Need Help! V-Club vs. DTXpress

[MrTechnique]

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post, even though I have been reading posts here for quite a while...

My church is starting up a contemporary service and that means we need a band. I am playing the drums and we need a good set (my acoustic set is too old and sounds like crap). I think electronic drums are perfect for the environment with the space restrictions and the large acoustic room. Being able to run the drums through a sound baord with volume control is excellent, and having the wide variety of percussion sounds in an electronic set provides infinite possibilities. I seemed to have narrowed the search down to two choices: The Roland V-Club and the Yamaha DTXpress. I have had the opportunity to play a set of V-Clubs at a local music store and I loved them! I just wanted to get some expert opinions... If I went with a V-Club arrangement, I would probably also get a PD80R replacement for the snare...

Thanks for any ideas!

[mcconaghy]

I may be unqualified to say this, since I own neither, but I've played the V-Club set and the DTXpress in the stores so far, and on paper and through the store's el cheapo headphones the V-Club sounds like the better deal to me. It's damn close to a TD-8 based set, and with the PD-80 pads you'll be very happy, as many of those V-Club nuts here can testify.

Stu
hoo's spelink is teribell two-day

[This message has been edited by mcconaghy (edited October 17, 2001).]

[dr. kildrum]

I've played both. Agree with Stu. Club kit is great value for $. Remember you are at a V-drums site, but I don't own either of the kits you are comparing, and am by no means am I locked into Roland. IMHO, of what's available near that price point, the Club kit is the choice.

[Stixx777]

A v-club with an upgrade to a PD-80R for the snare is a great way to go. I am tring to find a PD-80R or PD-120 for the churches convert TD-7 kit(TD-8 brain) because they are so much nicer to play.

------------------
Ted H.
www.tocsinrocks.com

[captain54]

I don't know about the V-Club, but I had the DTXpress when it first came out and had it for a couple of years....

It's not bad for the money, but there are limitations....

I upgraded the snare to a mesh head pad after I had the kit for a few months...couldnt take banging on a rubber pad for a snare...the kick is hard to get used to...like banging a beater into a brick wall...also, not easy to control levels of individuals parts of the kit, since there are only two audio outputs...the cymbal patches are almost totally useless except for practice and jamming....in a quiet environment, smacking the pads can be louder than the actual drum sounds...

On the other hand, once you get in and layer the drum sounds, it sounds pretty damn good...easily integrated into a computer home setup....and just recently, Yamaha upgraded the kit significantly without raising the price....

For what you are trying to use it for, I would say go for it...excellent value for the dollar

[LML67]

I would go for the V-Clubs. I got mine last week from bpmmusic.com for $1069 shipped to the door. I will be upgrading the snare to mesh here soon. They have made a huge difference in my bands rehearsals, since we play in a one car garage where volume is key. I have played the DTXpress and think the Clubs are much better. Tonight will be my first gig with the V-Clubs. I am looking forward to it.

Larry www.starvos.com

[HolShot]

You can read thru the following thread for various discussions about the V-Club kit, including what's involved with expanding it, why people like the kit, etc.
www.vdrums.com/discussion/Forum4/HTML/000992.html

HTH and welcome!
Bob

[MrTechnique]

Thanks for the info! I think the Clubs are the way to go! Much more flexible... I knew most everyone here was a little biased, but I noticed a lot of people have mix-n-match electronic parts and might have an opinion on the DTXpress or yamaha parts... Thanks again for the info. and links! I'm sure I will be posting some more after I can get the Clubs setup and start tweaking them!

[darrenmc]

I've played both the V-clubs and the DTXpress in the store, although I am actually looking to spend a little more for a better e-drum kit, and I'd say that down at that price range the V-clubs are the way to go.... I was pleasantly surprised at what you get for the money. They made the DTXpress feel like a toy in comparison, IMHO. Hope that helps.

[89vett]

I had a set of the DTXpress and loved them.
I just sold them to get a set of real mesh
headed drums and a more advanced module.
They have some very good sounds,are very easy
for the 1st time user to setup and use,and
they have plenty of user storage WITHOUT
having to overwrite the existing kits.You can
get them for 900.00 just about anywhere.The
only criticism I had was the lack of drum
volume using headphones.That same criticism
applies now to my Roland TD8,so it must be
a common problem to many modules.Yamaha makes
very reliable electronics.I don't know anything about the Rolands,but my yamaha's
were great for the money.
Steve
89vett

[DougM]

I've not demoed the DTXpress so I cannot comment as to how it compares with the V-Club. However, if price is an issue, I noticed that Daddy's Junky Music is selling new DTXpress kits for $699. With such a drop in price, I'm wondering if this means that Yamaha will soon be coming out with a new entry level kit to compete with the V-Club?
http://www.daddys.com/sale/flyer_pg5.shtml

[Nate]

Having played both, I purchased the V-Club kit. It just sounded better. I have also recently discovered that with a light sprinkling of effects, they sound incredible. A bargain at the $1300 I paid, and I know you can probably get them cheaper than that!

[edm]

Originally posted by MrTechnique:
Hi Everyone!

This is my first post, even though I have been reading posts here for quite a while...

My church is starting up a contemporary service and that means we need a band. I am playing the drums and we need a good set (my acoustic set is too old and sounds like crap). I think electronic drums are perfect for the environment with the space restrictions and the large acoustic room. Being able to run the drums through a sound baord with volume control is excellent, and having the wide variety of percussion sounds in an electronic set provides infinite possibilities. I seemed to have narrowed the search down to two choices: The Roland V-Club and the Yamaha DTXpress. I have had the opportunity to play a set of V-Clubs at a local music store and I loved them! I just wanted to get some expert opinions... If I went with a V-Club arrangement, I would probably also get a PD80R replacement for the snare...

Thanks for any ideas!

<sales pitch on>

We have actually several churches buy e-drum kits from us because they like being able to custom configure them with mesh snares, V-cymbals, or whatever their particular interest is. The problem with the stock kits is that you buy 80% of what you want, 10% of what is "ok" and 10% you wish you didn't have to pay for. Drumbalaya sells everything ala carte and you can mix and match whatever you'd like to create the perfect kit for your needs.

</sales pitch off> ;-)

Ed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drumbalaya! Specializing in electronic drum equipment.
Ed Morin [ mailto:[email protected] ]
Phone: 866-881-9313 / 425-881-9313 FAX: 425-881-6000 http://www.drumbalaya.com

[b0jf010]

i currently own a DTExpress kit, and it is great for what you need. I have used it in the church, and more recently in a church play/musical - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It is great for the price, and when you actually read the manual through, you find a lot of nice features. Already mentioned i know, but layering the sounds makes so much difference, and a simple upgrade to a dual trigger snare and crash makes all the difference.