YAMAHA DTXMULTI 12

EXCLUSIVE
W
hile full electronic drum kits
have come on leaps and
bounds in the last 10 years,
they’re still rather more than
some drummers need. If your requirements
are for a few electronic elements alongside
an acoustic kit on stage then a ‘multi-pad’ like
Yamaha’s new DTX M12 will suit much better.
Build
Yamaha’s DTX line has always been well put
together and the M12 maintains the
standards set by the company’s full kits. The
bulk of the unit is of chunky, high-impact
plastic – the type that typically shrugs off
knocks – and its well-judged proportions
mean it’s easy enough to play while being
easily positionable in a set-up.
Hitting this ‘sweet spot’ in terms of
dimensions isn’t easy with an all-in-one
module, but Yamaha have done well with the
M12. Its six main pads have a playing area of
roughly 100mm x 110mm, so provide a
decent target area, while the six smaller pads
(the rounded ‘bars’ at the top and bottom of
the playing area) need a more carefully-aimed
stick. The raised profi le of these avoids too
many misfi res, though.
The pads themselves are nicely tactile. A
soft rubber surface yields for a nicely
luxurious amount of ‘give’, making the M12
very forgiving on the wrists. And even the
collection of control buttons are soft to the
touch, both in terms of response and surface.
All in all, interaction with the M12 is a pretty
gratifying experience.
Connectivity is another M12 strong point,
with MIDI In/Out, ¼" jack inputs to allow an
additional fi ve pads to be added, an Aux In
socket, stereo and headphone outs and USB
connections. It’s a comprehensive array, one
that places the M12 fi rmly at the centre of an
extensive rig, controlling external sequencers
or sound sources, should the need arise.
Perhaps the biggest compromise
necessitated by the M12’s compact form
comes in the shape of the two-line LCD
display. In performance it’s more than enough
YAMAHA DTX-MULTI 12
£685 Twelve pads, 1,200-odd sounds – Yamaha’s new
electro offering looks set to deliver the goods in compact
fashion. Jordan McLachlan checks out the new arrival
in terms of brightness and clarity, but its
small size does mean more screen-scrolling
and thus slower editing than would otherwise
be the case.
Hands On
The title of this section could equally be ‘Sticks
On’ or ‘Fingers On’, according to Yamaha. All
three striking methods can be applied to the
M12, depending on the instruments being
played. Certain tabla sounds, for example,
respond well to fi nger taps while congas are
better played with a more forceful hand. And
sticks are the obvious choice when using the
unit in conjunction with a kit onstage.
Contained within the M12 are close to 1,300
preset sounds, culled from Yamaha’s Motif
synth engine or the DTXreme III electro kit.
And the vast majority are very good indeed.
There’s a good selection of percussion in
evidence, a decent line in both electronic and
acoustic kits and a noticeable dearth of
useless novelty sounds or endless clanky
variations of ‘rock’ kits. If you’re looking for the
odd sub-bass boom, shaker or tambo sounds
to spice up your life, the M12 will have all you
RECOMMENDS
96 RHYTHM FEBRUARY 2010
PRICE
£685
SOUNDS
1,277
PATCHES
50 preset, 200 user
PADS
12, rubber
FEATURES
Cubase AI5 included,
sounds layerable on
pads, click only to
headphones out for
stage use, Aux In can
be used as monitor
mix input
CONNECTIONS
USB connectivity,
MIDI In/Out, five extra
trigger inputs, Aux In,
headphone out, stereo
L/R outputs
CONTACT
Yamaha Music (UK) Ltd
Sherbourne Drive
Tilbrook
Milton Keynes
MK7 8BL
Tel: [phone]
Email: drums_uk@gmx.
yamaha.com
Web: www.yamaha
-drums.co.uk
ESSENTIAL SPEC
TWO-LINE LCD DISPLAY
is a compromise necessitated
by the M12’s compact form
CONNECTIVITY
is a strong point
of the M12
SIX SMALLER PADS
at the top and bottom need
a more carefully-aimed stick
1 /4 " JACK INPUTS
allow an additional fi ve
pads to be added
RHY173.gear_yamaha 96 11/12/09 5:16:31 pm