Are there quiet-er cymbals?

capnkid

capnkid

Optimus Prime
Right now My cymbal set up is Zildjian zbt hats, a worthless sunlight crash, and a paiste 200 20" ride, which is pretty good. (this is what my used kit came with).
I have some guys that will jam with me, but they are all saying the drums are too loud for them. They have been midi-ized, and electronicized I guess.

Are there cymbals that are less loud than others. I know there are studio cymbals such as Sabian HHX's, but are they less loud?
 
they might just use alot of dampening on their own kits.

idk much about quiter cymbals, but the z customs are supposed to me loud. but i don't know i've never palyed them.
 
The dynamics of the cymbal probably has a lot more to do with the technique of the drummer. There are some darker cymbals that may seem less loud. You could also try smaller cymbals which would put out less volume but may not work for the style you are playing. Can you play any softer? Would brushes or rods work in the context of your musical style? Can the other guys get ear plugs?
What size room are you performing in? What style of music?
 
Tell your buddies to man up.

If you need quiet cymbals but still need some sustain and bloom, you're going to have to use mallets. You can hit cymbals softly and with the stick tip but you'll get "ping" instead of Pshhhhhhhhh. Know what I mean?
 
Wireneck pretty much summed it up for ya. I might add one thing, though. I drum with several different bands covering many styles of music. One thing I do based on room size and type of music is use different stick sizes. I carry a variety of sticks from 7A's to 5B's. Obviously, a smaller stick will lower your volume (less leverage and less "meat"). Some have trouble with breaking smaller sticks, but I tend to believe that if that's the case you're likely hitting the drums wrong and/or too hard anyway. You might give it a try and see if it works for you. Sticks are cheaper than cymbals!
 
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capnkid said:
Right now My cymbal set up is Zildjian zbt hats, a worthless sunlight crash, and a paiste 200 20" ride, which is pretty good. (this is what my used kit came with).
I have some guys that will jam with me, but they are all saying the drums are too loud for them. They have been midi-ized, and electronicized I guess.

Are there cymbals that are less loud than others. I know there are studio cymbals such as Sabian HHX's, but are they less loud?
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HHX is LOUD. lol play less hard. it will REALLY improve your playing technique and make you a better drummer over all, especially with dynamics and consistency.

but if you must get less sound cymbals get thin smaller sizes. the thinner and smaller the size, the less volume. but if your a hard hitter your going to break them...so really the only thing you can do either way is learn to be more dynamic with your playing.
 
Supercreep said:
Tell your buddies to man up.

If you need quiet cymbals but still need some sustain and bloom, you're going to have to use mallets. You can hit cymbals softly and with the stick tip but you'll get "ping" instead of Pshhhhhhhhh. Know what I mean?
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not true. well.. not 100% true lol. thinner cymbals with a brilliant finish tend to have a very fast reaction and put out a ton of shimmer even at low volumes. AAX studio crashes are a great example of this. thicker cymbals like HHX need to be hit very hard to get any shimmer or "crashy-ness".. with cymbals like that you will deff get that "ping" sound you where talking about. but ya, thinner brighter cymbals will react very well any level of dynamic playing, they just wont last to long if you beat the shit outta them lol.
 
simple solution: go to your local music store and ask them if they sell a product called "Moongel". Its awesome, cheap, and effective. Also its non-destructive, unlike duct tape.
 
Very simple answer............. If you are playing too loud, play softer by striking more lightly. If you can't do that, learn to. You should be able to play very loud, very soft and everything in between.
If you hit your cymbals too hard then they will sound like crap no matter what cymbals you use. You can hit your drums harder (within reason), Playing your drums with a Louisville Slugger so that you break heads and bend hardware is "over the top" but somewhere less than that is tolerable.
If you just don't like the sound of your cymbals, buy cymbals that you do like. Putting tape or dampeners on them may sound better to your ears from the throne, but it sounds like shit to the audience and to the mics.
 
I agree with the comment about technique.

I think the problem is with people. I don't think drums are to loud. I had a friend over a few days ago, and he said "Wow, I could actually develop hearing problems by being around the drums."
I didn't say anything, but that is kind of ridiculous to me. When I was 5 I use to put a pillow in my brothers bass drum and fall asleep(while he played along to zeppelin). I'm 38 and my hearing is fine. Maybe it's just a matter of someone getting use to the decibels.
 
Rimshot said:
If you hit your cymbals too hard then they will sound like crap no matter what cymbals you use.
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Well, in rock music the same can be said for hitting the cymbals too softly.

If you hit them hard enough with drumsticks to get them to speak properly, they are going to be kind of loud. This is because they are fucking cymbals. :)

You can hit them softly, and they'll sound different. There's no way you can have everything you want, and so one must decide if the sound is appropriate to the material.

If you don't hate the sound of brushes on cymbals (in rock) then try that. If you don't hate the sound of rods (I do) then try those.

I could replace my 19" and 20" crashes with splash cymbals or thin/fast crashes, but they don't produce the sound I'm looking for in a crash cymbal.

Sometimes getting "the sound" isn't merely a matter of finesse or technique. Sometimes you have to just hit the goddamn cymbal and let it speak.

Maybe earplugs are the answer for the OP's buddies - at least that's what I'd suggest. If one wants a broad cymbal collection or wants to have a more specialized sound then buying new cymbals is in order.

My preference is to play with some dynamic range and listen to whats happening sonically and drum appropriately. I'm not going to generally drum like a pussy just because a guitarist thinks it's too loud.
 
I agree with Supercreep again.

This is a stupid discussion.

Cymbals are loud. If they're too loud, wear fucking earplugs or turn the amps up.
 
Greg_L said:
I agree with Supercreep again.

This is a stupid discussion.

Cymbals are loud. If they're too loud, wear fucking earplugs or turn the amps up.
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i dont think turning the amp up is always the answer. things tend to get very muddy (depending on the room) when you turn amps up to loud. then it becomes even harder to hear whats going on. and i guess the other issue is the vocals being heard clearly.

id suggest ear plugs (like you said) and keeping the amps low, but facing them towards the guitarists so they can keep it low (to avoid muddy volumes) and still hear whats going on.
 
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