Zildjian Cymbals

As with my Yamaha drums, I have also played Zildjian cymbals my entire life. I have played several others and I hear Zildjian as "my" voice. The K Zildjian series have always appealed to me the most, but I do use a few cymbals from the different lines. As with the drum set-up, it has taken me a very long time to find a cymbal set that has the ability to work for almost everything I do. I now have it to the point where I have very

little substitutions. This has also helped me have a more identifiable sound on tape. I basically keep the same configuration with just ride cymbal substitutions. The diagram of the set-up is in this section of the web-site. I have always gravitated towards drier ride cymbals, drier hi-hats and very thin crash cymbals. I feel the drier rides and hi-hats record better and make it easier to maintain dynamic control. Thinner crashes have a nice bright tone and have a quick sustain.

Zildjian set-up:

My primary hi-hats are 13". The top cymbal is a 13" A Custom hi-hat top; the bottom cymbal is a 13" Z hi-hat top. This set is very dry and crisp. They have a great foot chick sound and record well. The rest of the cymbals from left to right are as follows:

  • 13" Azuka Latin crash - This is a great, very thin cymbal that crashes well with lighter strikes and is very nice with mallet swells.
  • 6" A Custom splash - I have always used some sort of splash cymbals on my kit. I used up to three at one point in my career! I have always loved the colors they create. They are quick and able to be used in several places in various types of music. They also have great humor if used in the right spots!
  • 18" Constantinople crash - The 18" Constantinople crash is a wonderful cymbal that I got at the Zildjian office in L.A. The great thing about this instrument is that it has a very sensitive response for a larger cymbal. Most of the time, larger cymbals require more force to put into motion. This cymbal reacts very well at low dynamics. This makes it great for many styles of music. But, since it is 18" in diameter, when you lay into it the sound explodes into a powerful crash cymbal.
  • 22" Constantinople ride - Finding the perfect ride cymbal has always been a real challenge for me. I always get great cymbals that work for specific styles. A great all-around ride is very difficult to find. The 22" Constantinople ride is a great cymbal that works well for many of the styles I get called for. It has great definition at lower dynamics and a very musical bell tone. The body of this cymbal is relatively thin, so higher dynamics have a great building cymbal wash. The other thing I like about this cymbal is itŐs mallet roll sound. It is very musical for a ride cymbal. I have a few more rides that I use to fill in the musical gaps in my cymbal selection. There is an 18" K Custom that I love for rock and funk (you couldnŐt crash this cymbal with a sledge hammer!). I use a 20" K Custom Dry Light ride for R&B and fusion styles that require more notes and definition. Also, I switch out my flat ride sometimes for an 18" K Custom Dark Crash with three rivets for big band and ballads.
  • 16" Vintage crash - The vintage Crash Cymbal line is new for Zildjian. I really dug this cymbal when I first heard it. It is very thin but with a solid crash sound that records very well. Most extremely thin cymbals have too much high end overtones that donŐt record very well. This Vintage line definitely sounds like a cymbal that has been played (beaten) for many years and has come into itŐs own unique sound.

Copyright 2000 Russ Miller. All rights reserved.

Comments? Feedback? Get in touch with Russ at:
rmisticks@russmiller.com