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The Hear & Now
A cymbal setup for every drummer is a very personal thing. Probably as
personal as a hair style. It's our sound, it helps define our signature and
the way we punctuate and articulate our music. So it's important we search
for sounds that help us express and achieve all of the above.
The new Rikki Rockett Ride from
Bosphorus Cymbals certainly provides a multitude of interesting sounds that
might give a drummer a new range of sounds to choose from. The ride comes
in two sizes, a 20" and a 22". I had the opportunity to play both
as I write for my band's newest record. Lets break it down...
The
Bell
The most defining
feature about the bell seems to be it's hand-hammered thickness. With it
being a little thicker than most bells, it gives the player the opportunity
to really lay in into it and pierce the song with an ever-so pungent pitch.
It really cuts through which can certainly come in handy for those heavier
bands out there. No chance of this bell getting lost in the mix as so many
other rides do!
Lets
Go For a Ride
After playing around
with the bell, I was expecting a similar feel to the ride itself. Something
thicker, something with a lot of over tone and maybe something a little
wetter. How wrong was I?! The actual cymbal is thinner than what I expected
with a sound that could be used in rock but maybe even in a modern jazz or
funk band. I was able to perform intricate ride patterns with each note
distinctly separate from the one prior. They didn't blend together as many
other thinner rides do. It seemed to be a good balance of overtone and what
I like to call, "pinch." Basically meaning, being able to play
many notes in succession without them all blending together;
"pinching" in more notes.
Okay, so far I was impressed. But I was just tinkering
around until the rest of the band showed up to the rehearsal studio. I
wanted to see how this would do in a full band setting. Once again, it
exceeded my expectations. I first used it in a song that combines
progressive rock with modern funk patterns so it certainly had its work cut
out to impress me and be heard. It was definitely able to hold its own and
gave me everything I asked. I was able to really lay into it for the harder
driving patterns and articulate the up-beats with the bell. It added a lot
of flavor! So next, I used it on a song that is much more avengard which
can drive at times but is much more intricate in style and requires precise
execution. Here I was able to tap the ride with the tip of my stick for
that precise "ping" then lay the stick on the down beats for my
accents and get just the right amount of overtone to satisfy this
complicated tune.
All together, and I mean this nicely, this cymbal
seems to be slightly schizophrenic with the variety of personalities it
seems to carry. I don't know how they were able to find such balance, and
I'm still trying to comprehend how it was even possible. But be it as it
may, it's sometimes best to just accept things for what they are and take
them as is. This cymbal seems to have a little bit of everything. It
certainly wasn't due to lack of trying, I put these cymbals through the
ringer, and was impressed with both. I think I personally prefer the
smaller 20" cymbal of the two, but that's just me.
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