I think you’ll agree with me that finding the right electronic drum set can be tough: there are so many good options out there.
And at some point it just doesn’t help to read yet another list of best electronic drum sets.
That’s why I’m focusing on only one affordable drum set with a very good price-performance ratio in this Yamaha DTX450K review.
I’m going to show you the pros and cons of this electronic drum set by answering the most frequently asked questions concerning that kit.
If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to read through the article as a whole, jump to the relevant question, or see my review at one glance at the bottom.
Yamaha DTX450K Review at One Glance
The Yamaha DTX450K electronic drum set is an an affordable and good-quality option for anyone just entering the world of electronic drum sets.
It comes with some interesting features to make practicing effective and fun, and it will take you a good way in any home recording efforts.
A handful of reviews on Amazon rating the Yamaha DTX450K at 4 out of 5 stars accredit to its quality.
[P_REVIEW post_id=354 visual=’full’]What’s in the Box?
Depending on where you’d buy the Yamaha DTX450k electronic drum kit, you get more or less equipment included. The standard package that any shop offers includes:
- The DTX400 Drum module
- 1 three-zone snare pad (for head, rim and cross stick sounds)
- 3 single-zone tom pads (no rim shots, but respond to playing sensitivity)
- 1 Hi-hat pad
- 2 Cymbal-pads
- 1 Kick pad including the bass drum pedal (that’s a plus right here!)
- 1 Hi-Hat pedal
- A Power adapter
- All cables required to connect pads / cymbals to drum module
- Yamaha’s 1 year warranty against manufacturing defects
On top of this you’ll also get a pair of headphones, a drum throne and sticks. This way you could start playing right out of the box.
(For a more informed choice about headphones – a crucial part of an electronic kit – read about my pick of best headphones.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Sound quality and quantity of the DTX400 module?
The drum module is the “brain” of an electronic drum kit. If the brain sucks, the drum set will suck too.
Fortunately, Yamaha not only manufactures drum sets, but also keyboards, synthesizers, and music production software. So they have a lot of experience when it comes to sounds.
To me, the DTX450k sounds very good. But you can judge yourself:
This set comes with 297 sounds (169 drums and 127 percussion and other instruments). That should be enough for most beginners, as one whole drum set consists of only 8 different sounds (5 drums + 3 cymbals).
The sound range can be extended, but only when using the DTX450k alongside a computer (more about that in a second).
Preset kits?
Yamaha has worked those sounds into 10 preset kits – from “rock” over “funk”, “jazz”, and “R&B” to pure “percussion”. This is not the world to choose from, but it includes all the basic musical styles. At the same time, you do have the option to replace the presets with your own configurations.
Can the Yamaha DTX450K do MIDI?
The DTX450k is an electronic drum kit and can be used as a MIDI controller. That means, you can plug the drum set into your computer or even a playstation or xbox and trigger specific functions on those machines (cable sold separately).
In the case of a computer with recording software (Audacity, Garage Band, Reaper, Ableton etc.), this renders your sound library virtually unlimited. You can use the DTX450k to trigger any set of sounds in your software. So the DTX450k could end up sounding like this:
What about recording?
That’s possible too. Either by plugging into a computer directly (as explained above), or by plugging the DTX450k into an audio interface (for advanced recording; cables not included).
But already without an interface you can get amazing results:
How Can the Yamaha DTX450K Help You Practice?
In my view, the DTX450k has quite a few cool features to make your drum practice more effective and fun:
- You can plug your iPod or any other mp3-player into the module and play along to the music (cable sold separately). And this can be just you and your headphones or pluged into an amp and for the world to hear.
- You can also use one of the module’s 12 training functions. My favorite, “Rhythm Gate”, is very good for practicing to play in time (and fun moreover):
Usually, this kind of feature comes only with much pricier electronic kits. Cool!
Are the pads loud?
The DTX450k’s pads are made of rubber (with a steel core). That doesn’t really mean they are loud, but is also doesn’t mean you can furiously hit them without producing any noise.
Anyone outside your headphones will hear a “thump” and there can be peaks of up to 60 decibels. That’s somewhat like hitting your sticks on the pages of an open book.
Should be okay for others in the house, but might be too much if they are in the same room or asleep next door.
Is Setting it Up Difficult?
I can only speak for ordering on Amazon. But from there the whole kit arrives in one box (around 90 x 60 x 45cm) and is easily put together. You only need the drum key (included) to tighten a good two dozen screws.
Adding toms / cymbals?
The DTX450k can handle 1 additional pad or cymbal. Contrary to most other kits, you plug the additional pad into the kick pad, but this works just fine. After that, you cannot add anything else.
Using double bass?
Yes – and you have two options here:
- Use preset kit number 3 (“hard rock”) where the hi-hat pedal is configured to be the second bass drum. Obviously you won’t feel a second beater hitting the kick pad, but it sounds exactly like a double bass should.
- Use a double bass pedal on the DTX450K’s kick pad. It is large enough. And it is sensitive enough to handle high BPMs (beats per minute).
Storing away the DTX450k?
Unless you have a huge closet, you’d have to at least disconnect the feet from the rack and then fold in the rack’s arms. This should take you around 10 minutes. But consider that frequent assembling / disassembling might cause screws etc. to wear out more quickly.
For storing under a bed, you’d likely have to disassemble everything so the kit becomes flat enough. That does take around 25 minutes.
The Yamaha DTX450K vs DTX400K
Is it worth spending the money for the DTX450K when you could also buy the cheaper DTX400K?
Like with everything in life: it depends on your priorities. I can only tell you the differences between the two (the module is the same for both):
- The DTX400K doesn’t allow for half-opened hi-hat sounds and the snare doesn’t support rim shots or rim clicks. Rim clicks aren’t too important, but you can hear half-open hi-hats in a lot of songs on the radio. And rim shots will be played in most live concerts you ever attend.
- The DTX400K has a kick pedal without beater and pad. This is good for your neighbors underneath, because it makes using the kick very quiet. At the same time, playing it will feel different from a regular bass drum pedal. In my view, this wouldn’t be a good start for someone new to drumming. But these are just my two cents.
Current Yamaha DTX450K Deals
Grab a used Yamah DTX450K in mint condition from a music retailer at 20% off! Spotted here on Amazon on August 22nd, 2016.
Did my Yamaha DTX450K review leave a question open? Or do you have a story / experience with this kit? Let us know in the comments! I reply 100% of the time!
PS
If this Yamaha DTX450K review was helpful to you and if you decide to purchase the kit, you can support my website by doing so through the button above.
This way I’d receive a commission and you would reward me for the time and care I put into each of my reviews. Of course, you don’t pay a cent more! You can read more about why I use affiliate links and why it doesn’t affect my judgements in my affiliate disclosure.
Thank you very much for this review. I’m going back to drumming after a 10 year break and I’m definitely buying this Yamaha DTX450k.
I still have one question though. I would want to buy an amp or something like that to be be able to play “at loud” with it sometimes. What would you recommend for that?
I saw that there was a kit specifically designed for it : the MS40DRH – 40W (around 300$).
Or is it better to go with a drum amp such as the EAGLETONE DA30, the Roland PM-10 or the Simmons DA200S for instance ?
Thank you so much for the advice.
Good choice Mathieu, the Yamaha DTX450K definitely is a great kit for a re-start! Best of luck with it!
As for the amp: I’ve been more than satisfied with the Simmons amps, so from my perspective there’s no need to spend more for a Roland one. Which in particular depends on whether or not you’ll want it for practice or to play gigs with it too:
Does that help you?!
Hi!
What settings do I have to use for the double bass drum to have blast beat?
Thanx a lot!
Hey Chris!
Are you asking how you can get to play double bass (use you Hi-hat pedal as second bass drum pedal)? If so, just select the preset kit #3 and there you go.
Hope that helps!
Hello! Very good review. Thank you for sharing it.
I have a question: Your hi-hat pedal has sensitive enough to use it like a double bass? ‘Cause mine, I need to put a lot of energy to get a sound. I really need to push it down hard otherwise it doesn’t work.
Thanks!
Hey Natalia,
I think this is because your kick drum’s velocity is too low. Please try to increase it by following the instructions on page 46 of the manual (“4-5. Kick Velocity”).
Let me know if that helps!
Best,
Yannick.
Hi Yannick! Great site with lots of info.
I am looking to get back into drumming after about 15 years off. I plan to play on my own (practice and play along to songs) for the first few months and then re-evaluate over the summer.
I have a few questions for you:
Which would you choose:
Alesis Nitro, DRP100 headphones, Pearl Demonator (P932) double bass, and a throne ($825 CDN plus tax)
OR
Yamaha DTX 450k ($750 CDN plus tax)?
How do the headphones compare to the DRP100?
Last question, does the Alesis Nitro come with headphones or throne? I am assuming not.
Many thanks!
Hey Dave,
I’d go with the first option (Nitro + DRP100 + Pearl Demonator + throne), because the Nitro:
– comes with about 100 more sounds to choose from and dozens more slots to store kits in
– is better value in terms of the pricing you mention, because the things you’d buy alongside the Nitro (the Demonator, for instance, is slightly better than the stock pedal that comes with the Nitro. (See this article for more info on the Demonator.)
And as for your second question: no the Nitro doesn’t come with headphones or throne – but you can often cut a package deal on Amazon (no Nitro + throne at least) if you look at the “Frequently Bought Together” section on the Nitro’s product page.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick.
Hi, nice review. Im planning to buy a dtx430k, do you know the size and weight of the package, cause I’m taking it on a plane. I guess the package is the same as the one from dtx450k. Thanks!
Hey Germán,
Thanks! The package of the Yamaha DTX430K is slightly smaller than the 450K’s one: 31.5 x 18.9 x 13 inches and weighs about 53.2 pounds.
Have fun with the kit – it’s a good one!
Greetings from Turkey,
Thank you for the great review. I would like to have information about the ride cymbal. Does the current pad offer kind of a bow/edge/bell option or is it single zone ?
Thank you in advance
Hey Kaan,
Thanks for your question! It’s a single zone cymbal, so it doesn’t distinguish between bow/edge/bell. If you wanted that, you’d need to upgrade to a better module / kit such as from the DTX 500 series.
Best regards,
Yannick.
But the DTX450K doesn’t support 3 zone cymbals right? The Yamaha pad module compatibility chart ( http://faq.yamaha.com/us/en/article/musical-instruments/drums/el-drumkit/dtx450/dtx450k/10327/7483/ ) lists the DTX400 series as only being able to support 1 zone when using a PCY100 for cymbals.
(The DTX 400 series does support a 3 zone snare, but everything else is 1 zone.)
Hey James,
That is absolutely correct! Thanks for sharing the compatibility chart. For anyone having questions about the dtx series, cymbals and their zones, check out this chart.
Thanks, James!
Hi Yannick,
If I add another cymbal, say the PCY-135, I notice it plugs into the back of the kick pedal unit. This is a DTX450K kit. Will I then have 3 cymbals that are configurable individually? Does the controller unit support that, or will it effectively need to replace one of the existing single zone cymbals?
Hey Sue,
Yes you can configure all three cymbals individually. For most kits in the module, there will even be a “crash 2” assigned that will show up once you plug in the additional cymbal.
Hope that helps!
Yes, that helps, thank you! I shall go ahead and order the cymbal.
Nice. Wishing you lots of fun with them, Sue!
Are you positive that dtx400 module support 3 zone cymbals such as pcy100? Will i get 3 zones from changing the pcy90 to pcy100?
Hey Eric,
No, you won’t. The DTX400 module supports one additional cymbal, but that can only be single-zone. See this compatibility chart for the definitive info on all DTX modules.
Best,
Yannick.
Hi,
I was wondering if it’s possible to “tune” the drums at all? Is it possible to alter the decay and things like that? I’ve noticed a lot of the players on YouTube have pretty tight rock sounds. I’m a jazz player, so would like to know if it has a bit of versatility with the preset sounds.
Best regards,
Marvin.
Hey Marvin,
Thanks for your question! You can, but only partially. Meaning: you can adjust the reverb / decay to simulate that of different environments (Hall, Room, Stage etc.) – but that goes for the whole kit. If you want to change decay for each pad individually or even adjust their tuning, add muffling, change a pad’s pitch etc., you’re looking at a higher-class kit functionality. In that case, you’d have to look at the Alesis DM10, the Roland TD-11K or even the Roland TD-30K (increasing in price in that order). You can get a brief look at all of them in this article (it will also refer you to in-depth reviews of those kits).
Best regards,
Yannick.
Hi,
is this kit easy enough to set up for someone who likes to play/lead with their left hand? I’m not sure of the term but basically setting the hi-hat and snare to the right of the kit?
Thanks
Hey Jes,
Yes, setting it up for someone left-handed works just fine and in the way you described (HiHat, Snare and Module to the right instead of left).
Best,
Yannick.
Great, thanks Yannick
My pleasure!
Hello,
I bought the Yamaha DTX450K used from a person.
I brought it home and tried it and all seem to work but I don’t get any sound from the bass drum. So then I tried connecting the bass pad to the tom input and do get the tom sound. Not sure if I have a problem with the base input on the module or anything else you can think of.
Hey Atif,
Hard to say from afar. Sound like either a pad or input issue, yes!
The only request similar to this that I’ve found is this thread. Perhaps you can contact the person who posted it – that was 11 month ago and thus should be solved one or the other way by now.
Keeping my thumbs pressed for you!
Best regards,
Yannick.
Hi
My son who is 7 has just started to drum he is on his 3rd lesson, we brought him they Yamaha dxt400…. is it possible to change the kick pedal on this and get one with a back pad? Sorry I am new to all this I hope you can understand what I mean!!! Thank you for your time.
Hey Mandy,
You can certainly get that kind of a kick pedal. I think this is what you mean, right?
Just let me know if you need anything else!
Best,
Yannick.
Hi mate, very useful review! I’m really just looking for an entry level kit that will let me learn double kick. You mention the 450K can do this by using the hi-hat pedal, but can the 400K do that too?
I have a cheapo e-kit just now that works really well for rock stuff but the lack of a double bass pedal option is really limiting me.
Hey Steven,
You sort of can. Meaning: you’d have to buy a second pedal and a splitter. You can see how it would work then in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV04W4uIHnk
The description underneath gives you the details of what you’d need to buy.
Hope that helps!
(Your books seem to be crushing it. Cool you came by :-))
Thanks very much Yannick for the reply and lovely comment about my books!
I will get one of those kits one day, but for now I hardly ever get a chance to play – I am a guitarist who just dabbles in other instruments so can’t justify a kit more expensive than the cheapo I have just now.
One day though, when they make a movie of my books! 😉
Cheers
Steven
That’s understandable – but sounds like a plan too.
Let me know when the movie’s in the making. It love to watch it 😀
Hey there,
I’m looking to buy a electric kit and have got a few choices in my mind was just wondering if with this kit once i buy a extra cymbal could i get one with a 3 zone cymbal to use as a ride? I use the bell frequently in my band so i really need it. Would a 3 zone cymbal work with the module?
Cheers
Hey Eddy,
The DTX450K’s module doesn’t support 3-zone cymbals unfortunately. You’d have to get a higher-end Yamaha kit for that (which already comes with 3-zone cymbals by default).
A slightly cheaper option (but still more expensive than the DTX450K) would be to get an Alesis DM10 and add this cymbal to it. It won’t support all three zones, but it will give you a standard ride + bell sound (so no edge) – which I understand is what you need.
Best,
Yannick.
Hy… I bought this drum… But I lost my power adapter. Now I want buy the original power adapter but I don’t know what type … Can you help me please…
Hey Dewi,
Sorry to hear you lost the power supply. I think this replacement adapter should work. Just double check between the plug on the picture and your module.
Best,
Yannick.
Gday , I have an older Yamaha Dtx.2 but need to replace some cymbals and 1 of my bass drums so I can play double bass again!!
Can you use these pads on aDtx.2 kit??
Hey Tristan,
Thanks for your question! Do you mean to say that you own the DTXPRESS II? I’m not quite sure here. In any case: this compatibility chart should tell you which pads work with what module.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick.
Thanks for your help I have a Dtx that I bought over 20 years ago , one of my kick drums has stopped working (KP80S) and was wondering if I could use the parts from these models to replace and add to my kit.
Looking at the chart you sent it looks like it would!!
Hey Tristan,
Thanks for your question! Yes, all DTX modules should work with the KP65 kick pad.
Best,
Yannick
Hey Yannick… what are the rough dimensions of this kit set up? How far apart are the legs, and how long are the feet? Your reviews are awesome!
Hey Tom,
Thanks for your kind words. Then DTX450K, when assembled is about 7.8″ wide, 6.1″ tall and x 2.2″ deep (the latter measurement also defines the length of the feet).
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
So you are saying that this drum set is 9.5 INCHES wide and 2.7 INCHES deep??? This does not make ANY sense. I’ve played this set in stores and I know, for one, logically these measurements are not correct and even 9 FEET seems huge. So what are the legitimate dimensions of the kit?
Hey Tyler,
This, of course, is utter nonsense and must have been a typo on my part. Sorry!
But it’s actually good to know that you read the comments 🙂 Thanks for making me aware – and the correct measurements are: 7.8″ wide, 6.1″ tall and x 2.2″ deep
Best,
Yannick
I have a problem with my 3 zone snare pad where i can purchase a new snare pad for my yamaha dtx 450k
Hey Owen,
You’ll find the pad here.
Hoping that will fix your issue!
Hi Yannick,
I am an adult complete beginner. My main expectation from my first kit is to help me get to a skill level as quickly as possible so that I can utilize higher end kits like DM10 or TD30KV in a few years. While I like Alesis kits, and 450K may not worth that much money, I can not see any other kit close to 450K’s training potential. Am I right? I’m considering 450K, 522K, Nitro, Forge.
Thanks a lot.
Burhan
Hey Burhan,
Yes, you’re right, the DTX450K has superior training functions. Yet, I believe it needs more than those to learn to play the drums. So consider going for the Alesis Nitro or Forge – I recommend both wholeheatedly – instead and spend the amount saved onto the training platform I’ve reviewed here.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Hi,I know the DTX450K does not feature cymbal choke so i wonder that I can buy a additional cymbal pad (Yamaha PCY155 cymbal pad) to it?
Hey Joseph,
Yes, the PCY155 would give you the choke functionality and work with the DTX450K as you can see in this chart.
Yet, if you’re not set on the larger size (15”), you can get the choke functionality cheaper with this cymbal pad.
Hope that helps!
I know you have done a review on the Alesis Forge, as well. I was originally planning on buying this kit here, the Yamaha DTX-450k, but now i don’t know if I should buy this one or the Alesis Forge. I heard the main difference was the quality of the actual drums, and I also heard that Alesis drums break after a while. What do you think I should purchase?
Hey Tyler,
Thanks for a question. I think a statement like “Alesis drums break after a while” is much too general to be true in any way. Both the Alesis Forge and the Yamaha DTX-450K are high-quality e-drum kits and I wholeheartedly recommend both in terms of durability.
Yet, they have different features and one might be better for practicing (the DTX-450K), while the other delivers better value for the money regardless of whether you want to practice or play live (the Forge).
For all the details, check out my individual reviews which you seemingly have noticed already.
Hope that helps!
It works really well for me
That’s great, Trevor. Thanks for the feedback!
Can the snare pad be replaced by the Roland PDX-8 mesh pad? I know the better thing to do is to replace it by a TCS pad, but it’s not available to me right now.
Not officially at least – and I also know of no existing case where it has been done. Often these things work, but again I wouldn’t bet on it.
Hope that helps!
Hello Yannick,
i just bought dtx450k for a month now and i have a problem with the extra cymbal. So I already set the sound for the extra cymbal but if i using the kick or cymbal they making both of the noise (kick and cymbal). Can you help me please. Really appreciate it.
Cheers
Hey Richard,
My sincere apologies for getting back to you so late. I’ve been moving houses and got sick at the same time, so no laptop for a few days.
Anyways: the issue you’re describing is called crosstalk and this is what I’d try first to fix it.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Does this version also have individual outputs if there is a need to send individual tracks to a mixer?
Hey Wandile,
Thanks for your question. May I ask why you’re asking or rather: what you’re intending to do? For I think it can be accomplished cheaper and more easily by connecting your electronic drum kit / the DTX450K to a computer and using it as a MIDI trigger. Using a software such as Superior Drummer, you can then modify the individual parts of your kit all you like.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Hi,
Thank you for the response.
I want to use the kit for our live sessions at church but want to be able to mix everything individually on my mixer.
Regards,
Okay, going into a physical mixer would mean you’d have to go for a much more expensive kit. Another option would be to simply “mix” your kit through the DTX module. That should give you about the same result and is a native functionality of the DTX450K (or any other electronic drum kit here).
Hope that helps!
Can I connect a usb with mp3s on it? Eg. Can I have a usb thumb drive with Van Halen on it, and play that Van Halen song through the headphones so that I can play along to the song? Thank you for your time!
Can the Yahama DTX450K be used to play out at a Performance ?