Yamaha DTXpress III

I acquired this kit from my local Yamaha dealer drum shop. I paid 1100$ (Can). I have had the kit for about 2 months.

Obviously the first big appeal is the fact that it can be played in silence, which is great for the people I live with. I've been playing drums for about 3 year but have never had the opprotunity to practice as much as I have had with this kit. I also like the fact that creating, editing and saving drumkits is very easy, this is a very user friendly kit. The control unit comes with many different audio ins and outs which makes it easy to hook up head phones, speakers or use the kit for home recording purposes.
I also enjoy the fact that any pad can be assigned with any sound. For instance, I can have a ride cymbol in my top right tom and snare in my high-hat, its wide open.
The control module also has a audio in right on the front which can be used to play along with songs for a computer or CD player.

The biggest downside is that there is no way to import new drum sounds. There is a very limited number of different high-hat, cymbol and bass drum sounds. The good news however is that because the sounds can be altered, many different sounds can be made from the existing sounds.
The high-hat control is also a downfall in that it sounds and feels nothing like a real high-hat.

The unit came with 3 boxes and was very easy to set up. No tools are required and the best part is that all the cables came pre-labelled. Once together I found the kit to be very stable and easily adjustable to fit my playing style. I like the fact that the controls are close at hand and tearing down the kit is as easy as setting it up.

For the first 15 minutes playing the kit I thought I had made a major mistake and was very unhappy about my purchase. I thought it felt strange and that the drum kits it reproduced sounded fake. Upon playing the kit more I realized how great it is for silent practice. I also realized that the terrible sound I was hearing could be easily adjusted. I also came around to the feel of the kit, the pads don't have as much give as a regular drum kit but it is very easy to compensate and get used to the kit.

By altering existing kits and sounds I now have a number of custom kits which sound great and are fun to play. Each has their own style and different characteristics.
I really love the kit now and couldn't imagine being without it. I hoghly recommend it to beginners and professionals alike.

Warning: As I also own an acoustic kit I was already in possesion of a drum stool, drumsticks and a kick pedal. However NONE of these items are included with the kit.

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

Very good product. I bought this e-drum kit 7 months ago and I haven't had any issues with it, I'm really happy with it. It doesn't have anything to do with an acoustic set, especially when it comes to the snare and hi-hat (too sensitive in my opinion, I haven't found the right settings).
The good things:
- You can play it without the neighbors calling the cops.
- It sounds fine when using headphones, the sampler has a very wide range of sounds.
- Great advantage because you can test different setups and record them without going broke buying gear.
- The pads feel nice and the rebound is not bad (I'm used to playing really tight drum heads).
The only inconvenience I've found is that you have to unmount everything or almost everything to change the disposition of the drums. Being a lefty I have to take everything apart (the kit pre-mounted for right-handed people).
A brief remark for beginners: I advise you start out with an acoustic kit, because on an e-kit, when you hit the pad in the center or the rim it sounds the same, which is tricky when you switch to an acoustic set.

Musically yours, Mehdi.

Hi!

I've been using this kit for 6 months and I am very satisfied with it. Since I'm a student next to Versailles, it's impossible to make noise, plus my room is 172 sq ft big. This kit has proven perfect for me (easy to transport, light, it can be folded in a couple of minutes and fits easily inside the trunk).
It has a truly good sensitivity, the snare handles well soft hits. Having an acoustic set, I think the electronic reproduction is very well-achieved, especially with this affordable Yamaha. The only problem is the hi-hat pedal, because I have been incapable of handling the opening and closing for smooth playing. The second thing I don't like is the kick pedal, which lacks flexibility, a smoother feel would've been nicer. Other than that, I recommend it to anybody. It obviously can't replace an acoustic kit, but it's perfect to practice with. Bertrand