In pictures: Yamaha DTX950K electronic drum kit

Whenever Yamaha releases a new electronic drum kit - from the first DTX900 press release, to the full DTX950K review and MusicRadar’s first look at NAMM 2010 in-between - it’s always an occasion.

And for good reason: since the arrival of the flagship Yamaha DTXtreme III; the drumming giants have taken both playability and sound appeal to new levels. The ‘pioneering’ DAW and VST control on the DTX900 module and the innovative Textured Cellular Silicon Head on the DTX950K kit continue that trend in style.

You can read Rhythm Magazine’s full in-depth review of the Yamaha DTX950K electronic drum kit, or scroll on for a step-by-step guide in pictures. We’ll kick off with a closer look at those pads…

"The big news as far as the kit itself is concerned is the arrival of the new DTX pads. These sport neither straightforward rubber nor mesh heads but instead benefit from a Yamaha innovation, the Textured Cellular Silicon Head."

"Clever manufacturing sees air bubbles within the head material manipulated to alter the density of the head depending on application. So the toms feel softer than the snare head, for example, just as they’re likely to on an acoustic kit."

"This being Yamaha’s new top-end offering, the whole kit is impeccably put together, and the chassis on which each head sits is very well engineered. Each of the drum pads is a hefty, well-sized and supremely tough unit, with plenty of rigidity to ward off mis-triggering. And indeed to cope with the rigours of regular set-up and tear down."

"This is a kit designed to shrug off the most demanding use, as evidenced in the truly excellent Yamaha Hexrack that holds everything together. As an acoustic drum-maker, Yamaha has masses of experience of traditional hardware to draw on when it comes to putting together this kind of electro kit. And in fact it draws directly from its acoustic hardware range for the rig here."

"Despite having six pads, three cymbals and a module mounted on it, the rack is a thing of beautiful simplicity and fits together with no fuss whatsoever. It’s a joy to assemble, which is a rare thing indeed. Hugely sturdy and boasting a fair old footprint, there’s no undesirable movement from any part of the rack - and memory locks and over-engineered clamps do sterling service in making consistent set up both quick and secure."

"The DTX900 brain based on the outgoing DTXtreme III, itself the best module Yamaha had ever produced, so it starts from a decent foundation. But there is one very significant advance from the previous brain - the ability to control a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) direct from its front panel."

"The DTX900 allows integration with Cubase AI5 (which is bundled with the kit) without recourse to your PC’s keyboard and mouse. The unit will also hook up to VSTi’s within Cubase, so if you’re using BFD, Superior Drummer, etc for drum sounds you can gain access to these via the DTX900."

"In terms of what’s mounted on the rack, Yamaha treat us to a 12" snare, two 10" high toms, a pair of 12" low toms, two 13" ‘crash’ pads and a 15" ‘ride’. The sizing strikes a good balance between usability and compactness; if you’re long of limb the rack allows plenty of scope for a big, expansive set up, but if you like things cosy and close together, the size of the pads doesn’t conspire against you."

To find out what it's like to play, read the full Yamaha DTX950K electronic drum kit review.

Liked this? Now read: Best music tech gear of the month: review round-up

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