Everything You Need To Know About Cymbals | Finding Your Own Drum Sound

Great Gift Ideas for Drummers imp.i114863.net/Gjzq5r
When we visited the Zildjian Headquarters near Boston, Massachusetts earlier this year, we had to take the chance and film some content about cymbals. In this video we want to give you all the information you need to go out and find your perfect cymbal setup.
What factors affect the sound? What parts of a cymbal are important? How do I pick my own cymbals?
We got two real experts in to answer those questions: Jordan Wright and Eric Gross.
While Jordan has all the knowledge on the technical side of things, Eric is super familiar with the cymbal picking process since he does it for all the Zildjian artists.
00:00 Intro
00:45 The Anatomy Of A Cymbal
03:27 The Weight
04:43 The Size
05:32 The Surface
08:01 Special Shapes
10:52 Introducing Eric Gross
11:41 Picking Cymbals For Artists
14:04 Finding Your Own Cymbals
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Equipment used in this video:
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Zildjian Cymbals
zildjian.com
Microphones:
Overheads: M 90 Pro X
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[@ZildjianCompany]

Thanks for stopping by, guys! Always a fun time hanging out ❤

[@ArtOfDrumming]

🙌

[@alanduncan1980]

You should make some paper thin hats like the transition stamp hats from the 40s without the heavy New Beat bottom. I like when the Top and Bottom cymbals are a similar weight. And I'm talking thin, like 500-ish grams, top and bottom for a 14" pair of hats. Those are just the best! Just my own personal preference.

[@brent3760]

I miss Paul!!!

[@Superball01]

I don’t play Zildjian anymore, but I’ll always take time out of my day to watch and listen to anything and everything about them, I still absolutely love their cymbals. I started with Zildjian, and I’ll always love them. It always amazes me how long they’ve been making their cymbals, and how great they’ve sounded over the past century.

[@MysticTheStrider]

why did you stop Zildjian bro? What do you use now?

[@Superball01]

@@MysticTheStrider I had been looking into a fairly new cymbal company called TRX, and tried out one of their cymbals, haven’t gone back to Zildjian since then. Like I said though, no complaints about the company whatsoever, love the company, and I’ll always have them as my second choice. TRX makes the best cymbals I’ve personally ever heard, and they’re the most durable cymbals I’ve had. Each one is all made by hand in Turkey, and you can order completely customizable cymbals from them as well.

[@YT-User1013]

@@MysticTheStrider Zildjian are U.S. so…

[@GianVillegas]

Wow, I love it! Even though at the moment I’m using electronic cymbals that look real, there’s nothing more satisfying than great cymbals! Thank you for this great material!

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thanks Gian!

[@lucascritchfield]

Wow, these guys are great! Especially impressed with how articulate Jordan is. Not only knowledgeable but able to describe everything in a simple, concise, accurate, and intriguing way. Bravo!

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thanks Lucas!

[@andrewhubbledrums]

Zildjian is definitely one of my favorite cymbals I've ever played for my whole life and they really mean a lot to me and they sounded fantastic! I absolutely loved Zildjian!

[@suffixion_6286]

My first set of cymbals were A Custom's and now I currently play Heartbeats, but I have nothing but great things during my time with the A custom's. Very informative video. Well done guys!

[@fheering]

YEAH! Exploring and using different cymbals is one of the many aspects of drum playing that I enjoy the most. Thanks for the video!

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thanks Fernando!

[@felixjones9198]

I play mostly K's and A Customs, as they seem to fit into the mix most of the time, and they're extremely versatile across many musical styles, but my favourite hihats are a set of 15" Paiste 900 heavy, which I usually play upside down with the heavier bottom one on top, which makes them sound very sweet and crisp. IMHO, even very high quality 15 inch hats can sound a bit slushy, especially if the cymbals are on the thin side. My rule of thumb is to reduce the diameter of the hats as the cymbals get lighter, but there's no right or wrong way, it's what sounds and feels good to you.

[@TheRealBKSchyster]

Many drummers don't necessarily realize that they have to have a respectable relationship between their tools of the trade and their subsequent ability to be continuously employed as "a drumming gun for hire," or not employed at all ( at least as a working drummer, studio or live! ) Meaning, the single most important investment for a drummer in the industry is, the cymbals one has in their arsenal!! A reasonably decent drum set is certainly important to own, and yet the easiest ( bear with me here a second... ) to "fix in the mix" with regards to drumming timbre(s) available, by simple to complex EQ "tweaks" on the recording console!! So, I am simply stating that one doesn't have to have many drum sets, yet the other holds true for cymbals!! The broader your range of cymbals is, the easier it becomes to remain employed, as producers, engineers and artists will have a specific sound ( timbre ) of cymbal in mind and NOW IS THE TIME TO PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS... ok... "cymbals, as "fixing in the mix" is way harder to do with cymbals, due to the very nature of their character, which can cause, "run away EQ'ing frequencies!!" This certainly is easier to do if you have not a cymbal "endorsement" that will somewhat "handcuff" you into a situation of less "tools" to choose from, simply because you are then "locked in" to a specific cymbal manufacturer. I have spent a lifetime of drumming and reinventing in myself by purchasing "working sets" of the three major cymbal manufacturers ( Zildjian, Sabian and Paiste. ) YES..... I KNOW THERE ARE MANY MORE CYMBAL MAKERS, to me, they fall under the category of "boutique cymbal manufacturers!" These "sets" are... 13"/14" high hats, 16"/17"/18"/19"/20" crashes, 20"/22"/24" rides and 6"/8"/10" splashes and of course a proper "HARD SHELL" case for each set!! I too have four different weight variations on my crash cymbals, paper thin/thin/medium/heavy..., as well as the individual professional levels of cymbals, such as ( Zildjian "A's"/"K's"/"K-Cons"-- Sabian "AA's"/"AAX's"/"HH's"/"HHX's"/"HHX~LEGACIES"-- Paiste "602's"/"2002's"/"RUDE's"/"Signature's" !!!!!! ) I also have ( and mostly in the four crash weights ) my line of "Boutique cymbals," which is Soultones, Istanbul's and Supernatural's. LIKE I SAID, A LIFETIME OF DEDICATED INVESTMENTS IN CYMBALS!! That is how it happened for me and continues to be the single largest investment in my craft, and "secret" to staying employed as a working drummer!!! If it is said that, "happy wife, happy life," then the same holds true for your "studio family!" If the producer, engineering team and artists are happy, so it goes for you the drummer!!!!! ANYWAY, KEEP ON KEEPING ON BROTHER AND SISTER DRUMMERS!!!!! PEACE 🤘🏼!!!!!

[@henrybay4807]

what

[@LoreAccurateHusky]

WAIT, NORWELL? That's quite literally the next town over from me. Zildjian has been like 15 minutes from me this whole time and I never knew about it. Huh...

[@peak5154]

I really love my older A Zildjians from the ‘50s. They’re fairly light and are perfect for jazz.

[@Klingonenchef]

Wohoo, makes me jealous. I play Zildjan for more than 30 Years. Shopping Cymbals always lead me to my beloved K's. Except an A 22 Swish Knocker you' find only K's in my Setup. Amazing Cymbals!!

[@marcpatzelt2430]

Really great video! I really learned a lot!

[@menzerroku4708]

Great video!! Beautiful cymbals!! You are so lucky to get to visit their factory😀!! Love your channel!!

[@dominikobereigner]

Thanks, great and very analytically und compact video, thats how it should be. Helped me a lot. Good job guys :D.

[@phillippearl647]

Exceptional Video. Thank you!!! 🥁

[@jackrevy2397]

Well, that was awesome! I just got back from a gig playing a mix of k dark and k sweet. Was great to get a bit of insight.

[@BBT609]

Love how Zildjian is using the A series. That is basically the gold standard of the modern day cymbal. I don’t play Zildjians anymore however I still have high respects for them as THE cymbal company that started it all for us here in the USA now for 400 years!

[@Jimbo386000]

I absolutely love zildjian. I seem to not vibe with their sound on my kits as much, but I love the way they sound for others and I love the way they do things. I will always be interested in zildjian docs like this one!

[@jjfloyd618]

Excellent video, extremely informative. I can call it quits for today as I’ve now learned way more than the prescribed allotment of 1 new thing.

[@adamr7026]

Very interesting video even though im using electronic kit i stayed till the end. Love your channel so much

[@gianfrancogaureau8624]

Awesome video! Thanks a lot

[@patdeniston3697]

Comparison videos are a great tool for figuring out what you like before you spend your hard earned money on expensive drum parts. I watched a lot of them thankfully before I settled on A custom 16,18,20 crash and a K sweet ride. Zildjian you guys rock! AOD you guys rock!!

[@blakedmc1989DrumsHD]

i'm always loved Zildjian and always wanted to be part of tha Zildjian family great video here A Custom is my dream Cymbals i would love to have

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thanks so much!

[@blakedmc1989DrumsHD]

@@ArtOfDrumming ya welcome

[@diddyhayes]

That back to back comparison with the a custom and traditional a crashes were the most eye opening experience ever. Or ear opening

[@tdrum21]

Great special here, learned alot. Do this with drums now too

[@ruimsilva95]

Great video! I totally love Zildjian. If I had to name one company to represent one day maybe it would be Zildjian. I would love to add more zildjian cymbals to my set but unfortunately they are not very affordable... that's the downside I suppose.

[@andejee9294]

Another stellar video, thank you! Always great to get insight from the people designing and manufacturing instruments, hope you continue pushing this kind of content as well! 4:12 Heavier cymbals are supposed to be higher in pitch though, right?

[@JohnnygSawyer]

I have played Zildjian my whole drumming career. I use cymbals from most of the Zildjian product lines. I mostly play K's or K Custom Darks but, I do use A's and A Customs for different gigs. Thank you for this video. My dream job would be an AR Manager. I live a few minutes from the Remo Corporate Offices so, I'm going to try to get my foot in the door as an intern and work my way to that DREAM JOB! 🤩

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Hey Johnny, thanks for your feedback and sharing your experience

[@michaeldunagan8268]

Loved the first 11:00 or so minutes! Learned so much.

[@anne-mariev.3295]

Super useful video, as I’m about to replace all of the cymbals that came with my kit!

[@DrBackBeat]

You have no idea how incredibly helpful this video is. Well, of course you probably have a very solid idea how helpful it is as you've decided to make it. Aaaaanyway just deconstructing the simple variables of a cymbal is just something you don't often see, especially when you get to put identical cymbals next to eachother with only one factor differing. Great stuff! I must ask, and this would be even more fantastic and interesting: when will you be doing this with drums? It would be INCREDIBLY useful if you were to go to a manufacturer and put drums side by side with only one variable changing, so we can learn about bearing edges, wood types, depth vs. diameter, thickness, reinforcement hoops, stave vs solid.....I hope I'm not describing an Everest of work here but I would definitely put it on a loop and share this with everyone I know. And, you know, perhaps a collaboration with Sounds Like A Drum would be very helpful in this!

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thanks so much for your comment! Really glad you liked the video. We're constantly thinking about making something like this possible for drums. We did something similar for bass drum sound already but the more mechanical aspects might need an additional video. First thing we will probably cover are snare drums. Just a video about different material, size, depth and shell thickness will be a huge lot of work and a lot of drum equipment we will have to organize in advance. But this will surely happen. We are also working on a different project right now that might make stuff like this easier to realize in the future, so make sure to stick around for some news in the near future :)

[@DrBackBeat]

@@ArtOfDrumming Thanks for getting back to me so elaborately. I can hardly imagine the work it would take to make a proper and in-depth video like I proposed, let alone one that's not hours long, haha. Great to hear that it's in the works, can't wait. I'll be sure to keep an eye out. All the best!

[@TheBawss90]

Super video thanks!

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@davidmcaninch4714]

Big fan of the Zildjian A Custom cymbals!!!

[@danfoland2698]

I got every kind of symbol on my drum kit I've been playing since the late sixties,,, my all-time favorite with the original k cymbals,, I switched to pasty and then sabian I think now I use one zildjian .

[@geralddrums]

Ein sehr cooles Vergleichsvideo!!! Viele Grüße Gerald

[@iamrovai]

okay but we just take a second to appreciate how ABSOLUTELY CLEAN the audio was in that intro???? 👀

[@CUZ_2]

Here's how I buy cymbals. I go in the drum store & regardless of brand, I buy what sounds appealing to my ears. I have a mix of various brands but mainly a Zildian & Paiste combination.

[@smpmusiclinksstudio2769]

Thankyou 🎉

[@boomerguy9935]

I would have also liked to have seen the difference in weights with the ride cymbals. The crash cymbals didn't really tell me much.

[@DeltaXY]

I regret my K custom fast crash 16 😭 but I ve now A thin 17&18 and I love it 😍

[@jcsk8]

Great video. I always tought that the customs were more brilhante than the A´s. I have to relearn.

[@mikegarwood8680]

When I discovered Istanbul Cymbals in 1990, I knew this was the way to go. There is no excuse for any drummer to ever have to suffer the "Big 4" ever again.

[@jasonramsden8084]

I love the sound of the trashy crash and Splash cymbals.

[@ntrakit6]

May have to look into the Zildjian A new beats.

[@RevM6565]

Nice. I use over 100 Z's on my set.

[@mitzo4526]

I wish I had the money for most of these cymbals

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

I always want an 18 inch crash Sabian and the same size for the Sabian China for my drum kit. but also some 10 inch splash with the similar sound. the only difference when cymbals can have last long 8 years when you play the crash so hard while playing along with a rock song that can be break by heavier drumsticks.

[@bpooboi]

The most gnarly work uniforms ever

[@andrewallenpainter1616]

This video made me wanna investigate flat rides some more…

[@J_Z666]

A’s all day I’m glad I got them

[@sfsandman4489]

the only way to buy a cymbal is in person and actually trying it out. You could have 10 of the exact same cymbal and like one a little better. Cymbal sound is a personal preference and what one person might think sounds good another person will not like. Just because a cymbal looks like it sounds good doesn’t mean you’ll like it when played. My past experience buying many cymbals over the decades, so IMO😊

[@poisonedfilms1881]

Could you do a video on the tuning of Nick Masons kit?

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Yes he’s on our list! Definitely someone we have to add to our series in the future thanks for bringing his name up 👍

[@poisonedfilms1881]

@@ArtOfDrumming ah, thank you so much

[@NOAHCASAS]

@ 12:04 I LIKE HOW HE EXPLAINS HOW THEY DON'T HAVE 97% CONSISTENCY IN SOUND AND MAKING CYMBALS SO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS BRAND YOU HAVE TO TEST A FEW AND WHEN YOU FIND GOLD THEN YOU'RE GOOD BUT WHEN THEY BREAK OOHHH WELL GOOD LUCK IN FINDING THAT MAGIC SOUND AGAIN

[@benpeterson7530]

I love the couple A customs I have. I do think the description of not as cutting as the A, a bit more glassy is correct. My favorite of my A customs is the 18", but it brings a tear to my eyes that it has a few cracks now.. I bought it used over a decade ago as a self taught drummer with terrible technique and 2B sticks. I'll probably buy another, but cymbal prices are pretty insane these days. I'll have to keep my eyes on the used market. That China should be flipped over. I think almost everyone who plays a China inverts it. I think for people listening would want the sound of it while inverted.

[@smpmusiclinksstudio2769]

Interesting 😅

[@tadehpetrossian5698]

Dose anyone know what cymbals lars ulrich uses

[@serafim4194]

what is zildjian cymbal sound clear and glassy..?

[@BeesWaxMinder]

BeesWaxMinder 0 seconds ago Do you think that higher pitched/brighter sounding cymbals are inherently bad at recording? I mean, for recording purposes, should we be looking for darker sounding rides?

[@hkschubert9938]

My box came with a 16" & 18" & 20" & my hi hats are 14" all by Zildjan.

[@7171jay]

Hoped this would include what makes a fast crash cymbal fast besides it simply being in the name. I've listened to a few that claimed to be fast but still the decay seemed to be a bit long.

[@ArtOfDrumming]

The A fast crash is a lot thinner than a regular A crash. This enables a fast decay and also a very quick response. The bell shape is also a little different. I would say a little smaller which leads to less projection. From what I know the fast crashes are even thinner than the thin crash we compared in the „weight“ section with the regular A crash and the heavier A rock crash.

[@7171jay]

Thanks... so what is the fastest "fast crash"???

[@user-bk3bp5yy7m]

I don’t know if it’s the cymbal quality or the players but I’ve seen a lot of cracked cymbals over the years . If it’s the cymbal , I suspect improper annealing . I agree , you can modify drums a lot but you can change a cymbal much , an investment but at $ 100-400 per , most people can’t afford many .

[@RageMachineAgainst]

Vanna!

[@Skelter_Stash578]

You guys forgot to upload the Psychosocial recreation, Will you guys upload it?

[@ArtOfDrumming]

Hey alfonso. Thanks for the hint. Will discuss it with the team!

[@Skelter_Stash578]

@@ArtOfDrumming ok, thanks :)

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

Pascal should have build a percussion toms beside a Keg Barrel and a military snare drum.

[@kennethlanning4694]

Kinda wild seeing someone from the actual Zildjian factory putting a china with bell side up...

[@martinleicht5911]

🍺 😎 👍

[@wbfaulk]

Jordan, the cymbal developer, the guy who demonstrated the symbols, was great, though i would have also liked to have seen a comparison between dimpled and undimpled cymbals and between different dimple patterns (and hammer textures, if that's a separate difference). The artist relations guy, though, didn't provide any useful information, especially in the context of "Finding Your Own Drum Sound".

[@jameslyons1661]

❤️🥁❤️🏁👍

[@benjaminolsen8774]

Great video, but i gotta come clean. I can’t stand Zildjians A series. A custom or the traditional A… horrible!

[@willymccabe6602]

Um, AoD dude...heavier weight cymbals have a higher pitch than the same cymbal of a thinner weight.

[@lucianodutto]

Amazing. Today, Meinl is killing them.. all.

[@Bennys.Basement]

Call me crazy but drum cymbals are the same shape as UFO’s…. I wonder if that’s how they travel using sound vibrations 😅

[@ghostsmoke11]

Put down the bong dude

[@dog_biter]

Women owned business,,amazing history!

[@noaheslinger1867]

not gonna lie i kinda hate A customs. they just have way too much ping and hum for my liking

[@CharlesTPrimm]

I miss Paul Francis.

[@allancueto22]

Are we sitting and hitting the china in the wrong way? 😮😅

[@ArtOfDrumming]

There's no right or wrong way. But yeah that's the way it was originally meant to be. But if you place it like in the video and hit it hard you are always hitting the edge of the cymbal what will wear out your sticks pretty fast and the probability of cracks is also pretty high. So for a longer life of your china cymbal: The wrong way is the right way :D

[@tomjones2348]

I find this very difficult to listen to. I hear words put together in a stilted manor, but the vernacular is not helping me understand what's being described. Why not simply demonstrate each aspect of the sound on the cymbal itself? It's like you're describing a painting technique while we sit in the dark.

[@wbfaulk]

Skip to 3:24. That's the beginning of the practical demonstrations of differences in weight, size, texture, and shape. That said, I'm not sure what was "stilted" about his speaking _manner._

[@jonhattanrai]

Why would you fly half the globe for this when you have Meinl right there in Germany... So basically this is a Zildjian ad hahahahahahahahahahahHaha

[@ArtOfDrumming]

The reason is that Zildjian does all manufacturing processes in house. Meinl just does the final manufacturing processes in Germany when it comes to the professional lines. There was no paid adds or whatsoever involved.

[@jonhattanrai]

@@ArtOfDrumming there's nothing wrong with being sponsored, and Zildjian is a great company.

[@boomerguy9935]

These Zildjian guys are good but nobody beats Paul Francis. Zildjian lost a major investment in his 30+ years of experience when they let him go.

[@Incountry]

The zildjian guy isn’t good at his job, too many stops due to thinking, too many “er’s” and “um’s”, send him back into the factory to clean up…

[@sweetdrahthaar7951]

He’s actually quite knowledgeable and good at giving a presentation. I’ve been a drummer for around 60 years and I’ve got some great cymbals, all of them Zildjian’s. This young man representing Zildjian just gave you a lesson and I’m sure there’s lots of information there you didn’t know. Can only imagine what kind of a lame comment you would come up with when people are discussing .556 versus .223 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@xzachthedrummer]

maybe he's really good at his job and not used to being infront of a camera....

[@Incountry]

@@sweetdrahthaar7951 Don’t let yourself wander into an area of small ordnance and it’s theories my friend, 19+ in service and now 12 as a PDO and used its variances as well as preferences used in my duty tours today, and as far as his presentation skills, well, that’s rather poor due to the breaks and lack of vocabulary causing said mentioned “”, and there wasn’t anything relevant or reveling in this video that made me think I lacked any comprehension or already knew of said cymbals characters, that’s why the comment left… You may well critique my overall comment but cannot justify your replied comment on either as not actually knowing anything about the guy and nothing about my experience in any of these fields… You have a nice day now….🤫

[@Incountry]

@@xzachthedrummer Irrelevant, as when on subject you ignore the small cameras and focus on point…. Like many musicians who are employed within a particular segment of said industry, there’s no doubt at one time they’ve played in front of many or just a few with band members/concerts, high school band, college band, etc etc, to get this job at zildjian you’ll need to be somewhat competent in that field as you’ll need to demo it at NAMM or Apollo Expo’s so public talks and cameras are abundant…

[@xzachthedrummer]

@@Incountry 😂

[@gregmorrow]

I own 1-month-old L80 cymbals which look terrible. Your website says, "The sandblasted finish may show fingerprints after handling. If fingerprints are left in place, a natural oxidation will develop. If desired, these cymbals can be cleaned with a clean, dry cloth. Do not clean your L80s using cymbal cleaner or any other type of cleaning product as this may alter the finish in unintended ways." Have you found a way to remove fingerprints?