Need recording cymbal suggestions

Ermz

Ermz

¯\(°_o)/¯
Apr 5, 2002
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Melbourne, Australia
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Hey guys,

I'm going into a pretty full on drum session mid year and the drummer wants to double check with me that his impending order of cymbals will be adequate for tracking.

Since I'm not a drummer myself and it's usually a few months at a time between drum sessions, I figured I'd defer this one to those of you more in the know.

Here are the cymbals he is planning to get:

21" Z3 MEGA BELL RIDE
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1070&typeID=0&productID=2546
19" Z3 MEDIUM CRASH
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1070&typeID=0&productID=2538
17" Z3 MEDIUM CRASH
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1070&typeID=0&productID=2534
16" Z3 MEDIUM CRASH
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1070&typeID=0&productID=2532
15" Z3 MASTERSOUND HIHATS
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1070&typeID=0&productID=2531
20" ORIENTAL CHINA TRASH
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta

il.ad2?catalogID=1013&typeID=0&productID=1263
18" ORIENTAL CLASSIC CHINA
http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/products/productDeta



Are there any issues with these? Would there be better substitutes? Remember, the sole requirement is that they hold up well under the mics.

Thanks a heap.

PS. If those hats are LOUD please, please recommend some nice sounding QUIET ones. I can't stand too much HH in the overheads! ugh.
 
sabian vault 19 and 20 crashes = win
and the z's fall apart prety quick... sorry amte. Id go for A's or K's if you're getting Zildjians
 
Sabian AAX all the way. Great sounding cymbals, and they got the highest marks in the "what cymbals do you use" thread.
 
So the Zildjan Z3 ride would have a heavier, more pronounced ping than the Sabians, which have a bit of that brighter sound?

Thanks a ton so far guys. Seems most impressions are leaning towards those AAX series.
 
Sorry man, but Z's are going to be a nightmare for recording. They're thick, loud, and anything but musical.

Zildjian A (brighter) and K (darker) models would work out much better. I have Sabian AAX Medium Thin and Dark crashes and they sound great as well.

15" hats are actually excellent for recording in my experience. The larger diameter gives them a lower pitch than 13/14" hats and reduces the harsh, white-noise-y high end that many hats can produce. This makes them record more easily and sound musical in the mix. Just make sure the drummer doesn't kill them.
 
Sabian > Zildjian, especially for recording. If he has the budget, go Meinl. And definitely 15" hats will end up being a problem later on, haven't had a set of 13" that have let me down yet!
 
Zildjian Z's are not really musical sounding cymbals, they are pretty thick and don't have a colourful sound. I'd recommend looking in the A/A Custom or some K/K Custom. You don't wanna go with 15" hi-hats, 13 or 14 is loads better. Getting Thin/Medium-Thin/Medium cymbals is also way more recording friendly instead going for Heavy cymbals, well, the ride is an exception offcourse, the thicker the ride the more 'ping' and less 'wash' you'll get.

I agree with 006 about Meinl :) the Byzance and Soundcaster series are really really great cymbal lines, i don't know about the price in your region but over here they are way more affordable then Zildjian's
 
If you go Zildjian, get K or K Custom or A Custom. The K's are quite dark, the A's are brighter.

I don't like Meinl, I find them quite nasally. I only have a Sabian AAX Splash but its quite nice, very bright.

The best cymbals I recorded were either K's or K Customs, I forget. Had none of that nasty harshness often associated with budget recordings (notice it in my recordings, in Ryan's, Brian's and also in your Untruth one Ermz). But they're ridiculously expensive, especially here. I'd go with them for rock, but if metal probably the Sabian AAX's.
 
Ermz, check out some of your fave OH recordings, and check the cymbals out. My faves all used Sabians :)

The AAX is fantastic, matt's planning to upgrade to these by album time, or even Meinl :)
 
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