when do you "stack cymbals" ?

G

georgeusa

Active Member
when do you "stuck cymbals" ? does it work for you?

i think most famous drummers do not stack cymbals? is this correct?

thanks
 
georgeusa said:
can you give me an example...of stacking hats?
thanks
Click to expand...
I'm being silly and cracking jokes.

Christopher Reeve Reaction GIF



Hi-hats ARE stacked cymbals.

I'll show myself out. 😅
 
georgeusa said:
when do you "stuck cymbals" ? does it work for you?

i think most famous drummers do not stack cymbals? is this correct?

thanks
Click to expand...

Terry Bozzio, Mike Portnoy, Virgil Donati, Benny Greb, Matt Garstka... just to name a few.
People stack cymbals to get a sort of 'white noise' sound. Fast and cutting sounds.
Personally i stack cymbals when it want something faster sounding than a splash or china. Those cymbals are pretty fast sounding, but for quicker patterns a stack is easier; you get more distinct and staccato notes. Something like a natural "gate" to get a sound that gets out of the way fast.

I use trashy splashes/crashes with a china underneath to achieve these sounds.
 
 
I like the Agop Clap Stack, which has been copied by pretty much everyone these days. Other stacks to make “clash” or white noise sounds, they sound neat in fast-tempo blast beats and prog metal, but terrible everywhere else imo.
 
I've seen examples online, and I've messed around with it a little. They have a Zildjian Sprial Stacker on display at my local music store, too, and it sounds pretty cool. While I kinda like the sound I get, for the stuff we play most of the time, there isn't a whole lot of application for it. The other challenge I faced is that they wouldn't project very much, so I'd have to really whack them to get them to the volume the rest of the kit is at, at mediums levels. And of course, it becomes just another thing to set up and tear down, in the limited time that I have, so unless I really like/use something, I can't justify it.

Probably if I had a regular kit set up at home, all the time, I'd probably mess around with stuff like this more often.
 
My suggestion is to experiment like crazy while being cautious that what you are trying might actually have some use.

I fit into the list of drummers that do not use specialized cymbal stacking...but don't let that change your desire to experiment.

i suggest keeping a log book of some sort so you can review your experiments.
 
IMO a cool sounding stack can (should?) be created with lower quality cymbals. If you are stacking them you will not hear the pristine tones of the individual cymbals, so you might as well use lower quality ones like Sabian B8s or something like that.
 
I've alwas wanted a stack. Problem is it's twice as expensive as a regular cymbal. Fortunately a pair of cheap, horrible cymbals sometimes work wonders when stacked - I used to have a Meinl CC China that didn't sound bad over a ZBT crash.
 
Iristone said:
I've alwas wanted a stack. Problem is it's twice as expensive as a regular cymbal. Fortunately a pair of cheap, horrible cymbals sometimes work wonders when stacked - I used to have a Meinl CC China that didn't sound bad over a ZBT crash.
Click to expand...
I might suggest not trying to predict what your experiments might show...it can reduce your desire to try and, therefore, the probability you find out you were wrong.

I have First Hand experience with this thinking error....its insidious.
 
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