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E-CYMBALS RUN THE gambit from light plastic or rubber to metal and they encompass all price points. Each brand has certain ways of approaching issues like mounting and rotation during playing, but all want to provide reliable triggering while being something other than a static pad. Modules play a crucial role in the evaluation process because some of the features found in various e-cymbals are geared toward higher-end models. Moreover, module features often determine what cymbal works best with that model, for example, features like swells. Comparisons of brands and models are inevitable but we’ll take the same approach as last time and look at each brand as a stand-alone option. “Responsiveness” is harder to judge because module settings, usually Sensitivity and Threshold, can be tweaked to change the characteristics. Significantly changing them, however, can make a cymbal so “hot” that it’s impossible to get any playing subtlety. That also makes edge hits harder to manage. Each cymbal was played according to the manufacturer’s specifications for the module - a Roland TD-12 and for Yamaha, the DTX950. Another aspect of responsiveness is how much surface area returns reliable triggering before that falls off. This was tested by lightly striking each cymbal outward from the “sweet spot”, usually where the trigger housing is located, and then noting when the cymbal started to become less responsive. We weren’t expecting 360-degree coverage, but there were quite noticeable differences. One thing is clear - not just from our reviews but from years of online commentary: e-cymbals, no matter what brand or model, still don’t swing and move the way an acoustic cymbal does. Even the metal cymbals in this review don’t act like acoustics. Well, one e-cymbal not part of the formal review comes closest: the Concept One (shown below). A US brand developed in the 1990s, Concept Ones don’t have the look of any contemporary e-cymbal. The designer at Concept One did something no e-cymbal maker is yet to equal: create a cymbal that swings like an acoustic. How did they do it? The central cylinder that slides over a cymbal arm is connected to the rest of the cymbal by a material closely approximating raft rubber. We used the Concept One as a yardstick for swing. As an old, single-zone, no-choke cymbal, it triggers fine, but definitely doesn’t look or have the other capabilities of even some of the modestly priced cymbals reviewed. Finally, there’s always the “how will that look on my kit” aspect of many cymbal selections. That’s an impossible area to make any sweeping judgments about. Some folks want the look of “real cymbals” and thus will look carefully at Alesis and Hart. Others might be attracted to the somewhat exotic look of Pintech’s Visulite line and its many available colours. 22
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