Best Electronic Cymbal & Best Electronic Cymbal Pads Brands
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Imagine playing the drum kit that comes with a vast number of toms, it is great to have a single cymbal set that has the capability to align with any music performance space or genre by simply touching a button. Picture yourself playing multi-drum parts and complex sounds that would be nearly impossible. All these and much more are possible with the use of an electronic cymbal drum kit.
Looking for the electronic drum set instead? Check the greatest electronic drum set or the portable electronic drum set pad.
Electronic cymbals offer a possibility of tapping into an endless world of sounds, converting songs and incorporating prerecorded percussion phrases into performance. Electronic cymbals make it easy to add effects like delay and reverb, and also help to practice or play anywhere or anytime with headphones.
Accessory: Cymbal Case & Bag
What are the Best Electronic Cymbals to Buy?
2) Yamaha PCY-100
- Reputable
- Popular
- 3 Zones
- Remarkable Features
1) Roland CY-12C Crash Pad
- High Quality
- 12" Surface
- Choke Control
- Weight-Balance
3) Alesis Pro X Hi-Hat
- Affordable
- Great Sound
- High-Level Calibration Control
Some traditional cymbal setup will come with a number of cymbals occupying the music arena (ride cymbals, crash cymbals, etc). However, multi-zone electronic cymbals gives you the same kind of sounds without bringing all these different cymbals together with your drum kit.
The genre of the music is never an issue because electronic cymbals and drum kits provide an unlimited range of musical sounds to match with any kind of music genre. The electronic cymbal is ideal for professional drummers who work with a vast range of music production.
It is easier to dial in different sounds that will align with any band from reggae to R&B horn band, jazz combo and pop quartet. This is possible because you do not need the misc to organize the sound of your cymbal, and the setup is faster while eliminating the clutters of the mic stands.
The absence of a mic can remove sound bleed or partial feedback from other instruments. Controlling the volume of the electronic cymbal in houses of worship or small compartments where there’s a need to maintain the level of your decibels becomes a simple task.
Electronic drum cymbals are generally more portable and compatible than the traditional sets. They can typically be stored and can travel in a couple of soft cases and bags. With the way they are designed, it is easy to pack the cymbal set inside a room, band van, on a crowded space, and any compartment with minimal space.
In terms of learning benefits, most electronic cymbals come with a built-in preset pattern that can be useful when learning to play the instrument. Playing in accordance with these patterns will help to build and coordinate the muscle memory needed to become an expert on this platform.
Some electronic cymbal modules have specific metronome functions and learning tools that will help a beginner develop good timing ability and the needed skills to maintain a steady groove. This is essential if you must play along with your choice of music with the use of external apps and software.
8 Best Electronic Cymbal Reviews and the Best Electronic Cymbal Brands
Here is a list of 8 electronic cymbals that are worth considering as part of your drum kit instruments.
1) Roland CY-12C Crash Pad
If you are looking for the latest and a standard V-Drum series, this is your one-stop destination. The Roland CY-12C crash pad is rated among the best crash cymbal with a triggering system.
This product has a fantastic and realistic weight-balance, with a natural swing, and unbeatable dual trigger apartment with high sensitivity. Convincingly, buying this product guarantees you a durable and long lasting triggering system.
The 12-inch electronic crash pad has an optimized sensitivity and offers an accurate performance output that allows a consistent choke control and crash performance. It features a foldable boom-arm, an adjustable ball-clamp that comes in agreement with all MDS- series.
Compared with the older version of the product: TD-4 or TD-9 kit, Roland CY-12C crash pad will surely amaze you, it will take your passion for triggering system to the next level. Another notable feature of this product is its ability to produce effectively on almost all electronic drum kits stand.
The pad of a Roland CY-12C can respond correctly to even the smallest difference while performing and also replicate the choking sensor, cymbal play, and powerful hits.
2) Yamaha PCY-100
The Yamaha PCY-100 is an amazing electronic sound system with a 10-inch cymbal length and a 3-zone layout. The three distinct zones are the up zone, an edge zone, and a bow zone.
These different zones allow the pad to produce a tremendous and unique sound whenever different parts of the cymbal are being played at the same time. The Yamaha PCY-100 cymbal pad gives an accurate response to differentiate its dynamic nature whenever it is activated with the drumstick.
The Yamaha PCY-100 has a remarkable feature of reproducing sounds when it is powerfully hit or choked. Another feature of this cymbal pad is its ability to swing. Stick bouncing are also reproduced so that the pad feels natural when drum players perform using the cymbal on acoustic instruments.
The Yamaha PCY-100 cymbal series is attractive with a clear touch of finishing to reduce the effect of fading. Before purchasing a Yamaha PCY-100 series, refer to the compatibility table of the pad to ensure a seamless connection with the tone generator. As an added advantage, the PCY-100 will also serve as a regular Hi-hat pad with the cup switch controls.
3) Alesis Pro X Hi-Hat
Alesis Pro X Hi-Hat is a continuous hi-hat dual-cymbal controller that gives the Alesis’s DM8 and DM10 drummers a natural hi-hat feel and playability, anytime and anywhere. This dual-cymbal controller is basically calibrated for the DM8 and DM10 series drum kits.
Alesis Pro X Hi-Hat is popularly known for its unprecedented and high-level calibration control. They are easily integrated with and they expand the capabilities of these common electronic instruments. With this sophisticated system, you will get all realistic benefits that come with using an electronic controller without omitting the natural feel that is familiar with the acoustic hi-hat.
This single bottom and top cymbal that come with a 12-inch size surface offer a vast range of responsive sector for triggering some sound samples directly from the DM8 and DM10 sound modules. Updating the firmware is necessary to perform a seamless calibration for this device to respond fully.
Tap into this highly sophisticated percussion and drum modules to create all kinds of attractive sounds like the splash, closed, half-open, open, and chick sounds with this cymbal series. It is more compatible with the standard hi-hat stand which makes it very easy and fast to integrate this versatile control system into any hybrid drum-kit or electronic setup.
4) Triple-zone Roland V-Cymbals–CY-15R-MG
The above product is a V-Cymbal Ride with the size of about 15-inch, it is designed with a choke-compatible edge, attractive to the eye with a silver-colored finish, and a positional sensing feature. With the V-Drums kit, there is a tremendous and unbeatable mark of expression.
Another outstanding feature of the CY-15R-MG series is its ability to produce a 3-way actuating sound which includes bell tones/edge/bow. This outstanding product consists of dual connection cables, Wingnut, stopper and a felt washer.
It produces a natural dangle-free and accurate triggering sensitivity that transverses the whole cymbal surface. With your CY-15R-MG Cymbal, be rest assured of a new level of sound expression.
The triple zone ride cymbals are made for the perfect upgrade or add-ons for your electronic cymbal modules. They are more compatible with the VAR sample triggering and also require an SD1000 operating system with version 2.0 or even higher. The great thing about this product is the way it comes in agreement with the old SD500 kit without any loss in tone functionality and sensitivity.
5) Roland CY-5 cymbal
Generally, cymbals are meant to be beaten, they are designed for that purpose. As time goes by, these instruments may begin to fade out or eventually get damage, a good reason you need a CY-5 cymbal pad.
They have a separate bow system with triggering zones. The CY-5 cymbal pads come with a 12-inch playing zone. Roland CY-5 cymbals are basically structured to be a quality heavy-duty piece of work. The characteristics of this product allow it to bend without breaking.
Thanks to a design that closely reflects the weight, shape, clear swinging nature, and rebound of an acoustic drum kit cymbal, they give the user some sense of nature. Roland CY-5 cymbals also allow a system of cymbal choking. They have the ability to swing like the regular cymbals and can also be mounted on the normal cymbal stand.
To achieve a more exciting triggering user experience, the CY-5 cymbal pad is built with a smooth silver layout that ensures a seamless interaction. The CY-5 cymbal pads is used mainly to function as hi-hat pad, however, they may also serve as a substitute for cymbal pads like the splash for V-Drum kits.
6) Yamaha PCY90AT Single-Zone Electronic Cymbal Pad With Attachment
Yamaha PCY90AT Electronic cymbal Pad is one of the largest electronic cymbal pad with 10 attachable sets of pads for direct connections to a rack system. A cymbal pad like this is basically designed and built for more quietness and natural feel. With a very responsive and active surface that reacts swiftly to even the fast sticking articulations, you can always be sure to get that desired sound appeal.
The Yamaha PCY90AT series is a generally sleek and portable type of electronic cymbal that supersedes the traditional set. Typically, they are designed to fit into the different range of electronic drum kits, and also compatible with soft bags and slim cases for easy movement. The PCY9AT has an extra port to plug into, giving you an extra channel for pad input.
In addition, each time you play the Yamaha PCY90AT Electronic Cymbal Pad with a DTX400 series kit, it becomes easy to play both cup sound and the edge sound by simply changing the way you strike the pad. The attachment gear and interface connector are really easy to manipulate, without much stress you can get through with the installation in seconds.
7) Pintech Percussion TC14 14″ Trigger Cymbal
The Pintech TC14 series is a unique product that offers a drummer with one of the most silent playing surface design with a state of the art actuating system. The TC series is designed in different forms; as a dual or a single zone layout and also with different sizes.
You will experience a fantastic acoustic cymbal feel when playing with Pintech Percussion TC14, translating your drumming skills to V-drums without much struggle. Some techniques like press rolls and brush-play are seamlessly performed on virtually all Pintech Percussion series, especially the TC14 cymbal series.
Every TC series cymbal is built with a sophisticated polymer that looks almost indestructible to guarantee a long-lasting musical engagement for the buyer. Amidst every other cymbal series, the Pintech TC14 is rated as a top grade electronic instrument because of its great tracking ability.
They have great dynamics, a quiet playing surface design, trusted durability, and are virtually lightweight. The features of this electronic cymbal make it bendable but hard to break, they can be confidently vouched for never to crack after or before use.
8) Roland CY-14C V-Cymbal crash cymbal
The Roland CY-14C V-Cymbal crash cymbal is an updated version in the evolution of Roland's realistic cymbal action and sound system. The CY-14C V-Cymbal crash cymbal pads produce a movement, dimension, and an inertia of unbeatable and genuine acoustic crash cymbal.
A distinct feature of the Roland CY-14C series includes an individual sensor on the edge and bow of the instrument so that users can feel its dynamic and actuating responsive drumming experience.
The product is unique because of the high level of compatibility with all Roland TD- and SPD-Series sound modules. Roland CY-14C V-Cymbal crash cymbal stands out with a tremendous virtual playing experience.
Featuring an acoustic response and a vast tonal range, the Roland CY-14C V-Cymbal crash cymbal also contains an adjustable and durable dual trigger system which allows it to serve both as a crash and a ride.
Whether you are a professional player in need of a substitute for your acoustic set, or probably you are just a beginner who needs to keep your practice in a low tone, you’ll be wowed by what this CY-14C V-Cymbal crash series can do.
Choosing the Best Electronic Cymbal from the Best Electronic Cymbal Brands
There’s really no straight answer to the question of what to look out for when buying an electronic cymbal. The kind of music you play and your budget structure should be the primary consideration on this issue.
Let your ears be the deciding factor in the end, because whatever you decide to purchase must be in rhythm with the other parts of your drum kits. Look for the drum cymbals that come with a “choke.”
One thing you should have in mind is need for an electronic drum cymbal that give the ability to equalize the sounds produced by your cymbals without much stress. Choking the sound during production stage helps you to produce the exact tone, pitch, texture, and volume you desire.
You can always expand your recording capabilities and sound palette by connecting your cymbals and drum kit to a software and computers. Samplers, external sound modules, and other musical instruments can be connected through a MIDI.
2) Yamaha PCY-100
- Reputable
- Popular
- 3 Zones
- Remarkable Features
1) Roland CY-12C Crash Pad
- High Quality
- 12" Surface
- Choke Control
- Weight-Balance
3) Alesis Pro X Hi-Hat
- Affordable
- Great Sound
- High-Level Calibration Control
Some of the breakthroughs in electronic sound instruments are the ability for electronic cymbals to regulate the sound and feel of the common acoustic cymbal. They give you the power to set a preferred sound level and frequency of what you play.
Another critical factor to consider while deciding on what to buy for your drum kits is the dynamic range, especially when it has to do with cymbals. Dynamic ranges give you the freedom to arrange your instruments with different amount of force, different pace in an entirely new way.
With a list of symbols, it gives you the same level of sound impact as the traditional set of musical instruments. Always remember that the range of available dynamic will be proportional to the sensitivity produced by any instrument. So get an electronic cymbal with a high range of dynamic that fits your budget.