Wanna-be Drummers and the Yamaha DD55

[Ted]

This is a continuation of a digression I accidentally started over on Dmann's post     
So I went shopping today.....

I kind of did the same thing a few days ago, and bought one of these:

Yamaha DD55

Now those look interesting ..... any good? and what did you have to pay?

Shhh... Don't tell Dmann, but I got it dirt cheap.

It was selling for $110--used--at my friendly neighborhood used bookstore. I talked them down to $90.  Then they had a computer glitch while I was waiting, so the manager gave me an extra $10 in store credit, plus a 20% off coupon.  All that adds up to about $62.

I'm in the same boat. Been trying to convince my wife to let me get an electric drum set, but she keeps saying we don't have the room in our apartment.  :/

Something like the DD55 would fit under your bed when you weren't using it.

That Yamaha DD55 looks cute though - has it got MIDI out? (Can I use my existing drum machine as a sound module?)

Yep.

It has many different kit sounds, as well as hand percussion sounds.  Plus, it'll be a lot easier just to plug this into my Micro BR, than it would be to mic a drum set.

Nonetheless it would be really really satisfying to be able to play a drum set.  So I am still plenty envious of those Tamas.  I don't mean to steal Dmann's thunder!

[Ted]

TED -

How is the sound on those? And how is the trigger sensitivity?

I tried others like that one, just not that one specifically, and I've found that they tend to sound really digital. Even more so than the patterns built into the MBR.

I think they sound okay.  Perhaps I'll publicly humiliate myself and record some drumming so you can hear for yourself--but that'll have to wait for the weekend.

Here's what Amazon.com says:

• Digital drum system with 7 touch-sensitive drum pads
• 174 stereo-sampled percussion voices assignable to any of the pads
• 2 assignable foot pedals; 100 built-in rhythm styles
• 50 programmed drum kits and 1 user-programmable drum kit
• Pair of 5-watt stereo speakers; 22.3 x 6.9 x 14.2 inches (W x H x D)

[StevieM]

I want one!!!!

[Geir]

Me too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Why don't I have a friendly neighborhood bookstore like that not fair !!!!

[64Guitars]

I came very close to buying a DD-55 a few years ago. I'd still like to get something like that. The DD-55 was discontinued and replaced by the DD-65:

(Click image to visit Yamaha website)

It doesn't look quite as compact as the DD-55 but it has 8 pads (versus the DD-55's 7) and the hi-hat pad is in a more natural location (although, its proximity to the snare pad could be a bit awkward).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGpSjCdJM_s

The DD-65 is currently $219.99 at Sweetwater.

There is also an optional accessory kit called the DK-65 which includes proper kick drum and hi-hat pedals, a snare stand, and a drum throne. It costs $299.99 at Musician's Friend. That's more than the DD-65 itself, but it sure would make a nice compact drum setup for those who don't have a lot of space available. Of course, you could buy the pedals, stand and drum throne separately too.

[Davo]

Interesting.  The guy in the demo sure looks like hes from Venice.

Im no drummer but I can keep time, this shows promise.

[SteveB]

Hey guys, have a look on YouTube as well, there are some crazy skin-heads on there demoing these kits DD55, and boy, some can play, see if you can locate the guy with two kits (one upturned on itself)!

What I would say, is that I've recorded one of these into the BR900, and the first result was awful to be honest (Haven't anything to play because my gear is boxed-up at the moment). I recorded it as simply one-out from the DD55 into one-in on the 900. And then I tried what I should have done first, using a splitter cable, making it one-out from the DD55 into the 2 RCA-ins on the 900, the result obviously isn't stereo, even though it takes up two tracks, but the single-track route sounded terrible. Just my opinion by the way, but I thought I'd let you know.

[Saijinn Maas]

Personally, I didn't think it sounded that great. Very digital, but it could be the quality of the video adding to that. What I REALLY noticed, was the triggering. There were multiple times that the sound didn't match the strikes, especially on the cymbals for anything faster than a 1/8 beat.

With the cost of this, AND adding the cost for their "accessory" kit to get the pedals, I might just wait to get a full set.

Of course I'm probably being too picky, so don't listen to me... It's almost 4am here and I gotta get up in about 3 hrs.

Think I am gonna try one out at Guitar Center tomorrow.

[64Guitars]

What I would say, is that I've recorded one of these into the BR900, and the first result was awful to be honest (Haven't anything to play because my gear is boxed-up at the moment). I recorded it as simply one-out from the DD55 into one-in on the 900. And then I tried what I should have done first, using a splitter cable, making it one-out from the DD55 into the 2 RCA-ins on the 900, the result obviously isn't stereo, even though it takes up two tracks, but the single-track route sounded terrible. Just my opinion by the way, but I thought I'd let you know.

If you're saying that you recorded from only one of the DD-55's output channels, then I'm not surprised that it sounded bad. The DD-55 is stereo. If you only record one channel, you're missing half of the information. To record the DD-55 properly, you need to have the right adapter cables to send both output channels to the BR's stereo Line In.

[SteveB]

64Gs - Sorry, but the machine I recorded from had only a single output socket. If there's been a version-2 with stereo outputs then fair enough. The two pedal outputs don't provide a stereo output to record from.

Check page 7 here.

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/Documents/Drums/dd55.pdf