Roland TD3 vs Yamaha DTXplorer

[karan733]

Hi guys

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum. Ive only been browsing DW for a while and not posting, so im out of touch with what goes where. Ive also tried searching for this topic but nothing of great use has come up - i think im probably searching for the wrong thing.

My question is, im being 'forced' to sell my mapex m birch and buy an electronic kit, and having played both the td3 and the dtxplorer, im not sure which one to go for. The prices are TD3 - £650 ($1300 USD ish?) and DTXP - £550 (1200 USD ish), so there isnt too much difference, but it is enough to be worth a mention.

Im under the impression that the TD3 brain isnt as user friendly as the Xplorer one, but does have more features. I was also querying the drum pads and the cymbal pads.

Can anyone tell me which one of the two brains is more useful? I very much want to be able to use the coach feature of the brains, but apparently both versions are more or less the same. Id also like to be able to plug in my ipod and play along to the tracks on there, as my band are slowly turning into a covers band for hire and being able to practice our playlists would be very useful!

Also, im under the impression that the cymbals on the Xplorer are single zone, whereas the TD3 package ones are multi zonal? Does this make a big difference in terms of playability and satisfaction?

The snare on the TD3 pack is also a multi zone snare, whereas the Xplorer isnt. Do the same questions as the above paragraph still need to be asked?

My final and main dilemma is this:

If I buy the Xplorer, which costs 100 bucks less, I can spend the money saved on a Yamaha Tour custom maple snare. The purpose of this is to use this during gigs, where id need to bring my own breakables, and selling my current kit means I wouldnt have a snare to use.

However, are the additional features important enough to warrant spending the extra 100 on the roland instead, and leave the snare problem for a later date?

I need to act (choose!) quickly as the stores in my town have become slightly annoyed that I am testing their patience. They have given me discounts for a quick sale which I am stretching to the limit, and its likely those offers wont last much longer. One store wants me to contact them by tomorrow to let them know, else I forfeit the discount they have offered me. The only problem is - which one should I choose?!?!

Thanks in advance, again my apologies if this has been asked elsewhere or should be posted elsewhere

Karan

[fixxxer]

I play the Roland TD-6SW and honestly I don't know much about the Yamaha. But, I will tell you, for a little extra cash the dual trigger option is well worth the money. It basically gives you twice the sound options on your pads. For example, the TD-6SW comes with 2 cymbals which actually means 4 cymbal sounds because of the dual trigger option. The 3 toms are actually 6 sound options. So, you see, you're basically getting twice the drumset.
In terms of which module or "brain" is best, again, I'm not familiar with the Yamaha but I will say that I've had my Roland for about a year and a half and I don't think I've even scratched the surface of all the different sound options and features it has. I've been nothing but happy with it.
As far as being able to hook your i-pod up and play along, that's no problem. Mine stays hooked up all the time.
Now, another thing to keep in mind when playing an e-drum with a band....amplification. Have you thought about that? Just a little advice on purchasing a good amp.....don't spend big $$$$ on a Roland drum amp. I've found that keyboard amps work great and can be purchased much cheaper. The thing to keep in mind with using a keyboard amp with drums is that you have to have a good size sub.to take the "punch". I play with a Behringer K3000FX Ultratone 300 watt amp and it works great for playing with the band. You can get 'em all day for around $300.00.
Hope this helps!

[karan733]

Well, I went for the Yamaha in the end. Havent had a chance to set it up and try it out, but should get to tomorrow at some point. Ive also bought myself a beautiful stage custom snare, havent had a chance to tune/play it yet either!

Time to make some space for this beauty to go!