Hi-hats and cymbals.

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Drummer706

AOD AND SANCTIFIED
Hey guys. Im saving up some money to go out and buy cymbals. Now in particular the hi-hats concerns me the most. i would like to get a nice, crisp, clean sound. I heard that the zildjian k would be good for that but which ones? and what cymbals would you mix and match with the hi-hats? im open to paiste, and sabian as well. thanks in advanced. Respectfully Submitted,

Joel
 
Yeah I just got a brand new set of cymbals and I love them to death. Here they are:

Hi-hats: 14" Hand-hammered Sabians - I love these cymbals so much. The fact that the top hat is thinner than the bottom leaves room for tons of versatility as well. These are also available in 13" pairs, if you want an even crisper sound.

Ride: 20" AAX Studio Ride Sabian - This ride is softer than your average ride cymbal, and that's exactly what I wanted. I figured if I needed a really loud ride cymbal, I could just move to my crash...

Crashes: 16" and 18" Sabain Vault Crashes - I also love these cymbals. At first I thought they were too loud and too dark, but that's only because I was coming from a 14" B8 crash (haha, almosta splash cymbal). Anyway, these are loud, but can be soft when you need them to be, as long as you have good control.

This is what I have and it seems to work for me. Anymore questions, just ask!
 
If you want crisp, I would go with some zildjian quick beats. Thats what i play and i bought them because i also went out looking for a tight crisp sounding hat.
 
NegadivOne said:
If you want crisp, I would go with some zildjian quick beats. Thats what i play and i bought them because i also went out looking for a tight crisp sounding hat.
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you mean the a series?
 
There is only one HH setup to concern yourself with! Go buy yourself some Zildjian "new beats" and never ever look back! They are the best BAR NONE! Nothing even comes close!
 
Joel,
choose any of the upper end series from any of the major manufacturers, but first go listen to them. Cymbals are personal, and there are no one "best" cymbals. Find a shop that has a good variety and will spend some time with you letting you try as many cymbals as you want. Take your time and let your ears do the deciding.

For example, my eyes are always drawn to Zildjans, but my ears always lead me to Sabian. I have mostly AAX stage and AAXplosion cymbals, but I also have a mix of HH and HHX too. You might find you like Paiste rides, but Zildjan crashes and Sabian hats...go for it. If you ears have expensive taste, then buy one cymbal at a time until you get the set you want. You will regret settling for 2nd best. Hope this helps.
 
I really don't like new beats... I think they're overpriced middle of the line extremely average hats. Go down to your local store and try a couple different sets out. If you're looking for a really crisp sound, I would get either a brilliant or traditional finish. The brilliant will be on average a little darker than traditional. I have a pair of Meinl dark hats that cut like a mofo, but "dark" hats will be a little more muddy sounding with less crispiness.

rory
 
rory said:
I really don't like new beats... I think they're overpriced middle of the line extremely average hats. Go down to your local store and try a couple different sets out. If you're looking for a really crisp sound, I would get either a brilliant or traditional finish. The brilliant will be on average a little darker than traditional. I have a pair of Meinl dark hats that cut like a mofo, but "dark" hats will be a little more muddy sounding with less crispiness.

rory
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"Dont like new beats",...er ok! LOL, Thing is nothing else records like them or sounds like them! They are bright, crisp, & cut well through almost any music. One other note when comparing Zildjians & Sabians. They are I think, still owned by the Zildjian brothers Armand and Robert. Robert branched off with Sabian if I'm not mistaken essence you have practically the same cymbal. Although I admit to being only a Zildjian guy. Don't listen to anybody that tells you to buy ncheap cymbals they are not worth it. They will sound like garbage lids. Stick with the top of the line Zildjians you can't go wrong. I will say this though about Paiste cymbals, they are good quality cymbals but just lack the ass of Zildjians especailly the hats IMO. The crashes are good though. Stick to one of the three and you'll do alright.
 
At least get used top of line . Better then brand new substandard any day of the week . Just check them over real good for keyholes in the mount holes and cracks . Just be real careful buying crashes . There is a whole army of drummers around that think it manly that they bust crash cymbals !!!! :eek: :confused:

New Beats are great hats IMHO !!! ;)
 
I listened to a lot of hats before buying the 13" K's. They sounded the brightest and the "lightest" to me. They don't "clop" when you pedal.
To put it bluntly, they go "tssss" instead of "shhhh".
 
I would suggest Zild's new beats. I own them and IMO are the most versatile hats I ever heard.
Cheers!
 
If you really want to do it get zild Ks. They are expensive but you will have them your whole life.
 
Go to Zildjian.com, Sabian.com, and Paiste.com

These points may be "DUH" material to others but I'll make them anyway.

A.) The above top three cymbal manufacturers all have audio samples of all their hi-hats and cymbals. Use 'em! Open up a few browser windows next to each other and compare side-by side and that should *help* you whittle down the choices.

B.) I could also sing praises all day about the New Beat's sound. I own a set myself. Ultimately, allow the sound alone to affect your descision and not a bunch of text, marketing or popularity.

C.) We have it so easy these days. Before the internet, sound clips and forums to help steer us in the right direction, we had to go to the music store with a notepad, have the saleguy hit some hi-hats in a random, tracable order with you NOT looking at them and judge them by the sound alone. Write the number down that the saleguy is hitting (1st, 2nd, 3rd etc) of the hats that sounded best. This is still an important method today.

D.) Unfortunately, this still won't translate what they will sound like with your kit, other cymbals or how they sound recorded. Ensure with the dealer that if you purchase a set, you have the option to bring them back to the store if you find you don't like them (as long as they aren't custom made or special order) to see if they fit for what you're doing.

E.) No two same make and model hi-hats or cymbals will sound exactly the same. The clips you hear on the cymbal manufacturer's websites are only accurate to what a picky marketing ear has deemed to be the best sounding of that particular model line. They've chosen the "Best of" to record those samples and probably had to try 10 sets before deciding from which ones to record the sample clips. There are inherent anomalies in the manufacturing variables and metal mixtures that translate to slightly differing overtones and overall "feel" to the discriminating ear. This could have changed since I last shopped for cymbals but most discerning drummers I've known includng myself practice this sort of compulsive diligence in our purchase descisions.
 
yeah the zildjian A's are nice, and also the newbeats are nice as well... atleast i like them for my music. Good for recording/such.
 
firby said:
If you really want to do it get zild Ks. They are expensive but you will have them your whole life.
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but are they worth the $. I've only had experience with a couple a's and with a customs. But im thinking of mixing diffrent ones. i know what sound im looking for, which is a +. but i dont know where to find that sound. that's the big problem
 
Its all what you want. If you want, you could visit cymbalsonly.com and check out their soudn files of what they have (istanbul, bosphorus, and sabian), but they only carry jazz cymbals. If not, you should go to a store and check them out. ZIldjians are pretty inconsistent quality wise, so I suggest you don't order online if youd ecide to go with the A's or K's. Paiste is more consistent, but may not have your sound (i still say u shud try the dark energy hats), and are very expensive. Go to paiste.com for sound files, they have good sound files.
 
tilinmyowngrave said:
Its all what you want. If you want, you could visit cymbalsonly.com and check out their soudn files of what they have (istanbul, bosphorus, and sabian), but they only carry jazz cymbals. If not, you should go to a store and check them out. ZIldjians are pretty inconsistent quality wise, so I suggest you don't order online if youd ecide to go with the A's or K's. Paiste is more consistent, but may not have your sound (i still say u shud try the dark energy hats), and are very expensive. Go to paiste.com for sound files, they have good sound files.
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Wow i check'd them out and they sound beautiful. from the clip exactly what i want but i have to hear them in person. but the 14" is $420.00 on musicians friend!!! :(. OUCH!
 
Drummer706 said:
Wow i check'd them out and they sound beautiful. from the clip exactly what i want but i have to hear them in person. but the 14" is $420.00 on musicians friend!!! :(. OUCH!
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Go to massmusic.net, or google dales drum shop and call them. DDD will have better prices, but doesnt always have em in stock. You can get them for under $35o. I got mine for $245, but thats because I lucked out on ebay :p
 
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