't like was that to create rim trigger events, you must have the TP80 pads, but it comes with the TP60s, but it is still a great kit, and I will never get another acoustic kit again.


This unit is great. It has held up well. The most amazing thing about this kit is its compactness. It folds up to be so small, you could fit it in any car. I have even fit it in the trunk of a tiny 2 seater CRX!



I definitely got my money's worth. I recommend this kit to everyone.

This kit is great!



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it at a sale at the local music store for $675.00. I bough a Tubeworks 200 Watt Bass Amp for $375.00.

This set is great! It has over 1,000 preprogrammed sounds, and you can program each drum to trigger different and/or multiple sounds. It comes with 48 preprogrammed drum kits, and 48 user kits, where you program your own sounds. It is very user friendly and easy to use. It has a built-in metronome. You can plug in your CD or MD player and play along with those songs, or you can play along with the 96(I think?!?) programmed songs and record your performances on tracks 97- 124. You can turn the volume down for practicing or use headphones. It is also easy to plug into a PC, Mac, Or MIDI device for data transfer. If you want to, you can take the drum heads off of your acoustic kit and put the triggers inside for a cool feel and sound. The most amazing thing about this unit is its size. When extended, it is as big as a regular kit, but when folded it gets so compact that it is just amazing!



It does not come with a bass pedal, but you can use the one from your acoustic set, so I did that.The only thing I didn't like was that to create rim trigger events, you must have the TP80 pads, but it comes with the TP60s, but it is still a great kit, and I will never get another acoustic kit again.



This unit is great. It has held up well. The most amazing thing about this kit is its compactness. It folds up to be so small, you could fit it in any car. I have even fit it in the trunk of a tiny 2 seater CRX!


I definitely got my money's worth. I recommend this kit to everyone.

This kit is great!



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com