NAMM Agop Photos:

[Steamer]

I'l start the ball rolling with these by permission courtesy of Heartbeat Percussion.

Cindy Blackman and my good buddy Noel from Heartbeat at the Agop booth. I'm jealous Noel :} :

[Steamer]

Carmine Appice and Cindy looking over her Om Signature series cymbals at the Agop booth:

[Steamer]

Alchemy Artist Jimmy Tanner (ApologetiX) and Heartbeat's Noel Walker:

[Steamer]

Full video rundown with playing samples of the all the new Turkish pies for NAMM 09 at the Agop booth courtesy of drumtube.net.

Nice presentation drumtube.net! :

http://www.drumtube.co.uk/play.php?vid=352

[Mendozart]

I saw Cindy at the Agop booth and she was very approachable and very friendly. I congratulated her on her move to Agop. They really have some nice sounding pies over there.

[Steamer]

More from the show courtesy Heartbeat Percussion:

Lenny Epoch 19" and 20" crashes
Cindy OM series 20" and 22" cymbals
Cindy OM series inc. 15" hats
Joey 24" and Matt 23" Signature rides
Lenny, Joey, Matt and Cindy rides in a row
Xist Series cymbals
Xist Series ride and crash
Xist Series Brilliant ride and crash

[drumhead61]

Stan, as USUAL very nice post with great stuff...THANKS

JIM

[Steamer]

Stan, as USUAL very nice post with great stuff...THANKS

JIM

Thanks Jim. Anything else that comes my way i'll add it to the fun :}

[TenPastTen]

Great pics Stan. The Om series looks like a real homerun for Agop. The sound files are killer and they look mesmerizing. Just a wonderful total package for those seeking that sound.

[Drummer Karl]

Great great...no...awesome news!

Full video rundown with playing samples of the all the new Turkish pies for NAMM 09 at the Agop booth courtesy of drumtube.net.

Nice presentation drumtube.net! :

http://www.drumtube.co.uk/play.php?vid=352

Wow Wow Wow...the first thing I thought when I finished watching this video was: "I HAVE to get this Matt Chamberlin 23" Signature ride!!!!!" Incredible sound, thin...just like I love them! 23" would be new land for me but it simply sounds so awesome from what I hear, exactly what I`d like to have on my set. Sounds a bit like the Ralph Peterson signature ride, really thin and trashy.

When will Tony get those for sale probably? I`m ultra excited regarding this one and the OM crashes. Okay, I`ll have to gig and work some more... :-)

Thanks so much for the link Stan!! *lalalala* =)

Karl

[Steamer]

I'm digging the 23" Matt Chamberlain the most Karl. Can't wait to hear one in the flesh!

No I wasn't there Matt. Just posting what this happy Agop endorser gets through the pulse of the information highway courtesy of Noel at Heartbeat Percussion who was working at the show and other industry sources regarding all things Agop at NAMM 09. Hope you had a great time at the show Matt!

[Steamer]

Got the firsthand rundown from the show. The 24" Joey ride was a REAL standout according to my source for my taste in Agop rides. Better keep this one in mind too along with the Matt ride Karl :}

The OM crashes were warm, dark and quick and he loved the sound of the 15" hats. The Lenny Epoch crashes killed in person and the hats were the real deal. I agree based on how they sounded on the video clip. The 19" and 20" Epoch crashes in particular and the 14" Epoch hats sounded great to my ears. The new B20 hand hammered but lower cost Xist Series line was quite popular with visitors to the booth I was told. I'm wondering if they may replace the Azure line unveiled at last years NAMM {?}. Just me thinking out loud, don't really know on that for sure.

Cindy apparently really shook things up at the NAMM show regarding the "competition" but i'll simply leave it at that :}

Lenny White and Stanley Clarke were hanging at the Agop booth too as well as Matt, Joey and Poogie Bell to name a few.

Best year yet with big traffic at the Agop booth is the word I got with a whole host of famous and infamous drummers hanging at the booth during the entire run.


One more pic of a collection of 24"-26" Alchemy and Istanbul rides from the show:

[Ainulindale]

wow, some really gorgeous cymbals from Istanbul, the more i learn about them the more i want to play them!
great pics Stan!

[Steamer]

Just some clarification for those interested. The Xist cymbal line is a whole new series from Istanbul Agop introduced this year and the Azure line released last year at NAMM is still available. Just wanted to clear that up.

Between the new Xist cymbal line, the Azures and all the new Signature pies including the ones introduced last year combined with the rest of their existing Istanbul Agop catalog they certainly have it fully covered at the moment indeed in the cymbal selection process department.

[mitkoni]

Just some clarification for those interested. The Xist cymbal line is a whole new series from Istanbul Agop introduced this year and the Azure line released last year at NAMM is still available. Just wanted to clear that up.

Between the new Xist cymbal line, the Azures and all the new Signature pies including the ones introduced last year combined with the rest of their existing Istanbul Agop catalog they certainly have it fully covered at the moment indeed in the cymbal selection process department.

Hi Stan,

After checking the link to the video the you posted, I think that The Xist line sounds closer to the Alchemy one (which I adore) . So I'm really looking forward to hear it in pearson ...

[Steamer]

Hi Stan,

After checking the link to the video the you posted, I think that The Xist line sounds closer to the Alchemy one (which I adore) . So I'm really looking forward to hear it in pearson ...


Quite right mitkoni.

Heres the word I got on the subject from the Canadian Istanbul Agop distributor well checking on the status of the Azure line:

"The Xist is replacing the Alchemy Pro ART series that the US discontinued about two years ago but I kept on bringing in. What it does is bring a hand hammered series in at a mid line price point.The cost savings is that the cymbal is machine formed before being hand hammered, so the labour cost is decreased. The material cost, being the cymbals are B20, remains the same. These are coming in boxed sets as well as individual cymbals, plus the two different finishes ".

So your ears aren't deceiving you :}

[Drummer Karl]

Got the firsthand rundown from the show. The 24" Joey ride was a REAL standout according to my source for my taste in Agop rides. Better keep this one in mind too along with the Matt ride Karl :}

Thanks Stan! I`ll keep all the new Agops in mind to be honest, especially the Matt Chamberlain ride but also the 24" Joey and the OM series.
From what I`ve heard I really dig the OM crashes.

The 18" one really does it for me. Those OM crashes seem to sound extra trashy with a long sustain.

Karl

[mitkoni]

Quite right mitkoni.

Heres the word I got on the subject from the Canadian Istanbul Agop distributor well checking on the status of the Azure line:

"The Xist is replacing the Alchemy Pro ART series that the US discontinued about two years ago but I kept on bringing in. What it does is bring a hand hammered series in at a mid line price point.The cost savings is that the cymbal is machine formed before being hand hammered, so the labour cost is decreased. The material cost, being the cymbals are B20, remains the same. These are coming in boxed sets as well as individual cymbals, plus the two different finishes ".

So your ears aren't deceiving you :}

Well, I'm kind of sad to hear about the Alchemy ProArt, but on the other hand I have all ready 3 crashes from this line, so I guess going for something new like some of the Xist is not going to hurt my collection:)))

[Steamer]

Well, I'm kind of sad to hear about the Alchemy ProArt, but on the other hand I have all ready 3 crashes from this line, so I guess going for something new like some of the Xist is not going to hurt my collection:)))

Well I love how they all sound on the clip mitkoni especially the hats. Hear that the Xist series sound even better in the flesh than the clip presents which comes as no surprise. Keep your eyes out for them when they hit the stores and online dealers


P.S Yes Karl like my comments regarding the Xist line all the other new cymbals sounded very impressive in person over the video sound quality is the word I got especially as noted in the case of the 24" Joey Waronker ride. Can't wait to hear and test them them all out down the road

[RobertM]

Stan,

Your attached pictures are not showing up in this thread! Agh!

I watched the video and the Matt Chamerlain ride was something else--you could visibly see the ride wobble and vibrate as it was struck--it is so thin! Nice sounding!

Can't wait to play some Om hats.

[Steamer]

Stan,

Your attached pictures are not showing up in this thread! Agh!

I watched the video and the Matt Chamerlain ride was something else--you could visibly see the ride wobble and vibrate as it was struck--it is so thin! Nice sounding!

Can't wait to play some Om hats.

All up on my end Robert. Could be another one of the picture related problems that was discovered with the recent new site updates. Had to repost all my pictures again after the update made them vanish but have checked and they are all visible now in many threads at least on my computer. Try refreshing the page and see if it helps {?}

P.S. I checked logged on and off Robert and they are clearly visible attached to each post on my end either way. Weird?

[Steamer]

A few more pics from the NAMM show at the Agop booth:

Jimmy Tanner, Cindy Blackman, and Sarkis Tomurcuk of Istanbul Agop

Guys from Mike Dolbear in the U.K. doing a review of the new Istanbuls as seen and heard in the drumtube.net video

Alchemy display rack

[Steamer]

NAMM sound police making the rounds: