big or small cym-balls

[orson198305]

what's the standard size for cymbals> I want to upgrade to a good set but need to cost everything first. I guess 14" hats? I'm looking for a crash & crash/ride aswell - or should i just get two crashes & a dedicated ride?. It's for recording & I need a pretty versatile bog standard, dogs bollocks set. I don't want to stick a 40" crash on my kit and find I cant use it unless I only play 20bpm ballads - that'd be good if playing on stage in the rain wouldn't it, no need for an umbrella. Death metal & punk is the only thing I really DONT play, jazz, rock, pop, indie yawn all that kinda stuff.

Hit me with you rythim stik

 

[Farview]

For hats, 14 or 13 inch is pretty standard. 13's are faster and a little more crisp.

A 16 inch and an 18 inch crash is pretty normal.

Rides tend to be around 20 inches.

Of course, the type of cymbal is possibly more important than just the size. You need to listen to them to make sure they give you the sound that you want AND they sound good together.

 

[Greg_L]

what's the standard size for cymbals> I want to upgrade to a good set but need to cost everything first. I guess 14" hats? I'm looking for a crash & crash/ride aswell - or should i just get two crashes & a dedicated ride?. It's for recording & I need a pretty versatile bog standard, dogs bollocks set. I don't want to stick a 40" crash on my kit and find I cant use it unless I only play 20bpm ballads - that'd be good if playing on stage in the rain wouldn't it, no need for an umbrella. Death metal & punk is the only thing I really DONT play, jazz, rock, pop, indie yawn all that kinda stuff.

Hit me with you rythim stik

 

[ranjam]

A bad rule of thumb is larger sizes have a lower fundamental pitch, and thinner cymbals have a faster decay. For recording, I tend to favor thinner, but for live the extra wash of heavier cymbals tends to blend in with the band 'better' in a large room. I know that's contradicting myself, but it's just my 2¢. Sometimes for 'live' I've taken 16" crash cymbals (a thin and a medium) and used them as Hi-Hats! Quite sloshy. But for some reason, when recording I much prefer crisper tones with a quick decay. You can always add delay or echo later, but it's difficult to remove. As I type this it makes a little more sense, but trial-and-error will steer you right. Borrow some cymbals for now. Record them. Buy what records nice tones, regardless of brand or price. I use a 20" B8 a lot, just because it has what I refer to as 'Hell's Bell'. Price? $40 used. My $300 Zildjian A stays in the cymbal bag, waiting for that $40 bar gig.

 

[drossfile]

what's the standard size for cymbals> I want to upgrade to a good set but need to cost everything first. I guess 14" hats? I'm looking for a crash & crash/ride aswell - or should i just get two crashes & a dedicated ride?. It's for recording & I need a pretty versatile bog standard, dogs bollocks set. I don't want to stick a 40" crash on my kit and find I cant use it unless I only play 20bpm ballads - that'd be good if playing on stage in the rain wouldn't it, no need for an umbrella. Death metal & punk is the only thing I really DONT play, jazz, rock, pop, indie yawn all that kinda stuff.

Hit me with you rythim stik

if i'm understanding the question here, i think you should just go to a drum shop and smack the cymbals they have in stock. if you find some you like, buy them. simple as that.

and yes, any serious drummer needs a "dedicated" ride. to have a crash ride as a secondary ride is a nice bonus. to try to use it as a budget double-duty solution is pretty unacceptable, imo.

fwiw, i just did a collab with a folk pop rock outfit and used the same kit i use for metal. the usefulness of any given drum/cymbal has less to do w/ the equipment and more to do with how you play it.

 

[PhilGood]

40" crash?????


I guess you'd hit that by what, ...chopping down a tree on the appropriate beat?

 

[tmix]

This is all about my preference:
I think my experience is more along the line of Ranjam's

I like thinner and crisper for recording.
I mostly use a pair of 13" Custom A mastersound hats, with the exception of the types I need a lower pitched chunky sound and I pull out some old 14" Sabian hats.
For a ride, I actually really like the sound of the Sabian 20 B-8 ride as well on lots of stuff. I have others for specifc sounds (washy, dry etc) but the B8 gets the bulk.
I do not like any 16 inch crashes, so I have some 17 to 18 inch medium to medium light Avedis crashes.

I personally stay away from the shiny cymbals too, the are too bright for my taste.
I am also not a really hard hitter. That will impact what you buy.

 

[_brian_]

What's so strange about a 40" crash? I have 40" hats - crisp & dry

 

[KineticSound]

I personally stay away from the shiny cymbals too, the are too bright for my taste.
I am also not a really hard hitter. That will impact what you buy.

tmix:
I may have misunderstood your quote, but don't let your eyes fool you. A brilliant finish cymbal will actually have more low tones and less edge than a natural finish. It has to do with the laquer that is applied to achieve the brilliant finish look - it dampens the brightness of the sound.

I'm also a fan of the "Avedis" Zildjian A's, which I have used in live situations for many years. For low-volume or recording, I like A Custom's. Expirament a little at your local drum shop - you might be surprised.

 

[tmix]

KS,
You are probably right, makes sense.
I just never liked the sound, what ever it was,not what my brain said cymbals were needing to sound like for the styles I played.
It is like the omission of the lathing ruined the beautiful overtones I was looking for.

Really technical huh?

 

[Bomer]

40" crash?????


I guess you'd hit that by what, ...chopping down a tree on the appropriate beat?

A good friend and former bandmate has a 26" ride. It's ridiculous. Anyone on here got something like that? I've never seen a ride like that besides his.

 

[ranjam]

I own a 22", which ain't that big a deal. The biggest I have seen up close is a 30" Zildjian from the 70's. What's weird is that it was actually thinner than I thought it would be. It had quite a low pitch, and it wobbled so much you thought you were watching it in slo-mo. I've seen them pop up on eBay now and then, but they usually fetch over a grand, so that's let's me out of the race. 26" rides are not that uncommon actually, and I see 24" K's for $500 regularly. Wait, the 26" rides I see are not Zildjian, but Stagg or Agop.
I was doing a trip for a while where I used tiny drums (an 18" or even 16" tom as a kick, 12" snare, etc.) and huge cymbals (those 16" or even 18" crashes set up as hi-hats). It was pretty funny. But trying to fit a 30" ride in a typical cymbal bag is not funny. Nor is having your cymbal stands a mile-and-a-half away from you. Reaching for the bell caused me a lot of arm pain.