Some time ago, we received another parcel from Germany, the town of Gutenstetten, to be exact. As all drum maniacs out there know, that’s where Meinl company is based. Inside, there was a set of Meinl Pure Alloy cymbals, which we immediately started to test thoroughly. All the cymbals were tested in our own recording facility.
Meinl Pure Alloy Cymbal Set
- Company: MEINL Cymbals
- Series: Pure Alloy
- Cymbal set elements:15″ hi-hat, 18″ crash, 22″ crash, 22″ ride, 10″ splash, 18″ china
- Finish: Traditional
- Character: Warm, Classical
- Weight: medium
Meinl Pure Alloy 15 Hi-Hat
The 15-inch Meinl Pure Alloy hats sound really good. It is a pair of pro cymbals which are easily controlled, has a nice sounding chick and enough sandy quality at the same time. It will certainly deliver in heavy metal, in which case it will be wide open and hit hard, but players preferring other styles should not complain either. OUR VERDICT 5 TOP
Meinl Pure Alloy 18 Medium Crash
The 18-inch Meinl Pure Alloy Crash is sonically reminiscent of the legendary Paiste 2002 series. When played in isolation, it may not sound like a monster, but mics really love it and it truly does the job when mixed with the drums. Also, the cymbal is not excessively loud, which will win over sound engineers and your bandmates. OUR VERDICT 4.7
Meinl Pure Alloy 22 Medium Crash
The 22-inch Meinl Pure Alloy Crash can easily function as a ride as well. The bell’s loudness and projection are very nicely balanced with the body. What is characteristic of this cymbal is that it seems to have a kind of volume threshold making the crash sound even better when hit hard. OUR VERDICT 4.7
Meinl Pure Alloy 22 Medium Ride
The 22-inch Meinl Pure Alloy Ride sounds very nice, clean, free of ugly overtones. Despite the size, it sounds quite high and the bell is a bit louder than the body. As far as crashing is concerned, it requires a bit of strength to get it going, but once it happens crash riding produces a nice sound. OUR VERDICT 4.5
Meinl Pure Alloy Splash 10″
The Meinl Pure Alloy Splash is by far the cymbal that has made the best impression on us out of the entire set. The excellent, short, sandy sonic characteristic is also very nice to the ear, making the cymbal responsive and easily controllable also when hit hard. OUR VERDICT 5 TOP
Meinl Pure Alloy 18 China
The Meinl Pure Alloy China is a completely different story… As opposed to all the other cymbals in the set, this one is mighty loud. The sound characteristic is truly great, but the projection is such that it overwhelms the others. This peace of metal will effortlessly cut through any wall of sound created by guitarists. It will also deliver in other music styles, but it is simply made for those hard-hitting metal gods. OUR VERDICT 4.7
Summary
Meinl Pure Alloy is a family of cymbals that are quite versatile. They can handle many styles of music, from metal (including its most extreme genres) through to rock and jazz. They may not be the latest development at Meinl, but it’s the first time we have played them. The sound they deliver is nothing new in the world of drums either, i. e. the initial impression is that one is playing Paiste 2002.
Another thing we have noticed is that these cymbals sound very good through microphones, which you can check out in our video below. The situation could be different when playing a small acoustic gig as they may seem a bit rough-hewn when not running through overheads. The sound characteristic is rather bright, but high overtones are not as audible. The decay could be described as natural and long.
This is what our editior-in-chief, ‘Viking’, has to say about the Meinl Pure Alloy cymbal set tested here:
“I took the whole set to my band’s practice. In the style of post grunge, it was especially the hats that delivered. It has a gorgeous, beautiful-sounding chick and plenty of warmth when open. The splash also makes a great impression. The ride and crash cymbals seemed to be very classic-sounding. In my opinion, they will do the job in classic and stoner rock. The china is simply a metal punch in the face, as if the cymbal was taken from a different set, but what an amazing punch it is! After all, Kerim ‘Krimh’ Lechner plays one, and he knows what he’s doing...”
Producer: https://meinlpercussion.com/
Distributor in Poland: http://www.meinldistribution.pl/
OUR VERDICT 5/5
Advantages:
- Very well crafted
- Good value for money
- Good sound
Disadvantages:
- None
