5K on a Roland?
Get the Yamaha. No contest.

Better pads for a start (no bouncy trampoline mesh)

and many things the TD doesn't have - for example:

• 3-zone pads
  
• Sample loading and playback
  
• No limitations on what sounds you can put where
  
• Sound layering and sequence playing on pads.
  
• etc
  

Even a DTX700 would be better!

(disclaimer - I've got stuff from Roland, Yamaha, Alesis, Alternate Mode, Korg etc - no axe to grind.)

As David suggested the Yamaha kit is the way forward,I had roland a Td30 since the beginning ,then I bought a 950k had them both set up in the same room,truth is I never went back on the Td30,sold it a few months later,
Every thing about the Yamaha kit trumps all other e kits,

PS Yamaha’s 3 zone cymbals only use 1 cable,
The module has a Digital output .
QUALITY.

1 more PS it’s a big one
Drum pads have tunning knobs on them which makes a huge difference.

I, too love my Yamahas but here is a follow-up question: My DXTreme3 is in need of repair. I need a new hi hat, new kick pad. Do I
1) invest in replacement pads
2) Invest in a 900 series (I need the best version to teach on)
3) wait for NAMM and see what Yamaha has in store for the future?

Thank you in advance!

David wrote:

I, too love my Yamahas but here is a follow-up question: My DXTreme3 is in need of repair. I need a new hi hat, new kick pad. Do I
1) invest in replacement pads
2) Invest in a 900 series (I need the best version to teach on)
3) wait for NAMM and see what Yamaha has in store for the future?

Thank you in advance!

1. pads are not overly expensive
2. You can software upgrade a DTXtreme3 to a DTX900.
3. who knows?

Thanks for the helpful answer :-) I've decided to begin upgrading to the XP pads starting with the snare. I assume the software upgrade you refer to is the firmware upgrade?

Yes, I have the Firmware updated to 1.10

David, I bought a DTXtreme III 10 yrs ago. The software is upgraded to DTX950, so the kit is in effect a 950, except for the pads.

I upgraded my snare to the DTX pad in 2019, and the stick response difference is well worth the money. The Toms I'm happy to continue with for the time being (I have 6, so upgrading will be expensive).

As for repairs, I haven't had problems with the hats, but I have successfully repaired two kick pads. If your kick problem is the plastic core cracking, see my other thread relating to repair of the kick pad. It was another forum member who explained how to fix my pad, and his advice was so effective, I have now successfully fixed my original KP125 and the spare I bought, which was also cracked.

Re: Roland v Yamaha, I agree with the above advice. Stick response and voices give Roland the edge in those particular areas, but the DTX pads are almost up to the level of the Roland mesh heads in terms of stick response, and the versatility of the Yamaha system (sampling) gets you around the voice update issue. The main advantages are above but there are others, one of the main ones for me being the ability to expand the kit - I now have 16 outputs, which I am sure is not possible with Roland- and while the Roland system is a seriously well playing and sounding system, I'm very happy with my Yamaha DTXTREME III and wouldn't switch.

Dean