Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this item after testing it out for a few minutes at a local store, and found that it is much more versatiel that it may first appear. Pads are responsive, but not too responsive - sensitivity is adjustable. I recommend trying to find the kit with the drum stand included - it makes it very easy to have a setup at home.
Drum sounds are great, comparable to more MIDI modules that would otherwise come separately, or if you want to you could run the MIDI through the wavetable on the soundcard of your computer (or run virtual samplers or whatever off of it - everything comes across standard channel 10 (drum channel) but you can also program is for other channels or even separate pads by channel.
You may read complaints about the hat being hard to use... I found that if you hold the sticks properly this becomes less of an issue - the set is designed to trim back double-hits and so if you are sloppy, you will not get the clean hat sounds you are looking for - so yes, it works, clean up your playing! :)
The rubber pads also have a very similar feel to rubber practice pads used by teachers and students all over... so the feel of the drum hits is excellent. As I have gotten better and more confident I find I am able to bash away at the set and it's responsive nature is excellent.
However I have two recommendations -
1. Get headphones - you can practice anytime!
2. Get a carpet - this is an old trick to keep gear in place while you play, but it really works for this kit. The trigger pedals are plastic and light and so although they have rubber feet, they have the tendency to bounce if you are a good stomper! So you hear the trigger of your stomp but then the trigger when the pedal hits the floor! On hardwood floor this happens easily. So get yourself a small carpet or else attach some sort of plate to the bottom of the pedals so they won't slip...
Word has it this kit can use the fancier Yamaha pro kick and hat pedals also, so if you really want to get serious about it, well there you go.
I tried taking lessons on a conventional drum kit and found that it made too much noise and that I wouldn't practice because I hated having people hear how bad I was... This kit eliminates that problem, and you can focus more on the essentials of separating your limbs and on timing... It includes an onboard metronome also, and the black circle is a dialing control that can be used to select kits, sounds, songs, and metronome speed...
Alternative in pad mode, you just hit the pad you want to change and it cycles through the sounds and roll patterns until you find one you like. I find myself dialing back and forth playing around with different sounds.
Also, there are voices with multiple patch triggers based on velocity - meaning that one those voices, not only will the sound be louder as you hit harder, but the sound will changed from a more subdued snare sample to a rimshot or a louder snare sample as well as get louder.
Final rec, if the sounds themselves don't do it for you, I have found two things help expand the possibilities of this kit:
1. a POD or Roland Cube15 or another modeling amplifier - like having a drum mic mixer in your home...
2. an actual mixer... I suggest one of the home varieties - I personally run it through a Peavy RQ100 along with my stereo and play along - 30 hour jam sessions and you can play along great. My brother just bought the small Behringer home mixer and really likes it as well, although it is geared more towards being portable with the Peavey RQ100 has inputs that are computer friendly...
Well that's about it - it's a great starter kit for someone who has always wanted to try drums - that was me 2 months ago, and now I am actually doing it thanks to this machine.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DD55C 7-Pad General MIDI Digital Drum System
The Yamaha DD55C is an ideal transitional instrument for burgeoning drummers. While not as robust as a full-size digital drum set, it's far more versatile than most beginning sets, with a host of built-in stereo-sampled voices and a bass boost system that gives added bombast to your beats. The set's seven touch-sensitive drum pads offer adjustable sensitivity, letting users tap out a sensitive cymbal-heavy jazz beat or a festive hand-thumped Latin rhythm. Drummers can assign the 174 percussion voices to any of the pads or the pair of foot pedals, though many will choose the kick and hi-hat voices for the latter. The set also includes 100 built-in rhythm styles to accompany your playing (great for practice or when simulating a professional rhythm section), along with 50 programmed drum kits and a single user-programmable kit. Built in to each of the voices are reverb and chorus effects for added depth.
The DD55C is compatible with general MIDI, so drummers can download additional MIDI voices by computer. Drummers will also appreciate the pair of 5-watt speakers, which employ digital stereo processing to produce a rich, complex beat. Additional features include a three-digit LED, a headphone jack for private drumming, and a one-track sequencer. The set measures 22.3 by 6.9 by 14.2 inches (W x H x D) and carries a one-year warranty on parts and 90 days on labor.
What's in the Box Seven drum pads, two foot pedals, user's manual.
Click here for more information about Yamaha DD55C 7-Pad General MIDI Digital Drum System
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