Larry,
Those are all setup options on the E set. I forget the term for sensitivity, but you can adjust how much strength is required for it to activate the trigger. And crosstalk is the term for when one pad sets another one off -- there's a setting for that, too.
Check out
www.hartdynamics.com for some easy guides on getting started with Es... it includes recommended module settings. The sound coming from the amp is governed by the amp itself as well as the module configuration.
IOW, don't judge Es based on how one person has incorrectly set them up [img]smile.gif[/img] Mine work just as well whether I play mellow church music or KISS...
FWIW, we used my E set to play a service at another church. Everyone in the band (including the sound guy) loved them. And my set is a hart dynamics cheapie... an entry-level Prodigy set that was just a couple hundred more than an entry-level acoustic set.
Callum, I'd head out to a music store near you and try out an E set. The look literally has nothing to do with the sound -- that all comes from the brain.