Yamaha DTX Drums

With a reputation for bringing professional technology to the masses at a price that won't break the bank, Yamaha has managed to uphold that reputation again with their latest additions to the DTX ranges of electronic drum kits. Launched at MusikMesse in Frankfurt this year the DTX500K, DTX520K, DTX540K, DTX700K and DTX750K span entry level and mid-level price points and all build on the technology and success of the DTX900 series. With features such as revamped rack systems, new textured cellular silicone (TCS) pads and training functions there is a kit to suit every percussionist from beginner to professional.

Starting with the 500 series, which are all centred round the updated DTX500 module and all have over 400 voices, these are the most affordable of the range and yet, with possibilities for expansion are possibly the most versatile. Suitable for beginners who can then opt for upgrades as they progress, they bring professional technology to entry-level musicians. The DTX500K is distinguished by its compact and foldable rack system and traditional rubber surface for the snare and toms, whilst the DTX520K and DTX540K have a new rack design with four legs and TCS pads on the snare (520K) and snare and toms (540K). Yamaha's famous training functions and practice tools ensure that musicians can improve on their rhythm and technique.

The 700 series takes the drumming experience a step further with a more professional feel. Over 1200 voices and 64-note polyphony are features of both the DTX700K and DTX750K, and if that isn't enough new sounds can be uploaded into the 64MB Flash-ROM. Two USB ports are handy for sampling or sequencing on stage or in the studio, whilst the real hi-hat controller and stand adds a quirky traditional twist to the set-up.

The DTX700K will take the percussionist from bedroom drummer to professional with training functions to improve timing, on-board practice songs which allow the drum parts to be muted for playing along and a recording function for analysing performance. It comes with a compact RS500 rack. The DTX750K is a true professional drum kit, combining all the features of the 700K with an extra cymbal and a sleek curved RS700 rack. The DTX-PADs used for snare and toms on both kits are Yamaha's most advanced pads yet with an unequalled sensitivity that enables the drummer to develop an authentic drumming technique.

For percussionists starting out the 500 series will more than happily do the job, starting at the lower price point and offering possibilities for progression to a professional standard. Professionals looking for something new to improve their performance on stage and in the studio will be amply served by the 700 series, which offers the latest advanced technology and redesigned rack for better playability. Take a look here to check out all the details on Yamaha's DTX drum kits and get into the rhythm with a drum kit to suit your needs.

As part of Andrew's work, he has an on-going personal and professional involvement in the music industry. In addition to advising several companies involved in the sector, such as Soundslive and Let's Do Music, his gigging roots go back to the club and pub circuit in the English Midlands of the late 80's and early '90's. These days he's more likely to be found working on online marketing for music industry businesses or lending his sound deck experience (and gear!) to local music groups.

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The Drums

Record Label: Downtown
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Parental Advisory?: No

Before we begin this review, I feel inclined to mention that I'm really not a fan of the whole fuzzed-out, lo-fi, unbelievably stoned beach pop thing that's going on right now. For me, "buzz bands" rarely ever live up to the ridiculous amounts of hype they're able to generate thanks to the miracle of the internet, but the bands in this awful, mutant genre are some of the worst offenders I've heard in a long time. I mean, there were at least a few albums I enjoyed from the psych-folk craze - the hipster's genre of choice before Wavves rocketed into the blog-o-sphere with the intensity of a thousand bong rips. This is why I immediately assumed I would hate The Drums' self-titled, debut LP. I felt obligated to listen, however, as I am a fan of lead singer Jonathan Pierce's previous band, a short-lived and very under-appreciated synth-pop group called Elkland. The Drums have been lumped in with the beach pop brat pack, though it turns out that Mr. Pierce and company aren't fans of it, either. They've stated in interviews that they don't consider themselves a part of that scene and would, in fact, like to distance The Drums from it. Of course, calling your first single 'Go Surfing' and shooting it's accompanying video entirely on the beach is a strange way of doing so. Still, I gave The Drums a chance and quickly realized that they have been mislabeled.

Much like on Elkland's one and only LP, Golden, The Drums have written an album-length love letter to the 80s. Elkland was a tribute to bright and bouncy synth-pop acts like Erasure and OMD, and while they've retained a lot of that sound with The Drums, you can now clearly hear the dark and romantic influence of another 80s group - The Smiths. This is most apparent right out of the gate as Jonathan Pierce does his best Morrisey impression while singing the first line of the first song, "Best Friend." "You're my best friend, but then you died," he laments as guitarist Jacob Graham plays a riff you'd swear he lifted from Johnny Marr. Everything about this song - the lyrics, the melody and the music - almost seems like a parody of The Smiths. Thankfully this isn't the case throughout the whole album. There isn't a single original idea to be found, of course, but you get the impression that originality isn't something The Drums are really going for. Again, this is a love letter. The Drums absolutely adore the music of the 80s and while it makes for a completely unoriginal album, it does give them the ability to sound like one of the most authentic of the bands that have participated in the new wave revival over the last 10 years.

My biggest problem with The Drums and frontman Jonathan Pierce, especially, isn't the fact that he tends to be a tad too derivative, it's that everything he's doing on this album he did so much better with Elkland. The Drums major downfall is a trapping they share with those pesky beach pop bands that Jonathan and I dislike so much. Their music is lo-fi simply for the sake of being lo-fi. For some bands, a lo-fi sound is appropriate and almost necessary to make the music work.

Pavement just wouldn't have been the same if they applied overblown production techniques and flawless arrangements to their recordings. Could you imagine if Stephen Malkmus used auto-tune? But Pavement managed to create their own brand of sloppy, college rock that was also just plain good and didn't need slick studio tricks to help them establish their band as one of the most influential in rock history. The Drums are too influenced by others to be influential themselves. The Elkland record was really over the top. The songs contained the same huge, sing-along choruses that Pierce maintains in The Drums but they were supported by lush arrangements and the music was produced and engineered without sparing a single resource. He seems to have lost this sense of craftsmanship, however, and his songs fall flat without it.

When I listen to this album I keep imagining these were Elkland demos that were never finished. A little grandiosity is a good thing if you want to record anthemic synth-pop. Unfortunately, The Drums just aren't making music good or interesting enough to completely abandon the studio gloss.