Modern drum set is the ultimate percussion instrument, there is not doubt about that. It also happens to be one of the most versatile instruments in use today.
If you think about it, you can hear drums in almost every single genre of music that is popular today.
With that said, a drum set is a sum of its parts. Each element of the kit has a purpose and is responsible for adding a certain accent to the overall performance. One of the most basic and most important elements of any drum kit is the ride cymbal.
In all aspects, ride is the probably the most useful cymbal at your disposal. The range and the dynamics of its sound makes it extremely versatile. There are several sizes of ride in use today.
What we are going to focus on in this article is a 24 ride cymbal that is the largest size you can get.
Let’s start from the basics
A ride cymbal earned its name due to its original purpose on a drum set. It was your main cymbal, and it still is for a lot of drummers, that you use to ‘ride’ the music.
Being the largest one on the kit, a 24 ride cymbal can produce a wide variety of tones. This type of performance gives you, the drummer, several layers of versatility to use in your performance.
For example, two most common ways to play the ride cymbal is to attack the rim and attack the bell. Each of these are distinctly different techniques which yield different results.
Features
[su_note note_color=”#fefec5″]For the purpose of this review, we will take Zildjian K series light ride cymbals as an example. Your average 24 ride cymbal is a huge beast.[/su_note]
This size is anything but standard in the world of drums. This means that the manufacturer has to be a bit more careful and apply more advanced hammering techniques when making a cymbal of this size. Zildjian K is an example of what a 24 ride cymbal looks like when it is done right.
This particular model features a copper to tin ratio of 80:20, and brings a wide range of tones to the table.
Improved versatility and impressive build quality have made Zildjian K a preferred choice of many legendary drummers of today. In all seriousness, this comes as no surprise. Although a lot of drummers still like the 22 inch rid better, a 24 inch one gives you the most flexibility out of them all.
Performance
We have said a lot about how good a 24 ride cymbal is, not it is time to explain what we meant. The thing with cymbals in general is that a smaller diameter produces a more piercing sound that is higher in pitch, and has a short sustain.
On the other end, something like a 24 inch ride will be much slower, thus producing a deeper tone that is rich with overtones. It take some velocity to make this thing move, but the main benefit of using such a big cymbal is variety of sounds you can get.
As you start walking the cymbal from the rim towards the bell, you will hear the whole range it is capable of delivering. Larger diameter means more range.
What we like
The Zildjian K we showed you here is a superb ride that offers a very refined tone combined with a lot of sustain. Its versatile nature makes it one of the best tools you can mount on your drum set.
What we don’t like
The only real problem with a ride of this size is the fact they are a bit slow. You will have to plan ahead your every move, and attack the cymbal with precision. Larger diameter means there is a bit more room for error.
To sum up
Whether or not you are open to what a 24 ride cymbal has to offer is up to you, but the practical value of these rides has been known for a while now. It take some effort to get used to the new dynamics these cymbals offer, however in the end it is all well worth the effort.