Yamaha DTX450K Review

The Yamaha DTX400 line of electronic drums is one of the most popular lines of E-drums ever produced. These kits can be found in schools, colleges, practice rooms, bedrooms and rehearsal studios around the world!

These budget entry-level drum sets are a staple within the drumming world thanks to Yamaha’s legendary dependability and build quality. It’s a great beginner set to learn on, and it includes almost everything you need to begin playing right away.

For most, electronic drum sets are far more convenient and practical for learning drums on when compared to a large acoustic drum set. They take up much less space, and are nowhere near as loud. Therefore they are perfect for smaller homes such as apartment buildings where noise could be an issue.

Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Kit Gallery

Contents

Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Kit Ratings

Sounds

3.7

3.7/5

Drum Module

4.1

4.1/5

Build Quality

4.3

4.3/5

Playability

3.2

3.2/5

Value

3.4

3.4/5

Sounds

The Yamaha DTX450K is an affordable electronic drum set designed for beginners as well as possibly more advanced drummers as a practice kit. The sounds aren’t going to blow you away, but they are actually surprisingly nice to listen to.

Note: Yamaha has updated the DTX450K to the new Yamaha DTX452K and there isn’t a massive difference between the two, but some small and necessary improvements as well as connectivity updates (including app connectivity).

There are hundreds of quality sounds included with the module, and these sounds emulate Yamaha’s top of the range acoustic drums and percussion. My favourite included drum set is the Maple Custom that sounds really clean and warm.

There are 10 pre-set drum kits included that can be edited and overwritten. These kits are designed to suit all different musical styles including pop, rock, funk, metal, jazz, Latin and more!

As you might expect, the sounds are not as realistic and dynamic as top of the range electronic drum sets. There is going to be some degree of compromise with more affordable products. But with the price tag in mind, the sounds are not bad at all.

The triggering is also responsive and accurate, thanks to the solid DTX400 module. Let’s take a deeper look into the DTX400 series drum module that powers the Yamaha DTX450K.

Drum Module

Yamaha has upgraded the DTX400 drum module to the Yamaha DTX402 module. It’s a worthy upgrade that offers more features and power- allowing for more expressive playing.

The Yamaha DTX450K drum set is powered by the DTX402 module boasts a wealth of sounds that are immersive and fun to practice with.

Most beginner electronic drum sets feature poor quality and unresponsive drum modules, but not the Yamaha DTX450k. This drum module is fast and responsive, which makes for a realistic and enjoyable playing experience, which is exactly what you want from an affordable electronic drum set.

The Yamaha DTX450K features USB connectivity that is handy and particularly useful meaning you can record your drum sounds onto a computer.

The drum module also has a wide range of training features including a simple and easy to use metronome feature with adjustable time signature and BPM. There is also a groove check function that tests your ability to play in time with the metronome and it grades you with a score.

The Yamaha DTX450K drum module also has a Fast Blast mode that tracks how many drum strokes you can play in a fixed amount of time, which is a fun way to build speed and endurance as a developing drummer.

Overall the drum module is impressive for an entry-level electronic drum set and I don’t really have many complaints about it. I’m pleasantly impressed with the sound samples and the included training functions help to develop groove and control, plus improve timekeeping.

Build Quality

Yamaha is one of the world’s largest multinational corporations, and they have an excellent reputation for reliability and dependability with regards to build quality. The Yamaha DTX450K is a small electronic drum kit, but it’s sturdy and strong.

The 4-post rack frame is very stable and easily stands up to heavy playing. All of the drum set parts can be positioned fairly easily and everything fits nicely on the rack. The whole electronic drum set is very easy to set up which is a big plus.

Included with the Yamaha DTX450K E-kit you receive an upgraded hi hat controller and kick tower that are both responsive and durable. They feel good to play and they allow for a wide range of sounds that together push the realism of the playing experience.

The included FP611A kick drum pedal is actually really good single bass drum pedal. It’s lightweight and affordable but it’s also smooth and fun to play. It’s definitely a solid inclusion with the package.

The build quality is impressive for a kit of this price range. It’s very stable whilst playing with no wobble or creep whilst you play, and the pedals stay firmly put.

Let’s now dive right into my impressions of the drum and cymbal pads, and what they feel like to play.

Playability

The pads are in my opinion the weakest aspect of the Yamaha DTX450K drum set. They don’t look very inviting to play, and they are rubber instead of mesh which is somewhat out-dated considering competitors are outfitting their entry level electronic drum sets with mesh heads.

The snare has 3 zones, and is the most responsive part of the kit. The other pads are all 2-zone pads and they are ok to play. The rubber pads do their job just fine, but they are not adjustable or tune-able compared to mesh heads.

The cymbals are half cut out which is disappointing, but overall they feel ok to play. There is no natural cymbal sway unfortunately, but there is a choke function. The drum pads included in the Yamaha DTX450K are not as quiet as the premium textured silicone pads that Yamaha use for their 700 and 800 series kits.

Playing the Yamaha DTX450K is thoroughly enjoyable. The drum module is lightning fast and this helps to create a realistic playing experience. The funk drum kit pre-set is my personal favourite and it has a lot of attack and presence.

The size of the drum set is compact and it takes up a small footprint. This makes it ideal for small spaces and also for younger kids to learn to play drums on.

The included kick pedal and hi hat pedals are highly responsive and smooth to play with. These are of a considerably good quality compared to most entry-level electronic drum sets.

Value

The Yamaha DTX450K is priced at the more expensive end compared to most entry-level electronic drum sets. You could pay more and buy an electronic drum set that offers more bang for your buck in the intermediate price bracket.

It does not necessarily offer fantastic value for money compared to other competitor offerings such as the Alesis Nitro Drum Set, but it is still fairly priced with all things considered.

Verdict

Whilst the overall build quality is high quality, the design of the Yamaha DTX450K is definitely out-dated and it doesn’t look particularly impressive or premium quality.

With that being said, the drum module performs well. It offers highly accurate triggering and the sounds are very responsive whilst you play. The Yamaha DTX450K kit provides you with the tools to express yourself musically.

The kit is also very compact and it’s fairly priced. It’s a solid entry-level beginner drum set that will certainly offer years of reliable practicing. But with that being said, it’s likely that you will upgrade this drum set to something more substantial over time if you are a serious drummer.