A cymbal of my ignorance

What do you guys think about a 15in and it's sound characteristics for his application? 790 grams. Circa 1990. He should be able to find a Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste or similar in the U.K. for about 100 USD. Too big? "Quiet Crashes" come at the end, sorry for some of the wasted space. 41 seconds.

Pete

 
That
What do you guys think about a 15in and it's sound characteristics for his application? 790 grams. Circa 1990. He should be able to find a Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste or similar in the U.K. for about 100 USD. Too big? "Quiet Crashes" come at the end, sorry for some of the wasted space. 41 seconds.

Pete

Sounds surprisingly 'heavy' and thick to my ears...
Given that as an ignoramus - my target is mainly what I hear in recorded music - I am amazed that crash cymbals 'ring' like that.
BUT - the Sabian hand-cymbal posted up-thread by Harry Conway does seem to have the quality I hear in my head: all 'Tooosh' and no 'Ding'.
And - a hand cymbal should respond well to a heavy brush I imagine.
Have a peek - I'd value your opinion, Pete.
 
I’ll check it out and I appreciate the confidence. But while I have a reputation as a first rate scholar, I’m really just a third rate drummer lol

Pete
 
I had a 12" one of those El Sabor ones and it was ok, slow to bloom but spashy. Like a "bowaahhh" with brushes. "Toooshhh" really is a rivet sound, I think.
I wonder what that ElSabor would have sounded like with a rivet or two...

That has got me thinking! Might try some stuff this weekend!
 
I had a 12" one of those El Sabor ones and it was ok, slow to bloom but spashy. Like a "bowaahhh" with brushes. "Toooshhh" really is a rivet sound, I think.
I wonder what that ElSabor would have sounded like with a rivet or two...

That has got me thinking! Might try some stuff this weekend!
Steady on. Them Sabor's ain't cheap! :D
I thought the idea of a hand cymbal was that it 'bloomed early'/easily?
I'm going to put rivets in my bottom hihat and cheapo ride already. Perhaps I should get the big pack!
 
yeah, the auction is over pretty soon. But a big part of the reason for me putting up the A Zildjian videos has been to contrast them with the ZXT (sound of me throwing up in my mouth).
Since you put me on the scent of paper thin crashes - I've come across these. Around £120 and the 16" seems to have the sound that's in my imagination.
Waddya think?
 
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Haven’t played on those. Plus I’ve only ever owned or played American, Turkish or Ottoman Empire cymbals. Guess I’m just a fan of Armenian craftsmanship.

That Dream cymbal sounds nice. And if the sound is what you want, pull the trigger.

My caution is that Chinese cymbals do have a reputation for inconsistency. That becomes an issue if you order it rather that picking it out in a store setting.

and by inconsistency I don’t mean that they have individuality like a vintage Zildjian might. I’m more referring to their reputation of some sounding great and others being total dogs.

Pete
 
Haven’t played on those. Plus I’ve only ever owned or played American, Turkish or Ottoman Empire cymbals. Guess I’m just a fan of Armenian craftsmanship.

That Dream cymbal sounds nice. And if the sound is what you want, pull the trigger.

My caution is that Chinese cymbals do have a reputation for inconsistency. That becomes an issue if you order it rather that picking it out in a store setting.

and by inconsistency I don’t mean that they have individuality like a vintage Zildjian might. I’m more referring to their reputation of some sounding great and others being total dogs.

Pete
Thankyou Pete. Reassuring that you liked em too!
I did pull the trigger. I liked the 17 best - but thought it might just be overpowering in the stripped back, small venue setting I'm preparing for, so I bought the 16. Hope I did the right thing - the 17 is just that bit more full and silky ...
They are cast and hammered cymbals so variability is a worry, though I haven't heard any bad stuff about Dreams yet. I'll let you know. ?
 
Ok, here's what I did.
Last second change of plan to the 17" - I just thought it might have more potential and class than the smaller one.
Problem is, even played with my heavy brushes, it's got some punch when it crashes and a long sustain - and don't have the experience to know if it will meld nicely into a 3 electric guitar country band, or frighten the horses.
Could be weeks before our next rehearsal, but if I wait that long it'll be too late to exchange it.
Is a 17" paper thin innately too big and loud for what I need it for? Or should I man up and stay the course?
All opinions valued!
 
I really did think that the sound of the 17 was very nice. It's just that it's very different from what you were describing at the beginning.
 
In what way though? My intial stab at describing what I was looking for was
"Something balanced with the volume I'm producing and not harsh or ringing. A mellow crash - if that's not a contradiction in terms."
The sound quality sounds 'mellow', or 'sophisticated' for a crash cymbal to my inexperienced ears at least, there's a shimmer to it. It's the volume level I'm insecure about, but I can't judge that till the band is miked up and in full flow.
 
Sounded like you wanted something subtle, complex and muted. Given that, size matters. The 17 may well be subtle and complex, but it won’t be muted.

Every cymbal is going to require it’s own unique amount of pressure (how hard your stick strikes it) to fully open up. A 13 or 14 paper thin doesn’t take much while a 17 takes a lot more before you’ll get it’s potential. That fact plus the larger size (increased surface area) reflecting a greater and faster moving volume of air, determines the loudness of the cymbal.

Pete
 
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