Cymbals!

D

Drummer706

AOD AND SANCTIFIED
Hey guys we all know that Zildjian makes alot of diffrent types of cymbals (a, a custom, k, k custom, zbt, zxt, z, z custom and so on and so forth) . well which do you guys prefer??? can you tell me what are the diffrent sounds??? can you also tell me which cymbals are suitable for what type of music. can u also give me the same information for all the diffrent sabian cymbals and paiste cymbals. and please tell me which you prefer. well thanx guys.
 
Whatever you do, if you can, stay clear of ZBTs and ZXTs. I hate how they sound. The only two cymbals that I have that I dont mind are my ZBT-Plus 20" Medium Ride, ZXT 10" Splash, and my 16" Wuhan China. Other than that, I have B8s, which I also hate. It all depends on what type of sound you're looking for and what they will sound like to your ears. I personally like both K Custom and A. Series. Just me...
 
Hey Enrique thanx but tell me what makes you hate your B8's? and i know some of you out ther are paiste people so give me the info on the info. thanx
 
I have used Zildjian A Custom for years and I LOVE 'EM!!! They maintain the power of standard A cymbals, but they are brighter with nice wash and decay. I highly recommend these.

If I remember correctly, there are sound samples on Ziljians website for each cymbal they make. Of course, it's not as good as going to your local music store and playing the different types of cymbals, but it will give you a good idea of the sound.
 
Hey designbyt thanx. my church has 2 crashes, 1 splash, 1 china, 1 ride, and a pair of high hats all a custom and yes they do kick ass. i would buy those 2 but i dont think they are suitable for heavy metal. i think k and z are more suitable for heavy metal but i dont know which is better
 
The Z Customs are definately metal. :D I play the A Customs and like them a lot. Brighter than the standard A's and tend to be on the thinner side.
 
Yeah, if you're into metal, definatley get the Z's! They're much thicker and sound better when you hit the s)(*t out of them -- thinner cymbals don't. Also, they don't sound as good when you hit them softly...things to keep in mind.

The A's and A Customs are definatley my fav.'s. I lean towards the A Customs. If I want something a little darker, I'll go with a K Custom.


- Justin -
 
The only reason why I don't like B8's, well for one they're designed for the beginner, but mostly because a lot of their cymbals either sound dead or they ring too much. That's just me though.
 
Here's some advice.. If you are going to be playing an array of styles and do not wish to buy a few sets of cymbals, go with the Zildjian A's. IMO, they are great for versatility. Not too thin, not too thick, etc.
 
CJWALKER your telling me to go with the Aseries or Acutsom? problem is that i play diffrent type of music but 95% of it is Heavy Metal. i only want 2 buy a set of 1 cymbals i dont like to have diffrent types of cymbals? and do you guys think that Zildjian Z's rides sound better the K's rides? ive heard a lot of comments on K's DARK RIDES
 
If you're primarily going to be playing heavy metal, then Z Customs are your best bet. The K Dark Ride you mentioned is a very nice cymbal, but I just don't think it would cut through the type of music you'll be jamming too IMHO. Again, you said you'd prefer to stick with one type of cymbal. Let it be Z Customs. They are loud as f*ck!
 
I have a variety of cymbals...mainly because I usually only get them when buying used sets :)

Zildjians are:
zil-bel
dynobeat HH (really stink'n heavy)
K dark crash
Platinum china low
A pang
...and I think an A heavy crash (I never really looked at it :) )

Sabians are
AA Metal X ride
AA medium thin (14") crash

Pasties are (not used)
... can't really remember 406's I think crash-ride
medium crash
I was looking at getting a ride from the "Innovations" series but guitarcenter sold the one I liked.


To me it seems generally zildjians are for lighter rock/jazz, sabians are for hard rock, and pasties are usually metal

...and someone asked earlier "why hate B8's?" ... well baits are pieces of crap that break after about 2 months of regular use and have harsh highend... I did notice they sound smooth... but without highend when recorded on MXL1006's as overheads.(~40hz-18khz) ...sabians are usually rather industructable from my experience ...except for baits...
 
ZBT's, ZXT's and B8's are all crap, bottom of the line cymbals. Save up your money, and go for the higher end cymbals. You'll be so much happier with your choice.
 
shoe1 said:
ZBT's, ZXT's and B8's are all crap, bottom of the line cymbals. Save up your money, and go for the higher end cymbals. You'll be so much happier with your choice.
Click to expand...

What's funny, is that back in the 80's, the B8's were actually fairly decent cymbals, but as time went on, they changed into a really cheap cymbal.



Tim
 
<< Again, you said you'd prefer to stick with one type of cymbal. Let it be Z Customs. They are loud as f*ck! >>

yes, they ARE loud. they also sound like ass. i suppose if you're JUST going to be playing heavy metal and you're JUST going to be playing it live with no need for studio recording, then you'll be fine with Z's. they'll definitely cut through the droning guitars and screaming vocals.

however, you'll find that when you stick a mic over a set of Z's, you'll find em to be pretty nasty (loud, brash and gongy)......and you'll find yourself spending lots of time trying to get them to "sound good". those things that make em great at cutting through the live mix make them also poor in the studio.

if you're going to be playing a variety of music (of which heavy metal is a part), then stick with the A's and A Customs. They'll translate to just about anything, depending on how hard you whack it. AND they sound pretty "usable" in the studio (to say the least). i would also stay away from the Z rides unless you're looking for clang and clang only. otherwise, check out an A ping ride--i think you'll find plenty of ping to carry you through. IMO, your money would be better spent on A's than on Z's, but YMMV.


someone was asking about the K Dark rides. I have a 20" K Custom Dark ride and i LOVE it. i play rock/blues mostly, and i find that it's everything i want in a ride. beautiful wash, nice ping when i need it (although not nearly as pingy as an A), fantastic stick definition and it just plain sounds great. not at all what i would use for heavy metal (i'd feel bad giving a K that kind of punishment!), and it's prolly not the world's most versatile ride......but it's definitly exactly what i've always been looking for.

just gotta replace my 14" newbeats with a set of 13" mastersounds, and i'll be all set (well, until i find a couple more crashes to buy). :D


cheers,
wade
 
I use a nice blend of cymbals..

I've got:
18" Sabian AA Metal-X China
18" Sabian AAX Stage Crash
20" Zildjian A Ping Ride Brilliant (I love this ride..)
14" B8 Hi-hats (booo, I always borrow my friends 14" Zildjian A Newbeats. I love those.)
17" Zildjian K Custom Dark Crash

I HATE the Z's. They're horrible. Especially that shitty Mega Bell Ride. If you're playing metal, I'd suggest the A Custom Projection's, or just Sabian AAX/AA. The Sabian's will actually save you a little bit of money and not sound bad either.

I don't know anything about Paiste's... can't help you there.
 
Paiste, getting no props . . . IMO paistes suck . . . unless you buck up and go with the signature series. They have a certain brilliance that I have yet to find in another cymbal. Beautiful overtones, clear definition, and a very musical decay.

Their "power" rides and crashes may be worth checking out. While they cut like Z's, they actually sound good at all volume levels and can be used in the studio. Only problem is that they cost an arm and a leg.
 
To go through all the cymbals would require a book (vs. a post)

I think the A series (vs. A customs) provide a good value and a good tone which would work in many styles.

The Z's certainly cut through a live mix and would likely be considered "heavy metal cymbals" however, I can't imagine trying to tame them in a studio. I don't like to spend my money on a one dimentional cymbal.

I personnally like the K's - but I play a lot of jazz and the K's have a "vintage sound"

I own somthing like 30-40 cymbals (been playing a long time) and I have every thing from Zildjian K's down to some ZBT's and from Sabian HH down to B8's - several Paiste Signature and I own several Wuhans which I really enjoy.

If I had to name my favorite series of cymbals it would likely be (in order):

Sabian HH
Zildian K's
Zildian A's
Sabian AA's
Paiste Signature

Although, every series has some that are better than others.
 
Again, I have Zildjian A Customs all the way. Except for my hats. I use 14" Paiste Sound Formulas. Excellent hats!!!
 
14" Dyno Beat HiHats - Z Custom
17" Medium Crash - A Zildjian
18" Medium Crash - A Zildjian
12" Custom Splash - Z Custom
18" China Trash - Sound Effects
19" Medium Crash - A Zildjian
20" Ping Ride - A Zildjian
20" China Trash - Sound Effects

what do you guys think of a set of cymbals like that??? would you replace any cymbals for another. . . if so specify (for heavy metal)
 
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