Quick and Crisp China

tnolwj

Junior Member
So I got a Wuhan 18 inch china and it's okay, but the sound kills me. It is overly loud.. And I want a way to silence it a little bit. is there any way to maybe take the volume down a little? Also I love a very quick, crisp china sound. (For example listen to Chelsea Grin, For Today, etc.) but mine has too much ring and sustain. Is there a way I can change up these two problems? Any help/advice would be much appreciated! Thanks, Tanner Nolen
 
okay thank you! I have actually tried putting aluminum tape on it and that works somewhat in small doses. But I will look into moongel because I've been thinking about that anyway and they are cheap :) and I am also thinking about getting a 14 inch or so. maybe 16. just a smaller size that will be softer and crisper.
 
Wuhan china's are very harsh.Moon gel will not take the volume down, it will deaden your china. My opinion: sell the Wuhan and get a 14" sabian Weckl china. Beautiful sound and no harsh attack on youe ear drums.
 
What uniin said... out of all cymbals, chinas probably change the most when recorded, and the quick, snappy china you hear on record may be a little more ringy in real life.

When you pick out a china, the steeper the profile (i.e. more like a bowl than a dish), the gongier and less trashy the sound will be. I tend to look for shallower, flatter chinas with wider lips for more trash.

If you're looking for quick and snappy, you could always downsize. I also own a 14" Wuhan and it's great for quick fills and effects. To shorten the attack even further, you could always use a smaller cymbal stacked inside, like a Trashformer splash.
 
The other thing you can try is stack up a couple of cymbal felts and have the china sort of tight on the stand. This will shorten the sound drastically and might work a lot better than dampening with tape or moon gels.

Just be careful not to crack it if you have it tight on the cymbal stand.
 
I have the same cymbal, and I love the sound. I have tried experimenting with putting an upside down cymbal (13", 14", and 16") inside the china upside down, but I can't seem to be able to get it in the since the bell(?) of the china dips down about two inches. If you can figure out a way to do that, it may help.
 
another way to dry out a cymbal is to cut your own larger bottom felts out of carpet. just cut a 2-4in dia. circle and drill a hole.
 
Thanks everybody for the help. I really wish I could get the paiste 2002 15 cause those are beautiful. And I'm sure recording changes the sound up quite a bit. But I'm considering getting a smaller china and maybe trying something of a different brand. Alocer, I am going to try that carpet Idea. Thank you all!
 
My favorite way of controlling a china (as well as splashes) is to throw a couple extra felts on it and tighten down the wingnut a little extra. Allows it to project but not vibrate for as long, thusly a quick decay.
 
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