medford Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 What are the best cymbals for recording? I'm not a drummer but I'm considering buying some new cymbals for an old set of Ludwig Drums in my studio. I typically record Rock, Blues, and Country. I am thinking hats, 2 crash & ride? There seems to be a lot of different sizes, models, brands, etc. thanks for any suggestions. medford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuker Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 Hey medford! I don't know best cymbals, but I'm very pleased with my Zildjian A Custom crashes, especially the 17" one. A Customs work good when recording, because they are thin and 'fast' cymbals. Check them out yourself! luuker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 Hi Medford, I'm not a drummer either but I play one on TV. Actually, like you I have a drum kit in my studio and I geared it especially toward stuff that I knew would sound good in the recording environment. Really you want to have as many different cymbals as you can because you will tend to swap them out depending on what kinds of sounds you're looking for. My situation is quite nice because between my kit and my drummer's kit we have quite a range of cymbals to choose from. IN GENERAL, thinner cymbals sound better for recording than heavier ones, so I went with a Zildjian K "Thin Dark" crash (16") and a Zildjian A 18" thin crash, which is brighter than the K. Our drummer's crashes are heavier and don't tend to record as well, although they sound great live. For hi-hats, I've got Zildjian New Beat 15" - yeah, 15". I didn't expect to get them, I went to the store all set to buy 14" New Beats, but I just liked these better. They're very rich and thick. Our drummer has a 14" New Beat on top and a Paiste hat on the bottom, which sounds excellent! A nice tight, bright "chick" sound. His hats and mine are very different so we swap them out depending on the song. Ride cymbals are the toughest. I hate to even recommend any type because even within the same model, the individual cymbals are going to sound different (same goes for all cymbals but especially rides). One thing you need to watch out for is a heavy ride with a big bell - what can happen when recording one of these is that the bell can absolutely take your head off, while the resonance of the cymbal is barely heard. The transient of the bell can take up all the headroom on your recorder. So a thinner cymbal, again, with a smaller bell will bring out more of the full range of the cymbal. Our drummer has a Zildjian 22" ride with a small bell, like an old jazz ride. It's the most beautiful sounding ride I've ever heard, and gets such a wide range of tones depending where he hits it. Whether another one like it could be found I have no idea. You just have to look around. Sometimes you can find cool cymbals in unlikely places like pawn shops. My ride (a 22" Zildjian K) is heavier and has a bigger bell and yeah, it can take your head off. But we have used it on some songs where we want to hear more of the bell and less resonance of the cymbal. Bottom line is try a whole lot of different cymbals. Listen to the way they resonate and learn to distinguish between them. Avoid cymbals that have annoyingly metallic overtones. Cymbal shopping is a fun and educational experience. Enjoy! --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted March 26, 2002 Author Share Posted March 26, 2002 Thanks Luuker, I'm thinking the thin type might do well for recording. Is there a "standard" model that most drummers would agree on? I'm sure there are many differing preferances but is there one or two that are considered the standard? Kinda like the SM57 mic. medford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted March 26, 2002 Author Share Posted March 26, 2002 Thanks Lee! I thought you would have some helpful ideas. Your reply is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for. Any More? medford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 Hi, Medford: Also, check out the new cymbals from Sabian called HHX. They are a thin hand hammered cymbal that have a quick response. Also, you may want to give a listen to Paiste Signature cymbals. This is the fav of Nashville Studios. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oremug Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 I like the Paiste Signature series for the studio, nice clean sound, I would go with a medium weight such as the "full" line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelance Posted March 26, 2002 Share Posted March 26, 2002 I agree that thinner crash cymbals track better. I personally use Sabian HH thin crashes which record very well. However, I have been very happy with the recorded sound of Paiste Signatures cymbals on several seesions I done. Rides are harder to recommend. There can be so much overtone buildup. I've helped two studios get thier drum kits together and in both cases, we got the store to allow us to take a couple of rides at a time and record them (it helps to have a store you do a lot of busines with). With the two studios I helped set up we ended up going with Paiste rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted March 27, 2002 Author Share Posted March 27, 2002 Thanks Everyone, Looks like I got some homework to do now. I'm off to the drum shop, to take my fair share of abuse. medford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted March 27, 2002 Share Posted March 27, 2002 Hey, Medford: Remember ... it is only us anal retentive drummers that think we all have to have the same line of cymbals. For studio purposes, you may find the Paiste ride to work, 1 Zildjian crash, and one Sabian crash. There are no rules regarding cymbals. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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