Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Set Review

Today on our review of the Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Set, we’re going to be finding out what makes this drum set tick. Of course, coming from such a reputable brand as Yamaha is already a great start. But there’s more to this drum set as you will come to find out.

First off, this is an entry level electronic drum kit in Yamaha’s DTX400 series. By the way, there are two other drum kits in this series – the DTX400K and the DTX430K. Of the three kits, the DTX450K is the most advanced and consequently the most expensive.

There’s a lot to look into in this review of this fantastic entry level electronic drum kit. So, without further ado, we will be heading straight into this review. And the first thing we will be doing today is to answer the question…

Our rating: (3.4 / 5)

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Who Is The Yamaha DTX450K For?

This kit, as we mentioned earlier, is a beginner kit. However, it’s so good it could even work as a practice kit for the expert drummer. Nonetheless, the sound is only decently good. It definitely won’t suit perfectly for a professional player.

So, if you’re getting the Yamaha DTX450K, you’ll find that it’s better suited to band rehearsal and home practice. Trying to push the limits and using this for a live performance will leave you quite dissatisfied in the performance department.

Further, looking at the sound module, you’ll find that it does not contain enough to give your performance that color and expression that will impress you.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t enough sounds in the module. There are enough songs to play along with and you can also play yours using the aux in port.

And since we’re on this turf, the sounds here are pretty good and sufficient for the beginner. There’s nearly everything from electronic to percussion. As a beginner, starting out on this kit will definitely give you a feel of what a real acoustic drum set will be like.

And as for experienced drummers, you’ll definitely find it a lot more interesting practicing on this rather than a drum pad. All the sounds here keep things quite lovely!

Plus, everyone can do with more learning, right? Well, there’s a tutorial feature here that’s great for beginners and experts alike. Yamaha made sure to include all kinds of creative exercises which will help you perfect timing, skill, accuracy and whatnot.

What’s In The Box?

Alright, what exactly arrives at your doorstep when you order the Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Set?

The Snare And Tom Pads

The Yamaha DTX450K is a five-piece electronic drum set which also includes cymbals and rubber pads.

Now, the pads here are not silicone mesh like you get with higher end electronic drum sets. Instead, they are made from gum rubber. True, gum rubber cannot possibly compare to mesh, all the same it’s not half that bad. It’s actually pretty quiet and gives a nice, springy rebound.

You’ll actually enjoy playing on them. In fact, they feel pretty much like practice pads, except that, this time, they now feature a rim. And since we are here, let’s talk about the rim for a bit…

The rim here feels pretty soft just like the pads themselves. Plus, they also feel great to play on. The only problem is that most of the drums here don’t trigger sound when you play on the rim. Well, all except the snare pad.

The snare pad is three-zoned and measures about 7/5 inches in diameter (pretty decent). You’ll be able to produce more sounds from the snare pad without any extra triggering. Also, the snare pad makes rim shots and rim clicks possible which is one reason the DTX450K is more fun than the DTX400 model.

That said, like we mentioned earlier, it’s just the snare pads that have the rim feature. The toms do not respond at all except you play the drumheads directly. This is quite sufficient for most drummers as the snare is the most played drum in the kit.

And then again, it’s not like the tom pad are all that bad. They feel solid and also give a fantastic stick rebound as well.

The Kick Pad

The DTX450K comes with a kick tower, that is, a bass drum pad. The bass drum pad is actually made from a mixture of materials which include rubber, plastic, and metal. We really do like how the bass drum actually sits upright just like you find on an actual acoustic drum kit.

Although the bass drum is quite small, it will still accommodate a bass drum whether single or double. And guess what? Yamaha even included a bass drum themselves. Pretty nice, yeah?

Cymbal Pads

There are three cymbals in the Yamaha DTX450K electronic drum kit and each of them measuring 10 inches in diameter. They are also all rubber as well.

As for triggering on all the cymbal pads, it’s just basic. So, don’t expect multi-zone trigging capabilities. Also, forget about choking here too. In all, keep your expectations as modest as possible.

You mount all the cymbals pretty much the same and they seem to give the same stick response. Expectedly, they don’t resemble actual cymbals in many ways. Nonetheless, they are pretty quiet and they are also quite playable.

For instance, you’ll be able to tighten the hi-hat, preventing it from flapping about. This is actually advised. You should tighten your hi-hat cymbals.

As for the crash and ride cymbals, they seem to a tad bit looser than the hi-hat. So, this gives them the space to allow for a bit of movement.

Furthermore, for a kit in this price range, we would say the trigger is acceptable although it isn’t exactly subtle. And lastly, the hi-hat can be used in three positions – closed, open, and half-open. You switch up all these using the foot pedal controller which we will discuss in the hardware section of this review.

The Sound Module

Yamaha uses the DTX400 sound module in this kit. It’s a pretty serious module, and we mean that in every sense of the word. So, don’t expect LCD light, knobs, and the works. It’s just a small box that does what it’s built to do.

What we will admit though is that it’s pretty easy to navigate around the device, even though there’s no display. But then again, we’ve got to commend Yamaha for the ingenious thing they did with the three rows of buttons on the module. They help to select and also give the user some feedback.

Besides all the buttons which serve all kinds of functions, there are also jacks on this device. Yamaha tucked the jacks on the side of the device which we found to be a pretty smart move. This way, you get to keep the cords out of the way and have a less clumsy setup.

So on this module, you find a plugin where your power adapter goes. Then there’s also a USB jack which you can use to connect your module to your computer. And there’s also the aux in mini jack which you can use to connect your MP3 player.

For outputs, there’s a quarter inch output which works for stereo and headphones. Well maybe Yamaha could have made them two separate jacks but oh well, that’s done.

What Does This Kit Sound Like?

Firstly, there are about 169 onboard sounds in the sound module which are further grouped into 10 drum kits. Obviously, Yamaha leveraged on its access to a wide range of fantastic acoustic drum kits to create these sounds.

So the kits are rich with sounds ranging from electronic, to percussion to acoustic. If you want, you can mix and match your kits by playing along to the demo songs Yamaha also included in the sound module. There are ten of them, by the way.

In sound quality, the DTX450K does not do so differently from other drum sets within this price range. However, as an added advantage, it’s super easy to edit the sounds here to your tastes. Of course, as a beginner, you might not get it right from the beginning, but with time, it does get easier.

Now, keep in mind that Yamaha really had training in mind when it created the DTX400 series. So, in that respect, the DTX450K is excellent. There are ten training options which help you boost your drum playing skills.

Hardware Quality

The rack in the kit holds nearly everything in the box except for the hi-hat foot controller and the bass drum tower. The rack actually holds the sound module too.

Alright, we move now to the hi-hat foot controller which we promised to talk about earlier. Well, this foot controller is pretty decent. However, you won’t find all the positional sensors higher end models usually come with.

Nonetheless, the three positions it offers – closed, open, and half-open are quite sufficient for the beginner. You’ll, at least, be able to get your co-ordination skills locked down. However, for the experienced player, this pedal will be torture.

Also, you want to ensure that you place the control pedal on a carpet or matting. If you placed it on tiled or wooden floors, it could begin to slip. But then there’s a huge pro to this freestanding pedal in that it’s less noisy since it doesn’t need a stand.

Pros Of Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Set

Cons Of Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Set

Conclusion

Although a tad bit expensive, there’s no doubt that the Yamaha DTX450K is a solid drum kit especially in the entry-level category.

We especially love the training functions on this kit which seems to be Yamaha’s focus in creating this drum kit. It’s totally worth considering for those starting out on the drums.