Yamaha DTX V 2.0

The best feature of the DTX--it is totally usable right out of the box. User does not even have to open the user's manual to begin enjoying the capabilities of this system. If you are really into tweaking and programming, you may be slightly disappointed, but if you are looking for something you can play right away, and master as you go, this is it.

The DTX is very well rounded in its features. It is not as programmable as some, but makes up for it by doing a lot of things well. Built in sequencer is great for practice routines--you can record yourself as you accompany the many built in songs. You can even measure your timekeeping ability with the "groove check." I do wish the inputs and outputs were laid out with a bit more space. The headphone and R/L outputs are difficult to connect to when all the pad input cables are connected. Lack of a backlight has not been much of a drawback, although it would be nice to have a backlight that you can turn on or off.

Sound samples are quite realistic, and well represented on the various factory programmed drum kits. A user can play all kinds of styles right out of the box because of the versatility of the pre-defined kits and the authenticity of the sounds. General purpose drumsets, cymbals, orchestral, latin & ethnic percussion are all quite realistic. In addition there are many great sound effects. The kits sound great in a live setting with minimal tweaking. I am personally quite pleased with the dual zone pads, and am especially fond of the cymbal pads. However, if you are a heavy hitter, you may have trouble adjusting to them.

Reliability not even an issue. The sound module has behaved strangely once in awhile, but turn it off and back on and it always works. I have used mine in numerous gigs, about 2X per week, and the equipment is very durable. I would like to see a heavier duty power cord, but the one supplied has not given me any trouble.

Exceptional customer support--wish they had more of a presence on the web, though. Tech support calls back usually on the same day or next day at most. I had a PCY10 cymbal bell pad go bad and they sent me a new one no questions asked. Yamaha gives you the kind of support you deserve and you should expect from other manufacturers.

The most bang for the buck in electronic percussion. Because of the features, ease of use, great sound, and compact size, I would buy again. Been playing drums for around 15 years, electronic for the last 2 or so. Of course my purchase came down to the DTX or Vdrums. I traded my Yamaha Tour Customs for the DTX and never looked back, and never played more. If you look at this kit as a new instrument to express yourself, rather than a replacement for your acoustics, you will open up many new avenues for your playing. However, if you are constantly comparing them to your acoustic rig, you will be disappointed. They are a different instrument--get used to it. There is very little I miss about my acoustic drums, on balance, and I could never hit the rim of my old floor tom and have it trigger a barking dog either. You should find yourself being able to play in a broader range of gigs with the DTX. Low volume situations where your acoustic rig never worked are now no problem. Musical theater and revue are perfect for this kit because of the versatility in sounds. You can always dial up a kit that is appropriate for the style you happen to be playing. As a practice tool, this is a great setup--you can practice silently, and with all the features built into the sequencer to help you practice better, if you don't improve, you're not trying.

The presets are really the whole machine. The sounds are tweakable to a certain extent, {ie} decay, filter, modify, tuning, panning etc...Emagic makes the Soundiver computer editor that will cover this machine. I am close to buying it because the display is non-backlit, aka Roland R8. The downside is it's a pain to program because of it, the upside is that backlit displays always go dim after several years, and they're expensive to replace. The manual is well laid out and very easy to understand with the ususal hilarious Japanese to English translatons.

The unit has 32 notes of polypholy, I have yet to run out of voices. There s one effect blocl wih twelve effects. Hall 1 & 2 Stage 1&2 plate, canyon, basement, tunnel etc...... The midi implementation is complete, it will play and is controlled by the external pads on 16 channels. It sends MSB LSB and all 119 continuous controller messages. You can layer 5 sounds per pad, plus one for the rim and anothr one by holding the rim and hitting the pad. That's 7 sounds on one pad kids. The onboard sequencer is complete and a real hoot to play with. My only gripe is you can't play sequence slices like my Drumkat or the Roland boxes allow you to do.

The 880 drum sounds and 128 GM sounds are all AWM2 and sound great. Lots of warmth and high end. The machine covers all genres very well indeed and has great sound effects, a windchime sample that lasts for 8 seconds, nearly a lifetime in midi as well as lots o loops{sounds like breakfast cereal} The effects secton is small but all the bases are covered. The pads are almost as good as the FSR pads on my Drumkat, and thats saying alot.

It's built very well, but be sure to give it some breathing room, I've noticed some strangeness if it gets too hot.

Yamaha support is always great, they will do almost anything to make sure you have what you need.

This is my favoite box for having a little of everything, I've been playing drums for 35 years and electronics for 21 years. This stuff just keeps getting better and better. It is grat for scetching out ideas on and keeps the juices flowing. I love this box. I can't wait to get my hands on the DTXreme, it sounds like it will address all the gee I wish it did's.