Recommend me some soft Rides

[R3k]

Hey.

Ive been getting into drumming recently, and joined my 1st band as a dedicated drummer.

Ive previously being just tracking my own material with an electronic Roland kit, and doing a little jamming with a pearl rhythm traveller, in smaller rooms, where i usually ended up just playing with plastic sticks / brushes.

So with an electronic kit, you get pretty constant dynamics.
With plastic sticks on a acoustic kit, you generally get softer cymbals, and have to compensate as such.

So Here I am in a rehearsal room for the 1st time, with sticks, and my drums are at a good level, but my ride is washing out the band, and generally killed my ears for 3 days. Vocalist couldn't hear himself, etc... I guess im crashing this ride...

SO the next jam is coming up, and I will be practicing at playing the ride softer, but I was thinking of moving my current ride to a crash ride position, aka right side crash that i can ride on softly when i want, and crash ocassionally, and buying another ride that gives me an easy wash, with very little stick definition, and importantly less volume when played loud, so i can really lay into it .

My current cyms are as such
Hats - Zildjian A-Custom 13'' hats
Left Crash - Zildjian A-Custom 17'' crash - Works great
Ride - Zildjian 21'' sweet ride

The sweet ride crashes really nice, but seems just a bit too loud to use as a cymbal glue that I can really dig into.

And thats what I really want, a smooth washing glue that i can hit pretty hard, but wont kill everyones ears.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a ride that will play as such?

Im currently looking at trying a Zildjian A-Custom Flat top ride.. would this do the trick? What else would you suggest?

Thx guys

_R3k

[Lem0n]

First thing I should probably say is: learn dynamics!

and second:

I have a Sabian 22" AA Raw ride that I use in situations like that all the time. It works perfectly, it's almost impossible to play too loud with it. It has a nice buttery feel, so it feels actually nice to play softly with it too. Of course it's sound is a bit unusual: quite dark and trashy so it won't suit everyone. But definately worth a try if you find one near you.




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[R3k]

Originally Posted by Lem0n

First thing I should probably say is: learn dynamics!

and second:

I have a Sabian 22" AA Raw ride that I use in situations like that all the time. It works perfectly, it's almost impossible to play too loud with it. It has a nice buttery feel, so it feels actually nice to play softly with it too. Of course it's sound is a bit unusual: quite dark and trashy so it won't suit everyone. But definately worth a try if you find one near you.

Thanks Lem0n.

Indeed, learning better dynamics is right up on my priority list.

However, i do play my ride softly on some tracks, and i can do this ok, but alas, i end up with more ping than wash, so was hoping to get a more of a low volume crashed ride sorta sound.

Looking at reviews of the sabian AA raw ride, and it seems pretty much to be what im looking for. Cheers, ill check it out at the shop tomorrow if they have one.

[Iprzakd]

Well...what style are you playing? In the past few years my feel for cymbals has really changed. I Began with a basic setup, 14" Sabian AA metal-x hats (Super tight! and crisp), 18" Sabian AAXplosin crashes, and a 20" Sabian AA metal-x ride. That was about 3-4 years ago.
Then I really wanted more feel out of my cymbals, and tone. I gradually went bigger in size and thinner in weight. I stopped using crashes all together and am using a Paiste signature series 20" dry crisp ride (as my main crash), A Zildjian K 24" light ride (my favorite cymbal ever!) and a vintage Zildjian 22" ride(second crash).
But to get at your answer... I think that thinner weight cymbals allow you to really control your tone dynamics and overall feel, You can play them soft and get that light tone and volume, or you can really lay into it and open things up. And the size of the cymbal is really what ever your comfortable with. I like the larger cymbal feel because i feel that I have much more to work with.
And lastly control the dynamic of your cymbals. When I am tracking a kit I focus on beating the piss out of the drums and not my cymbals. That just better for tracking and mixing. DYNAMICS!!

[HeavyG]

K Custom Dark Flat Top Ride...the lightest, most elegant ride you will ever play. You simply can not overload it...but it still has so much complexity and depth of tone. I would imagine the A Custom version might be a bit brighter and have a bit more volume but should have a similar vibe. Both would be excellent choices...

[j2dafo]

a flat ride is always something good to have. check out istanbul agop's, especially the signature cymbals. if you want lots of great, complex wash at low volumes, check them out. the 25th anniv. rides are also pretty killer.
cymbalsonly.com

[Goliath|Audio]

Originally Posted by HeavyG

K Custom Dark Flat Top Ride.

thumbsup +1

[dnaflr2]

Have had a UFIP Experience series ride for the past 10 years, and haven't looked for anything else. Very versatile if you are a dynamic player.

Some basics you should be aware of when looking for cymbals, especially rides and hats-

What type of tone are you looking for? There is an obvious difference between different styles of playing and the cymbals used for them- dry vs. wet, etc.

Also- thicker cymbals tend to be louder, whereas typically thinner cymbals can be washier and better suited for playing at low to moderate levels.

[dnaflr2]

Originally Posted by R3k

Hey.


And thats what I really want, a smooth washing glue that i can hit pretty hard, but wont kill everyones ears.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a ride that will play as such?


_R3k

Sounds like you are looking for more overtones as opposed to straight out pings that cut thu the mix. I believe the K's can be more dynamic and offer a greater sound palette than the A's, especially the A customs- I could never stomach those.

[R3k]

Thanks guys!

Some really great info here.

Ive started being far more conscious of my ride playing lately, and am generally controlling it better.

Just picked up some K-Custom Session hats that i find to be amazing, and that is further changing my play style / sound. I agree with those posts regarding the beautiful complexity of some of the K and K-Custom line...(thanks!) and thats the spirit of why i seem to avoid most of the Sabian, Paiste and other such brand cymbals i have been shown on in the drum shop..... in favor of some of those Zildjian K's and K-Customs... they are just so tastefully complex.... it's just classy.

I reason I also favor the A-Customs to some degree, is because they seem, i dunno, thin and supple somehow. You hit them, and they splash and wash out quickly.. There is no real clang or aggression in them compared to others, and thus I enjoy they're subtle footprint. (my 17'' crash is like that, lol, my hats, well, i sold, because the very same wash didnt work for me as hats)


Anyhow, Im going to drop into Professional Drum shop (on Vine Los Angeles) and have a bit of a play with an A-Custom Flat top and K-Custom Flat top ride..., and generally try a few other things with an open mind, in the spirit of the great advice you guys have given me. Thanks for the help!

Ill let you know what i end up settling on.

_R3k

[HeavyG]

Originally Posted by R3k

Thanks guys!

Some really great info here.

Ive started being far more conscious of my ride playing lately, and am generally controlling it better.

Just picked up some K-Custom Session hats that i find to be amazing, and that is further changing my play style / sound. I agree with those posts regarding the beautiful complexity of some of the K and K-Custom line...(thanks!) and thats the spirit of why i seem to avoid most of the Sabian, Paiste and other such brand cymbals i have been shown on in the drum shop..... in favor of some of those Zildjian K's and K-Customs... they are just so tastefully complex.... it's just classy.

I reason I also favor the A-Customs to some degree, is because they seem, i dunno, thin and supple somehow. You hit them, and they splash and wash out quickly.. There is no real clang or aggression in them compared to others, and thus I enjoy they're subtle footprint. (my 17'' crash is like that, lol, my hats, well, i sold, because the very same wash didnt work for me as hats)


Anyhow, Im going to drop into Professional Drum shop (on Vine Los Angeles) and have a bit of a play with an A-Custom Flat top and K-Custom Flat top ride..., and generally try a few other things with an open mind, in the spirit of the great advice you guys have given me. Thanks for the help!

Ill let you know what i end up settling on.

_R3k

Let your ears decide, bro. You will probably get a bit more stick articulation with the A Custom cuz it is just plain BRIGHTER...but if you are looking for that elegant, dark WASH that gives the groove texture...the K Custom could be the perfect fit. I look forward to hearing what direction you went...

Tear it up...