YAMAHA DD55 7 Pad General MIDI Digital Drum System

 3 reasons I like this drum set
1) Perfect for practice. As a non-drummer, buying a full acoustic or digital drumset is too much of a commitment. This little digital set gives a good simulation of the feel of a full kit (with some limitations) for learning new rhythms. Someday I'll buy a full kit but for now this guy will do.

2) Jamming. Sitting around with some friends and some guitars, it is really nice to pull out some backing drum sounds quickly and painlessly. The hand drum sounds are excellent as well for this.

3) Recording MIDI. This guy goes MIDI out to the computer for recording MIDI events and playing them back with the sound card's drumset or anything else you want. As a MIDI drum controller it is very handy. I have also recorded the on-board drum sounds (run through a guitar amp with mild distortion and reverb) and the results were pretty cool.

 For Intermediate Drummers:
I purchased this product about a month ago and I am very pleased with it. The features are amazing and I love the fine tuning details. I've read other reviews that only comment on bad sound quality, but I consider the sound quality to be amazing. Although you can't expect much out of the unit's speakers, headphones or other external sound systems (such as amps) make the sound quality amazing (the speakers are great for practicing though). I've also read that people are unhappy with the low volume of the crash speakers. I addressed this problem by lowering the volume of all the pads except the cymbals, and then just raise the main volume. Many people think that this kit would not be good for a stand alone performance kit. I whole-heartedly agree. That's why I made a set up with my real hi-hat, and my bass drum, and put the dd-55 in the middle. I've played in two concerts like this and it has been a hit. I changed the hi-hat pad into a china cymbal (or a ride bell). I put a splash on the hi-hat pedal and a cowbell (or anything else you want) on the bass pedal. This setup worked great. I also figured out a way to rig the bass pedal so you could hit it with a real bass pedal. In one of the songs, I threw away my sticks and started to play the bongos! Everyone loved it! I'm glad Yamaha made such an affordable proffesional quality drum pad set and I'm sad when I see that most people can't use it to it's fullest potencial!

 Not a Toy.
Someone called this set a toy. It's really not. I wanted to learn to play the drums for a long time, but even a digital kit takes up a lot of room and finding space for them can be a problem. This little digital drumset solves that. It'll fit almost anywhere. If you live in an apartment, you can turn the volume way down or put on a headset so as not to anger your neighbors. And the price can't be beat.

It works almost exactly like a bona fide drum kit. Bass, snare, high-hat, crash and ride cymbals, and toms. There are a few effects you can't achieve with it, but not many. It has lots of interesting voices you can choose from and the sound quality is surprisingly good. It has MIDI capability as well as playback. And it comes with an internal metronome. This is pretty useful since you can speed up or slow down without realizing it.

The bad points as I see them are the foot pedals tend to walk around on a carpeted floor and you'll have to reposition them often or else find some way to secure them. And the drum head trigger areas are real small - about the size of a silver dollar - so when you miss one, all you get is a tap.

But it's fun and easy to use. And you can really learn to play the drums with one of these. Just turn on the stereo and jam with your favorite group.

 Quick delivery.
Product was delivered fast. there is a scratch on the cover but the drum function is fine.

 This drum system cannot be beat!
As a solo artist and song writer, I depend on this piece of equipment almost as much as my guitars. I've recorded 4 succesful albums using the Yamaha DD-55 and it has never let me down. It's simple to use, durable, and dependable. Don't buy a cheap drum machine from Radio Shack if youare serious about your music, invest some money and you'll see the investment pay off as you start cutting tracks. It's the next best thing to a live drummer in the studio.

 This drummer thinks it's cool
I'm a drummer in a 5-piece band that plays 2 or 3 times a month. I recently had the opportunity to try out the DD55 and was very impressed. Though I'm not ready to show up at a gig without my conventional set, the DD55 would be great for practicing with headphones or for taking to a rehearsal when I don't want to lug my set. It has a nice feel to it, the sound is good, there are lots of options, and it's just plain fun. And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like some of the electronic drums do.