Pros:
- High-quality kick pedal
- Great bass drum pedal
- Lots of pre-recorded songs
- High quality cymbal pads
- Features a bass drum tower
- Integrated practice apps for iPad
Cons:
- Slightly expensive compared to competitors
- Half-cut cymbals don’t give a premium look
If you live in an apartment with neighbors who hate music, an electronic drum set will be your best bet.
With so many options, getting your hands on an electronic drum set that’s great for you can be a challenge especially if you are just starting out.
Yamaha brings you the ultimate DTX400 electronic drum kit series. One of the best electronic drum kits in this series is the Yamaha DTX450K.
The DTX450K is newbie-friendly and can help you learn easily.
But that still demands a Yamaha DTX450K review so you know if you should press the “Add to cart” button. Right?
Ready?
Let’s start.
Features of the Yamaha DTX450k:
The DTX450K drum kit comes with unique features that work great for starters. It is a great option when you wish to go for an electronic set that is not too heavy on your budget.
Let’s first look at what you get in the box then we’ll proceed with the features separately.
What’s All Included?:
Although the manufacturer makes sure to keep the items inside the box the same, doesn’t matter where you purchase this electronic drum set.
However, some gadgets or accessories might be different if you purchase them from an authorized seller versus from a regular store online.
But the basic drum kit and accessories that are the same everywhere include:
- DTX400 Drum module
- A three-zone snare pad
- Three single-zone tom pads
- One Hi-hat pad
- Two Cymbal pads (pretty solid cymbal pads for the price)
- One Kick pad including the bass drum pedal
- One Hi-Hat pedal
- Hi Hat Pad
- One Power adapter
- Connecting Cables
- Warranty Card
Looks like this drum kit is jam-packed with components, Right?
Now, let’s move to the features.
How Well Does The DTX450k Sound Module Work?:
Well, we’ll be honest with you that the drum module in this electronic drum kit didn’t fascinate us from the very first look.
There’s no LCD screen to see different sound levels and related stuff which can make learning a little difficult if you are just starting out.
Plus this drum module also doesn’t let you do an internal recording. You’ll always need an external headphone or a speaker. Ouch! Although this is relatively common among drum kits in this price range.
However, let’s look at the big picture “The Sound Quality”.
If the sound sucks, the kit sucks. Period.
But thank goodness the sound quality is impeccable.
No, we’re not joking there, it actually sounds fantastic.
The DTX400 drum module comes with 10 built-in kits, so you can adjust the sound as you desire which is pretty cool.
You also get 169 sounds including drum sounds and percussions to practice. That’s something very newbie-friendly as the more sounds you can practice the better.
To access all the sounds, just adjust the panel between the 10 available drum kits and you are good to go.
These kits come straight from Yamaha’s acoustic sets that are known to produce high-quality sounds.
The drum module also comes with 10 demo songs to help you learn better. They help you get adapted to the drum kit in no time.
The metronome functions well and is fairly simple to operate. It also lets you adjust the speed pretty easily. Plus you can input the desired BPM too without any hassle.
Another great feature in the drum module that’s very friendly for the newbies is: The Training Mode
These electronic drums further consists of 3 modes:
- Groove Check Mode
With this mode, the metronome is on and the drum module tests your ability to play alongside the metronome.
The better you play in coordination with the metronome the better the drum module will grade you.
- Fast Blast Mode
This mode tests your survival based on speed. It sounds like this mode came from those ‘battle royale’ video games, but it did not.
The songs are played pretty fast and you just have to keep with the pace. That’s how your endurance or in other words you survival with speed is tested.
This mode may be a little difficult at the start, but you don’t have to worry. You’ll pick up good speed as you proceed.
- Training Lessons Mode
This mode is pretty straightforward 10 training lessons that you can play over and over to learn how each song is played.
It helps you get the feel on songs that you can repeat afterward to see how well you understood them.
Integration with your iPad
Yamaha takes a good interest in making the learning process easy.
Consequently, they have provided some apps that you can easily download on the app store and get started.
Besides the built-in training modes, these apps can help you get a good hands-on experience. This is a great bonus to have a built-in audio interface for drums!
Song Beats
If you use this app while playing the pre-recorded songs, you can have a look at which drums to use exactly.
You get to know which cymbal or drum was used as the song progresses.
The app has two views.
The first one is the overhead view. The drum or cymbal that should be used at a particular part gets illuminated.
It’s pretty much like standing over the head of a drummer and knowing exactly which drums to play for a particular song.
The second view is more like a scrolling horizontal view.
This is a nice bonus that most electronic drums don’t include.
MusicSoft
This app is the real deal if you get tired of playing the pre-recorded songs again and again.
It gives you access to several MIDI songs that will enhance your songs’ library.
Repeating the earlier point, the more songs the better on this drum set!
Is the kick pedal good enough?
The kick pedal, Yamaha FP6110A, is where Yamaha takes the lead from its competitors.
Not only is this kick pedal made of premium quality material but is also comfortable to use and features a solid kick pad.
As a beginner, it is definitely worth it to have a pedal that makes the job easier for you. If you add comfortable drum shoes to it, that would be golden.
… And let’s talk about the drum pads
The drum pads in Yamaha DTX450K drum set are made of rubber, so they aren’t probably as great as mesh pads.
However, they give decent results and can help beginners get the real feel of acoustic drums.
The best part about the drum pads is that they aren’t that loud which is a must in an electronic drum kit. Right?
The cymbals are good to play, but the half cut out may make them look unattractive.
Have a look at how they sound in this video:
Yamaha DTX400K vs. DTX450K – What’s the difference?
Compared to the DTX400K, the DTX450K electronic drum set allows the half-opened sounds of the hi-hat.
Plus the snare pad also has some different features. The snare pad in the DTX450K electronic drum set supports rim clicks which play an important role during a concert.
Besides the drums, there’s some difference in the kick pedal. The kick pedal of DTX400K drum set doesn’t contain the beater and pad which means it’s relatively quieter.
However, the sound may be different than the original acoustic bass drum which is not something you should prefer as a beginner.
What do the customers think?
The customers believe that this drum kit is great for starters. It has a good rebound and gives excellent value for money.
The customers seem to love the build quality and the IPAD connectivity which makes it easier to learn.
It is also a great option for those who want to play it quiet because they just don’t want to be called “the loud neighbors”.
The drum kit is also well-engineered and fun to play. The customers appreciate the sturdy build and the sound quality they get after connecting it with a guitar amp or a good set of headphones.
Plus the drum set is also very easy to assemble, so you don’t need to worry about all that bolting and stuff when the kit arrives at your home.
Have a look at one of the customer reviews:
Warranty and money-back guarantee
Yamaha offers a limited one-year warranty. It means that if your product starts malfunctioning Yamaha will repair it without any additional cost.
However, according to their warranty policy, the warranty will only be applicable if:
- You have purchased the product from the authorized dealer.
- You have used the product in the area where the warranty is applicable.
Yamaha does not offer a money-back guarantee for this product. So, if you don’t like the product or it’s just not the right fit for you, there won’t be any turning back.
Pros:
- High-quality kick pedal
- Lots of pre-recorded songs
- Integrated practice apps for iPad
Cons:
- Slightly expensive compared to competitors
- Half-cut cymbals don’t give a premium look
When did Yamaha DTX450K come out?
The DTX450K was announced by Yamaha in 2013.
Is Yamaha DTX450K worth buying?
It depends on what your needs are and the budget you are willing to spend on your drums. But for newbies, this is great for a start.
Is Yamaha DTX450K for sale now?
Yes, you can purchase one from an authorized seller or online retailers like Amazon.
How to record in the DTX450K?
You can record the sound by connecting your drum module output to either a Windows PC or a Mac.
Final Thoughts On Our Yamaha DTX450K Review:
Yamaha DTX450K is an effective choice for all those who are new to drumming and want to learn on a user-friendly kit.
The kit comes with several ore-recorded songs and the ability to integrate with apps on your iPad makes it an even more attractive choice.
We presented some features and why we think it’s worth a shot.
Did you like it?
Have you ever used any electronic drum kit before?
How was your experience?
Let us know in the comments.
