What are the best sounding low volume cymbals on the market

Rhythm666

Rhythm666

Active Member
Last weekend i had this gig and the front of house engineer said that my cymbals when struck raised the DB over the 90db limited and asked if i could mute them a bit by putting tape on them which i took off when the place was packed :)

This had me thinking of checking out low volume cymbals for in the practice room and small venues.
What are the best low volume cymbals to check out? Does not have to be the big brands like Zildjian, Sabian etc.

Im looking for a cymbal that is lower in volume but still sounds like a cymbal.

I listened to the Zildjian low volumes ones but they are way to low sounding for even a small gig, it more to practice in you apartment kind of cymbal.

Greets, Stanford
 
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All of the cymbals with little holes in them weren't really designed to be playable cymbals at all, they sprung from Zildjian's e-kits several years ago (Gen 16 or something?) They were mic'd under the bell and sounded believable through a system, but weren't intended to be acoustic cymbals. At their debut at NAMM, I suggested to Zildjian rep John Roderick that those might make cool quiet cymbals apart from the electronics, but he said that wasn't their intent.

But a quiet cymbal was a good idea, and soon Zildjian, Sabian et al offered them. The problem was, they weren't manufactured like a cymbal, and sounded wispy with lots of highs.

I know of only one that starts as a real cymbal, and then the little holes are drilled. They're the Q Series from Amedia, and have much more of a cymbal sound than other companies' quiet cymbals. They sound and play very good, retaining as much of the cymbal's sound given the amount of metal removed for the holes.

No real info on their site, I wonder if they still offer them? http://www.amediacymbals.com.tr/?lang=en

I bought a set from them at NAMM and used them in the house for practice. definitely a different thing than everyone else's quiet cymbals. Not sure where you can hear them in person though.

qseries.jpg
 
Smaller, thinner, darker cymbals will have less cut and will be perceived as quieter by most people.

I'd look into Sabian AAX Studio, or Paiste Giant Beat, and keep the sizes under 17" for crashes.
 
Some of the more budget "Low Volume" cymbals are louder than the Zildjians. Look for Kasza or maybe some of the Chinese brands on Amazon. I have a set of both the Zildjian Low Volume and the Kasza "Quiet On The Set" in my teaching studio, and the Kasza are noticeably louder than the Zildjians.

Also, you can get creative with what you have. Try a hand towel or a t-shirt strategically placed and held on with some painters tape. Also try using very thin sticks with small tips.
 
Winston_Wolf said:
Paiste Giant Beat, and keep the sizes under 17" for crashes.
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I might be wrong but IIRC the Giant Beats only come in 18" and larger.
Other thin cymbals also work, such as the Big Beat and the discontinued 404 line (very similar to GB's, but you can get a 16" crash that's even thinner). These also work as crashes or crash-rides for louder gigs, and sound great doing so.
Some Masters and Sig Trads also work if you've got the budget, and being darker they'll likely sound even less "loud". Also check out Crystal Crashes (aka Crystal Thins), and flat rides if you can do without a bell for quieter playing.
Sabian has got a line called FRX, looks like halfway between a normal cymbal and an L80. Not sure how they work, though. They used to make Sound Controls that are allegedly quieter, too.
 
Most of the Istanbul line-up are meant to be played at lower volumes and sound lower volume when played.
Particularly OM and Signature.
I find smaller cymbals are sharper sounding, so larger diameter works best (for me), they speak slower and don't splash in a harsh way.
In the end, a lot of drummers play cymbals too hard (me included). So 1: get some lower volume cymbals and 2: practice playing them much quieter than your actual drums.
 
Another vote for bigger, thin, darker cymbals. Smaller crashers are very shrill and don't open up well at lower volumes.

The "quiet cymbals" are more of a practice tool.

I loathe noise limiters of any kind. If you need one you shouldn't be booking bands and I'm not a loud player by any means. The limiter is usually somewhere really daft like right next to the band and aren't calibrated properly so a mouse farting would trigger them. I come across these cretinous things far too often and you learn to tickle with feels and dynamics.
 
Winston_Wolf said:
Smaller, thinner, darker cymbals will have less cut and will be perceived as quieter by most people.

I'd look into Sabian AAX Studio, or Paiste Giant Beat, and keep the sizes under 17" for crashes.
Click to expand...
This is it. Along with lighter than normal sticks and a fleece "bomber" type beater.
 
I agree with smaller and thin crashes and smaller sticks. I do not play very loud, and those do the trick for me. Peace and goodwill.
 
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