Question about Cymbals

[Chris_NY]

Up till now I have played only Electronic Drums ..(Tama set with ddrum triggers and roland brain with mesh heads)

 

But I am buying a house this month YAY !

 

Now that I will have a basement I want to play real heads and cymbals since sound won't be a factor anymore.

 

I have listened to ALL the sound clips on the Zildjian Sabian and Paiste sites..

 

I want to buy one of the middle of the road kits that all 3 of these manufacturers offer.

 

Is it me or do the paiste cymbals sound the nicest? I mean these sound clips I am sure don't do the cymbals much justice and that is why I am asking...

 

All through my growing up I have always thought Zildjian was like the holy grail of Cymbals. They quite possibly are but to get decent sound do you really just need to get their leetest most expensive pieces?

 

I am basically looking for oppinions .. I play or I like mostly classic rock kina stuff .. Led Zepplin .. Deep Purple ( I know Ian Paice plays Paiste) .. But I also like stuff like DMB ( I think C. Beuford is amazing) My fav drummers are Steve Gadd (Plays Zildjian K series I think) and Neil Peart (Plays Sabian) ..

 

I figure knowing what I am into could help better guide me .. Remember I am asking mostly because I have never laid a stick on a real cymbal ever...

 

Thanks for any input you guys might give in advance!!

[RobWild]

One important thing to do when buying cymbals IMO is to try them out. Listening to the sound clips may not do the real thing justice.

Just go to your local music store and ask if you can beat on a few cymbals.

If you are going to order online and can't find the desired cymbal at the store, make sure you read all the reviews and see if that cymbal sounds like the one you're looking for.

 

Hope that helps!

[Scheming Demon]

I too, in general, prefer the sound of Paiste cymbals. But that is my personal choice. I like Zildjian and Sabian as well. All are high quality, you just should actually hit them in the music store and get the one you like best and can afford.

[Old Steve]

You really can't go wrong with either. A Zildjians have been very popular forever, so lots of the music you grew up on was probably played on them.

 

Still, the best bet isn't to listen to sound clips. Go to the store and play a few and buy what you like regardless of brand. Unlike drums that can be tuned or have heads changed, cymbals' sounds are pretty much a 'what-you-hear-is-all-you-get' proposition.

 

Anyway, one of the happiest days ever was setting up MY kit in MY house after years of apartment dwelling. Congrats!

 

I see you're in "NY" in your post. Where are you moving to? Maybe we'll be neighbors (I'm in Port Chester, in Westchester County).

 

Have fun.

[Chris_NY]

Thanks for the replies ..

 

Yea your probably right .. I need to goto the store .. plus the paiste site has reverb on their clips .. the Zildjian and Sabian sites sound like the clips are almost totally dry.

 

That probably is part of the reason I think they sound so much better.. .

 

Steve..

 

Yea I grew up in Yonkers .. and now I live in Poughkeepsie..

but I am moving to Waterbury Ct.. Unfortunatly home prices are way out of my reach for my first home in NY..

 

But my first love is NY and I will return as soon as I am ready for my next house ! .. plus all my family is here and they will NEVER leave LOL

[tangman]

Everything that needs to be said has already been said already, but I will add that I personally prefer Paiste out of all the manufacturers youve listed. I used to play Zildjians, then Sabians then i discovered what was for me the Holy Grail, Paiste

[DrumMonkey]

 

Originally posted by Chris_NY I am basically looking for oppinions .. I play or I like mostly classic rock kina stuff .. Led Zepplin .. Deep Purple ( I know Ian Paice plays Paiste) .. But I also like stuff like DMB ( I think C. Beuford is amazing) My fav drummers are Steve Gadd (Plays Zildjian K series I think) and Neil Peart (Plays Sabian) .. I figure knowing what I am into could help better guide me .. Remember I am asking mostly because I have never laid a stick on a real cymbal ever... Thanks for any input you guys might give in advance!!

 

Well, you mention Zep and Bonham used Paiste 2002's... what more can you ask for? And personally, I use the Paiste Sound Formula series and I love em.

 

- DM

[Old Steve]

Originally posted by Chris_NY Steve.. Yea I grew up in Yonkers .. and now I live in Poughkeepsie.. but I am moving to Waterbury Ct.. Unfortunatly home prices are way out of my reach for my first home in NY.. But my first love is NY and I will return as soon as I am ready for my next house ! .. plus all my family is here and they will NEVER leave LOL

 

Yeah, we bought about 8 years ago, and our house has more than doubled in value. If you'd give me the same cash and told me to "invest it wisely" 8 years ago, I'm sure I'd have blown it somehow. Bottom line, we got lucky as hell, and if I were buying my first house right now, there's no way I'd be in the same neighborhood.

 

Anyway, congrats on the house. We'll be driving the whole fam-damily through your town in a couple days going up route 8 on our way to a little new year's ski weekend (hope the rain doesn't come).

 

I'm sure you'll be in my same boat shortly after you move in: the minute the wife and kids leave the house, I'm running down to the basement to make a bunch of noise. Nothing better than that. It makes 30 years of mortgage payments worth every penny.

[Chris_NY]

Dude .. I have been planning/dreaming in my mind what the basement studio will look like when I am done !.. I day dream about it .. you can tell when I am doin it cus I get this big {censored} eating grin on my face LMAO.

 

damn that closing isn't comming soon enough !!

[EcHoplex]

Chris -

 

I'll echo what everyone else said about going to a store and testing cymbals out before buying. All of the companies mentioned make a great product. I'd say if you're looking to get the most bang for your buck - try the A Custom cymbal pack from Zildjian. It's only $559 @ GC. You get hi-hats, ride, 2 crashes and a free cymbal bag. If you buy them all individually, you'll pay more. Just an idea. Of course, buying individually gives you more options as far as selection & preference are concerned, but you get the idea. Good Luck!

[Old Steve]

Originally posted by Chris_NY Dude .. I have been planning/dreaming in my mind what the basement studio will look like when I am done !.. I day dream about it .. you can tell when I am doin it cus I get this big {censored} eating grin on my face LMAO. damn that closing isn't comming soon enough !!

 

LOL! Looks like you'll be visiting Home Depot in the near future. I didn't do any big mods....I just have a little desk behind my kit that holds my recording crap, and some rack gear. The only other thing I'd recommend is to build a riser to keep your kit on. You never know when the washing machine will overflow, a torrential rain storm will leave an inch of water in your basement, or you'll have some kind of "sewage issue". If you can put your kit up on a few 2x4's and some plywood, it can be a life saver.

 

Keep dreaming....sometimes they actually come true.