Product Close-Up Paiste Masters Dark Crashes and Hi-Hats Rich, warm, mix-ready tones from Switzerland’s super-consistent cymbalsmiths. The Masters series started in 2011 as a dozen ride cymbals, made from Paiste’s CuSn20-formula bronze and designed for use in a variety of genres. Models included, among others, Medium, Dark Dry, and Dark Crisp. In 2014, the company fleshed out the series with three crashes (16″, 18″, and 20″) and two sets of hi-hats (14″ and 15″). We were sent a sample of each of the new offerings for review. Let’s start with the crashes. 16“, 18“, and 20“ Crashes All three Masters Dark crashes are medium-thin and are designed for low to medium-loud playing situations. They had a quick response and opened up easily at all dynamic levels, including super-delicate strokes. They also had a great combination of warm, smooth tones with just enough complexity that they sat within the texture of […]

June 2015 Issue