Comparing 9 (mostly) K Zildjian ride cymbals
A few years ago, I assembled a video comparing six different 20" K Zildjian rides ( • Comparing 6 different ... ). Since then, I sold one…and acquired several others. So here is an updated video with nine cymbals. All of the cymbals but one are K Zildjian rides. All but two are 20 inches.
Here’s what you'll see and hear:
-K Sweet Ride/K Ride/K Ride: 0:04
-K Constantinople Medium Thin Low/K Constantinople Medium Thin High/K Pre-Aged Light Ride: 1:57
-K Jazz Ride/K Heavy Ride/FX Raw Crash: 3:58
21" K Zildjian Sweet Ride
I just bought this the other day. I like it. It reminds me quite a bit of my 20” K Zildjian ride (which you’ll hear right after the Sweet Ride), except that the Sweet Ride is a bit milder and less defined. Maybe because it’s a 21" cymbal, it also takes slightly more muscle to put in motion. Not sure yet how frequently I'll reach for it.
20" K Zildjian Ride
I bought this one a few years ago, and it sounds different than my earlier K Ride-a little more high end. The Sweet Ride actually gives me some newfound appreciation for this one, because I like the definition this has.
20" K Zildjian Ride (older)
I think I bought this one around 2001 or 2002, but it was made in the 1990s. This has been my go-to all-around rock cymbal for many years. It has plenty of definition, a nice bell, and you can crash it a bit. It’s darker than the newer K Zildjian Ride.
20" K Zildjian Constantinople Medium Thin Low
I bought this used a few years ago, and at first, I wasn’t sure I liked it. It's definitely low pitched and softer in volume (and in feel) than my other cymbals. The crash is trashy and there’s not really a distinct bell sound. Then I started recording with it, and now I love it. The low overtones kind of fade away in rock recordings, and you’re left with a very dry, not-piercing, defined ride cymbal. This has become one of my favorite all-time rides, and I love to crash it as well.
20" K Zildjian Constantinople Medium Thin High
I bought this after the Medium Thin Low because I thought, "I'd love the Constantinople if only it were a little higher pitched." Well, this is definitely a little higher pitched. But interestingly, it doesn't quite have the same definition in recordings. And frankly it doesn't have the complex character of the Medium Thin Low. Don't get me wrong, this is an absolutely beautiful-sounding cymbal, but I reach for the Medium Thin Low more frequently than this one.
20" K Zildjian Pre-Aged Light Dry Ride
This one is a long-time favorite. I bought it in early-to-mid 1990s. It provides a light, washy sound for jazz, acoustic music, and other low-volume settings. There is some amount of stick definition, but it’s definitely washy. I love the clang-y bell and definitely love the crash. It developed a small crack last year, so I had to take a chunk out of it, but it still sounds great.
20" K Zildjian Jazz Ride
I bought this used a month or so ago. I wasn't sure what it was at first ( • What is this mystery K... ), since a previous owner had rubbed out the model name. But there is a serial number, so the kind folks at Zildjian told me that this is in fact a Jazz Ride from 1998. I like it. It's the most A Zildjian-like cymbal ride I have. There are not a lot of complex tones, but it sounds nice. There’s good definition, a nice bell, and a good crash sound. The large-ish bell makes it actually sound very crash-like, and I thought at first that it might be a Crash Ride. I'll probably keep it, but I’m not sure.
20" K Zildjian Heavy Ride
I bought this new in the late 1990s. Very ping-y. It definitely cuts through loud music very well-in fact, sometimes the bell is downright piercing. Not particularly crashable. And true to its name, it's heavy! When I’ve played this in videos before, people like it. But to be honest, I haven't played it live or used it on a recording in more than 20 years. So I might wind up selling it…And then of course, I'll promptly wish I hadn't.
Zildjian FX Raw Crash Large Bell
This is not necessarily a ride cymbal, but that's generally how I use it. Some people hate these raw crashes and many people think they're overpriced. But I love this one. I love the way it looks (raw and ugly!) and love the way it sounds (raw and trashy!). Very dry, defined ride sound and very gnarly, fast crash. I'm definitely keeping this one.
Equipment:
-Zildjian cymbals (obviously)
-DW maple drums
-Blue Hummingbird overhead mics and snare mic
-AKG D112 kick mic
-Apogee Element 88 A/D interface
-Logic Pro
-Fujifilm X100T camera
-Fujifilm X100V camera
-Final Cut Pro
Пікірлер: 22
My favorites were the older 20" K and the Constantinople Medium Thin Low. K rides will always be my favorite ride cymbal. I have several. The 80s-90s generation are my favorite.
@schmargle
10 ай бұрын
Yes! Those are favorites of mine too!
I primarily use 20” ride. Love to see some love for 20” these days.
Thanks! Cool demo and cool playing
I have a kit and go through periods where I play a lot of drums, but they're not my first instrument. When I'm playing drums, I'm a crash/ride guy all the way. When I'm playing my usual instruments guitar and bass in a band, I like it when the drummer plays a big old honker. My all time fave in a rock mix is an A Ping Ride. Fave when I'm playing is a Sabian HH Duo Ride (somewhat jazzy cymbal with two different playing surfaces a la a mellower version of a K Custom Hybrid Ride). Here, the Pre-Aged Light Dry Ride has obviously seen better days, but it combines decent stick definition with a nice crash. The regular 20" Ks really speak to me. I think they've got a cool sound. If I were playing in a rock band, I'd want to hear the heavy ride. The K Sweet does everything, but it sounds a little too much like it's designed to do everything. I'm not sure that'd even be a concern if you were hearing it in a mix.
K sweet ride 21 es el tipo !
Thank you for the demonstration.
Awesome demo thanks for this
Thanks for doing this comparison! I’d have to say that I am not a fan of most of these because of how much wash they give. Just my opinion but I have had my share of Zildjian rides and all of them kept progressively getting more wash’ey as you ride them.
@schmargle
4 ай бұрын
Yes, I'm definitely leaning toward washier ones as I get older, mainly because I like to have fewer cymbals set up now, so I look for rides that I can crash as well. But also because I like to provide some sonic padding for guitarists while they're soloing. ...But then I do miss the definition. The perfect one for me would be a combination of the older K Ride (which has plenty of definition for me but is not too pingy) and something more crashable. But I haven't found that perfect one yet!
1 k const med-low 2 k sweet ride 3 k jazz ride
Most of them are too resonant for me, like they’re almost whistling with an icepick attack. The pre aged dry has a little more ‘spread’ in the high end which sounds way better imho
@schmargle
3 ай бұрын
Yeah, I love that one.
Thanks for this! It's so helpful (:
Good video!
@schmargle
10 ай бұрын
Thanks!
Please do some 22"s and 24's.
@schmargle
3 ай бұрын
I’d have to buy some! …Or maybe I could rent them.🤔
K older for me. 2nd pre aged
@schmargle
10 ай бұрын
Good choices!
Less washing at the laundromat
@schmargle
4 ай бұрын
😂