BeatIt Test: Meinl Pure Alloy Cymbal Pack

Earlier this year, Wojtek Deręgowski tested a lot of new products from Meinl for us, and among the instruments tested was a set of Pure Alloy Custom cymbals, which turned out great (click here for our test). The cymbals received a very high rating from us and, quite understandably, we wanted to check other cymbals with from very interesting formula. Here is an extensive test of Meinl Pure Alloy cymbals sized 14″ (hi-hat), 16″ (crash) and 20″ (ride).

Meinl Pure Alloy Cymbal Pack

1. Test

We conducted the test in our new studio, i.e. in an acoustically adapted room. We used a DW Collector’s Maple 20″ x 18″, 16″ x 13″, 12″ x 9″, 10″ x 8″ drum kit and a 14″ x 6″ TAMA Star Reverse Solid Cedar snare. The Meinl cymbal set at hand consists of: 14″ hats, an 16″ crash, and a 20″ ride.

2. Basic product specs of the cymbals set:

Manufacturer: Meinl
Series: Pure Alloy
Set elements: 14″ hats, 16″ crash, 20″ ride
Finish: Traditional
Character: Warm and bright sound, powerful attack, moderate sustain, ride w/ a very well-balanced ping (bell)
Weight: Medium

3. Product and sound

The cymbals look very good. All those who want to emphasize the traditional appearance of a drum set will like these instruments as the beautiful traditional finish is somewhat reminiscent of the classic one known from the 2002 series of a competitor. Personally, we have the impression that Meinl wants to offer users something closer to the Raker series from the 1990s, i.e. we are dealing with mid-range cymbals that will be perfect for both concert and studio environments.

These cymbals are characterized by a traditional, warm sound with quite a lot of high frequencies, which do not irritate the ear in any way while playing. At the post-production stage, this range is perfectly audible, without the need to boost the band at 5-10 kHz. The cymbals are characterized by strong attack, which makes them a very good tool that will work well in most musical styles, from rock and pop through to jazz, fusion, R&B, and reggae. The 16″ crash can handle accentuating and even riding. The ride cymbal has a very wide range of applications – from playing with a stick tip, through pinging on the bell to crashing the entire cymbal. Taking the price into account, we are dealing with a set worthy of players’ attention as well as the highest rating from us.

Let us take a closer look at each of the instruments comprising the set.

16″ Pure Alloy Crash

Small but robust – that’s how you can describe this instrument. For us, the 16″ size is rather a toy for little boys, but we were surprised by the power of this cymbal and the possibilities it offers. Firstly, the cymbal is perfectly matched to the entire set. It is often the case that 16-inch crashes are louder than the others cymbals in a set and have to be replaced with larger sized cymbals and placed on the left side of the set for possible accents played with the left hand. We are quite sure that this crash will remain in place and possibly be reinforced by its 18″ brother on the right side of the set. Secondly, the cymbal has a wide range of uses, from traditional accents to strong nu-metal-style crashing. Combined with its brightness and warmth, we are dealing with an ideal cymbal for many musical styles.

14″ Pure Alloy Hi hat

A very classic-sounding hi-hat, with warmth and the expected treble. Perfect for funk, where the leading instrument for playing the rhythm is the hi-hat. It also performs well when open. It may not necessarily be suitable for extreme genres, but it can handle rock or pop. We were once again enchanted by the quality of these cymbals and their traditional finish!

20″ Pure Alloy Ride

Nie na darmo producent użył określenia masy instrumentu jako medium. Mamy tutaj do czynienia z bardzo wszechstronnym talerzem, na którym możemy swingować, grać ping, czy akcentować, a nawet crashować. Naszym zdaniem zupełnie niepotrzebne zbieranie dźwięku przez dodatkowy mikrofon, ponieważ mikrofony overheadów świetnie zbierają ten ride. Talerz świetnie przebija się w miksie i jest bardzo wyraźny. Według naszej opinii jest to najlepsza blacha w tym zestawie.

The manufacturer describes the weight of this instrument as a medium for a reason. We are dealing with a very versatile cymbal here. We can swing on it, play ping, accentuate and even crash. In our opinion, it is completely unnecessary to mic it with an additional microphone, because overhead microphones pick up this ride very well. The cymbal cuts through the mix very well and is very clear. In our opinion, it is the best element of this set.