Yamaha DTX Multi 12 Electronic Percussion Pad

Overview

The DTX-MULTI 12 Electronic Percussion Pad features 12 trigger pads in a compact split-level configuration. Choose from 1,249 drum, percussion and effects sounds based on the same sound technology as Yamaha’s world-renowned Motif synthesizer and DTXTREME III electronic kits.

You can also load digital samples for endless sound and loop that can be triggered from the pads.

Sounds

The DTX-MULTI 12 includes not only digital sounds but also DJ sounds and a rich variety of voices from percussion, chromatic percussion, folk, and acoustic drum instruments. You can also import WAV and AIFF audio files from a USB memory device and use them as voices. The DTX-MULTI 12 functions as a sample playback device with 64MB of battery backed Flash ROM.

Patterns & Looping

There are 128 different MIDI playing patterns (including 3 demo patterns) from a wide range of musical genres including folk, rock, and house, with stop and start activated by a pad strike. You can record your own performances as a pattern and then assign a pattern to pad. There’s also a Tap Tempo function.

Effects

Reverb and chorus effects can be applied to entire drum kits. The DTX-MULTI 12 also features a Variation effect unit that can be used to enhance individual voices in a variety of different ways (delay, distortion, etc).

In Use

The DTX-MULTI 12 responds to multiple playing styles and applications - sticks, hands, or fingers. You can also vary the sound while touching the pad or pressing a foot switch and up to four sounds can be velocity switched or layered per pad.

The DTX-MULTI 12 functions as a stand-alone drum / percussion module (you get a full palette of percussion instruments in one versatile self-contained unit) plus would make a perfect addition for an acoustic drummer looking to add electronics to their kit.

Connectivity

In addition to MIDI In/Out, the DTX-MULTI 12 has a USB TO HOST port that can be connected to a DAW via USB (USB cable not supplied in the box) and a USB TO DEVICE port that can be save the user kit data on a USB memory device. The pad makes an excellent controller either for simple MIDI input to your DAW or to control a fresh set of sounds on a VST. Steinberg’s Cubase AI is included free.

Although the DTX-MULTI 12 is admirably self-contained you can connect up to five external pads using the trigger-input jacks. You can also connect a foot switch jack and a hi-hat controller. You could even connect a separate hi-hat and/or kick drum to make this into a highly compact electronic drum kit. There are any number of control options and useful accessory items: FC4 footswitch can switch between different drum kits and phrase patterns, FC7 and FC9 can be used to control the volume and effect values in real time, and a DT20 drum trigger can be used to convert acoustic drum performances to trigger signals and input these signals for playback.