Paiste add some effects to their bronze Alpha range...

Paiste’s Alpha range is now, believe it or not, 20 years old. I still remember with fondness my 14” Medium Alpha hi-hats that I delivered many a newspaper to be able to afford! This more affordable bronze cymbal, made of the CuSn8 ‘2002’ alloy, is still as popular as ever. Since its inception in 1991, and after a revamp in 1997, the Alpha has gone from strength to strength and is now used by professional drummers as well as intermediate players and students. With more new cymbals added to the line-up, the Alpha sound palette is broadened further again, so Paiste have lent us their latest Swiss crashes for a close look.

Holy Moly

We have two 18” Swiss crashes here, one medium heavy in weight (labelled medium), the other medium thin (labelled thin). Both crashes have a number of circular cut-outs of differing sizes right the way across the cymbal – like a piece of Swiss cheese. Both are in brilliant finish. The medium-weight cymbal is more aggressive-looking and has an appearance you would associate with heavier styles. The thin crash features Paiste’s distinctive lathing, making it look more traditional. Before you even play these cymbals, your mind conjures up an expectation of what they might sound like – be prepared for something a little different, though … we’re going exotic.

Trash city

I tried the medium cymbal first. A clean, solid strike delivers a really trashy sound, with rich and exotic tones. The cymbal reacts fast and builds to a loud crescendo almost instantly. Due to the holes it has a fast decay. In fact, there is sustain for a moment, but that sustain dives incredibly fast at a certain point, making this more musical than just an FX or accent cymbal. The cymbal is quite bright, with dark overtones and a complex mix. The bell is special as well – it gives a distinctive ‘pang’ when played with the shoulder. It’s quite an aggressive cymbal, so it will work best in rock and metal styles as well as drum and bass. The thin version is darker overall and not so aggressive. As with the medium, it’s very fast (it’s even quicker to react, if that were possible) and has that same sustain, with sudden, fast decay. When you play the bell, the whole cymbal reacts with a dark, exotic  shimmer; meanwhile play the bow of this cymbal lightly or with a mallet and you get a light gong-like property.

Conclusion

These are fantastic crashes. And they are more ‘crash’ than ‘FX’ – it’s just that they are particularly trashy crashes. Both are very rich, complex and exotic, the medium-weight cymbal being more appropriate for rock/pop/drum and bass/ dance/electro, with the thinner version perhaps more suited to lighter work like pop/Latin/jazz. I’d add one of these to my cymbal armoury any day.

Brilliantly finished, bronze cymbals at an affordable price...

Cymbals are expensive instruments, no question. The young budding drummer might take an age to save up for a set of beautifully cast cymbals. Actually, that can be said for all of us. Sheet cymbals, then, have their place as affordable alternatives to cast cymbals, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise on the quality of sound. We have before us a set of Sabian’s upgraded new B8 Pro cymbals (it’s the B8 Pro’s 20th anniversary), which make a perfect ‘upgrade set’ from brass to real-bronze cymbals. These B8 Pros are all brilliantly finished (as opposed to the traditional finish of their standard B8 range) for bright, tonally rich cymbals. Although aimed at the beginner-intermediate drummer, a ‘pro’ might still be interested in what the B8 Pros have to offer. Allow Drummer to indulge.

20” medium ride

Firstly, play on the bow (flat) part of this cymbal and what you get is a very well-defined, clear note, which throughout any type of ride pattern remains perfectly consistent at a medium pitch. Coupled with this is a long decay, with just a hint of dark overtone, that remains very clear and clean-sounding and at no point threatens to overshadow the articulation of the patterns being played. However, crashing this cymbal reveals a much darker side to this instrument, with deep, dark tones accompanied by long, dark, sustained tones, with just the merest hint of a metallic-sounding overtone, which is initially quite loud. The primary note decays quickly, allowing you to return to playing ride patterns almost immediately without the sustain and overtone created by crashing overpowering the ride pattern. Moving up to the bell, and (played with the shoulder of the stick) what you get is a very loud, thick-sounding, well-projected note, with excellent levels of attack and a very high-pitched yet musical overtone. All in all, a very musical and useful ride cymbal.

Crashes

Both models sent through for review, the 18” and 16” medium crash, share very similar characteristics: both have very fast and responsive attack, with a dark-sounding, shimmering sustain which, like the 20” ride, has just a hint of metallic-sounding overtone. Both are relatively high-pitched for their respective diameter, and although they are classed as medium weight in relation to the rest of the B8 Pro range, are actually medium thin. Of the two models, I personally preferred the 18” model, as due to its larger size it has much more depth and body of tone when struck; but that said, the 16” model was just as musical-sounding, especially for occasional accents. This crash decays very quickly. Play either of these cymbals with mallets and what you get is a very gradual, clear-sounding swell, with more of the dark, shimmering sustain but curiously none of the prior noted metallic overtone, with both cymbals sounding very clean and decaying fairly quickly (especially the 16” model). These instruments remain very musical-sounding at all times.

18” China

Crashing this beauty of an effects cymbal gives you a dark, complex, very trashy and very loud note, which is perfect to punctuate any phrase that you play, with enough projection to cut through any wall of amps you may be playing with. The initial ‘trash’ sound quickly subsides into a fairly long, dark, shimmering sustain, which, as with the rest of the cymbals sent through, by no means overpowers any repeat strokes played on this cymbal. Incidentally, crash riding this china sounds very nice indeed. Another musical cymbal and pleasing to the ear throughout.

14” Hats

The supplied hats are, in my (humble) opinion, my favourite cymbals from the B8 Pro range: medium-pitched with good, clean attack producing a very tight, focused sound which would be perfect for many different musical applications. Played half open, they produce an almost trashy-sounding wash, with excellent projection and fast decay, meaning that no matter how fast you play them, every single note can be perfectly heard in even the loudest situations. Played fully open you get a very loud, clean tone with the initial note subsiding fairly quickly leaving a long, dark sustain. Following this with a quick stomp on the pedal gives you a loud, quick ‘bark’, which is very useful for funky accents. Pedalling these hats produces a very crisp-sounding, clear and once again relatively loud ‘chick’ sound, while splashing with the foot gives a high-pitched splash sound. 

Conclusion

Promoted by Sabian as the perfect step up for any player looking for bronze cymbals at an affordable price, these cymbals are exactly what they are meant to be: musical-sounding, well manufactured, affordable and perfect for many different musical styles and applications. Two great things that impressed me about these cymbals were the way that all models matched each other perfectly, sonically speaking. The B8 Pros are a no-brainer for anyone looking to upgrade their cymbals from cheaper brass models. While sheet bronze cymbals may not tempt established players already using cast cymbals to try them out in their nearest music store, they should certainly be given consideration by experienced players looking to own an extra set of cymbals for practice and/or teaching kits.

A new name in handmade Turkish cymbals

Genuine handmade Turkish cymbals. Four words that instantly excite and intrigue anyone with a passing interest in cymbals. In days gone by, such instruments were held in very high esteem by many classic drummers from the swing, jazz and early rock and roll eras, while in more modern times many players look for cymbals resembling and recreating those classic sounds. Over the last few decades, a few notable company names have come to the fore in this area, and here before us we have a selection of cymbals from two ranges from Impression Cymbals, a new name to us at Drummer. These are imported and distributed by Percussion Plus – the company has launched into the drum and percussion retail market and are importing quality instruments at an affordable price. We’ve already reviewed their Sonix kits, so we were curious to take a look at their imported Impression cymbals.

Construction

We have here two ranges of cymbals from Impression: the ‘Mixed’ range and the ‘Traditional’ range. Both are made from Impression’s ‘secret recipe’ of melted copper and tin (the secret being what percentage of each metal is used), and are built completely by hand throughout the whole process, including hand-hammering. All of the cymbals featured here have brilliantly finished, expertly lathed undersides, all signed by the cymbalsmiths that forged them within the bell section, and each cymbal has its own unique, handwritten serial number. The brilliant finish/lathed surface continues on the topside of the Traditional series, while the Mixed series features a lathed topside, but with an unlathed band running around the bow of the cymbal, as well as the same raw, unlathed texture for the bell. 

Mixed series

20” Medium ride: Playing on the bow of this cymbal gives a well-defined, clear note, with a long sustain and slightly ‘metallic’-sounding overtone which at times overpower the patterns being played, particularly at faster tempos, although with a little control this is easily overcome. Moving up onto the bell, what you get is a very clear, loud note with excellent projection, while crashing this ride gives a rich, dark, deep tone with a long, shimmering decay. 

14” Medium hats: Played closed, these cymbals offer up a crisp, medium-pitched note with a very clear and precise initial note, and a hint of darker, deeper overtones, particularly when played with the shoulder of the stick. Played open you get a full, clear, medium-high-pitched bark, which if played with the shoulder of the stick offers excellent projection and volume. Pedalling the hats produces a full-sounding, crisp, slightly dark-sounding ‘chick’, while splashing with the foot gives a loud, dark note with long, shimmering decay. Very nice indeed! 

16” Medium crash: This sounds very thin (physically it’s so thin that you can actually bend it with your hand) and very hollow, with an almost shrill tone. It’s more of an effect cymbal to my mind, as it produces a metallic ‘clang’, which makes for some good accents. This cymbal was disappointing as a crash, though, especially when compared to the ride and hi-hats accompanying it in this range.

Traditional series

20” Medium ride: Riding this cymbal produces a very clear, precise, medium-pitched tone, which is very responsive to the slightest touch, accompanied by long, shimmering sustain, which although is very present and audible, never threatens to overpower the patterns being played at any volume or tempo. The bell produces a much higher-pitched note, again with plenty of sustain, but it is slightly understated; to get any kind of projection or volume, you really have to ‘lay into’ the bell quite hard. Crashing this cymbal gives a dark, loud, shimmering note with long decay, which sounds very appealing, with none of the ‘metallic’ overtones that are present with the same-sized cymbal from the Mixed series. 

14” Light hats: Played closed, you get a very responsive, clear note. While these cymbals are very thin and lightweight they provide a very full-bodied, warm sound, which would be useful in a variety of musical settings. Open notes give a clear, bright, medium-high-pitched note, which sounds superb, while pedalled notes provide many of the same attributes: clear, precise notes which when splashed (with the foot) give a full-bodied tone with long, shimmering sustain. A highly recommended pair of hi-hats. 

13” Light hats: These cymbals offer all of the same attributes as their 14” counterparts, but at a slightly higher pitch, making them sound funkier than their larger companions. In comparison they were slightly lacking in depth, but this is still a very nice pair of hats.

18”Traditional crash: When struck, this cymbal produces a loud, deep note which, after the initial fast attack, quickly subsides into a dark, shimmering note with long sustain, which would sound perfect for many different musical settings. 

16” Medium-thin crash: In comparison to the 18” crash, this crash sounds slightly thin; however, it isn’t bad by any means. When struck it provides a clean, clear initial note with fast decay followed by a long, dark, shimmering sustain. Although it doesn’t sonically match up to its larger counterpart in either tone or volume, it is still a very useful and musical instrument in its own right. 

16” Thin china: This is a very loud, trashy, high-pitched cymbal. The initial tone quickly subsides into a dark sustain. It’s slightly harsh at louder volume. I found that unless this cymbal was played with control it tended to overpower the rest of the cymbals from the range, but as a separate instrument it was useful. Although musically it’s slightly limited, it’s a well-made cymbal. 

10” Splash: The remaining cymbal from the range was this very thin splash, which emits an extremely high-pitched, fast, almost trashy-sounding note with fast decay and excellent projection. The more I played it, the more I liked it. Perfect for quick accents. 

Conclusion

Overall, these are very well-made cymbals – handmade, genuine Turkish instruments that are aesthetically appealing, which makes playing them a very pleasant experience indeed. The majority of the models sound superb, especially considering their prices. In both ranges a couple of the models (particularly the 16” crashes from both ranges along with the 16” china from the Traditional series) don’t seem to match up sonically to their siblings, which if you wanted to buy the full spectrum of either range may be a big downside. That said, however, if you are looking for bespoke, individual, genuine cymbals, at a good price, then these are certainly worthy of consideration.

The year is 1618. Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire. In the race to create gold from base metals, a young Armenian alchemist named Avedis inadvertently creates an alloy with unique sound properties. Avedis hammers the alloy into cymbals, and so extraordinary is the sound that they produce, the Sultan insists that Avedis create these cymbals for his own military musicians. Avedis is awarded the title ‘Zildjian’, or ‘son of a cymbal maker’, and in 1623 a company and a brand is born. ? The company is passed down through generations of the Zildjian family, along with the secret alloy formula. Fast-forward three centuries, and Avedis Zildjian III relocates from the Turkish capital Istanbul to Massachusetts, USA. The rest, as they say, is history. Zildjian is the oldest cymbal brand in the world.

Currently owned by Craigie and Debbie Zildjian, the 14th generation of the Zildjian family, the Gen 16 brand has been created to honour their grandchildren, the 16th generation of the Zildjian family. More than that, these unique Acoustic Electric (AE) cymbals are a statement of intent. A statement that Zildjian are moving forward. In actual fact, the Gen 16 brand goes way beyond just the AE cymbals, but these are our focus today. Are we drummers ready for the next generation of our beloved cymbals? There’s only one way to find out!

THE AE CYMBAL CONCEPT

Gen 16 AE cymbals are real acoustic cymbals. They make a real cymbal noise, but thanks to thousands of holes drilled into the surface of the cymbal, it’s very quiet. Each Gen 16 cymbal sits on top of an acoustic pickup which captures the sound of the cymbal and sends it to a digital sound processing module (the DSP).

This signal is amplifi ed within the DSP and a preset sound shape is applied which alters the tonal properties that you hear. Gen 16 AE cymbals can be used as a stand-alone instrument, amplifi ed onstage or in the studio with acoustic drums, or can be used in conjunction with e-drums (we’ll come on to that later). Simplicity itself!

IN DETAIL

We have the Gen 16 AE 368 Boxed System here. This is acymbal pack which contains 13” hi-hats, 16” crash, 18” ride cymbals (different-size cymbals packs are available), three acoustic pickups (note that these are pickups and not triggers) with cymbal stand mountings, the digital sound processing module complete with mounting kit, wiring loom/cable and a hi-hat clutch. ?The cymbals themselves are made of a unique sheet alloy and plated in nickel for the bright silver look. ? e acoustic Gen 16 cymbals). Each channel has a pan and volume control, so you can create your own mix. There are up to 20 different preset sound shapes for each channel, so you can alter the sound of each cymbal. Your e-drums are linked into the DSP, and a blend control between drums and cymbals lets you get the balance right. Reverb can be added (applied to both drums and cymbals) and there are independent phones and master volume controls which allow you to monitor what you’re playing as well as send it to the desk. ? ere’s also a mix-in, so you can blast away to your iPod. Finally, the DSP can be connected to your PC/Mac by USB so that it can be updated.

IN USE

These cymbals look 21st century, all right. Each acoustic pickup has a bright-blue ‘mood’ light which shines through the holes in the cymbal’s surface and reflects off of the nickel finish (the lights can be switched off ). Wiring up the system is simple enough thanks to the colourcoded wiring loom. Because the pickups are microphonic, it is possible to get feedback if the cymbals or pickups are near a speaker, but this doesn’t present any real issues. Getting the right mix between hats, ride and crash was quick and easy, and having volume up and the overall sound is bright, open and shimmery with a high-pitch metallic overtone. A studio or live sound engineer will be able to EQ the cymbals to get them just right for the gig. It would be great if you could EQ the cymbals within the DSP yourself, however the preset tone models do allow you to adjust each cymbal’s pitch, decay and more, and there is a good variety of tone available, from very bright to darker, and fast to slow decay and more. ? e hi-hats and the crash are nicely balanced. ?The ride with this set is very light, washy and shimmery, which is great for dance, electronic, jazz and similar genres. But if you like stick defi nition in your ride there’s no solid ‘ping’. Overall, the experience of using the Gen 16s is not alien to an acoustic player because you are hitting real cymbals. To me, Gen 16s sound just like when you listen to your cymbals through studio headphones: mic’d up, just brighter with shimmering overtones.

CONCLUSION

This is new technology and a ?rst in the cymbal world. You have to respect Zildjian for looking to the future and bringing AE cymbals to the mass market. When you think about it, it’s obvious: Zildjian - make acoustic cymbals, e-kits and ‘virtual’ cymbals are widely used nowadays. So combine the two technologies and you have the best of both worlds. Any Gen 16 patron will spend much more time than we were able to, ?ne-tuning and getting the set- up as close to ‘regular’ acoustic cymbals as possible. It is possible to get a satisfying sound with the Gen 16s. Updates, further tone shapes for the DSP and more will come, and as time goes by, this technology will grow and improve as well. Zildjian will never expect drummer to give up their prized cast acoustic cymbals. But that’s not what Gen 16s are about. Gen 16s do provide a more realistic dimension to the electronic- percussion experience, and that’s something a lot of drummers will happily embrace.

THE INSIDER

Derek Zimmerman is business manager for the Gen 16 brand.

“The Gen 16 brand came about when Craigie Zildjian had a vision for setting the company up for the next 400 years. Music is changing. Although Zildjian will always be the world’s largest manufacturer of cymbals, Zildjian has to move forward with the music to grow their business. What Gen 16 does for Zildjian is create new customers for us. The Gen 16 Digital Vault, AE cymbals, Groove Player, Gen 16 Grooves allow us into the electronic-drum market that otherwise might not buy Zildjian

cymbals. The AE cymbals have been in development for around two years. The perforated-cymbal design came to Zildjian and we had it for around three years. John Roderick, vice- president of Product Development, came up with the idea of applying microphone technology to there duced-volume cymbal to make the AE cymbal and we developed it from there. This is a big ?rst  step, and the AE cymbals are going to go to places that even we don’t know yet.”Visit Gen-16.com for full information on the full range of Zildjian’s Gen 16 products.