Which Cymbals RECORD Better? [Zildjian A's vs K's]
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Which of these two favorite cymbal lines actually records better? The classic Zildjian A’s, or the darker, thinner Zildjian K’s? Now that’s a bit of a loaded question, because we know that recording situations vary from one another. Different styles of music demand different sounds, not to mention individual tastes vary between drummers. But looking at these two cymbal lines objectively… What are the actual differences?…and which cymbals are really the “better” cymbals that YOU should invest in? Cymbal choice can become a very extensive topic, all dependent on your personal taste and musical style. There are so many options out there that cymbal shopping can feel overwhelming. Hopefully the comparison today between the two main categories of cymbals will help you discover what your ear prefers, and you can continue your own research from there. Whether you’re looking for cymbals that will cut through a bright, dense mix, or you need something a little more mellow and dark, today’s comparison should help you hear the real differences between a bright cymbal and a dark cymbal. Whether or not we truly discover the best sounding cymbal out there, I don’t know! But I will demonstrate some of my favorites.
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Hey man just wanted to see your thoughts on mute cymbals? I’m thinking about buying some and would like to know more and I trust your judgment!!
I know this is about cymbals but what drum heads do you use? They sound great.
I've had this struggle for years, A's or K's, among others.
Not easy to sum this up, but here is the big picture I've learned:
- smaller stages (bars, small venues, etc): use lighter, darker cymbals, such as K's, to balance the sound and the whole strength applied on the kit. You don't want to apply different strength of hands in case, for ex., one is ridding and the other hitting the snare.
- bigger outdoor stages you should use brighter cymbals, especially in more intense performances. An example, I just looove my 17 and 18 K Custom Special Dry, but when playing rock on a big stage, not good. Remember, you get a lot of acoustic pressure from the kit itself, not just through in-ear ou amplified monitoring, and when you are hitting hard and sound seems to "vanish" quickly, you need brighter and more sustainable cymbals. On big stages, the A's are better suited (HH new beats, 18 medium and 20 heavy ride), mixed with other brighter cymbals. Its so cool to be punching a ride in the chorus, hearing the sound opening up more and more, you start hitting even harder, it opens more and more, until you feel you are about to break the stick and the cymbal is still "is that all you've got?" :)
- for recording, use whatever you like, but keep in mind what you learned from this video and place the different cymbals where they will be hit nice and open while reaching the mics in a balanced volume all around.
Totally. The venue/room/stage matters immensely.
I'd pick the A's every day. While the K's sound a little nicer on their own, when it comes time to put them in a mix, the A's just sit in a much nicer part of the frequency spectrum. Especially on things like the crash on the ride, you are getting close to starting to meddle in the upper frequencies of vocals, and the extreme high end of a distorted guitar. Because of this they are likely to get buried into the mix (which might be what you are going for on a session). The shift brighter just leaves the A's in an easier to work with situation. There is a reason why a lot of the cymbal sounds, on a lot of older pop songs, feature brighter cymbals, it just fits better in that context.
I play K’s and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love how they explode then slowly mellow out...
K's all the way for over 30 years.. They have aged beautifully.. 20" Custom Dry Ride, two 16" Dark Crashes, and a K bottom cymbal on top of a Quick Beat (A) bottom.. It makes me smile with pride just writing about them.. Thanks as always for a great informative video.
@@cDisturbed. absolutely
I like the crash sound of the K's, quick and explosive with fast decay. I use Paiste 2002, has similar properties of decay. But really, I've seen drummers use mismatched cymbals to their advantage, and sound great. This comparison, the K's work for me.
Yeah, and there's NO law that states that you must consistently use cymbals from the same exact model line. Although you do see drummers with a bunch of cymbals from the same line.
I almost completely mix my cymbals, haha. I use the A custom 17” crash and A Custom 10” Splash, but I use an A 20” Earth Ride, 14” Heartbeat Studio hats, and an 18” K Custom Dark crash lol
the A Sweet Ride is one of the greatest cymbals ever created
Definitely
Agreed, I have one as my main ride and it's amazing! Works for pretty much every genre except for maybe metal. I record a lot with it and it sounds amazing and also great when I play live! It's a perfect match with my 16" K dark thin crash! Really love my Sweet ride!
Absolutely, just switched my K Custom 20" Ride for a 21" A Sweet. I regret nothing.
What about the k sweet ride? I have 2 a sweet rides (brilliant and non brilliant) , but i really curious about the k sweet 21 and the light 24
I disagree
I like them both but I prefer the A's just my personal preference
Lucky you haha
Mike Mike. I play A Customs. I’d honestly prefer them
The drum set I use for high school has a k crash and ride but an A hi hat
And it’s a really good sound
But either way they are too expensive to use at home
I've never played K's but I played the A's and really like them. But are K's better than A's?
@Club Soda Good point, anyways I put the A's on a slight advantage just because they are more affordable than the K's
Great video, great channel.
I use mostly K's myself...big fan, especially of the Constantinople series.
If you can somehow borrow some cymbals from the other top manufacturers as well, it would be really cool if you could do the same comparision with some of these:
Sabian (AAX vs. HHX)
Paiste (2002 vs. Dark Energy)
Bosphorus (Traditional vs. Master)
Dream (Dark Matter vs. Bliss)
Istanbul Agop (Traditional vs. Agop Signature)
Meinl (Byzance Dark vs. Byzance Traditional)
Or don't...either way I'll still watch and like your channel.
What do you think of the ones that were made and Istanbul? 20 in period. And what do you think they're worth?
Don't forget that the later A's are significantly thinner than the older line you are using here. I have an 18" A thin that sits perfectly between my 17 & 19 K thins. If anything, the A is thinner and opens up more readily. It's hard to categorise the lines these days as there is so much cross over. There's a lot of marketing going on with companies and there's nothing wrong with that, as it makes us feel good when we sit behind our favourite brands. It's good to be aware of it though. Really good thought prvoking video, thank you.
I use a combination of all of them - traditional A's , Custom A's , K's and other types as well. You can't just be a fan of one type... each brand and model presents unique sounds. At the end of the day as long as you play well ... thats all that matters!
I think personally there’s a big difference even between the normal K line and the K Customs, which you showed here. I personally own the regular 14” K hats and 20” ride and prefer those to the K Customs, but I also understand it’s all a personal preference. It might have been worth noting that these aren’t regular Ks so some viewers don’t get confused.
Lee Austin would have been better to compare K and A. Not K custom and A
K's for ride and one crash, A's for hi-hat and the other crash. Mix it up!
Agree
Yup!
Definitely would have both 18" crashes
Ks will always be my favorite, I love the crisp warm darkness they give off, especially 18in crash and their hihats
My reason for choosing the KCD series was the same as yours, particularly the crashes. After listening to every line I could find, this was the one (excluding extra dry cymbals of course) with NO unpleasant high overtones. Many cymbals record nicely but these sound incredible in an acoustic setting too.
Idk I’m thinking A Hi-hat, A ride but K crashes
weird i’m thinking the opposite!!!
For me personally, A's are good for live situations while K's are best used for recordings. Brighter cymbals are a bit of a hassle when it comes to EQing because it has so many spikey frequencies that you have to get rid of while darker cymbals can sound great after a few EQ moves. K's are also great for bar shows or jazz shows. A's probably sound better when you're actually playing at a venue. Although, one of my favorite rides is the Sweet Ride. I do want to eventually invest in possibly a K Light Ride or a Constantinople Ride for the rock stuff I do.
Wasn't so sure about the A hats but once you started incorporating the actual drums they really started to shine
Well done! I would say : the K ‘s I would play on a weekend, the A’s during the week.
I'm not a diehard Zildjian user, but the A Customs are some of the best looking and sounding cymbals out there
I play seven K Custom Darks, with the exception of a Paiste 2002 SE hi-hat for brightness, and last time I was in a studio the engineer was impressed by the sound of the cymbals when recorded.
They’re both two of my favorite line of cymbals. I prefer all of the K’s, excluding the new beats. I love those hats!
Even within the same style, the difference in weight/thickness makes a difference. For instance, my 18" A Medium Crash sounds different from my 18" A Medium-Thin Crash - much more than you would think. A little extra detail in WHICH thickness you are using in all of them would help.
My preference: A hi-hat, everything else K.
I don’t like how the initial wood stick hit sound on the K hihat sounds which is a dealbreaker for me. Otherwise the k hat sounds really good.
I feel the same.
Preach
I feel much the same, it has to be said the thickness makes a big difference e.g. in the PST7 range the thin crash is great, the medium is OK and the heavy/rock is nasty, but the heavy/rock ride is great,while the light ride is too weak! You have to play them with your kit before you can find what fits your style.
I use a K top and A bottom for my hi-hats. It's a nice compromise between the two.
Came here to agree. I play the A "New Beats" paired up with K Custom Dark Crashes in 14" and 16". For years, I had been playing on fairly dark (light) UFIP Hihat together with both K crashes.
But when I recently went into a local shop to buy better matching k custom dark hats, after some extensive testing, I ended up bringing home the new beats, which get along very well with my pair of K crashes, a lot better than the k custom dark hi hat IMO
I would love to see a vid comparing Ks with A Customs. I've had a full set of A Customs (14" Fast Crash, 15" Projection Hats, 17" Crash, 18" EFX Crash, 20" Projection Crash, 22" Medium Ride) for years and am interested in adding some Ks to my collection.
Definitely an interesting video. As a recording engineer, something that a whole lot of people don't think about is swapping out mics to change how things like cymbals sound in a mix. For example, if someone comes in and they have really bright cymbals, I might use something like a pair of Audix ADX51's to dull them up a little bit. If they're too dark, I'll reach for some AKG 451's because they typically have a much brighter sound. If they're sounding fine and I want a neutral mic, I'll reach for some Lewitt LCT 340's.
I went to my local music store expecting to go home with some K Darks and actually ended up going with Sabian hhx complexes instead. Highly recommended!
I personally think that most younger drummers are using "darker" sounding cymbals these days. It's just an observation, it's not say it's a bad thing, it's just not surprising to me that he chose the K's?
Well, it was the same from the late 50s-late 70s. Drummers then were inspired by jazz, and classical musicians. What happened is that the drummers who made up the music scene from the mid 80s to the early 2000s often were taught by other rock drummers. That's actually where the first loud rock cymbals came from. But even in the late 70s, and 80s, your more rounded drummers were burying their cymbals, or buying used ones. They were doing anything in order to reclaim the classic jazz cymbal sounds of the past. Drummers are once again finding their roots in jazz, or classical music. That's why "darker cymbals" are flying off the shelves. It's also what keeps drumming from being completely automated.
Maybe they can still hear all the transient frequencies? JK they both sound great but I have to say I found myself liking the k's more. I like the thinner cymbals because they react faster
I swear by ZBT’s and A Customs. I love bright cymbals
I don't know, dude. I'm 16, and all my drummer friends love bright cymbals. I myself love the brightness and the brilliance of the Sabian AAX Explosion line, as well as the Zildian ZBT line. They are practically the only cymbals I use.
K’s just sound better. I’m 44 fyi.
First comment and btw Zildjian K for the win!!! I just ordered some K Custom Hybrid Limited Reversible Hi-hats which I am super excited for! Oh and nice channel I’ve been subscribed for a while now cause you know what you’re talking about.
Thank you for this. I was debating between A's and K's and ended up with a full set of K Darks (16",17",18",20" & 14" hats). Love them for basement playing..
Nice comparison! I also had the K and A series. I found the K series brighter in the mix, the A series were warmer and fuller in my opinion
Depends on how they fit into the context of the music/overall mix. There's scenarios where one works better than the other, and vice versa.
Lets be real both of them are apsolute bangers
i'm partial to standard K's myself, although live i use A's. but then as far as the collection goes, there's no preference. from A's to Wuhans and everything in between. gear videos are a guilty pleasure man. keep em comin!
This really is a loaded question, as you say, because there are SOOOOOO many variables. I have different sets of cymbals for different settings: small, large, indoor, outdoor, carpeted, wood or tile floors, up on stage or down on floor in front of stage, portable small dance floor on top of carpet. Every one of these settings makes each of my sets of cymbals sound differently. When I accept a job, my first question is about the room, floor and walls.
Don't forget about the design and shape of the cymbal within A or K. Bell size, shape, hammering, etc.
Then there is the matter of sticks. The kind of wood. Big, small, thick, thin, short long, nylon tip or wood tip, shape of tip. Brushes also come in different designs, sizes and designs. Rods. The list goes on and on.
"One size does not fit all". I bought my oldest set of cymbals back in the 60's and they still travel with me to all of my jobs, whether I use them or not. I've probably gotten dozens of different sounds from them because of all of the above.
Still, the above info is very interesting. Thank you.
Both sets sound incredible together a lot of Grammy award winning drummers use both together!
I've had A Mastersound Hats and K Hats, A Medium Thin Crash and Sweet Ride and K Custom Dark Crash, as well as a K Custom Organic Ride. As I've gotten older, I have come to prefer to lushness of the K sound, but the A's definitely have their place. I also used to have the A Custom Projection Crash. If you really want some explosion, get that or an EFX cymbal. Holy moly. All in all, K has become a more pleasing sound to my ear.
I am blessed to have a very very nice array of cymbals that I have acquired over the years. When I was playing out my favorite hi hats were 15"a zild.new beat.,20" a zild.ping ride,and 16" -18" a zild.thin crashes.They worked for rock,country,and blues.Fast forward to now in my studio I prefer 13-1/4 K hybrid hihats,16"&18" k session crashes,21"k hybrid ride and 14"&16" pstx Swiss effects cymbals by paiste.
Oh man I've been waiting so long for someone to do this comparison.
Been pretty torn lately between the A and K for my 18" crash. Thanks for the vid!
My favourite sounding and feeling cymbals, especially when I'm playing unaccompanied or in low-volume settings, are the K Custom Darks for the past 20 years or more. In a higher volume, live situation the A Zildjians are often the better choice, but not as complex or pleasing to my ears. The bottom line as I see it...so many great-sounding cymbals, so little money.
I'm gonna get some A customs they sound do sweet and crisp there just music to my ears and great for gigs!
Jesse Oroaz Better wear ear plugs, A Customs hi end will destroy your ears.
I have a killer hybrid set since 10 years.
A custom crashes (16, 17, 19, 20), 14 A Armand hi hat, 21 A sweet ride. They are amazing and way more versatile than Ks.
I have A customs on my set and love them. I've never met anyone who doesn't like them lol
I'm constantly being told to play my A Customs quieter by the sound guys in bars. About to switch to Meinl Dual crashes
@@tyguy805 Those are only just a little bit quieter.
I love my Zildjian K's. Depending on what I'm doing I prefer either K's or A Customs, both record really well. Zildjian A's have never really impressed me much. Great comparison vid!
A's have been my favorite for years, but TBH I have them BOTH on my kits and perform and record regularly with both at the same time. I really enjoy them!
Thanks for actually telling the one you prefer man!most don't.great job!
The Paistes I've played (mostly Signature and its sub-lines) all seem to have a very refined, controlled, well-balanced character (more than any other brand) that makes for great recording (and the wash never seems to get out of control), but sometimes you want something grittier/dirtier. My Paiste Dark Energy cymbals are great, as are most of my Zildjians (I have some A's I'm no longer that fond of), but nowadays I favor my Istanbul Agop Signatures (other than the weak bells) and Craig Lauritsen customs.
Really interesting assessment, thanks. I bought a set of K Custom Darks a few years ago, really love their warm and easy sound. I found the hats just slightly insipid, so I use an old A Custom for the top, with the K Custom Dark underneath and that combo works great. The ride is just beautiful and crashes well also. I have a black stamp Paiste 2002 18" crash that sits nicely amongst the others and I've got my eye on a Paiste 22" Signature ride for completion of a really versatile set up. Peace and good health to all.
I am just a basement player. I love the K crashes and A hats and ride. Thank you for the video!
I'm a rock bass player and bought a set of K's in the past beause they make all of the instruments sound better. Especially during recording recording where the lower volume let the overheads to capture more of the toms and snare. Also, they are tuned lower so they fight less of the guitar frequencies.
Miami junker by trade and found a complete set of these Zildjian. The 20in one is marked Istanbul the other four are marked Zildjian made in the USA. What do you think the value of these are?
This actually may have helped me in my next cymbal choice :0 good shit man!
friggen Joe Really looking into cymbals there are sooooo many cool cymbals in Zildjian that have eluded so many people. The custom darks and the regular A series like new beats and avedis are popular but look into the K hybrid series, K sweet series, K Constantinople, Kerope series, or even the new S series. I like K better but look into the deeper A lines and there are a few good things in there too. Seriously good cymbals in all of those line ups!
@@allanenglandthedrummer6451 Yep..agreed. K Constantinople are the best sounding cymbals I've ever played, especially their ride cymbals...so warm and silky and smooth.
(P.S. it helps to say those last six words in that silly Adam Sandler voice)
How about the K Custom Dark vs the K Custom Sweet? It's never easy with cymbals, is it? Lol
I grew up playing drums, but sold my last kit 6 years ago when I was going through a divorce - I was using mostly A Customs when I sold it with A Sweet Ride and New Beat hi-hats.
I'm looking at buying another set soon to get back into it for personal enjoyment, maybe playing out occasionally, but trying to decide on cymbals has been difficult.
Thanks Stephen was going to buy a pair of 14 " new beats now you got me thinking also like the sound of the k's
Mix and match the hi hat cymbals and you'll get many more sounds. K Custom over A New Beat, K over Z and A New Beat over K bottom. Try it...there are various combos for different kinds of music.
I love the Ks! I hear too many individual frequencies on the As, which kinda hurts my ears. As a recording engineer I agree with Stephen, I'd be doing a lot less notching in the overhead EQ with the Ks.
i heard the 16" K crash to be brighter than the A crash. I heard variations of all of these cymbols and do agree its ultimately up the INDIVIDUALS EARS and their preference...... BUT thank you for your review and video, and i also want to say i think youre a very good host, reviwer, and drummer! all the best ~
Rocky Balboa I thought it sounded brighter as well. I had a set of A cymbals & while I liked the ride & hats alright, I pretty much hated the 16 & 18” crashes. I heard the same sound in this video. They really bother my ears. My old kit, when I was a kid playing punk/thrash stuff, was a K 21” ride & an 18” Paiste Rude crash/ride. They mixed well together, with a nice, dark tone. The Paistes would sustain forever, but some tape calmed em down.
I’ve watched quite a few of these comparison videos & come to the conclusion that I just don’t like Zildjian crash cymbals all that much. I’m good with their rides, but Paiste, Meinl, UFIP & Bosphorus all have nicer crashes & hats to my ears. Particularly Paiste & Meinl.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Hi. Well, ultimately it all comes down to your ears. my ears know what they like and what they hear. as do all the other musicians. so its just a preference thing. And what kind of sounds youre looking for too.
Literally just bought the A cymbal pack. However, I would totally prefer the K dark cymbals. I am outfitting a Yamaha Rock Tour kit and plan to play in a rock cover band so the A's in this case actually made more sense. If I do worship recordings I think I will have to pick up some K's
good job of illustrating nuanced differences between two general types, louder/brighter, softer/lower toned especially for people who don't have access to a variety of makers and lines. Myself I prefer lighter, darker timbered cymbals which I also play quiet in general, though there are times and music genres or even specific pieces of music I finder brighter/louder cymbals fit the bill better than darker/softer cymbals.
Good comparison. I have many of the same cymbals you tested, and I also prefer the K's. The Custom Dark sound great. As you said, the 20" ride is a little washy. I play in a fairly loud bar band and that cymbal is unusable in that situation. But with the blues trio I play with, it's great as a main ride for quieter situations, or as a left-side ride/crash for louder gigs. I recently picked up a 22" K Dark Medium Ride, and it is perfect for the rock band. Still has that dark K sound, but you can lay into it without it washing out. All that being said, a lot of great drummers play Zildjian A's. Peter Erskine uses New Beats, and many, many rock drummers use the A rides and crashes.
I have all K cymbals, though they are a mix of a variety of types: 14 K hats, 16 K dark crash, 9 K custom hybrid splash 22 K kerope ride, and 18 K con crash.
Great vid, I dig the K’s for that darker sound…great groove man.
This actually came at the perfect time. I am going into the studio in a weak and have been looking at renting ks. So thank you for helping!
Both sound great but the K's definitely are better suited for your drum kit and sound. I think that's the most important thing to keep in mind. It all depends on the kit and the player's style. I have K custom hats paired with A custom crashes/ride and it's been great.
I think they both sound great. The A's to me represent the classic Zildjian sound which I love.
I have Traditional A's (Set A391) and I absolutely love them, absolutely beautiful cymbals. I have also played K's before, and I love them as well, but I personally prefer the A's because they're brighter, but still moderately dark (not like A Customs that are disgustingly bright).
I have an A Custom 17 inch crash and it is not that bright, very versatile cymbal, easy on the ear and to record
Yazzy Yace I just got the A391 pack and I agree they sound great 👍🏻
Just got the same set but swapped the sweet ride for a 21 K custom organic ride.
Guy Marzello did you get the pack from Sweetwater, handpicked by Nick D’Virgilio
My local music store got me the A391 set and let me swap rides.
Thats so true...K's & K customs sound more pleasing to the naked ears bcoz they are lighter & darker. Even the k custom fast crashes are pleasing to the ears even tho its brilliant. That 18" k custom dark is my fav crash of all time!
For recording I much prefer the K custom darks.
The As sound better raw because they are brighter and louder, but in a mix you are going to want to boost quite a lot of top end to get the crack out of the kick and snare.
A bright cymbal will limit how much top end you can add, especially on the full kit mics like the OHs and room mics - and a loud cymbal will increase the level of bleed in the close mics.
The Ks are closer in brightness to the shells, so you can boost more top end. They’re also quieter, so they reduce the amount of bleed. An added benefit is I find the Ks have less harsh resonances, so when brightened up they don’t get as harsh and metallic sounding.
The ideal situation would be to have a set of both, the Ks for the studio and the As for live.
I’ll probably always have my k custom ride (unless I wanna use my sweet ride), k master hats and 17 k dark crash....those are the ultimate for my ears and my style. I’ve been a k fanatic for years. But some of the a custom crashes are incredible and new beats are THE definitive hi hat. As long as it sounds good and gives you confidence, there’s no right or wrong answer, really.
A Custom are the best for rock/metal. They just are! Volume, wash and thier brilliance is exceptional for stage and studio.
Awesome comparison video! Subscribed. Keep them coming,
thanks👍🏼
Depends on music, but Love As, Adore Ks. I am not a hard hitter. Really like Meinl Byzance also, as well as 14" zildjian Mastersound hats for country, big band and rock.
I like mixning them! I'll always have my A sweet ride and then usually mixed with K crashes(Usually Dark thin) and an A custom hi hat
I have mainly pasties. Couple of 2002. I use a 101 for that high chick to cut through. I have a couple sabians as well. That covers my ride and my 14' crash. It's so thick and pings almost like a splash.
Very useful test. Probably the closest thing to a Zildjian versus Paiste on which cymbals record better.
There's so much variability in b20 cymbals, especially with zildjian. I've heard a 17" "A" which sounded identical to an 18" "K."
I've got a 17'' K custom dark crash that I LOVE!
Why are the two crashes always 16” and 18”?
I have a 17” K Dark Crash Thin, and a 19” K Hybrid Crash.
Oh yeah, ... I also paired a K Constantinople Top with a New Beat Bottom. The KC’s were too quiet and the NB’s not washy enough.
And I just picked up the A 18” Crash-Ride because it had more stick definition than my K Custom 22” Dark Ride.
Both lines are awesome, it really depends on the type of music you play. I think K's fit more to softer genres and A's to louder because they cut trough more as they are brighter.
What kit are you using? The kick is one of my favorite kick sounds. I don't hear enough sounding that good.
Nice comparison video. I own 2017 A's and they are thinner than the older series. Still brighter than K's of any sort. That's by design, of course. The K custom dark's I have are from 15 years ago and are still among my favorites for all the reasons mentioned here. I have 2 kits setup so it's easy to swap out for whatever style or mood I'm in.
Also have too many hats and rides to mention but it's what makes this hobby fun and interesting.
i have the A's and i really love them , i bought one K 18 for 7 dls and i didn't like it but it gave me 200 bucks !
I'm at the end buying cymbals actually thought about buying the A pack and decided your right here .After 50 years drumming I no longer like loud harsh cymbal sounds .I owned the K set here to but moved on .Maybe I will get more Paiste can't go wrong there. Well done on the video very accurate
This video was really helpful - thanks, Stephen. If you can borrow more cymbals for similar comparisons, that would be great - the format was really good/helpful. Cheers!
Definitely my A's and my K's have different musical applications. Between the two , I gravitate to my K's. But my most favorite versatile cymbals are my constantinople's! They sound good live and on recordings
Great video, it did help me to decide between the Zildjian Studio Recording versus the Zildjian K Sweet.
I have a set of A Customs (14 hats, 16 crash, 18 crash , 20 medium ride) and K’s (15” light hats, 17 dark thin crash, 19 dark thin crash, 22 light ride). Had the A customs for several years and planned to sell them after “upgrading” to the K’s a few months ago, which I thought are the superior line, but honestly, I find myself going back to the A customs when playing heavy rock that needs that quick, bright, cutting sound that the A customs deliver. I’m also very happy with the Ks. Neither is better, it’s all preference for what fits your style and taste.
Exactly! I wish more people understood this. It's not which is "better". Its whatever you prefer. Personally I love both. I own the same K set you have and I love it to death for the right musical context and nothing is better than hearing those A customs cut through a heavy roar of guitars. :-)
Im playing a 14 new beat top with a paiste dark crisp bottom nothing I've played in over 30 years comes close to such the perfect sound these create together to my ear.
Should look into K Custom Hybrid crashes... They mix well with A’s.
16” A Custom Crash
17” K Custom Hybrid Crash
18” A Armand Med-Thin Crash
18” A Custom Fast Crash
19” K Custom Hybrid Crash
As for hats, rides, splashes and Chinas... Whatever works for what your playing.
Oh man, a comparison between things I actually have! I like playing the K (custom dark) better, but recording depends on the music I'm playing, and the sizes I have available (I have way more range with the A). I think it's a fair comparison. Good stuff man.
Great comparison! However, the newer A's are thinner and much darker. I purchased the A Medium Thin crashes 16/18 in 2016 and they are sonically almost perfectly in between the Ks and As you demonstrated in this video. Even the New Beats and Sweet Ride are lighter now.
I like the old school Jazz Setups which use both.
A Hi-Hats
K Crashes
K Rides
Its a true vintage feel so I can't decide on either.
Really nice video. in a busy mix, A series cymbals have a better readability. The best in between the K and A are the older A thin crash. They really are perfect for recording but more expressive for gentle drummers, you don't need to hit them like the As to wake them up.
I came for the cymbal comparison, which was okay and interesting enough to watch. I subscribed because of the groove and the snare sound.
The K's crashes and ride sounds best to me, but the new beats have just the right cut and crisp that I like.
I use an A New Beat Top and a Sand Hat Bottom. 20” K ride and two 17” a custom crashes. I like my mix a lot. I’m not a crasher in my ride and I feel K’s are not as explosive nor do they open up as much to my ears. So i prefer K as a ride because it fits my playing habits. A 17” crashes literally just sound perfect in my ear. My hi hat mix is beefy and crispy. Love my current cymbals.
I agree, my ride is pretty dark and it tends to get lost in the middle of all the other sounds. I like the sound of the A crash but maybe not as much as the K. For the Hat ether will do. So probably a mix of both might provide so latitude in playing.
Thank you so much for this amazing comparison!
For this demo, I prefer the A's... but when the brand and series are left out of the equation... I'd go B20 for the ride and crashes because it has a deep, rich tone, B8 for the hats because its super crisp and pops like hell no mater the acoustic environment. Finally, nickle silver for the china's because its got a wild, nasty tone that is FULL of odd harmonics. As for mixing... B20 crashes and rides can get loud in 300 to 600hz range when you do a lot of washing or if your overheads are too close to the cymbals... try scooping out this range by about 4 to 6 db on your overheads to clean up the sound if you find its got too much mids. I have found that B8 crashes and rides are less likely to exhibit this problem and are a better choice if you have to place your mics close to the cymbals (I.E. because of a low ceiling, etc...)
I have owned B8 hats before and now I have the A custom budget and quality the A Is great, sound wise those B8's are crisp
Thanks for the great info bro, here is a tip that has worked for me - if you need the hi-hat to cut more, just turn it upside down and put the bottom cymbal on top. Or put the bottom K on top of the bottom A... I think that would actually be awesome! :D
Depends on the mix! Sometimes brighter cymbal and drum frequencies get lost in a guitar army.
To be honest, the only one(s) I like here are the K Hi-hats. Nice and crisp with no annoying overtones. All of the crashes were too high pitched for me (especially the A's), and both rides didn't have the balance of stick definition and dryness that I like. I will say, though, that the K Ride here has a FANTASTIC crash sound. A crash I'd like to get at some point is Zildjian's 19" K Dark Thin Crash, but they're a bit expensive new and hard to find used.
I have K's crashes and a ride but have a 15" set of New Beat hi-hats. They are not too dark or bright but just sit nicely in between. I find the K hi hats just a bit quiet and dark sounding.
That K Custom Dark Ride sounds phenomenal, I want 1!