Why Do Bright Cymbals Suck? | Bright vs. Dark Cymbals

[@drew_the_drummer]

Disclaimer I don't actually hate bright cymbals and I also don't mean the extremely dry cymbals when I say dark. The cymbals you like is totally valid and I am sharing the things I know about dark and bright cymbals and would like to encourage people to try out different things just because they might like it. I have always used bright cymbals and avoided dark ones but it fun to finally use and own a darker cymbal. New sounds breed creativity. I hope you have a great day.

[@meekoloco]

I see your point. I’ll say from many years playing in different groups and venues, it’s good to have a mixture of bright and dark cymbals to create a complex textural palette of choices. For example, most darker rides don’t cut as well as brighter ones for louder music. I can totally see having mostly darker crashes for most situations. And really, 2 sets of hats, a bright and a dark model, is a necessity for covering multiple venues and genres. I dig the Omni!

[@Es-ch3nn]

I prefer smaller bright cymbals when recording ... and big dark cymbals when playing LIVE.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Interesting. What is the reason for that? I appreciate you watching commenting.

[@mattvdh]

I like the left side crash being dark, right side bright. It's a good contrast and musical sounding .

[@DrumAttic]

You have a tremendous sense of humor, man! Great video!

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks so much I appreciate. I'm glad you think so

[@Jimbo386000]

I like the complexities of dark cymbals, but I also like the clarity of bright cymbals. I want a set of each.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Fair enough. There is a place for both.

[@Lupine.]

I definitely prefer bright hats. They seem less "boxy" when closed.

[@Jimbo386000]

@Lupine. I understand what you mean. I never thought of the word boxy but it makes sense.

[@lorelledouglas3699]

Such a good video with a demonstration of your new cymbal at the end. And it sounds great! Keep up the videos 😁

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks ☺️

[@danschilcher1123]

Context is very important. If you are looking for cymbals that will stand out in the mix or you are looking to carve out your own frequency range, bright cymbals may be better. Most music is pretty heavy in the kids and lows, but there is usually more space in the higher frequencies. If you are looking for something a little more complementary, dark cymbals usually sit in the mix a little better. It is primarily a matter of situation and taste.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Exactly! Finally someone gets what I was trying to say. Thanks for watching and I appreciate you commenting. You are exactly right when it comes to context being important as well as personal preference.

[@zachary813]

I like the big dark cymbals: 16" K Sweet Ride hi-hat, and 23" K Sweet Ride.

[@DougDrums]

The Sabian HHX Complex is a fantastic line of cymbals! I have the 15” hats (best hats I’ve ever owned, and I’ve had many over nearly 50 years of playing), 16” and 17” crashes, and a 20” medium ride - all from the Complex line. I also have a 15” AAX Studio crash (which is a little bright) that I use as a large splash 😊. I was a Zildjian guy for many years, but was never satisfied completely, especially with the high hats I had owned and tried out. When I heard the HHX Complex hats, and then crashes and ride, I was in love. As you said, they are more subtle, a little bit. But they sound so rich and deep. Great video! And nice playing on the demo portion as well. 😎

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks so much Doug!

[@hiptoalieu]

Best Brilliant Crash EVER 19” AAXPLOSION Fast Crash

[@drgutai1]

Dude, thanks a lot! I understand what you are saying with people complaining to drummers about the noise. In close up situations, what can you do to make cymbals quieter? Tape them up? EW, no! You can always dampen snare and toms np, but cymbals? No, you loose all expression from the cymbal. I recently had a chance to test an omni and I was blown away to say the least. So so responsive and can be played quiet. Seeing how well the omni compliments the hhx in your video has persuaded me to get them both. Waiting now for them to arrive. Can't wait!

[@drew_the_drummer]

That's awesome dude I'm glad I had a part in your choice. Hopefully you love them and they work well for you. Thanks for the great comment

[@redonred0924]

I bought the 22" Complex Thin Crash from a local drum shop about a year ago, and fell in love with it. So much so that I bought the 15" Medium Hats, the 22" Thin Ride, and the 23" Medium Ride. All in the HHX Complex line. The hats are pretty great, the 23" Medium Ride is.. Fine, I guess. But the 22" Thin Ride was definitely the unexpected treat of the bunch. It took some getting used to as I wasn't used to playing ride cymbals that thin at the time, but it's turned into one of my favorite, and most versatile cymbals. I play in a classic rock cover band, so it fits in perfectly with that type of music. It's also very cashable, in fact, I'd argue it sounds better as a crash than the actual 22" Complex Thin Crash. It's much smoother, and less harsh sounding. Whereas the crash feels more like a "novelty item" for show when you hit it, the ride sounds more like a conventional crash cymbal when crashed. This is great for live-gig situations as it saves me from having to bring a second crash cymbal, and by extension, more gear to the gigs. When you're your own roadie/drum tech, less is more. So, in that regard, the HHX 22" Complex Thin Ride is the MVP in my setups.

[@drew_the_drummer]

The 22" HHX thin ride has to be one of the best cymbals! I got it just for the reasons you mentioned. I only use one crash so I needed it to be a crash as well as a ride. It does the job beautifully. Thanks so much for watching! Hopefully I can join you in playing the 15" hhx complex hats. They are next on the list that and a 20" hhx complex crash

[@Superball01]

So I’m not in a band and haven’t ever played live or in a studio, but I’m very picky about cymbals. For some background, I play mainly classic rock, pop, metal, some country now and again, rap and a few other genres. I’ve never been a fan of thin and dark cymbals, I play decently hard and have broken thinner cymbals, partly because I used to use bad technique as well. I find that medium-heavy weighted cymbals are truly a perfect middle ground for all applications, at least in my opinion. But I do love bright and heavy cymbals a whole lot, not extremely heavy and loud like RUDE cymbals, but more like Sabian AA cymbals. I mainly play pop and classic rock as of late, and I think brighter cymbals work better there, in my opinion. Dark cymbals just aren’t my thing, but some of them sound absolutely great.

[@Lupine.]

I think the AAX Mediums are the best all-purpose series on the market. The hi-hats are my favorite; and I'm a Paiste Stan.

[@Superball01]

@@Lupine. Agreed, the AA cymbals work in just about any song you put them in, and some of the best records out there have Sabian AA cymbals on them. If the brand I use ever goes out of business, I’m switching to Sabian straight away.

[@nehu92]

I thought I was gonna hate you based on the title, but you are so nice! I'll subscribe :) Now, I'm planning on buying a new set of cymbals, and I know I'll end up buying both bright and dark crashes, but what surprises me is that when I search for the artists I like the most (Dom Howard, Zac Farro up to 2010, Travis Barker. the guy from The Strokes), they mostly use bright cymbals, so I wonder if darker cymbals are more Jazz or other styles oriented than Alternative Rock. Thoughts?

[@drew_the_drummer]

I am glad that you gave me your stamp of approval and you don't hate me haha. I do agree that the classic Punk or alt rock would use bright cymbals just based on the style and sound they were going for. These guys wanted complete clarity of every cymbal hit. Now dark cymbals are I believe more of a new wave of sounds across the board and even a lot of new metal drummers play really dark cymbals (Craig Reynolds, Gabe Helguera). I am just really enjoying the new different sounds to play around with that I've never used before. I would would definitely advise you test cymbals before buying them and make sure you are buying the ones that fit best with your sound and the music you want to play. Thanks so much for subscribing.

[@nehu92]

@@drew_the_drummer hahaha my pleassure! Ok! I'll check out Gabe's cymbal sounds, hope I can listen to them being used in I Prevail. I'll test everything and make my research, thanks!

[@drew_the_drummer]

Gabe just posted an I Prevail play through you can hear what he has on his kit

[@dustybaterista]

I agree with what you say my friend.. 100%!! I play a big set of Bright Zildjian A-Customs live and they work great in the studio as well... BUT... I recently switched to bigger cymbals and went with the Sabian HHX Complex Series Performance pack (Did a review as well) HOLY S*#*! THE BEST CYMBALS EVER!! Also gave me the options live that you talk about. I take those on the shows that are not as loud music or big venues and they totally make ALL the difference in the world as far as mixing in well with vocals and guitars! Good information! I hope to see you acquire more of that line in the future! I know that i will continue to build that line as well. I also added a 10" Splash that sounds amazing. Like another commentor said as well, i still run two Evolutions to give contrast. Keep doing a great job and building your channel! New sub here! Keep on Drumming!!

[@AJK.630]

It’s all in context of the music - gonna want a Paiste 2002 (bright/loud) cymbal if you’re trying to cut through the mix of Iron Maiden sound levels. Not going to want that 2002 if you’re playing small combo jazz. But there’s outliers, most legendary jazzers played very thin, washy dark cymbals. But Joe Morello played a brighter Zildjian A & Paiste 602 in Dave Brubek Quartet. And it was perfect under his hands. I played countless gigs with a Darker ride, hats, large dark crash and then a 17” Paiste signature fast crash, which is much brighter than the other cymbals. And it worked well. Had a little high end accent. I also played a 2002 flat ride & 22” K con and I used them to contrast sections . But it’s so matter of taste when you know what works and what doesn’t. HHX crash sounds so good here too! 😮

[@joachimluke]

Nice one dude! I'm just getting into darker cymbals, i also do gardening and some landscaping, keep rocking! 🤘🤘🤘

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks so much. That's awesome dude!

[@kevinbothwell8425]

Buy larger, darker cymbals for quieter rooms/smaller stages. Sound guys will adore you.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Nailed it! Thanks for watching

[@imthelaw74]

16 aax dark craah with a 17 aax explosion crash with a 24 aa bashride and 14 aa rock hats is my setup

[@jjb_stopmotions323]

On my drums I always prefer a dark crash and a bright crash, but I like dark ones more, just not dry ones lol

[@drew_the_drummer]

Sometimes it is nice to mix in a bright and dark sound.

[@jjb_stopmotions323]

@@drew_the_drummer yes it is

[@do8671]

Nice video man! I love those HHX's there amazing they have the perfect balance of everyting! What part of Canada are you from? Ontario? ...I am from New Brunswick, 2hours away from the Sabian Manufacture! 🙊 🤙🏼

[@drew_the_drummer]

That's awesome thanks for watching. I am from Ontario 2hours south of Toronto.

[@onnxyeah]

I prefer the sound bright cymbals make, I love how clean and pure they sound, I just dont like how loud they are, specially now im getting older and care more about protecting my hearing.

[@Jath2112]

Wow... you could land a helicopter on those hi hats and still have room to park a car. They sound fantastic....and I love how huge they are. Its like having two king sized mattresses on a pole.

[@regentsaquariums5692]

Dark cymbals are like a breeze to my ear. Brilliant ones are like glass quality sounding. Right in your face kind of thing.

[@Epiphoneplayah]

Feel like this channel should have a much bigger following than the sub count when I checked it after watching. I searched "why dry cymabls suck" to see if that's a real opinion and this came up lol. Don't know much about drums I'm a guitar player exploring drum terminology and ended up here!

[@drew_the_drummer]

Hey thanks for watching. I am trying my best to put out good content and hopefully I'll grow more.

[@mattermolecules6767]

I'm really enjoying hhx legacy, 15 hihats, 19 crash, 22 ride but now I wanna maybe mix in a complex crash. Sounds really good with the rest of your cymbals. Killer beats too.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks so much. I am loving the complex cymbals. The one cymbal I would love to add is the 22 complex thin ride.

[@MrJireh09]

Agreed......took me 10 yeras and a full cymbal change to be happy with my tone

[@drew_the_drummer]

Yeah I have gone through many cymbals now that I finally discovered my taste in sounds

[@BadChizzle]

Prolly already told you, but I bought a butt load of new cymbals… and I got some vintage Zildjians as well as new K sweets. Bam! Hey! “The melody Of the Words”… is my new band name. I like the idea of having cymbals from the 50s, 60s, 70s and now on my kit. Cuz bing bam boom and most of all Zoom! Bye

[@drewjonespdx]

what genre are dark cymbals best for?

[@drew_the_drummer]

Pop, rock, country, jazz, worship. You can play metal with them too but brighter cymbals are a bit better for metal. Dark Cymbals are best for any music that you would rather the them blend into the music rather than sticking out and cutting through the music. I hope that helps

[@mendozazairyljohn1896]

Anyone here using sabian AAX stage? I just wanted to ask how was the performance

[@seadkolasinac7220]

need to hit it incredibly hard to get anything out of it

[@hiptoalieu]

My two favorite actual crashes are my two 19” ones! And one is brilliant and one is not🤣

[@zachary813]

Sounds good.

[@Mike_Isakov]

довольно интересная мысль

[@siputai4321]

I like dark sound cymbals with rubber cymbal seat

[@drew_the_drummer]

Interesting.🤔 I've never used rubber cymbal seats. What does it do to the sound?

[@j-hop91]

HHX legacy is a great series too. Thats a tight sounding kit I agree. Dark cymbals ftw

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks. The legacy are great too

[@tylerbailey9329]

Hey, bright cymbals sound great with Iron Maiden ;)

[@drew_the_drummer]

You are so right. It is honestly all your application and what sound you are going for.

[@tylerbailey9329]

@@drew_the_drummer hey talking of new Sabian cymbals, I got a 16 AAX medium crash recently and I love it. It's actually really versatile.

[@drew_the_drummer]

That's awesome. I have 16" AAX iso crash and AA medium crash, they are great cymbals. I actually use them now as my main hihats. I got to hand pick the AAX iso crash off the shelf in the Sabian factory.

[@JasonWelchMusic]

I'm an A Custom kind of drummer.. yeah..one of those that hated Sabian. Why hate Sabian? ....Because I didn't know the difference between B8, B10, or B20. Every Sabian drummer I knew played B8s and they killed my ears... I thought it was just the brand. I knew that A Custom was substantially better sounding than ZBT, but never knew WHY. Now that I understand, I quit looking for brand names, and began looking for B20. STAGG DH, and Centent LAD sound like A Custom or AAX. But for half the cost... REALLY ... CHECK THEM OUT. I bought a used Wuhan 16" crash that is quickly becoming my favorite thing to record. I dont know why, but its SO pleasing to my ears. Now, someone rebranded Attack and Wuhan. So they have opened up a new line of Wuhan called Koi series. They're thinner, darker, smoother, and larger than Im used to playing... but they sound very similar to your new HHX. AGAIN... MUCH CHEAPER. I reccomend that you listen to several videos with QUALITY headphones... THEN tell me if you don't agree that they record almost exactly like yours. I'm so glad that I gave up being stuck on one brand.... and one sound. Now that I have found the joys of darker tones, my engineer hugged me.... 🤗 .......Edited: PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND..I LOVE YOUR NEW CYMBAL... IT'S FRIGGIN AMAZING! ...Recorded so very well, especially with your deep snare.. I could see it used in just about any genre with the right engineer behind the soundboard. I'm just saying to branch out from one brand, and see what's out there to enjoy. I love your passion for your gear... Very much so a replication of my sentiments about blending good tones. Whether Im finding the right mic for my harmonica, sax, or vocals, playing piano, guitar or anything else in the studio, my first goal is finding the best tone. Especially when I play pedal steel.... thats the hardest challenge for me... its all about BLENDING AND TONE.... New subscriber. Great video.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks so much for your awesome comment! It is true there are so many options out there and to be fully stuck on one thing would kinda not be the best. I love checking out new cymbals and gear and learning more about awesome sounds. Thanks for all the recommendations. I appreciate your support!

[@JasonWelchMusic]

@@drew_the_drummer rock on bro... Ive enjoyed several of your videos today.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks I'm so glad

[@Lupine.]

Brilliant cymbals are great for Metal music.

[@drew_the_drummer]

So true!

[@992ras]

I like mix of both, I don’t like overly dark or overly bright. Dude that’s why you have Gates Mainly live and Eq’s for help cutting certain of the harsh tones out. It’s also the placement of your mix. I don’t care what genre you play I will mic the drums the same way may use different mics but will always start the recording mix the same as well, adjust during a practice run. Cymbals can a be bitch one they get in every mic so lots of Eq and Gating during mix down. For my overheads I may have little compression and Eq but that’s about it. To me the driving cymbals are your hi hats that’s the ones you most have to watch in your mix especially with a good mic like Sm 81. I do feel hi hats should have some brightness so there not lost with the other cymbals in your mix. One of the secrets of cymbal is if there to bright tape always works to bring that sound out of the ambient mix which is what your talking about which all comes down to room sound, how much room resonance, sound reflections and ambient sound with in the room. Which happens with overheads and room mics. If your outside that changes everything about how you mix everything.

[@vincenzoa2929]

Exactly

[@ronjon5386]

I love bright cymbals

[@henrysmith8603]

Listen to The Sciences by Sleep and tell me that album would sound better with dark cymbals, just saying paiste 2002's are the goat for heavy music

[@drew_the_drummer]

It's all dependant on what sound is required. I agree punk metal and heavy music require sharp sounds to cut through and stand out. I didn't ever say that heavy music needs dark Cymbals. My point was if you play lots in small venues and want cymbals that blend in with most genres and sit down in the mix darks cymbals do the job nicely

[@chipsnegativeharmonyrips7187]

I listen to The Sciences by Sleep pretty much every week. I would put to you my hypothesis that the album would sound the same with almost any cymbals, considering that modern recording and production techniques allow each cymbal to be individually mic'd, eq'd, compressed, and mixed.

[@drumyogi9281]

I have a pair of 2002 Rock Hi Hats and I wouldn't say they are bright. In fact I would say they sound somewhere in the middle.

[@styles3732]

Here's a comment!..

[@drummachine5787]

To me the a custom/aax type cymbals have an overbearing mid range that is really not pleasant.

[@drew_the_drummer]

I would agree. The K's and HHX have a more pleasant sound at all dynamics.

[@ilikepizza137]

Lol at all the people getting salty in the comments

[@drew_the_drummer]

I knew there would be some salty people from this video but man it is like a salt mine out here

[@hiptoalieu]

NOT all brilliant cymbals suck…🤣

[@drew_the_drummer]

Totally true it's all about the taste and the music you are playing

[@hiptoalieu]

check out the 19" AAXPlosion Fast Crash, it sits really well in most mixes. Fun fact I chose that cymbal over a 19" K Custom Hybrid LOL@@drew_the_drummer

[@JasonMasque13]

This sounds great but when you listen to metal albums it’s sounds tinny, 🎉😂

[@drew_the_drummer]

It depends on what you are listening too

[@arsonne]

Big disagree. I can’t stand the new trend of these insanely dry cymbals. Dark cymbals are okay but I wouldn’t want only dark cymbals. Ew.

[@drew_the_drummer]

That's fair. I was talking more about the darker toned not dry cymbals like Meinl. But it's totally personal preference

[@drummachine5787]

For real, it’s like hitting an old brass lamp

[@Rancherinaz]

😆

[@Dan69789]

Bright cymbals in comparison to dark cymbals sound like crap but bright cymbals are ok

[@drew_the_drummer]

Fair enough

[@sirtrixx]

Is it just me or is the audio extremely out of sync with the video starting around 0:54?

[@drew_the_drummer]

Wow that is so odd. It was not like that when I originally posted it. Good catch Mike

[@drew_the_drummer]

I just looked into it and think I have it fixed. Thanks so much for pointing it out

[@sirtrixx]

No problem, sounds good now, thank you! 👍

[@isMike999]

well I DON'T care WHAT you like....I LOVE BRIGHT and snappy sounding cymbals....NOT TRASHY BUT BRIGHT.....thanks for the video and I DO care ....take care...LOTS OF caring going on!!!!

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks for watching!

[@jibguy2003]

Ramble, ramble, ramble.

[@had1223]

Dis video sucked. Don't get offended. It's just my opinion

[@drew_the_drummer]

Thanks for the comment. I would love to know what about the video sucked?

[@grumpy-g5s]

what a rubbish statement "Bright Cymbals are not great because they fall in the same frequency range as vocals." you stick to landscaping dude , after over 1000 live performances i have never heard such rubbish ! maybe you are trying to do comedy if so stick to landscaping !

[@drew_the_drummer]

I appreciate your feedback.

[@drummachine5787]

Wait so should he stick to landscaping? You didn’t say it enough times

[@hiptoalieu]

He is ABSOLUTELY right. For styles that are vocal driven and feature storytelling and deep lyrics with emotion, staying out of the way of those frequencies is VERY important! That’s why worship drummers use BIG & THIN & Washy, and country/alt pop/singer songwriter and indie rock artists do as well!

[@tomanetopotomane1953]

I hate dark cymbals.

[@drew_the_drummer]

Do you hate dark cymbals or is the dry cymbals that you hate?