You Are WRONG If You Use 14” Hihats

[@rdavidr]

What size hihats do you play?

[@carter0796]

14

[@ambergrant4356]

14"

[@aligrant2605]

46" bit small though, looking for some 2345"

[@danielpatrickstover1988]

14" - But, i've been hearing about the wonder that is 15". Perhaps it is time for a switch?

[@laineridley2143]

14

[@EMCproductions]

You should use 40" gongs as hi hats.

[@manianeusz8654]

Still waiting

[@rdavidr]

Just ordered 2 60"s actually

[@connorcampbell144]

@@rdavidr LET'S GO!!!!!! Can't wait for that video

[@rdavidr]

I was kidding for the record...

[@manianeusz8654]

@@rdavidr No taking back. sorry man

[@aaronnuno2671]

Worship guys: “YoU aRe WrOnG iF yOu’Re NoT uSiNg 18 InCh Hi HaTs” haha myself included

[@gabe1655]

im guilty of enjoying the agop dry dark 17" hats. the price just made it a no brainer for me when i was looking for some smaller hats

[@ethancundiff6422]

Worship drummer here....I use 14s!!

[@TheMrfuzzyface]

@@ethancundiff6422 yeah I use the 14” sand hats.

[@JustysFrank]

My church uses two 16” crashes. Heartbeat Epic 16” Crash Top, Sabian XS20 Medium Thin Crash. Soo washy

[@gabrielmoore6099]

I use 15” dark meinl

[@Mancunian4]

Is it just me or does the camera angle make the drumset look like a ( ° o ° ) emoticon with those black dots on the toms only.. Once you see it...

[@KBStickEm]

Yea.. now that you said it...

[@BeastOfSoda]

Can't be unseen. Thanks a lot.

[@joeguinta1669]

I noticed it. At first the hi-hat cymbals looked “rounded” then saw the dot. He did make his own dots. Maybe it’s just off center? 🥴

[@besticouldget]

Sir, now you ruined my drumset for me. (° ° o° ° ) Four-eyed monster lol

[@diededejong4604]

Oh my God it does

[@stuoxen]

I'm definitely flying the flag for the Meinl's. They sound ideal to me. I'm currently using a buggered pair of K's and they're totally shite! I love the subtlety of the Meinl's. I find Hats to be the obnoxious one at the party, so the quieter the better ... That's just me :)

[@WallyBrando]

the meinls are hard to fit in a mix if you're recording i find. too much wash and chunky low end,

[@DrummerGrrrl]

I loooove hi-hats. Crash cymbals are the cymbals I don't really like. Ride cymbals...love them IF they have an amazing bell.

[@probabvieh]

At least you aren’t stuck with Sabian Quiet Tones or Zildjian L80s

[@susanmaggiora4800]

NowI'mMe I honestly don’t think I’ve ever found a 16” crash that I don’t try to avoid hitting at all costs.

[@dukeplow]

I have some 15” Meinl Byzance Foundry Reserve hats. Unbelievable

[@Ashlord]

5:36 - 15" Meinl Byzance Dual Hats 6:18 - 15" Zildjian New Beats 6:59- 15" Zildjian K Sweet Top/New Beats Top (as bottom) 7:40 - 16" Zildjians (vintage)

[@TheCymbalProject]

The K Sweet top / New Beat bottom wins my ears... also kinda diggin' that jaunty, seasick keyboard riff in the backing track. Groovy I usually play 14 Sabian B8 hats (early, made in Germany ones) but I also play a set of custom cut down cymbals (13", made from 18" El Sabor crashes)

[@jangobango2847]

Damn early German b8 sabians lol nice I've never heard sabian b8 hats I didn't want to throw into the grand canyon

[@TheCymbalProject]

@@jangobango2847 Yeah, some are doo doo... but those early Made in Germany ones have a really crisp pop to them. They cut like a knife.

[@JavierRodriguezxx]

Yeah, I loved the K Sweet/New beat too, they’re so pleasent to my ears!

[@aseomg]

Other YT drum vloggers need to step up the audio recordings of their kits, cause this dude is #1! Through speakers or headphones it sounds great!!

[@AndrewKonkey]

Me and my 13" Sabian Fusion Hats will leave the room now, thank you. Lol, jk Dave. Rock on, duder

[@DavidKemp]

13” AAX fusion hats have one of the best “chick” sounds. They’re my main hats too

[@derekcrockett6214]

Me and my 13" A Customs are quite content with our chick.

[@Ian_P]

Got 14"s in the Sab Fus. That bottom hat is a boat anchor. ⚓

[@justingibbons9011]

Fusion bottom and hhx evo 13 top! Rules it!

[@wolfwarren6376]

Hey man, I love those hats. I have the AA 12" hats though, I should get the 13s.

[@illbu2]

15” new beats all day. I see you haven’t centered that dot on your floor tom.......

[@Drum_Beats_Guitar_Riffs]

It's wide angle camera stretch

[@auntiespancakes2528]

K sweet hats are better

[@calinguga]

@@Drum_Beats_Guitar_Riffs can't be, it's too close to the center of the image and it's also pretty much as close as the rack tom is.

[@probabvieh]

@@Drum_Beats_Guitar_Riffs if you look at the video when he put them on, you can see he’s over a half inch off center

[@auntiespancakes2528]

@@Avedis_ you’re right. It isn’t

[@juliusrogers5107]

Wanna hear a dank nestered Tuplet polyrhythmic groove? 0:10

[@lloydgriffiths1847]

15 new beats were the best well rounded in my opinion. They were the only ones I could hear over the ride cymbal when stepping them with the foot. The extra weight might sacrifice a bit of the open wash but I would rather control that than have light hi hats that had no definition

[@drumteacher43]

Your title is so wrong! I have 12”, 13 “ hats and 14” hats all are awesome! It’s preference and taste! Nothing is “wrong” because you prefer it! 15” are cool too so if that’s your preferred size good on ya Mate!

[@anthonyn1312]

Why his title is wrong?

[@dumdumbrown4225]

@@anthonyn1312that bro’s doing a very Aussie thing and taking rdavidr’s statements literally …some people are just a bit over the top 😂

[@rapscallion52]

love my 15" HHX complex medium hats. never thought they'd be the ones I'd go for in an extreme metal band, but just happened to run into them in a shop and fell in love with them.

[@JustinHubbard84]

I love my 15” Byzance dual hats. Perfect balance of crunchy but with that cut and precise feeling of brilliant hats

[@Philipp.of.Swabia]

The 15“ Meinl Dual hihat is amazing 🤌🏻

[@kaylaklockler]

I love that all of the weights are included most people don’t talk about that! I have the 15” Byzance Duals I love em!

[@Nicksmix97]

All pairs were great sounding but personally the Meinl 15” are superior. Each sound (open, half open, closed and foot pedal) have so much dynamic range to them.

[@aaronserfatydrumsandpercus7589]

Mostly 14" with the occasional 13" but I must say th vintage A's you play here are FANTASTIC. Experimentation time for me. Thank you!

[@caseyobrien2681]

I use 14s but these hats all sound great to me. Highlights belong to the chik of the 15 new beats, and the open sound of the Meinls is just uniquely gorgeous

[@mtmelvin]

If you haven’t tried them already, I highly recommend checking out the 15” K Light hats. At this point I pretty much only play 15’s, and the K Lights are my favorite for most situations.

[@t.kuenzler]

wow the 16" have such a nice sound I love it!!

[@davidiand7]

The KA combo and the Zildjian 16”.

[@CliffGraham]

I also play an old 16” zil orchestral/marching crash as my HH bottom, top cymbal is a 16” meinl vintage crash. Love it!

[@Coylee91]

Reminds me of Ian Paice telling a man from Paiste who was asking him to demo cymbals "I had a pair of 14" hi hats as a child"

[@08mlascelles]

I own a pair of 15” Zildjian Kerope hats (which are quite simply the nicest hi hats I’ve ever heard) and a pair of 13” Zildjian Armands. Both are beautiful, and being so different, between them they basically cover all the bases I need them to when I’m working. Interesting video man!

[@sigsliecker5932]

I actually like all of the hi hats. I kinda favored the Zildjian K hats overall but I personally enjoyed every single pair. I also like your style of drumming cuz it, is uncommon yet very tasteful. Those two characteristics really vibe well together. Thanks for sharing and Rock on Bro!

[@germangillig]

that 15" new beats sound gorgeous, its the most balanced, to my ears, on the 3 factors you named. The 15" size is the hi hats sounds! Since i have my pair of 15 paiste giant beat (reisue) im a happy drummer! Regards from Argentina, keep blasting!

[@Quartiano]

Love my regular 13” New Beats and I will also switch them out for a 14” New Beat top with a 14” EFX bottom. Maximum chick and crispness from both sets. I would like to get a “different” sound for my 13” soon to mix it up. As far as my favorite for this video, they all sound good, just depends on what musical message you want to send.

[@Joe.Shmo.Eskimo]

The black dot on the floor tom is making my eye twitch

[@DrummerGrrrl]

Stop sniffing gasoline. That always helps.

[@probabvieh]

It’s off center. That’s probably why

[@joachimekermann8267]

For me, the most interesting factor was the difference in loudness, where I perceived New Beat and K/A to be louder than Meinl and 16"s. I think that is a crucial part of how good the hi-hats fit in the mix. I like the definition of K/A but prefer the more moderate output of the 16"s and Meinl.

[@ManHasCorners]

new beats in the studio MIXER kick: ||||||||| | sn top: ||||||||| | sn btm: |||||| | hi hat: |||||||||||||||||||||||!!!!!!!

[@jdeanstuff1990]

The 15" Zildjian New Beats are sweet! Love the tone and the way they cut through the track.

[@alanduncan1980]

Nice video! I liked the Meinl hats most of all. The 15" Avedis are great too!

[@ThingNumberTwo2]

I thought the ideal size was 14" and didn't see the point in going any bigger... until I bought a set of 15s for a good deal, and now I can't go back. I tend to use/enjoy bigger crashes and rides, so it's probably why 15s suit me.

[@chrisggoodwin777]

I've got the 15" K Sweets myself and absolutely love them. They've been articulate with just the right amount of wash, and aren't too overpowering in the mix. They're probably my most versatile hats

[@pal4597]

I have the same...received nice compliments on them. 😊

[@LTDLimiTeD1995]

I got some hollow-logo Zildjian hihats a few years back. No clue what model, but they sound amazing. Those K's though!

[@randycassidy198]

15” new beats for my ears. Great vid!

[@channelite]

I liked #2 the best. I play 15" Sabian Rock Sizzle Hats, which I've owned since 1993. I put the heavier bottom "sizzle" riveted on the top.

[@danielplasko5598]

I have close to 20 pairs of 15" hats so i definitely agree its the best size, especially for most rock music. I really think you need to branch out beyond B20 alloy though. Paiste FTW.

[@handidrummed]

15" Istanbul 30th Anniversary. It's rare if I like 14's. I play 16's sometimes too but currently don't have any. The 30th are my only pair ATM. I love switching out rides but tend to stick with one hihat that works for everything.

[@pacificdrumma]

I have a pair of Sabian Legacy 15” hats that are a great all around cymbal

[@drumjedi5301]

I have a pair as well, and absolutely LOVE them. Just a great set of hats.

[@Yotrymp]

I don't know if it was intentional, but I like how the hi hats are loudest for demonstration. Whether its mic levels or just because the camera is closer. It's like the special solo setting some software/hardware has for mixing, ducking all other tracks under the "solo" track, so it's most audible but still in context.

[@otisblankenshipiv7823]

Still using the same 14” Sabian AAX Xcelerator hats that I’ve had since 2006. I really want to get some vintage Zildjian 15’s or the Sabian 15” Artisan hats though.

[@claysmell]

I used Zildjian 15" Rock hi-hats for years exclusively (am a heavy metal/rock guy), so I completely get the title of this vid. Until I lent them to a famous thrash drummer a couple of years ago and he managed to crack the top hat. Huge bell crack. I decided to experiment. 14" Wuhans sound surprisingly good. I found a brand new Zildjian 15" A Series Beat Hi Hat Bottom on sale so I used it as a top with my remaining vintage 15" Zildjian Rock Hi Hat Bottom. Not exactly the sound I was looking for, but unique and you could do a lot worse. I bought a brand new set of special order acquiredPaiste 15" Formula 602 Modern Essentials Hi-Hats from the Drum Center in Portsmouth as their favorites of all time. I saved a few bucks by buying the top and bottom from 2 different sellers. These do not disappoint. Live or recorded they are tough to beat (pun intended!) But my go-to is now something I never would imagined in a million years. I got a Zildjian Z Dyno Beat 13" hi hat and then paired it with another extremely rare Paiste Rude 13" vintage white label hi-hat bottom (with pre-drilled holes). I am surprised every single time I sit down with them. I will never be famous, and so this will NEVER happen, but if was ever approached to do one signature piece of drum gear, it would be to recreate this 13" set of hats.

[@RickK1988]

I've been stuck on using a 15" K Sweet Top hi hat with a 15" A Series Mastersound bottom hi hat combo. I dig it. Cuts through just right.

[@Crazymelvis]

I am stuck with old paist 13 inch, and they are not good.

[@SoMyungJung]

Mix-wise, I find it much easier to work with 15 inch hi hats. Vocals and the rest of the kits sit in the mix effortlessly

[@djentlover]

Meinl Duals are just God tier. Brb, selling all my hats to get those!

[@Bendrums]

I use two 20" ride Cymbals as hi hats. Looking to upgrade to 24".

[@44amanaplanacanalpanama44]

I totally agree. I've been exploring new sounds lately, and I'm definitely moving to 15" hats when (if) I have the cash.

[@shaggyproductions263]

Please put flex paist on a drum head to see if it dampens it or makes it like a practice pad

[@michaeltimme5467]

That’s genius!!!

[@shaggyproductions263]

@@michaeltimme5467 thanks

[@Sundaydrumday]

the last set you showed, one of them looks like the bottom to a set of zildjian mastersounds with the edge

[@PatrickWitherow]

I've got 13's and 16's. So a little bit of both ends of the spectrum. The 13's are A. Zildjian Quick Beats and the 16's Istanbul 30th. They are quite different from each other, but both are pretty versatile too.

[@JeanMichelFages]

Great video. I love your Zildjian 18 inch K Custom Special Dry Crash .

[@MrDash03]

I use Paiste Signature 14” sound edge hi hats but I also have 13”Zildjian new beats as an alternative.

[@_-_Michael_-_]

Switched to 15” only, vintage ‘75 Paiste 2002 15” and Zildian K light 15” top and since the bottom was so heavy I have A 15” new beat top as bottom in that pair and also dig that sound. Still looking for perfect Ringo sounding pair since thats my main reason I switched to 15”. Maybe some Istanbuls will do...

[@howitusedtobe]

I’m playing a set of K/Z 13” hats .. dyno beat bottom and a k top . They sound great but i really want bigger

[@ElmerJFudd-oi9kj]

In the beginning of the Beatles, Ringo played I thought 15" Avedis Zildjians, I like those for their crashy sound when struck half open.

[@Jay-Go]

cool topic. I actually agree with you on how you categorized them. I liked the sound of the Meinl HH the most EXCEPT for the low volume. Maybe a higher-pitched set would help it cut. New Beats sound like New Beats. Good stuff, man.

[@Santaheckler]

I’m quite fond of the 16’s…I built a set out of some A/K crashes. They sound great!

[@connorcampbell144]

@rdavidr Can you PLEASE do a video where you put all your kits together to make a huge double bass kit with lots of cymbals. Or you could even just do 2 bass drums, 2 snares, 4 toms, 4 floor toms etc

[@ozzku]

Those 15” new beats and 16” zildjians sound really fricking good to my ears

[@randydoak6638]

I have some 5" Istanbul Agop Xsist brilliant thin hats. They sound pretty fantastic, nice and warm with some sibilant highs that cut through,

[@mat4410]

A friend had a New Beat top I had to have and got it matched to my bottom heavy. To this day I have never had a combo like this. HH top may have been a fluke, but oh what a fluke. Currently using 13” Master Sounds at church. Great response for lower volume playing.

[@x8jason8x]

So when you put this video out, I decided to try out some different sets of 15" hats, and all I lost was money. I love my 14" Byzance Dark set too much I guess, cause I wound up back on them! 😂

[@bobcarr2649]

Still using 13" and far prefer the precision and clarity. Never really enjoyed washy hats. Enjoy the channel sir. Keep it up.

[@michaellukers]

My band was playing a show together with Righteous Vendetta. Their drummer Zach Goggins and I were talking drums. He asked me to use his 15's combo he "put together" so he could hear them from FOH. When I played them, they mixed in with the kit so well that I started my search for my own set of 15's! I ended up with a Zildjian New Beat bottom and a Zildjian Dark Thin Crash. I love it and feel awkward playing anything smaller as a main hat. I never got why people used 15's until that moment. Now I'm hooked. \,,/

[@rongriffin5980]

Liked the Meinl and Zildjian 16". Where do you get your play along tracks from? Thanks

[@dougfinlay7531]

I currently have some Sabian B8's that came with my kit and I seriously need to upgrade. I like the sound of the new beats.

[@rocketsauce420]

You were sneaky with the way you hit the hi hat on the beat at 3:35 , I had to put it in half speed lol

[@kailiw.8462]

David you could make a 6 piece snare drum kit considering you have a 10, 12, 13, 14, and 16 size snare drums.

[@theredbaron057]

Love the sound of the Meinls. I'll have to go find a pair of thes.... *looks at price* ah nevermind I'll stick with my old hats.

[@iTip28]

Those 15" new beats followed by the 16" were pretty friggin sweet

[@nathanzaworski2780]

I love the sound of the Zildjian sweet k 15s. I try to not be crazy picky with the sound because at a high volume gig (playing hard Rock like Zeppelin or Rush) mic’d up, the way you sound is up to the sound guy almost 70%. In my experience, better sounding cymbals are more important sonically when your in a low volume situation where the cymbals can come out on top in the mix.

[@diyechochamber]

no.2 for me, for sure! Love that high end crisp. Also, that snare is so tasty!

[@masterbeat04]

Would love to own larger hihats in the future. My 13s are a bit too high pitched for me

[@mancuniancandidatem]

The hollow logos are my favourite. I have a 14 pair of hollow logo As. Magic cymbals.

[@tysefcik]

Got a pair of 15" Custom A Mastersound Hi-hats and they sound so good!

[@angeldominguez5846]

I have always used 14" I'm thinking of going to 13" heard they are more cutting and faster responding. I like that airy fast responding feeling in hats when played open

[@DynastyVinyl]

those 15" New Beats have a really nice presence in the mix. They seem to cut/crisp without being too over bering or too soft. While brighter than all the other hats, they still sounded very warm to me.

[@F.S.111]

Always loved Paiste 2002 sound edge 15”

[@Merlincat007]

I love my 2x 16" crashes together! The top is a Sabian Picante hand crash which is like a mini Omni and has a thick middle and paperthin edge. Two totally different sounds possible when closed, plus a great bell open or closed! Nice chick too. And you can play the top completely open as a crash.

[@schoerlehead]

I like the z/k from Zildjian, the 14“ and the 13“ a little more because they are more crisp

[@Delboydunno]

The track in the beginning sounds like something you play on a keyboard with a looper when you’re violently stoned.

[@howiewarhurst1058]

Nothing wrong with 14in hi hats ! Everybody played 14in for a long tine. I actually play Zildjian 13in K / Z hi hats much heavier bottom hat great sound not too dark and beautiful crisp bark

[@bobbyhofermusic]

Liked the sizzle of the 16 new beats with K sweets second. Hated the others.

[@tysonduquette1414]

I just custom ordered zildjian 50" hats. Problem is the stand is still in developement. So we wait!!!! Lol

[@ztfstudio]

Have you ever had a chance to play on the Zildjian Platinum cymbals (blue label). I've been playing on them for 30+ years. 16" HH, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 ,19 crashes, 22 ride

[@reneebonnell5010]

I think these are cool. Didn't John Bonam play large circumference hi-hats? 🤔

[@youbeadumass4138]

I absolutely LOVE my 15 inch Bosphorus hi hats. I got a set of the Turk series, K15HB three years ago, and they immediately replaced my 14inch Zildjian K Custom Darks. I replaced my 21’ K Custom ride with a 22 inch Bosphorus ride too. Now I have about half and half. I guess brand loyalty isn’t my thing. Oh well, neither is going to be sponsoring me any time soon. 😆

[@jde9095]

the 16s sound great

[@susanmaggiora4800]

I liked em as well. I thought the beats had the best ‘chick,’ but I liked the overall wash & sound of the 16s

[@frodowatt4272]

I gotta take them sweet/A new beat hats

[@SONORSQ2guy]

15 new beats my go to 👏👍

[@cluecumber]

sounding good there, i agree 15" is a great size. my only pair of hats is a combo of new beat top and quick beat bottom, with the 4 holes, 15" of course. bought em used, think they're from the 90s. like you said they sound chunky, sloshy opening up and with a perfect foot chick. i'd like to experiment maybe with some 13"s but also happy for now.

[@DerTeufelskerrrl]

I LOVE this Background-Music along the Drums😍😍😍

[@MARTELLODrummer]

Now I'm using a 16" hi-hat in my videos. It will to hard to return at "normal size" of cymbals.

[@CrappyProducts]

Just got my first 15" a pair of K Fat Hats, I'm in love with them

[@ARDrummer]

I have a drum room with multiple setups so I have 13" up to 17" hats. Hard to pick a favorite :)

[@footnotedrummer]

I agree with the 15" thing, David. I've played 14" hats for almost 35 years, and though I have no issue with them... I never played anything larger. About 2 years ago... a buddy of mine loaned me his 15" 1970s black label 2002 Paiste soundedge hats, and I fell in love (and I'm a Zildjian guy through and through). So much so, that I bought a set of new 15" Soundedge for myself. I will say this... I'm not sure if the patina or the metallurgy is what makes mine sound so different, but his were stellar and mine are, well... ok, but I digress. My point is this... the weight of 15" under the stick feels so good for playing straight forward rock. I play a lot of up tempo stuff in one of my bands and they're not good for that style IMHO. However... if you're playing good old fashioned rock or groove rock... you'll love the way 15" hats feel. They're inspiring to play.

[@cantthinkanameup]

Not gonna lie, I love those meinl hats, but I have a set of 14” new beats. I actually have two sets, one is an older set, one is a few years old. Putting the older bottom on coupled with newer top sound like extremely close to those dual hats. I love them

[@michaelbrown3128]

I love your tom heads. What kind are they?