V-drum -vs-DTExtreme

[Stixxs]

After playing both the DTExtreme's -vs- the Roland's for pure realistic acoustic drum sounds for recording (all electronics are questionable at best live), I don't know anyone including both sales staff at Mars and Sam Ash who didn't agree the Yamaha's are way more transparent... at half the cost.
Given obvious discrepancies like tom clamps and batter heads that can be replaced, doesn't it all come down to the tone and resonance of the drum? Why else would some drummers pack multiple snares, etc?

Haven't decided which to buy yet, but I'd recommend an unbiased test drive of both...I did and it had nothing to do with "the fire sale".

[Stixxs]

Thanks Chris I'd be interested to hear what you think,and anyone else before I make the purchase.

[mark.king]

If the main thing you are after is realistic sounding edrums then the ddrum4 is the most realistic.

[89vett]

Mark is CO-RECT!
89vett

[Jimmy C]

Originally posted by feefer:
...inability to create kits with your own sounds (you only have what is created and uploaded by Clavia)

Not true. You can download your own samples in addition to the large sound library offered free by Clavia.

The user interface issue is a matter of preference...I agree it may seem like a step down if you are used to the large Roland display...but it is straight-forward and easy to use.

The ddrum4 definitely lacks many of the bells and whistles of the TD-10. But at the end of the day, when you sit and listen to the sounds you have tweaked to no end (which is fun in itself), and you still crave crisper, more realistic, acoustic-type drum sounds, then maybe the lack of bells and whistles isn't so important to you afterall. It depends on whether acoustic drum sounds are your first priority. For many, it is not (for me, it is). Then again, you could always just get both modules .

[MPCman]

Originally posted by feefer:
incompatibility with the Roland pads

Says who? You can plug in any pad you desire. Position sensing might not be working, but that's not very important since a lot of the sounds don't use it.



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http://mpcman.flappie.nl

[puttenvr]

[b]

Originally posted by feefer:
incompatibility with the Roland pads

Correct. When you connect a Roland pad to a ddrum module then the ddrum sends out a signal to the Roland pads as a result of which it explodes


[b]

Originally posted by feefer:
Hardly the answer to everyone's needs.

Correct again. Feefer is everyone


Stixxs, for "acoustic" sounding e-drums inside a silent module (important for recording) the list is:
1. Clavia ddrum3 and 4
2. Yamaha DTXtreme
3. Roland TD-8
4. Roland TD-10

For all the bells and whistles, a fine system and beautiful pads the list is:
1. Roland TD-10
2. DTXtreme
3. Roland TD-8
4. Clavia ddrum4

Consider what is important for you.

[puttenvr]

Originally posted by feefer:
Frankly, triggering my Roland XV-5080 synth (with 24-bit D/A and effects, awesome dynamic range) with the 'Dynamic Drums' board provides better sounding drum samples than ANY module out there today, including any DDrum.

This Roland board has good sounds, yes. But I wonder if it is better than ddrum. Perhaps a matter of taste?

When the Akai Z4 is released (uses 24 bit, 96 KHz samples), it'll theoretically offer the best quality sample recording and playback capabilities of any hardware sampler to date.

Every time you come up with all these specs I wonder: what's more important: the specs or how it sounds? I did hear some fine drum samples on 12 bit. And I did hear 18 bit sounds which sucked...

[jrcel]

The whole DTXtreme, Vdrums thing is old, for acoustic simulation, you could use either or any, DTXtreme, Vdrums, Ddrums or an old D4 and set of any pads. If you want to control loops, play chords and melody, your choices become more limited, only the DTX V2.0, DTXtreme, or a Drumkat will allow this kind of control. On Don Henly's first solo album, they used 12bit samples and they sounded fine to me. Right tool for the right job. It just isn't that important how you achieve it if the results hold up. It's the end result that people are going to remember, can you imagine a producer saying, lets get that guy with the cool drum kit.

[jrcel]

I just got Interactive Drums from Ilio for my E4XT and they are killer. I want to get Double Platinum Drums, great as well.

[mark.king]

I don't think any of the edrum makers have got it right yet. The vdrums use the modeling technique which should sound great but does not really cut it yet. The ddrum4 uses(with mega kits) multi samples and positional sensing combined with realistic sounding samples. I have one of these but this again does not go far enough. It is very good at triggering and sounds great but suffers from lack of memory and ancient ways of manipulating sounds(midi sample dump. takes an age). What I would like is a edrum which is a bit like the piano in the giga sampler.
It is called this as the grand piano is a gigabyte in size. I still think samples sound better than modeling if enough are used and they cross over smoothly. Samplers still tend to use one shot samples which are no good for playing. I know you can layer but they really need the trigger part designed within to get the best triggering.

I suppose there are a lot of things you can use in software but a lot of people want to use an ekit live so it has all to be in one box.

For me then a sample based module with masses of uncompressed, downloadable high quality uncompressed samples, Positional sensing and excelent triggers + lots of trigger inputs.
I am sure I could think of more but this will do for a start.

[mcconaghy]

One of the e-drum makers did get it right, that was Simmons 15 years ago with the SDX. Horrendously expensive, but still, none of today's systems come even remotely close to the SDX's features, and sound quality. The sample quality was fantastic, it was more user-friendly than any of today's modules, and it's positional sensing, or Zone Intelligence as Simmons called it, eclipsed anything on today's market, it just worked, not on specific inputs, not with only a few sounds, but with everything.
15 years after the SDX, nothing even remotely comes close. Yamaha had the chance, they even have the technology to blow Roland out of the water and leave them gasping for air, but since they somehow refuse to put their virtual acoustic modelling technology to good use, they never will.
I'll second Feef's suggestion about the XV-5050 or 5080 with the Dynamic Drums SRX board, best samples out there.

Stu

[Eric]

Let's be serious here fellas, we all know why the Yamaha's are so cheap now.

Putt's got it right. The sound is in the module, the feel is in the drums

[cgrieves]

I wan planning to build a live kit for the road using Gigastudio with a Laptop with a PCMCIA GSIF compatible card (there are some good ones available now) and use the TD-10 as a trigger to Midi interface. I already use Gigastudio at home on a PC alongside the Vs.

Gigastudio is now mature and stable, and as it now works under Win2k, which is also stable, bringing a software sampler on the road is now both feasible and reliable.

I predict that most music gear within five years will be software based. The VLSI silicon required for hardware based sound equipment is expensive, and with software based systems you can concentrate purely on making useable modules, rather than worrying about the difficulty and overhead associated with hardware manufacture.

Since then, my plans have changed and I'm looking to build my own custom accoustic kit instead, but the technology is there to expand your sound palette using the equipment you probably already own.

For me, Gigastudio provides the best drum sound options available at any price.

[This message has been edited by cgrieves (edited January 25, 2002).]

[Stixxs]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Eric:
[B]Let's be serious here fellas, we all know why the Yamaha's are so cheap now.

No we don't why don't you tell us, IYHO...that's the whole point of the topic.