WE SAY

Six years ago the name Sabian meant nothing in a market dominated by Paiste and Zildjian. Now their products have broken that duopoly and with the introduction of a new shape, in the form of the Sound Control series, they can justifiably claim to have edged in front, as brand leaders. The moral of this story is never to judge the book by its cover. So as we contemplate two new ranges from Pearl, a name usually associated with drum manufacture, an unprejudiced approach is called for. After all, these cymbals were good enough to induce none other than Mr Paiste himself to repeatedly check them out at this year's NAMM trade fair. He had good reason. The CX 900 bears a more than passing resemblance to his 2002. The WILD 900 is an even more blatant imitation of the Paiste Rude. And they sound good. And they're priced right down there at tempt level.

The current success of the Japanese industry has been built on the simple tactic of copying successful products in any area (in this case that of sheet metal cymbals) and then pricing the resulting facsimiles attractively. If these were sculptures it would be a job for the fraud squad. Luckily for you its dog eat dog in the music business so ultimate credibility rests squarely on your attitude. Are you a brand snob?

If not then have a look at the notes I made during the test session at the Pearl warehouse:

CX-900 14 hi-hats: Crisp, flat tick sound (stick on closed hats). Sound characteristics very reminiscent of Paiste, particularly the sizzling top end. Good bell and chime response. Good value.

WILD 900 14 hi-hats (Heavy): Another Paiste soundalike. Loud but bright Blend of tangy top and dead ping bottom cymbals excellent. Drier tick sound.

CX-900 16 crash (Thin): Clean, punchy well balanced sound. Reasonable dynamics.

CX-900 18 crash (Thin): Best of type. Sweet balance of bonk (stick connecting) and swish (cymbal resonating).

CX-900 18 crash (Medium): Louder. Tone lower in pitch. Thickness inhibits lower dynamics where bonk predominates. Rather ungainly.

WILD 900 18 crash (Medium): Tone down on CX equivalent but a more balanced, workable sound. Dark, loud but surprisingly responsive.

WILD 900 16 crash (Medium): The same. Maybe not as loud as the Rude but more responsive.

CX-900 heavy ride: Bright and pingy but harmonic overtone swells alarmingly as pattern repeats. Good bell sound.

WILD 900 20 ride (Heavy): Again a tone down on CX ride but density keeps overtone under control for better stick definition.

WILD 900 20 ride (Medium): Tone lower than 900 heavy. More ping but also more overtones. Like the Rude the army surplus chic is a matter of personal taste.

CX-9008 splash: Bonk sound predominates and conceals swish.

CX-900 10 splash: Better, balanced sound. Should be a model for other sizes.

CX-900 12 splash: Spoilt by more low tone (bonk) domination. Tone difference between two otherwise matching test samples.

It would be unfair to compare these cymbals directly to the Sabian Sound Control series, which are manufactured by the more expensive casting process. This immediately creates different tonal qualities the performances of which have been greatly enhanced by their unusual profile, which is flanged completely flat around the edge.

They respond faster and at a lower dynamic level than the conventional shape, and they decay more quickly. If you're an HM player surrounded by Marshall stacks on 11, this may seem of little consequence. But think about it. The chances are that, at a gig, you'll be miked so basic row will be a simple job for the mixer fader. Hitting your dozen cymbals (if they're Sound Control) will require less effort, will still produce a headbanger's delight of a sound but will cut faster, thus allowing you to lash out even more frequently. So they encourage good technique, or non-bashing, which is a mug's game. Remember, command of your kit is not measured in noise terms.

As I said a couple of issues back, it's all about creating an overall balance between the volume of your drums and cymbals. And nowhere will this show up more obviously than in the studio, where cymbal spill and decay are the problems with recording a live kit. If, say, your cymbals are much louder than your drums, a good snare, hi-hat, bass drum balance will be ruined with every cymbal crash, as their sound picks up through the others' mikes. A cymbal hit at the beginning of a chorus which is still resonating halfway through the next verse has the effect of making everything sound messy. Nor will gating necessarily solve the problem, with the current (welcome) vogue for a warts and all instrument sound on recorded kits. It's down to you and I to make the engineer's job an easy one and in this respect I can forsee nothing but popularity for the Sound Control range.

To these old, subjective ears the entire test pile sounded exquisite. Suitable for any musical context. Almost unbelievably responsive to stick or soft beater. The HH hi bell ride sounded like a supercharged K Zildjian but the crashes? Unique. Like nothing I've ever encountered before. The machine-made AA's have supposedly more consistent sound characteristics across the range of a size than the more as-you-find-them HH's. I can only urge you to try any that come within reach (in all senses). If working at your own playing volume seems difficult in a shop, take one of your own (and thus known) cymbals along as a reference.

DECISION

'Names' mean nothing and the Pearl cymbals should be considered by any player on a budget, particularly the hi-hats, CX-900 18 Thin Crash, 10 Splash and WILD Medium Crashes, don't be bullied by shop assistants. If it sounds good to you, it's good enough. The Sabian range sounds more than good, in fact, sensational. If you don't believe me then watch out for the imitations as a sign of acceptance by the other makers. They won't be long in coming.

Pearl
(Contact Details)

Sabian
Sonor (UK) Ltd, (Contact Details)