What do you like your cymbals to sound like?

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How do you like your cymbals to sound?

  • smooth like a ribbon through a tube and trafo..

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • crisp/clear almost pure, maybe a bit sparkly..

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raw, whatever comes out of the mic..

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I don't really care as long as someone is paying me..

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .

Svart

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
5,134
Location
Atlanta GA USA
I am wondering because my setup seems to break down audio into two groups, the smooth ribbon/tube/trafo like sound or the clear, crisp almost pure sound.. a lot of the time I truly have a hard time deciding which one I'd rather use, so I just wanted some feedback on what other people who appreciate good audio would like to hear.

thanks!
 
Unfortunately for me, there's no real hard and fast rule on that one. In my opinion, it depends on what the song is, what the vision for the song to end up being is, and also how it all fits together. I can think of plenty of times when I've started with one approach and switched to another. But I guess to start with I usually go for a simple clear sound that isn't too much one way or the other and push it where it needs to go as it all comes together. How's that for a nice vague answer?

Zach
 
And of course a lot of it comes from the player and his equipment. Its hard to make heavy dustbin lids sound like shimmering sparkles...  :mad:
 
Some of all of the above
usually a stereo pair capturing some of the over all kit
as well and maybe an extra ride .
Definitely like when the drummer has a few crash colors
to choose from , but seems most people want to hear
the crisper condenser version .
I've found the ribbons as a whole sould better on solo
instruments than stereo pairs [ especialy for acoustic
instruments ] it's a great way to get an authentic 50's
soundtrack kind of sound - ribbon pair on strings -
 
MikoKensington said:
I like mine to sound better than they did 5 1/2 years ago.  (when this thread was started)  ZING!

wtf?

When I replied, I replied to a new post. Yet now there's a five year gap...

(cue twilight zone music...)
 
okgb said:
Definitely like when the drummer has a few crash colors
to choose from ,
Definitely like it when the drummer has left his crash cymbals at home  :D
Crash cymbal is to rock what the banjo is to bluegrass  ;D
Seriously, I like cymbals crisp and clear. I'm not a drummer, but I went to a drum shop and auditioned about a hundred thousand (at least that's what it felt to me) sets of hats and I ended up buying a set of Sabian AAX hi-hats as a replacement for the B8's in the studio kit. I consider it a definite improvement, more than any change of microphone or recording technique. They're far from being the most expensive in the world.
One of the difficulties was that when I told the salesperson I wanted cymbals that sound light and cristalline, he presented me with thinner and thinner cymbals; in fact, the AAX are quite heavy and thick, but they sound crispier.
 
I say both. in the same song. and swap for verse and chorus etc. add room mic for break down. 1 drum sound all the way through gets bland. bands that you want to sound "live" just make the differences very mild.
 
JBVries said:
Tsssst  ;)

Pshhhhh and Kshhhhh and ting-ting-ting are sometimes nice as well. Just don't listen to cymbals too closely for too long or you'll end up not liking anything...
 

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