As all Polish drum maniacs know (and the rest of the world is going to find out now), Radek Owczarz is one of the best studio and touring drummers in Poland. He has collaborated with some of the platitum-selling acts on the Polish scene, such as Kasia Kowalska, Pilichowski Band, Edyta Bartosiewicz, Patrycja Markowska or Jan Borysewicz.
Very recently, apart from testing some heads from Aquarian, he has also checked out quite a number of Zildjian cymbals from the K Custom Special Dry family. The first to go was a set comprised of the following: a 15″ hi hat, 20″ and 22″ crashes and a 23″ ride (see HERE). Then, we took a closer look at another set made up of a 13″ hi hat, an 18″ crash, a 19″ crash and a 21″ ride. Since the K Custom Special Dry series also includes effect cymbals, let us put the 18-inch trash china under our microscope, shall we?
18″ Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Trash China
1. The test
The test was carried out in professional studio conditions, at the CLC recording facility in Piaseczno, Poland. We useda Ludwig kit (Radek himself does not remember what model it is, maybe you could help?) and a Ludwig Supraphonic LM402 snare. The cymbal tested by us is a 18″ Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Trash China.
2. Basic specification of the cymbal tested here:
- Company: Zildjian
- Series: K Custom Special Dry
- Cymbal type: Trash China
- Cymbal size: 18″
- Finish: Natural, holey
- Character: medium dark, sandy, dirty, dry, short decay
- Pitch: High
- Weight: Paper thin.
3. The product and the sound
The K Custom Special Dry family is Zildjian‘s answer to the current craze for dry and dirty-sounding cymbals. Obviously, that is exactly what this trash crash offers. High frequency band harmonics have practically been eliminated. The sound is very explosive, the attack is fast while the decay is short (a bit shorter that in the case of the trash crashes), although not as short as we had expected because of its holes. That is a good feature because it is exactly what sets this cymbal apart from a chinese (plus higher pitch). It is a beautiful-looking, wonderfully crafted cymbal with noninvasive sonic characteristics. It has a characteristic sound that doesn’t just copy competitors’ products.
4. Summary
Let Radek Owczarz himself sum up the whole experience:
“The 18″ Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Trash China is great for anybody who’s looking for a really dry, sandy and dirty cymbal which will also shut down rather quickly. As all the cymbals from this family, it has passed the studio test. It causes no problems as far as EQ goes, which compliments my drum kit because it doesn’t overwhelm with high frequencies. It will satisfy anybody who’s looking for a sandy crash that shuts down quickly. Also, it’s fit for any style of music, really“.
Producer: https://zildjian.com/
Distributor in Poland: http://www.adamusic.pl/
OUR VERDICT: 5/5 TOP
Advantages:
- Very well crafted
- Fashionable, dry, earthy sound
- Stylistic versatility
- Magnificent look
Disadvantages:
- None
Drummers and Drummerettes! It’s time to put the 18″ Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Trash China (still relatively unknown to drummers in Poland) to the most important test of all, i. e. the en.beatit.tv viewers’ test! Exclusively for you, we give you Radek Owczarz!
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