Yamaha Review: DD55 Pro Digital Drums

History:

Purchase: I bought this unit in Hong Kong for around HK$2000 from a local music store. I am a singer/guitarist, but I used to be a drummer long ago. I couldn't get a drum kit into my home, but the DD55 fitted the bill, so I tested it in the shop and bought it.

What I Like About This Yamaha DD55 Pro Digital Drums: The sounds are indeed quite remarkable, and the size is perfect. The fact that you can adjust the individual drum sounds is a definite plus, particularly the snare which sounds at it's best on number 25. The hand percussion sounds are pretty good, and I like the fact that it's Midi compatible. I use my own backings to sing with at gigs and with the DD55 I'll be able to add more rolls and fill-ins to enlarge my sound. My children are also learning to play on it! The headphone socket is useful for night practice, but don't turn it up too much!

What I Do NOT Like About The Yamaha DD55 Pro Digital Drums: The foot pedals for hi-hat and bass drum are rather tiny, but I got used to them after a while. I used Araldite to anchor them to bits of woods to stop them sliding around. Obviously it's not the same as playing a kit because you're playing in a very restricted area and the feel is not the same. The hi-hat pad really should be on the left hand side.

Yamaha DD55 Pro Digital Drums Quality Rating: The construction is quite good, although I wouldn't like to drop it on the floor too many times! The on/off switch is a little flimsy, but for the price this is a good quality unit and does what I want it to do.

Review Summary: I wish that the DD55 had been on the market long ago. It is a great learning unit for anyone in a compact package and is terrific for school music departments. My last thought is that I would definitely re-design the foot pedals and put the hi-hat pad on the left where it should be.

Rating of this Yamaha product: 4

This Yamaha DD55 Pro Digital Drums Drums Percussion Review Submitted By: Mike in Hong Kong.

Review Date: 2002-11-28