Wanting to give Paiste cymbals a try. Where should I start?

Someone, not me, uploaded these videos the other day. Maybe you've seen them already? He compares a 2002 ride and a 2000 ride with a PST 7 ride. Then he compares 2 different pst 7 rides together. To my ears, the 7's are ok. The more expensive cymbals definitely do sound a bit better to me, which should be the case. So the PST 7's may be your cymbals for those times that you're not looking for
highest quality.



 
I have 602s mixed in two of my kits with Sabian AA's and Zildjian A Customs. The A Custom crashes are similar to the 602's but the Zildjians are a bit brighter. Paiste 602s gives you that classic glassy swoosh that can't be replicated. I also think they are the most pleasing crash sounds out there.
 
Ruok said:
Someone, not me, uploaded these videos the other day. Maybe you've seen them already? He compares a 2002 ride and a 2000 ride with a PST 7 ride. Then he compares 2 different pst 7 rides together. To my ears, the 7's are ok. The more expensive cymbals definitely do sound a bit better to me, which should be the case. So the PST 7's may be your cymbals for those times that you're not looking for
highest quality.
Click to expand...

I'll sing the praise of the PST7 line all day long, but you've hit the nail on the head here. They're nice, especially for the price, but they lack the sweetness of the pro-level versions for sure.

But for someone wanting to try out the Paiste sound, or for someone wanting mid-level cymbals that actually sound good, I think they're fantastic. I wish they had a few more big sizes...If Paiste sold Bonham sized PST7's I don't think they could make them fast enough to keep in stock.
 
Giant Beats.

You can find deals on used ones on all the typical websites. Easily my favorite crashes. I have a full set; 14" and 15" hats, 18", 19", and 20" crashes, plus the 24" ride. The all get used in some form on nearly every one of my gigs.
 
I just got back into playing again after 31 years and to me the best bang for the buck is the PST 7's. My kitcame with Zildjians and I found them harsh and brassy sounding. I first purchased a 17" thin crash. The sound was great. The attack was quick and the releases was quick. Then I bought a 20" medium ride. That was an incredible improvement. It has a very warm sound to it. Then I got a 16" thin crash. It has a great bite but is not overwhelming. They do the job without breaking the bank. I hope this helps.
 
I ordered a set of Medium PST7s today, along with a 20" Light Ride to use as a crash.

I figure they'll be fine for gigs and I can get an entire set for what it will cost for 1-2 good crashes. I'll slowly but surely replace them with one of the premium lines in a year or two.

Hopefully they won't be too much of a drop-off in sound quality from my Zildjian K's in live situations. I love 'em but they're just a bit dark sounding when I use them live. They'll stay at home in my studio for now. I think they'd be perfect if I played more Blues or (any) Jazz but I'm strictly Pop/Rock for now.

It's funny how I'm not as critical of other drummer's cymbals as I am of my own. I have a friend who plays Sabian AAs on her kit and they always sound good to me live. I've not big on them when I hear them in close quarters, however.
 
yammyfan said:
I ordered a set of Medium PST7s today, along with a 20" Light Ride to use as a crash.

I figure they'll be fine for gigs and I can get an entire set for what it will cost for 1-2 good crashes. I'll slowly but surely replace them with one of the premium lines in a year or two.

Hopefully they won't be too much of a drop-off in sound quality from my Zildjian K's in live situations. I love 'em but they're just a bit dark sounding when I use them live. They'll stay at home in my studio for now. I think they'd be perfect if I played more Blues or (any) Jazz but I'm strictly Pop/Rock for now.

It's funny how I'm not as critical of other drummer's cymbals as I am of my own. I have a friend who plays Sabian AAs on her kit and they always sound good to me live. I've not big on them when I hear them in close quarters, however.
Click to expand...

With the exception of Giant Beats, most all Paiste 2002 alloy crashes sound excellent far field, behind a kit, it may not be as pleasing as your K's . Don't worry, over time your ears/mind will adjust to the big difference in sound.

To me most K's and A's sound superb behind the kit, but when recording or live, you really have to hit hard or increase the gain so they dont get lost in the guitars.

The exception is the Giant Beat Multi's. You can play light Jazz stuff and loud Rock stuff and it will sound great near-field and far away.
 
yammyfan said:
I ordered a set of Medium PST7s today, along with a 20" Light Ride to use as a crash.

I figure they'll be fine for gigs and I can get an entire set for what it will cost for 1-2 good crashes. I'll slowly but surely replace them with one of the premium lines in a year or two.

Hopefully they won't be too much of a drop-off in sound quality from my Zildjian K's in live situations. I love 'em but they're just a bit dark sounding when I use them live. They'll stay at home in my studio for now. I think they'd be perfect if I played more Blues or (any) Jazz but I'm strictly Pop/Rock for now.

It's funny how I'm not as critical of other drummer's cymbals as I am of my own. I have a friend who plays Sabian AAs on her kit and they always sound good to me live. I've not big on them when I hear them in close quarters, however.
Click to expand...
Let us know your impressions once you've had a chance to play the PST7 line. Considering these as an alternative to my Zildjian B20 lines.
 
theseer2 said:
With the exception of Giant Beats, most all Paiste 2002 alloy crashes sound excellent far field, behind a kit, it may not be as pleasing as your K's . Don't worry, over time your ears/mind will adjust to the big difference in sound.

To me most K's and A's sound superb behind the kit, but when recording or live, you really have to hit hard or increase the gain so they dont get lost in the guitars.

The exception is the Giant Beat Multi's. You can play light Jazz stuff and loud Rock stuff and it will sound great near-field and far away.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear. I'm prepared for a bit less sizzle and sophistication but I'm doing this for the audience anyway. I don't think the lost sizzle will be missed by anybody but me.

Supraman5x14 said:
Let us know your impressions once you've had a chance to play the PST7 line. Considering these as an alternative to my Zildjian B20 lines.
Click to expand...

You bet. I'm picking up an 18" crash tomorrow and the rest of the set should arrive by the end of next week. I'll add the splash and 18" Chinese cymbal a bit later for the sake of completeness. The Universal set comes with 14" Hi Hats, 20" Ride and 16" Crash.
 
theseer2 said:
The exception is the Giant Beat Multi's. You can play light Jazz stuff and loud Rock stuff and it will sound great near-field and far away.
Click to expand...

It's funny you say that. I've always thought of the GB's that way. They sound very satisfying to play AND sound great out front. (y)
 
jdavis said:
It's funny you say that. I've always thought of the GB's that way. They sound very satisfying to play AND sound great out front. (y)
Click to expand...

This!

I recently picked up a new 19" GB multi. I could probably use that cymbal on every gig. If I ever had a "One cymbal" gig, I would probably take that one.

Additionally, I've recently been A/B'ing my GB 24" against other cymbals as my main jazz ride. Some days, I like it better than my 20" 602.
The 24" can get a bit washy at louder volumes though. In one band, I like it. In the traditional Chicago blues band, I will take something else, like the 602 or 2002. Then again, I've used the 24" GB on blues gigs in smaller venues and really liked it. Sigh, decisions, decisions....
 
Picked up my first PST7 today: an 18" crash. I assume it's a medium as the photos on the Paiste site show the light and heavy versions as being labelled as such. Mine just says 18" CRASH. It weighs 1431 grams - possibly a bit more as my method to weigh the cymbal is a bit dodgy.

After playing thins and paper thins for all these years, I'm surprised at how much sustain a medium cymbal has. This will take a bit of getting used to!

Anyway, my first impressions are good. Seems like a nice cymbal. Similar in caliber to a Zildjian A.
 
Last edited:
yammyfan said:
I'm playing Zildjian K Dark Thin crashes at the moment along with a 20" K Ride and 14" K Hi Hats. Nothing wrong with any of them - they sound great. Like, really great.
Click to expand...
Crash: Signature Fast Crash
Hats: 602 Modern Essentials

They’re not entry-level, and they sound beautiful.
 
cbphoto said:
Crash: Signature Fast Crash
Hats: 602 Modern Essentials

They’re not entry-level, and they sound beautiful.
Click to expand...

Great suggestions.

I've liked everything I've heard from Paiste from the PST7 on up although I'm not bullish on the Rude cymbals. They have their place I'm certain - they just don't fit the genres I play the most.
 
yammyfan said:
Picked up my first PST7 today: an 18" crash. I assume it's a medium as the photos on the Paiste site show the light and heavy versions as being labelled as such. Mine just says 18" CRASH. It weighs 1431 grams - possibly a bit more as my method to weigh the cymbal is a bit dodgy.

After playing thins and paper thins for all these years, I'm surprised at how much sustain a medium cymbal has. This will take a bit of getting used to!

Anyway, my first impressions are good. Seems like a nice cymbal. Similar in caliber to a Zildjian A.
Click to expand...

My 18" is 1462g

Wait till you hear a 19 Medium! The 2 pair very well, think Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar, the two crashes throughout the song.

Yes , they do have a similarity to a classic Zildjian A but with the Paiste sparkle and magic.
 
theseer2 said:
My 18" is 1462g

Wait till you hear a 19 Medium! The 2 pair very well, think Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar, the two crashes throughout the song.

Yes , they do have a similarity to a classic Zildjian A but with the Paiste sparkle and magic.
Click to expand...

Sweet!

I'm going to pick up a 20" Light Ride tonight to use as a crash. Apparently they're great for that. I do a lot of crash riding so this could be the very thing I need. I've wanted to get into bigger cymbals for a little while. Presently my largest cymbal is an 18".
 
Last edited:
wildbill said:
There's a possibility you may end up going back to Zildjians.
Doesn't hurt to give the others a try though if you've got the means.
Click to expand...

For sure. I can't see me abandoning Zildjian altogether. I gigged with my K's this weekend and they sounded fantastic.

I'll go down the rabbit hole with Paiste for a while though. It's remarkable how often I hear cymbals I like that turn out to be Paiste.

It's Ian Paice's fault, really.
 
So, my early impressions are VERY positive. I'm loving the 18" medium crash already. It's "rock" pedigree is clear.

The 20" light ride is nice as a crash too. I've never played anything bigger than an 18" before so finding its place in my setup will take a bit of time.

The cymbals themselves are well made and feel good in the hand. They sound much more sophisticated than I thought they would. Really, they sound like you would expect typical rock/pop cymbals to sound. That's a good thing.

I also like medium cymbals much more than I expected. I tend to play cymbals a little too loudly but because the mediums take a bit more energy to excite, they take some of the edge off of my playing. Also a good thing :) I appreciate the higher pitches too. I mistakenly assumed that thinner generally meant higher pitched.

Can't wait to get the rest of the set this week. I'm waiting for the Hi Hats, the Ride and another crash to arrive. I'll add the 19" crash, 10" splash and 18" china next week, if I can.
 
Paiste have a comparison video on youtube that'll give you a general idea of how the different lines sound. It doesn't include the newer lines like PST 7 or Big Beats but it's still pretty good:

FWIW, I loaded the audio into a DAW to help me better compare them. If it helps anyone, I'll share the session file here.

All you need is a copy of the session folder and download a copy of Reaper (which is free to demo indefinitely): https://www.reaper.fm

All the loops are split up onto their own tracks so simply click the "solo" button on any of the tracks and compare away. Enjoy! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top