Which Cymbals RECORD Better? [Zildjian A's vs K's]

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Which of these two favorite cymbal lines actually records better? The classic Zildjian A’s, or the darker, thinner Zildjian K’s? Now that’s a bit of a loaded question, because we know that recording situations vary from one another. Different styles of music demand different sounds, not to mention individual tastes vary between drummers. But looking at these two cymbal lines objectively… What are the actual differences?…and which cymbals are really the “better” cymbals that YOU should invest in? Cymbal choice can become a very extensive topic, all dependent on your personal taste and musical style. There are so many options out there that cymbal shopping can feel overwhelming. Hopefully the comparison today between the two main categories of cymbals will help you discover what your ear prefers, and you can continue your own research from there. Whether you’re looking for cymbals that will cut through a bright, dense mix, or you need something a little more mellow and dark, today’s comparison should help you hear the real differences between a bright cymbal and a dark cymbal. Whether or not we truly discover the best sounding cymbal out there, I don’t know! But I will demonstrate some of my favorites.
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[@sccdrum93]

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[@danielduncan5719]

Hey man just wanted to see your thoughts on mute cymbals? I’m thinking about buying some and would like to know more and I trust your judgment!!

[@juniormiller1649]

I know this is about cymbals but what drum heads do you use? They sound great.

[@shadowseal22]

I'd pick the A's every day. While the K's sound a little nicer on their own, when it comes time to put them in a mix, the A's just sit in a much nicer part of the frequency spectrum. Especially on things like the crash on the ride, you are getting close to starting to meddle in the upper frequencies of vocals, and the extreme high end of a distorted guitar. Because of this they are likely to get buried into the mix (which might be what you are going for on a session). The shift brighter just leaves the A's in an easier to work with situation. There is a reason why a lot of the cymbal sounds, on a lot of older pop songs, feature brighter cymbals, it just fits better in that context.

[@mrthundaboots]

I play K’s and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love how they explode then slowly mellow out...

[@bacobill]

K's all the way for over 30 years.. They have aged beautifully.. 20" Custom Dry Ride, two 16" Dark Crashes, and a K bottom cymbal on top of a Quick Beat (A) bottom.. It makes me smile with pride just writing about them.. Thanks as always for a great informative video.

[@seadkolasinac7220]

@@cDisturbed. absolutely

[@surfing636]

I like the crash sound of the K's, quick and explosive with fast decay. I use Paiste 2002, has similar properties of decay. But really, I've seen drummers use mismatched cymbals to their advantage, and sound great. This comparison, the K's work for me.

[@patrickmcleod111]

Yeah, and there's NO law that states that you must consistently use cymbals from the same exact model line. Although you do see drummers with a bunch of cymbals from the same line.

[@Gavynnnnn]

I almost completely mix my cymbals, haha. I use the A custom 17” crash and A Custom 10” Splash, but I use an A 20” Earth Ride, 14” Heartbeat Studio hats, and an 18” K Custom Dark crash lol

[@ricmmatias]

I've had this struggle for years, A's or K's, among others. Not easy to sum this up, but here is the big picture I've learned: - smaller stages (bars, small venues, etc): use lighter, darker cymbals, such as K's, to balance the sound and the whole strength applied on the kit. You don't want to apply different strength of hands in case, for ex., one is ridding and the other hitting the snare. - bigger outdoor stages you should use brighter cymbals, especially in more intense performances. An example, I just looove my 17 and 18 K Custom Special Dry, but when playing rock on a big stage, not good. Remember, you get a lot of acoustic pressure from the kit itself, not just through in-ear ou amplified monitoring, and when you are hitting hard and sound seems to "vanish" quickly, you need brighter and more sustainable cymbals. On big stages, the A's are better suited (HH new beats, 18 medium and 20 heavy ride), mixed with other brighter cymbals. Its so cool to be punching a ride in the chorus, hearing the sound opening up more and more, you start hitting even harder, it opens more and more, until you feel you are about to break the stick and the cymbal is still "is that all you've got?" :) - for recording, use whatever you like, but keep in mind what you learned from this video and place the different cymbals where they will be hit nice and open while reaching the mics in a balanced volume all around.

[@SandalwoodBros]

Totally. The venue/room/stage matters immensely.

[@mikemike7345]

I like them both but I prefer the A's just my personal preference

[@user-tz6jl7qt8k]

Lucky you haha

[@faioladrums]

Mike Mike. I play A Customs. I’d honestly prefer them

[@RileyTRC]

The drum set I use for high school has a k crash and ride but an A hi hat And it’s a really good sound But either way they are too expensive to use at home

[@aloblivion7041]

I've never played K's but I played the A's and really like them. But are K's better than A's?

[@aloblivion7041]

@Club Soda Good point, anyways I put the A's on a slight advantage just because they are more affordable than the K's

[@fazotakeiteasy]

I use a combination of all of them - traditional A's , Custom A's , K's and other types as well. You can't just be a fan of one type... each brand and model presents unique sounds. At the end of the day as long as you play well ... thats all that matters!

[@Rscanlon322]

Idk I’m thinking A Hi-hat, A ride but K crashes

[@BRANDRUMZ]

weird i’m thinking the opposite!!!

[@leea1809]

I think personally there’s a big difference even between the normal K line and the K Customs, which you showed here. I personally own the regular 14” K hats and 20” ride and prefer those to the K Customs, but I also understand it’s all a personal preference. It might have been worth noting that these aren’t regular Ks so some viewers don’t get confused.

[@thejoanz]

Lee Austin would have been better to compare K and A. Not K custom and A

[@BayouMaccabee]

Great video, great channel. I use mostly K's myself...big fan, especially of the Constantinople series. If you can somehow borrow some cymbals from the other top manufacturers as well, it would be really cool if you could do the same comparision with some of these: Sabian (AAX vs. HHX) Paiste (2002 vs. Dark Energy) Bosphorus (Traditional vs. Master) Dream (Dark Matter vs. Bliss) Istanbul Agop (Traditional vs. Agop Signature) Meinl (Byzance Dark vs. Byzance Traditional) Or don't...either way I'll still watch and like your channel.

[@upsidedownquarterbackcente8025]

What do you think of the ones that were made and Istanbul? 20 in period. And what do you think they're worth?

[@ryebread7224]

They’re both two of my favorite line of cymbals. I prefer all of the K’s, excluding the new beats. I love those hats!

[@DanielDahleJohansen]

K's for ride and one crash, A's for hi-hat and the other crash. Mix it up!

[@jacobwalker925]

Agree

[@robertreedy414]

Yup!

[@cremebrulee6667]

Definitely would have both 18" crashes

[@harrytelfer7298]

I'm not a diehard Zildjian user, but the A Customs are some of the best looking and sounding cymbals out there

[@23ograin53]

My reason for choosing the KCD series was the same as yours, particularly the crashes. After listening to every line I could find, this was the one (excluding extra dry cymbals of course) with NO unpleasant high overtones. Many cymbals record nicely but these sound incredible in an acoustic setting too.

[@Rustyjamesman]

Ks will always be my favorite, I love the crisp warm darkness they give off, especially 18in crash and their hihats

[@boomerguy9935]

Even within the same style, the difference in weight/thickness makes a difference. For instance, my 18" A Medium Crash sounds different from my 18" A Medium-Thin Crash - much more than you would think. A little extra detail in WHICH thickness you are using in all of them would help.

[@Brosenbrose]

I would love to see a vid comparing Ks with A Customs. I've had a full set of A Customs (14" Fast Crash, 15" Projection Hats, 17" Crash, 18" EFX Crash, 20" Projection Crash, 22" Medium Ride) for years and am interested in adding some Ks to my collection.

[@scottshields3054]

Definitely an interesting video. As a recording engineer, something that a whole lot of people don't think about is swapping out mics to change how things like cymbals sound in a mix. For example, if someone comes in and they have really bright cymbals, I might use something like a pair of Audix ADX51's to dull them up a little bit. If they're too dark, I'll reach for some AKG 451's because they typically have a much brighter sound. If they're sounding fine and I want a neutral mic, I'll reach for some Lewitt LCT 340's.

[@MatthewBarelick]

Both sets sound incredible together a lot of Grammy award winning drummers use both together!

[@JeffreyMiddelveld]

Nice comparison! I also had the K and A series. I found the K series brighter in the mix, the A series were warmer and fuller in my opinion

[@tommystroupe1289]

Thanks for actually telling the one you prefer man!most don't.great job!

[@danebono7667]

Depends on how they fit into the context of the music/overall mix. There's scenarios where one works better than the other, and vice versa.

[@jefferys8561]

Thank you for this. I was debating between A's and K's and ended up with a full set of K Darks (16",17",18",20" & 14" hats). Love them for basement playing..

[@Ahazzard39]

I personally think that most younger drummers are using "darker" sounding cymbals these days. It's just an observation, it's not say it's a bad thing, it's just not surprising to me that he chose the K's?

[@leeschmitz993]

Well, it was the same from the late 50s-late 70s. Drummers then were inspired by jazz, and classical musicians. What happened is that the drummers who made up the music scene from the mid 80s to the early 2000s often were taught by other rock drummers. That's actually where the first loud rock cymbals came from. But even in the late 70s, and 80s, your more rounded drummers were burying their cymbals, or buying used ones. They were doing anything in order to reclaim the classic jazz cymbal sounds of the past. Drummers are once again finding their roots in jazz, or classical music. That's why "darker cymbals" are flying off the shelves. It's also what keeps drumming from being completely automated.

[@codymeng1580]

Maybe they can still hear all the transient frequencies? JK they both sound great but I have to say I found myself liking the k's more. I like the thinner cymbals because they react faster

[@andrewmayer2443]

I swear by ZBT’s and A Customs. I love bright cymbals

[@Hayden2002WX]

I don't know, dude. I'm 16, and all my drummer friends love bright cymbals. I myself love the brightness and the brilliance of the Sabian AAX Explosion line, as well as the Zildian ZBT line. They are practically the only cymbals I use.

[@heavy4caliber]

K’s just sound better. I’m 44 fyi.

[@friggenjoe4092]

This actually may have helped me in my next cymbal choice :0 good shit man!

[@allanenglandthedrummer6451]

friggen Joe Really looking into cymbals there are sooooo many cool cymbals in Zildjian that have eluded so many people. The custom darks and the regular A series like new beats and avedis are popular but look into the K hybrid series, K sweet series, K Constantinople, Kerope series, or even the new S series. I like K better but look into the deeper A lines and there are a few good things in there too. Seriously good cymbals in all of those line ups!

[@BayouMaccabee]

@@allanenglandthedrummer6451 Yep..agreed. K Constantinople are the best sounding cymbals I've ever played, especially their ride cymbals...so warm and silky and smooth. (P.S. it helps to say those last six words in that silly Adam Sandler voice)

[@msgdob86]

I've had A Mastersound Hats and K Hats, A Medium Thin Crash and Sweet Ride and K Custom Dark Crash, as well as a K Custom Organic Ride. As I've gotten older, I have come to prefer to lushness of the K sound, but the A's definitely have their place. I also used to have the A Custom Projection Crash. If you really want some explosion, get that or an EFX cymbal. Holy moly. All in all, K has become a more pleasing sound to my ear.

[@allanenglandthedrummer6451]

First comment and btw Zildjian K for the win!!! I just ordered some K Custom Hybrid Limited Reversible Hi-hats which I am super excited for! Oh and nice channel I’ve been subscribed for a while now cause you know what you’re talking about.

[@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN]

My preference: A hi-hat, everything else K. I don’t like how the initial wood stick hit sound on the K hihat sounds which is a dealbreaker for me. Otherwise the k hat sounds really good.

[@daniellllll45419]

I feel the same.

[@sweetlemon7488]

Preach

[@johncollins5552]

I feel much the same, it has to be said the thickness makes a big difference e.g. in the PST7 range the thin crash is great, the medium is OK and the heavy/rock is nasty, but the heavy/rock ride is great,while the light ride is too weak! You have to play them with your kit before you can find what fits your style.

[@pbaker7160]

I use a K top and A bottom for my hi-hats. It's a nice compromise between the two.

[@wernerjacobi6896]

Came here to agree. I play the A "New Beats" paired up with K Custom Dark Crashes in 14" and 16". For years, I had been playing on fairly dark (light) UFIP Hihat together with both K crashes. But when I recently went into a local shop to buy better matching k custom dark hats, after some extensive testing, I ended up bringing home the new beats, which get along very well with my pair of K crashes, a lot better than the k custom dark hi hat IMO

[@boomerguy9935]

This really is a loaded question, as you say, because there are SOOOOOO many variables. I have different sets of cymbals for different settings: small, large, indoor, outdoor, carpeted, wood or tile floors, up on stage or down on floor in front of stage, portable small dance floor on top of carpet. Every one of these settings makes each of my sets of cymbals sound differently. When I accept a job, my first question is about the room, floor and walls. Don't forget about the design and shape of the cymbal within A or K. Bell size, shape, hammering, etc. Then there is the matter of sticks. The kind of wood. Big, small, thick, thin, short long, nylon tip or wood tip, shape of tip. Brushes also come in different designs, sizes and designs. Rods. The list goes on and on. "One size does not fit all". I bought my oldest set of cymbals back in the 60's and they still travel with me to all of my jobs, whether I use them or not. I've probably gotten dozens of different sounds from them because of all of the above. Still, the above info is very interesting. Thank you.

[@phillipkidwell]

Great vid, I dig the K’s for that darker sound…great groove man.

[@drewfasa]

I went to my local music store expecting to go home with some K Darks and actually ended up going with Sabian hhx complexes instead. Highly recommended!

[@EricT43]

Good comparison. I have many of the same cymbals you tested, and I also prefer the K's. The Custom Dark sound great. As you said, the 20" ride is a little washy. I play in a fairly loud bar band and that cymbal is unusable in that situation. But with the blues trio I play with, it's great as a main ride for quieter situations, or as a left-side ride/crash for louder gigs. I recently picked up a 22" K Dark Medium Ride, and it is perfect for the rock band. Still has that dark K sound, but you can lay into it without it washing out. All that being said, a lot of great drummers play Zildjian A's. Peter Erskine uses New Beats, and many, many rock drummers use the A rides and crashes.

[@frodowatt4272]

I'm gonna get some A customs they sound do sweet and crisp there just music to my ears and great for gigs!

[@richardgoldman8761]

Jesse Oroaz Better wear ear plugs, A Customs hi end will destroy your ears.

[@fappozzo]

I have a killer hybrid set since 10 years. A custom crashes (16, 17, 19, 20), 14 A Armand hi hat, 21 A sweet ride. They are amazing and way more versatile than Ks.

[@FuriousTaco]

I have A customs on my set and love them. I've never met anyone who doesn't like them lol

[@tyguy805]

I'm constantly being told to play my A Customs quieter by the sound guys in bars. About to switch to Meinl Dual crashes

[@paradigmshiftz7]

@@tyguy805 Those are only just a little bit quieter.

[@doca9357]

good job of illustrating nuanced differences between two general types, louder/brighter, softer/lower toned especially for people who don't have access to a variety of makers and lines. Myself I prefer lighter, darker timbered cymbals which I also play quiet in general, though there are times and music genres or even specific pieces of music I finder brighter/louder cymbals fit the bill better than darker/softer cymbals.

[@coreyreynolds3585]

I love the Ks! I hear too many individual frequencies on the As, which kinda hurts my ears. As a recording engineer I agree with Stephen, I'd be doing a lot less notching in the overhead EQ with the Ks.

[@davidsuprenant893]

I am blessed to have a very very nice array of cymbals that I have acquired over the years. When I was playing out my favorite hi hats were 15"a zild.new beat.,20" a zild.ping ride,and 16" -18" a zild.thin crashes.They worked for rock,country,and blues.Fast forward to now in my studio I prefer 13-1/4 K hybrid hihats,16"&18" k session crashes,21"k hybrid ride and 14"&16" pstx Swiss effects cymbals by paiste.

[@ryanronson7259]

Good stuff like always Stephen. I personally prefer K's I like the darker thinner feel

[@BRADSLINKMAN]

I am just a basement player. I love the K crashes and A hats and ride. Thank you for the video!

[@josejuarez8227]

I'm a rock bass player and bought a set of K's in the past beause they make all of the instruments sound better. Especially during recording recording where the lower volume let the overheads to capture more of the toms and snare. Also, they are tuned lower so they fight less of the guitar frequencies.

[@upsidedownquarterbackcente8025]

Miami junker by trade and found a complete set of these Zildjian. The 20in one is marked Istanbul the other four are marked Zildjian made in the USA. What do you think the value of these are?

[@laurentzduba1298]

Very useful test. Probably the closest thing to a Zildjian versus Paiste on which cymbals record better.

[@thatguy8129]

This actually came at the perfect time. I am going into the studio in a weak and have been looking at renting ks. So thank you for helping!

[@avgdrummer]

Oh man, a comparison between things I actually have! I like playing the K (custom dark) better, but recording depends on the music I'm playing, and the sizes I have available (I have way more range with the A). I think it's a fair comparison. Good stuff man.

[@robertreedy414]

Depends on music, but Love As, Adore Ks. I am not a hard hitter. Really like Meinl Byzance also, as well as 14" zildjian Mastersound hats for country, big band and rock.

[@bobustoreit2949]

Definitely my A's and my K's have different musical applications. Between the two , I gravitate to my K's. But my most favorite versatile cymbals are my constantinople's! They sound good live and on recordings

[@onnxyeah]

That K Custom Dark Ride sounds phenomenal, I want 1!

[@abisaitagua391]

i have the A's and i really love them , i bought one K 18 for 7 dls and i didn't like it but it gave me 200 bucks !

[@e.henrythripshaw4554]

I came for the cymbal comparison, which was okay and interesting enough to watch. I subscribed because of the groove and the snare sound.

[@robinhoodwasasocialist.1401]

There's so much variability in b20 cymbals, especially with zildjian. I've heard a 17" "A" which sounded identical to an 18" "K."

[@justinwillms17]

Literally just bought the A cymbal pack. However, I would totally prefer the K dark cymbals. I am outfitting a Yamaha Rock Tour kit and plan to play in a rock cover band so the A's in this case actually made more sense. If I do worship recordings I think I will have to pick up some K's

[@hiptoalieu]

I've got a 17'' K custom dark crash that I LOVE!

[@oldbsturgeon5493]

I have all K cymbals, though they are a mix of a variety of types: 14 K hats, 16 K dark crash, 9 K custom hybrid splash 22 K kerope ride, and 18 K con crash.

[@NilsHedstrom]

I like mixning them! I'll always have my A sweet ride and then usually mixed with K crashes(Usually Dark thin) and an A custom hi hat

[@DynamicRockers]

Really nice video. in a busy mix, A series cymbals have a better readability. The best in between the K and A are the older A thin crash. They really are perfect for recording but more expressive for gentle drummers, you don't need to hit them like the As to wake them up.

[@jimhaas6487]

I have a set of A Customs (14 hats, 16 crash, 18 crash , 20 medium ride) and K’s (15” light hats, 17 dark thin crash, 19 dark thin crash, 22 light ride). Had the A customs for several years and planned to sell them after “upgrading” to the K’s a few months ago, which I thought are the superior line, but honestly, I find myself going back to the A customs when playing heavy rock that needs that quick, bright, cutting sound that the A customs deliver. I’m also very happy with the Ks. Neither is better, it’s all preference for what fits your style and taste.

[@user-tz6jl7qt8k]

Exactly! I wish more people understood this. It's not which is "better". Its whatever you prefer. Personally I love both. I own the same K set you have and I love it to death for the right musical context and nothing is better than hearing those A customs cut through a heavy roar of guitars. :-)

[@MrKockie69]

The K's crashes and ride sounds best to me, but the new beats have just the right cut and crisp that I like.

[@johnryan3374]

I like the K's for studio use, and the A's for live gigs.

[@Xtremecarfan10188]

I like the old school Jazz Setups which use both. A Hi-Hats K Crashes K Rides Its a true vintage feel so I can't decide on either.

[@kierenmoore3236]

This video was really helpful - thanks, Stephen. If you can borrow more cymbals for similar comparisons, that would be great - the format was really good/helpful. Cheers!

[@JessyDrums]

Thats so true...K's & K customs sound more pleasing to the naked ears bcoz they are lighter & darker. Even the k custom fast crashes are pleasing to the ears even tho its brilliant. That 18" k custom dark is my fav crash of all time!

[@ericg9092]

How about the K Custom Dark vs the K Custom Sweet? It's never easy with cymbals, is it? Lol I grew up playing drums, but sold my last kit 6 years ago when I was going through a divorce - I was using mostly A Customs when I sold it with A Sweet Ride and New Beat hi-hats. I'm looking at buying another set soon to get back into it for personal enjoyment, maybe playing out occasionally, but trying to decide on cymbals has been difficult.

[@Quartiano]

I use an A New Beat Top and a Sand Hat Bottom. 20” K ride and two 17” a custom crashes. I like my mix a lot. I’m not a crasher in my ride and I feel K’s are not as explosive nor do they open up as much to my ears. So i prefer K as a ride because it fits my playing habits. A 17” crashes literally just sound perfect in my ear. My hi hat mix is beefy and crispy. Love my current cymbals.

[@matthewhackett3429]

The K’s are nice but I love the high hat on the A’s. The ride I thought I would love the K’s so much more but was blown away by the A ride.

[@Zacharydderrick]

Put them in a mix with other instruments and the A's will probably mix better. Really depends on the recording application.

[@GamingDrummer89]

To be honest, the only one(s) I like here are the K Hi-hats. Nice and crisp with no annoying overtones. All of the crashes were too high pitched for me (especially the A's), and both rides didn't have the balance of stick definition and dryness that I like. I will say, though, that the K Ride here has a FANTASTIC crash sound. A crash I'd like to get at some point is Zildjian's 19" K Dark Thin Crash, but they're a bit expensive new and hard to find used.

[@pbaker7160]

Great comparison! However, the newer A's are thinner and much darker. I purchased the A Medium Thin crashes 16/18 in 2016 and they are sonically almost perfectly in between the Ks and As you demonstrated in this video. Even the New Beats and Sweet Ride are lighter now.

[@christhedrummerkimball]

I've always preferred A Zildjians, but both sound great. Thanks for the video!

[@ibleebinU]

Nice comparison video. I own 2017 A's and they are thinner than the older series. Still brighter than K's of any sort. That's by design, of course. The K custom dark's I have are from 15 years ago and are still among my favorites for all the reasons mentioned here. I have 2 kits setup so it's easy to swap out for whatever style or mood I'm in. Also have too many hats and rides to mention but it's what makes this hobby fun and interesting.

[@takingbackgames]

Super accurate breakdown of these cymbals. I’ve thought the same thing about the ride comparison. I just switched from the A Sweet Ride to the K Custom Dark Ride and I do miss some elements the sweet ride brings to the table, but overall much prefer the K’s as a series.

[@juniorsarmiento7292]

Awesome comparison video! Subscribed. Keep them coming, thanks👍🏼

[@soytodero]

Both Zildjian series had been selected by the most talented drummers to be used in recordings of emblematic songs in the history of music. The question of record better... but -for what-!: studio or live? music style, volume and intensity of performance, what other instruments and sounds accompany the arrangement, song structure, etc. -and-: choice of microphones, location and technique to be used. All these aspects define which series is more suitable. Which one?: Both A and K series are exceptional and have all kinds of thickness variations. Of course if you are playing just drums with no other music, and you hit the cymbals softly, the K's respond faster and with a fuller range of frequencies, perfect for practicing alone or for music and arrangements with low intensity instruments. But if you have an electric guitar full of saturation at high volume, the usually very thin Ks disappear, and that is fine: in this setting they can be useful for fast chops. But in high volume situations you really need heavy thick As hit harder, with their brightness, projection and volume.

[@DZNTZ]

Some A’s are great, 17” Fast Crash is a favorite, I have thin/thin 60’s A hats that I wouldn’t part with. But K Custom Dark are a much more refined, sophisticated sound. I own the A set - 21” Sweet, 14” New Beats, etc. and can’t really get into them anymore. K Custom Hybrid, Dark, K Sweet, regular K, all superior. Everyone is chasing that dark, Turkish sound today... A’s are feeling a bit outdated and reminiscent of hair bands and tight leather pants.

[@Pearl3Drummer]

Both sound great on the video

[@MBdrummer3288]

K’s all day long! Absolutely love that sound. So so good. Just love them.

[@thomasmoje5926]

Prefer 'A' thin crashes, and 'A' New Beat' hats, for their sheer 'cut'. However my best ride cymbal is an old 'K' 22" flat ride that is a sweetheart. Excellent stick definition and 'ping' without too much build-up into a roar. It is perfect for fast swing patterns. For rock gigs though it is a bit too dry and for those I use a 20" 'A' medium ride as my ride cymbal. My best hats? Would you believe an old Zildjian 'A' 15" top with rivets (which came with an old beat up drum kit in somebody's garbage!) paired with a heavy 'Zenjian' hand-hammered bottom that came with the same kit! Goes to show: pick cymbals by ear no matter what the brand.

[@simonhargreaves5123]

A sweet ride, K 18 and 14 hats, plus a 17" k medium thin dark - a perfect setup

[@danielburns4483]

What kit are you using? The kick is one of my favorite kick sounds. I don't hear enough sounding that good.

[@brianphillips9152]

A's are the obvious choice for heavy rock. I love my A Custom Projection hi-hats. Best pair I have ever owned.

[@brent3760]

To me, nothing beats old good As. Like small and block stamp 50s, and of course trans stamps. Those cymbals are so buttery and warm and work in absolutely ANY situation! It's my personal taste however. Some might absolutely disagree.

[@thomasgreen8532]

I agree, my ride is pretty dark and it tends to get lost in the middle of all the other sounds. I like the sound of the A crash but maybe not as much as the K. For the Hat ether will do. So probably a mix of both might provide so latitude in playing.

[@m4drums]

Thank you so much for this amazing comparison!

[@kevinjustus5249]

I use Ks and As. As a recording and mix engineer, I can tell you As fit better in the mix if you have guitars or a lot of instruments. Because they have to sit in the mix above those mid frequencies. A lot of the K's tone is going to be lost as it is in the after wash - which will get lost anyway. Ks are great if they are only competing against 2 -3 instruments (one of them a bass. Think jazz combo). Also you can tell very little about different cymbals of comparable sizes. You aren't going to be able to tell if that cymbal is a 19 K vs 18 A on the recording - so keep your setup simple. Your engineer will thank you and you won't be able to really tell the difference. The listener definitely won't.

[@fumedrummer]

Any ideas on how to learn which cymbal you're looking at if the decals are all gone?

[@DropFive0]

Right now, I have new beats and a 21 K sweet ride. Looking into A custom for crashes.

[@rhythmista7707]

I'm going to purchase the K custom dark ride this weekend..

[@Severen45]

I'm a Sabian guy but I'm a big fan of the K's.

[@lancetothebeat]

This video was really helpful! Thank you, Stephen!

[@CameronBartholomew]

I'd say the K's sound better for everything except the hi-hats, where I would take the New Beats. I just think the K hats are too mellow. I like more brightness and cut in my hats for crisp articulation. As for the ride cymbals, I kinda didn't like either one. The K has nice tone and wash, but not great stick definition... while the A just has a rather harsh tone. There's gotta be better ride options out there.

[@micaelmunoz5417]

A custom's is the answer 🙌🏻 still i have a K constantinople 16" crash in my setup but it's mostly A's.

[@HorologicRannygazoo]

This was really helpful and exactly what I needed to listen to.

[@paulnuccio3114]

I was an "A" fan until I heard Tony Williams. Then I was like: "what kinda cymbals are THOSE??" I was aware of K's, but never really heard them before I heard Tony play them. It adds up, because he was a Gretsch guy, and for a long time, Gretsch was the exclusive source of K's. I had acquired a new (used) set of Tamas years back, which came with a Paiste "Rude" ride, which I hated. It gave me an excuse to hunt around for a K ride, and it didn't take me long to find a sweet 20" one. I added an 18" K crash/ride later. I'm really unfamiliar with K hats, so I'll have to check them out next.

[@michaeleagle2]

K's to me have so much more character. K Custom Dark/Special Dry/ All so good. The K Custom Hybrids are my go to. With some Dark and Special Dry pieces.. Melodic!!

[@rebarker87]

That’s just what I found out. I bought a used K Dark 22“ ride because of the series’s reputation to replace my 22“ Avedis ride. But I mostly use my ride as a big crash - it’s for hardcore. So I was fairly disappointed when I played it. Cause, as you said: the A‘s are way louder and crash better, too. I would just have destroyed the expensive K ride in the long run. Would have needed your video before I bought it. Thank you anyway for supporting my opinion.

[@ronaldzeoli7528]

I had both a 17 and a 15K custom dark crash that I absolutely loved for years but I fine now that I like the medium thin A's so I guess I like them both but right now I'm playing the medium thin a crashes 16 and 18.

[@jakesterfiddle]

I prefer the A hi-hats and the K cymbals. A ride for rock and metal, K ride for anything slower and less energetic, or if you're a player who likes to use the ride as another crash a lot

[@adamwasthefirstman]

Totally with you on the K Custom Darks. Especially when tracking. The hats have a much more controllable bleed into the snare mic. Also, if I need to brighten them in the OH mics, it generally benefits the entire OH capture. Trying to eq out problematic frequencies in A cymbals often leads me to having to relegate my overheads to just being cymbal mics. The K Customs are also super forgiving dynamically. The drummer definitely doesn't have to work as hard to self mix. Not talking smack about A's, considering I think the Uptown ride is my next purchase, but that might as well be a K anyhow. Awesome video!

[@seppoinnanen5577]

The both series sound ok to me. Usually, the medium cymbals of the weight range sounds kind of mediocre. Being an Agop man with quite thin cymbals I'd not like to use a 16" medium crash. Usually they sound a bit clangy because they are too thick for the size. But everyone has their own tastes. Thanks for the great comparison :)

[@maxlong3280]

My set up is 14 k dark hats 20 k custom medium ride (want to get a k light or sweet) 19 k sweet crash 18 k fast crash I’m a K man all the way!

[@tomhalbouty3653]

Interesting comparison. I have been playing a long time and have found some As can sound very much like Ks as there is some variation between samples within a given cymbal model. I've settled on two sets of cymbals, standard Zildjian Ks for most gigs that are miked and my old As for unmiked gigs. For me, the standard (Dark) K line cymbals are a bit more versatile than the custom Ks. They project a bit more than the K customs but are darker and more complex than the As. These are all good cymbals though. To my ears, the older vintage As can sound very good and some of the very recent As sound great too. There was a period where it seemed that Zildjian almost intentionally messed up the A series. They are now much closer the the sound of the classic As played by Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, etc. Years ago, my teachers taught me the importance of hand picking individual cymbals that sound great as a collection vs buying a pre pack which may or may not blend harmonically.

[@cruzcontrol1303]

Ive never heard such juicy sounding drums