Did my first test today....

A combined recording of MIDI drums (and 3 MIDI crashes) with my new Gen-16 AE Cymbals. What I wanted the results to be happened.


Of course the MIDI hits happened as they have in the past. The joy of the Gen-16 stuff is it's real cymbals with real articulations recorded as real audio. The mics/pickups are below the bell of the cymbals and pickup ~ -20 db of the pad hits (very faint, PC2K gate eliminated them). So I now have fully isolated human feel/real HH, Ride and Crash with about 17 (out of 20) real world Zildjian "models" per cymbal. The recording of the cymbals was pristine.


The brain allows you to set the vol and pan on each cymbal. The brain only has stereo out but I think that as long as the player is reasonably good (i.e. not me) I should not have to major surgery on the live cymbals, but there is always audiosnap/melodyne if need be.


The other nice thing about these cymbals is they are not as loud as conventional cymbals and of course the brain has vol on the individual pieces as well as a master vol.

My only wish is that the unit could have individual outs, but with proper panning it should not be a major drawback.

All crash in the loudspeaker?

bapu


My only wish is that the unit could have individual outs, but with proper panning it should not be a major drawback.

My only wish is that it would have come with better sounds. I was totally disappointed with this package, unfortunately. In my opinion, you're better off with a Roland Brain and one of their cymbal packs. The brain has multi-outs and the cymbal sounds smoke the ones in the AE pack. Then of course you can always use your own samples....which to me is the better solution.
 
I hope this thing really works out for you Ed. But for me, I cringed, took it apart and threw it in the storage room at the studio I was working at. Just listening to the thin, sizzly and high endy sounds on their videos they offer on their site turned me off from this thing...but I had to try it to be sure. I'm sure glad I didn't buy it...but..that's just me. Hopefully it will work for you. Good luck.
 
-Danny

drumstixkev


Man , do you have the toys!   I'm JEALOUS   

Yeah, but you have the coolest room. I Am Jealous

Got any sound examples we could hear of you playing them? I've been really curious about those.

SteveStrummerUK

bapu


What I wanted the results to be happened.

Edwidge, I have no idea what this means
 
 

Either do but I use my tongue like a $2 ho, roight?

SteveStrummerUK

bapu

SteveStrummerUK

bapu


What I wanted the results to be happened.

Edwidge, I have no idea what this means

Either do but I use my tongue like a $2 ho, roight?

Either do?
 
 
 
Slow down a bit Ben......... oops................ I mean Ed
 

dE you mean?


Hey mate, shouldn't you be listening to a draft right now?

Jonbouy


I was interested in the sample sets but didn't like the bright thin-ness in the demos that Danny was referring too.

It sounds like way too much of the meat of the cymbals has been HPF'd away.

That's not too much of an issue if the system is giving out an useful range of articulations at the midi stage though as the samples/sounds can be replaced, no?

Jon,


It's not a MIDI generating/accepting device AFAIK. It's audio out only. For me that's the attention getter. Clean cymbals (especially HH  articulations) played on what feels like real cymbals all without the bother of OH mic'ing.


There is a USB connection so what I'd like to see down the line is the ability to replace the samples. The system is been put ~ two years now. Should be time for some upgrade path.


So far I'm liking what I hear. Next step is to get a drummer in the room and really give the system a go. What time can you be here?

Jonbouy

What time can you be here?

It's not the time it would take to get there that is the problem, it's the fact I'd probably be late back for my tea and end up in trouble agin...

Ja

mike_mccue


I'm confused about the cymbals.

Do they have anything to do with MIDI or are they just silver colored cymbals with microphones attached?

Would someone who already has a set of cymbals and microphones get some additional function from the new cymbals?

Thanks.


best regards,
mike

..attached? yes and no. There is a processor unit that gives you 20 tone shapes per cymbal.
..from the additional new cymbals? Probably not if you're happy with the sounds they produce.


IMHO, this is like having a cabinet of cymbals to choose from, with the benefit of a sound source as opposed to mic'ing.

Jonbouy


It sounds like way too much of the meat of the cymbals has been HPF'd away. 

Or LPF'd, ya?
 

craigb

Jonbouy


It sounds like way too much of the meat of the cymbals has been HPF'd away. 

Or LPF'd, ya?
 

Nope HPF'd

All the bottom end removed. i.e. just the highs have been allowed to pass...

Kinda like a low shelf cut only more so...

Jonbouy

craigb

Jonbouy


It sounds like way too much of the meat of the cymbals has been HPF'd away. 

Or LPF'd, ya?

Nope HPF'd

All the bottom end removed. i.e. just the highs have been allowed to pass...

Kinda like a low shelf cut only more so...

Mebee they appeal to me for just that reason. 


Once I get a drummer in here and give the system a real go, I'll determine if the unit is worth it. I have a 365 day return policy from Hello Music.

Jonbouy

Ya, which kind of implies some triggering behaviour rather than straight audio, no? 

Ya.


However one of the settings for each cymbal is called "Reference" which I take to imply "straight audio". Some of the others are referred to as Standard, Classic 60s, 70s, 80, 90s, 00s, Depth, Depth Dark, Depth Bright. After that you get into 10 settings that are more "processed"; Pitch Bend (3), Overdrive (3), Trash (2), Glass and Vacuum.

So, what grade did you get on this test?