Yamaha DTX-Multi 12-Trigger Multi-Percussion Electronic Drum Pad
With 6 responsive pads, hundreds of realistic sounds from all over the world, and MIDI and USB I/O, this sturdy Yamaha drum pad is ready to take a beating!
$659.99
- 12 x$55.00
- 8 x$82.50
- No Credit Check6 x$110.00
- No Credit Check4 x$165.00
Overall User Ratings (based on 14 ratings)
Submitted May 14, 2017 by Ed M in Austin, TX
"Best Drummer's Keyboard available"
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
It does what you'd expect, hit the pads and it makes sounds that change depending on which program you have selected. Some of the programs have cool loops that you can start and stop by hittin a pad once to start and again to stop.
It has trigger inputs so you can connect more pads or acoustic drum triggers to trigger more sounds. The sequencer is ok, but if you're just getting started with MIDI and synths this is an excellent instrument that will serve you for years and has the broadest capabilities of any drum multipad + sound generator available.
Sure, the Roland stuff actually samples from the line in and has comparatively massive sample memory: that's all it has though, there is no internal sound engine and it's pads will only send MIDI Note #'s, not CC's or PC's.
The KAT / Alternate Mode stuff are more sophisticated controllers, but cost much more and have no sound engine.
With understanding of what MIDI is and what this device can help you control, support you on your gig, and even aid in the composition process, you'll understand why I say it's the best, broadest multipad controller on ththat market.
Sound
Sound Quality is excellent.
The sounds respond dynamically to my playing wonderfully.
It is compatible with many musical styles that I play; I would have no problem taking this out to some gigs as my only instrument.
Sounds great in different settings.
My tip to make this "sound better" is 60% HOW YOU PLAY THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAM and 40% MONITOR / SPEAKER SYSTEM
Features
I would've appreciated a metal chassis, but I do enjoy the light weight. Other than that, the build quality is fine.
Least useful feature is an audio input that changes the sound of the input signal through to the output signal
Ease of Use
The sounds out of the box are great.
Super easy to setup and use with my trigger pads and pedals and other MIDI gear.
The learning curve is proportional to what you want to do with it: if you're wanting to plug it into a monitor and add some other sounds to your drumset, pretty easy. I figure that use should take you about 30 minutes if you know how to use your monitor.
If you're trying to control ableton live's tempo and have it step through lighting changes and tempo maps using m4l and USB midi AND you have no idea what any of those things are, expect a few months of study. That being said, I was able to get control of ableton and m4l under a drumstick in about 3hrs ( I obviously know how to use Ableton Live & M4L quite well )
Quality
Well made, I expect it to last for years.
I plan on getting a case for it and gigging with it.
Value
Yes. Buy it. Best multipad controller + sound engine on the market today
Manufacturer Support
I have purchased tons of Yamaha gear in the past, and will do so in the future. I have found the products to be reliable, do what is advertised, and sound good. I have never had to deal with the company for returns or service.
I have owned / own:
PM-3000
EX5
DX21
MG16XU
AW4416
AW2816
Hihat stands, Kick pedals, snare stands, cymbal stands
Pacifica electric guitar
The Wow Factor
I originally rejected the idea of this, preferring to use my KATs and SPDSX; when I found out that I could have the programmability of the KATs with an included tone generator, I bought it and have been pleased.
Bottom line, could have more flexibility and power with separate components, but this gets it done. If you need more than this, just add the computer or outboard sampler for the additional voices / sample time you need. The pads feel great, and there are 12 + trigger inputs.
Musical Background:
Degreed musical professional of 30 yrs. I play percussion, drumset, piano, guitar, and bass.
Musical Style:
I play / perform / record most western styles of music and Afro Cuban and Afro Brazilian.
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Submitted March 25, 2013 by Jason C in Woodstock, GA
"Really Impressed!"
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I've been a drummer for almost 25 years and have always been skeptical about electronic percussion. In fact, other than v-drums, I've always found "pads" to be completely unrealistic. I started playing percussion a few years ago (congas, cajon, other noise makers) and it seems that I am constantly buying new gear. The last gig I played I realized how much gear I had when it took me an hour to break it down and load it up. So, I started looking for another option. After comparing the Roland SPS-30 with the Yamaha, I decided to go with Yamaha. Primarily because of it's focus on "world percussion". I watched dozens of YouTube videos and read at least that many forums. My initial thoughts on the pad was how compact it is but also how sturdy it seems to be. I immediately fired it up after plugging it in to a guitar amp...and it sounded horrible! That's because I used a guitar amp... After plugging in my in-ears (headphones) I was amazed at how good it sounds! Seriously, amazed... The pads are responsive and the samples are killer! Having owned it a total of four days, I still have a significant learning curve to really make it sing but that was expected. I will also say that if I found it easy to program and manipulate, I would have been dissapointed. The DTXM12 has a lot of bells and whistles and I can't wait to really get into it! Now, I could literally bring the DTX, a couple of foot triggers/pads and play a full gig and that is worth it's weight in gold!
Musical Background:
Working drummer/percussionist....25+ years
Musical Style:
Rock and Christian/praise/worship
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Submitted December 9, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Works For Me"
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I would buy the same Item if something happened to this one. I have already programmed kits I use live implementing the alternating note feature that similar priced units do not have.
Sound
The sound quality on this unit is great. No noise I could perceive from the outputs and the sounds have presence and are clean. Plays back my 22khz, 16 bit mono samples cleanly in live settings.
Features
I've been using the stack/alternate feature on the pads to get 4 alternating notes per pad. Great for playing melodies while playing drums without jumping from pad to pad so much. Haven't use the USB/computer interface or sequencer control features.
Also imported several of my samples with no issues.
Ease of Use
There is a learning curve. I have used several Roland drum pads and I find them easy to program on the spot.
This Yamaha is another story. I had to sit with it for a couple of hours a few days in a row to really start to understand the internals.
After that, programming it is getting easier and more familiar and quicker.
The smaller pads across the top and bottom are more suited for turning on or off one shot samples or phrase loops and less suited for delicate sensitive playing. Overall, the sensitivity of all the pads is good and adjustable to your style. Research the manual before you buy.
Quality
So far so good. Built well. Solid body. Strong plastic. This is the second Yamaha pad I have. The first one I got had one of the larger square pads go bad after a few hours of using it. I notified zZounds, they sent me a shipping label and within a week the defective unit was back to them and I had a new fully operational replacement in my hands at no additional cost to me. Great service.
Value
It has features the Roland sampling pads do not have and the Roland's have Features the Yamaha does not have. Do your research and really think about what you'll be doing with your pad, read forums, download manuals, learn their strengths and limitations and choose wisely. For my uses, I believe I did with the Yanmaha.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't dealt with Yamaha. This is the second pad I have. The first one I got had one of the larger square pads go bad after a few hours of using it. I notified zZounds, they sent me a shipping label and within a week the defective unit was back to them and I had a new fully operational replacement in my hands at no additional cost to me. Great service.
The Wow Factor
I only buy gear to make music. I don't understand "Is there something about this gear that makes you want it even if you could make good music without it?" How do I rate that?
The thing works great for MY uses. Do Your Research.
Musical Background:
30 years, Drums, professional.
Musical Style:
Electronic, rock, ambient
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Submitted August 27, 2018 by Eric B in Pocono Summit, PA
"Weigh the Negatives and Positives"
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As a repeat customer, I bought this with the zZounds payment system. I ordered it by phone and the salesperson was excellent. Ordered on Friday, got it Saturday with their one day shipping. Was packed box in a box about the size of an AC30 amp.Right now I am using this with my DAW (Reaper) and am very satisfied. I am using the DTX-M12 to trigger Addictive Drums 2 which I got half off. I have the NI Maschine, but never quite got used to button press drumming with it.What I Don't like:The fact that the stand and mount are WAY OVERPRICED! I am going to be looking into a DIY option rather than spending $179 for the stand and mount.
Sound
Sound is great! Make sure you register with Yamaha and update firmware and download the custom user presets. Headphone amp very loud, just the way I like it.
Features
Least useful is the iPad functionality. No love for Android or Windows users? The 'ease of use' being dependent on my owning a proprietary, overpriced piece of hardware was nearly a deal-breaker for me.
Ease of Use
Once I understood how to adjust the pad sensitivity getting sounds was easy.
Quality
The steel housing seems very sturdy. The feet are rubber, however not the type that grips the desk, so this slides around a bit on my Formica countertop that serves as my desk.
Value
Within the narrow restrains of my particular needs it is good, but there's room for improvement. If I was a gigging musician my perception of the value would certainly be different.
Manufacturer Support
Yamaha website is not organized as well as I'd like, but I was able to find what I needed from them, so I can't complain.
The Wow Factor
Somewhere between "meh" and "Not bad bro!". It is helping me infuse my music with more human-sounding percussion which was my goal.
Musical Background:
40+ years amateur guitar & bass player, keyboardist. Professional Recording Engineering.
Musical Style:
Rock, Ballads
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Submitted May 16, 2014 by Bruce F in Slidell, LA
"The best professional pad/module controller on the market"
I've used the DTX Multi12 for live performances for years as a percussion controller, sequencer, and addition to my acoustic kit. I use a Roland V-Drum trigger to trigger my bass drum and it works flawlessly. I use the top three rim triggers to trigger multiple sequences I program myself. Instant percussion backing tracks! And lastly, I use the huge variety of factory sounds to spice up my performances. A lot of pad/module controllers are full of sounds you'll never use. This unit is full of great sounds covering every music genre. Almost 1200 factory sounds. And it's easy to add and tweak your own samples if you need something special.The pads are a bit larger than on the Roland SPDX. 64 note polyphony vs only 8 notes with the Roland. And you can even tune your own imported samples; not possible with the SPDX. You can layer 4 sounds with the Yamaha, only 2 on the Roland. The DTXM12 is built like a tank, the Roland feels like a toy. Plus the Yamaha is $100 cheaper, so you've got money to buy a good case.
Musical Background:
Musician for 45 years, live performances and studio work
Musical Style:
Rock, pop, country
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Submitted January 29, 2016 by ruben m in san antonio , TX
"yamaha multi 12"
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I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and figure everything out on the yamaha multi 12 but for I did do so far was simple and easy.
Sound
Pretty satisfied
Features
The only bad thing is it doesn't come with the mount
Ease of Use
Very easy
Quality
Pads feel great
Value
Yes
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had to call yet
Musical Background:
15 years off and on
Musical Style:
Cumbia and Tejano
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Submitted February 15, 2014 by a customer from aol.com
"Yamaha DTX Multi-12"
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Very great instrument for incorporating electronic sounds into acoustic drumming.
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Submitted January 11, 2010 by a customer from gmail.com
"Type-O in my last review"
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Sound
I made an error on my review. The max sample time per USB-loadable user-sample is 23 sec for a stereo sample. Total memory for stereo user-samples is 11.4 minutes (100MB).
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Submitted January 8, 2010
"Will do the job."
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I would like to see the same thing with higher sample rates some day.
Sound
It plays back the samples that are in it exactly as they sound when you hear them on your computer/ no audible difference at all. The latency (audio delay after hit) is barely noticeable, I'm happy. For loading in samples via USB - you can only load 16bit/44.1kHz samples up to 9 sec. long.
I wasn't too blown away with the Yamaha samples
Features
I wish the LCD display screen were bigger to show the MASTER EQ curve and the sample waveforms for cropping. EQing by numbers is no fun. USB device port is upside down! Oh well.
Ease of Use
I was playing with 5A sticks, but I had to set the trigger sensitivity to HAND mode, to work with my sticks. Everything is easy once you get used to the format. A bit overly complicated with a very limited interface. One more knob for data entry would have been cool. Limited to + or - buttons, but they speed up when you hold down.
Quality
Everything is great. My only real complaint is that the top and bottom thin-edge pads (1-3, 10-12) don't operate at the same sensitivity as the flat pads (4-9)... in other words, you have to whack the thin ones harder, and they don't pick up softer hits at all. But hey, then they would be going off all the time when you barely brush them. I would use them for hits/crashes/cow bells, but not hats/toms or snares.
Value
For what I want to do, which is load in my own samples, this thing is great. I wish it had variable sample rate for 24bit/48kHz samples, but I can work with 16/44.1. Sounds fine.
Manufacturer Support
I never tried.
The Wow Factor
HOT! smack it around a bit! The sounds are fab, and it definitely will blow away the crowd once it's been programmed right (put in your own crazier samples).
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