YAMAHA DTXMULTI 12

FEBRUARY 2010 RHYTHM 97
need straight from the box. If you want to
really tap its potential, however, you can load
up to 64MB of your own samples via USB.
From here you can assign up to four sounds
per pad, have them play all at once, or cycle
through with progressive strikes. It’s also
simple to record your own patterns using the
internal sounds and assign these to a pad; the
pattern will then loop endlessly until the pad is
struck again.
The general playing response of the M12 is
very decent, but unlike the super-organic Korg
Wavedrum reviewed in the last issue, its remit
is not as simple as a perfect recreator of
acoustic sound. Instead it serves to combine
big, usable tones with the kind of ‘control
centre’ vibe that makes for a fl exible on-stage
partner. And that it does very well.
Verdict
There are those that might question the
M12’s lack of on-board sampling abilities,
particularly when judged against the Roland
SPD-S, its most obvious competitor. To my
mind, however, this is simply a different,
rather than better or worse, option. Sample
creation and manipulation is much more
easily done on PC or Mac, after all, and
the M12 scores with more pads and more
onboard sounds than the SPD-S. As far as an
out-of-the-box, onto-the-stage solution, it
presents a very convincing argument. And
that alone makes it worth investigation,
particularly if simplicity of use is high on your
list of priorities.
Rating ✪✪✪✪✪
A COUPLE OF TRIGGER
pedals for kick drum and hi-hat.
You can turn the M12 into a
micro kit with these additions.
TRY IT WITH...
MAIN PADS HAVE
a playing area of roughly
100mm x 110mm
SOFT RUBBER SURFACE
yields for a nicely luxurious
amount of ‘give’
M12 HAS CLOSE T0
1,300 preset sounds from
Yamaha’s Motif synth engine
A USB STICK
chock-full of your own samples
if you really want to explore the
potential of the M12.
Even the control buttons are soft to
the touch. Interaction with the M12
is a pretty gratifying experience
RHY173.gear_yamaha 97 11/12/09 5:16:35 pm