Why Was This Hi Hat Combo So Popular? - Zildjian K/Z Hi Hats
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- Опубліковано 14 кві 2022
- Today we're looking at a piece of gear that has become the stuff of legends. The not-so-secret trick of using a Zildjian K top hi hat with a Z bottom hat was popularized decades ago, and remained popular enough to the point where Zildjian themselves released an official "version" of this combo.
I've got a pair of old 13s in this video, so let's talk about what makes them so cool, and take 'em for a spin.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, feel free to subscribe, and thanks for watching!
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Awesome video. If I remember correctly when they first came out, the Z Custom "Dyno Beat" had to do with the hammering pattern looking a little bit like lizard scales
Ahhhh super interesting!
wouldn't that be 'Dino'? not Dyno?
The original has the star pattern hammering, until it changed to the current pattern hammering.
@@si1995gtnupe1997 there were like 5-6 different hammering patterns, pretty sure the closed hex was first for the Dyno Beats, though not necessarily the first hammering pattern for Z Customs in general
@@ochocabra1542 pretty sure it was also a play on "dynamic"
I’ve had mine for over 20 YEARS. I’ve gone through countless crashes, these guys are still with me!
Why this still isn't popular simply baffles me. They sound incredible. Nothing beats the light top heavy bottom combo.
I remember a decade or so ago people started complaining about the higher freq of hats of the day. So then the bigger, lighter stuff came in. Personally I like them all!
Back in the 80's, all we really had were Zildjian New Beats and Quick Beate...the K/Z combo was a real revolutionary innovation back then!
I was playing the 14” version of the K/Z in ‘90-92 era and they were sold by Zildjian in this combo pack even at that time. Nothing new, by at least 30 or so years. The 13” version was always the most popular combo. The Z series was a thicker heavier cymbal line that metal artists like Lars played and made popular at the time and K were the darker hand hammered cymbals preferred by many jazz artists.
I found a set of unused 14" K Brilliant/Z hats and picked them up a couple of years ago. They were still in that ollld plastic bag the cymbals used to come in that informed you of the "new" Scimitar line. Gotta be from the late 80's...and they were literally untouched.
Where does he say exactly that they are new?
These are the perfect quick, crisp hi-hats. Great playing, man. Excellent hi-hat work.
Thanks for the kind words!
This combo is special to me because they were my very first cymbals used when I started playing. They were a gift from my first drumming mentor Ed as they were broken and he wasnt using them at all. Carried me through the first few weeks until I got my first set of new hi-hats. Good times.
Man the high pitch chickiness and stick response is amazing! I’m 46 and started playing drums right when these became popular. I heard of this combination countless times over the years but never paid it much attention. So that said, AWESOME VIDEO! I always liked Carter Beauford’s HH sound but never investigated what the hats actually were. Probably should have by now. But holy cow I’m getting these! Exactly the sound I’m looking for! In the 13” sizing too! Thanks again.
I bought my 13" K-Z high hats back in December 1990. I use them for 2nd high hat located on the right side of my drum set, with a remote foot pedal next to my main high hat on left side. The main high hat cymbals are 14" A New Beats, bought in 1977.
The 14" A New Beats & 13" K-Z Specials complement each other well. When I'm riding one pair with my sticks, I keep time on the other pair with my foot.
These 2 pairs give me the sound I need.
That's some killer playing to demo this combo of hi hats. On point!
Thanks Adam!
Out of all the 13 KZ's I've ever heard yours sound the best..of course your demo is incredible.
Becurious to see a paiste 602/2002 combo how they stack up
Zildjian was introducing different combinations of top and bottom hi hat pairs. Many with heavy bottom plates - new beats, or drilled air holes and no lower bell - quick beats, and a few others beats. These combos started before any "K" "A" or "Z" editions.
My main hi hat’s! All the time. Will always be on my kit
I have a pair of 13” k/z hats that I got from my uncle when I started drumming about six years ago. Never once have I thought about replacing them, I’ve found they can work for pretty much anything.
The Dyno beat used for K/Zs is only 1/2 of a proper Dyno beat set.
Those had Zs top and bottom.
One was hex stamped like those in a K/Z set.
The other had a different sort of “star” hammering pattern.
Although different from each other, they both said Dyno Beat, but neither said too or bottom.
I think it was left up to the user.
Either way two Zs make for some thick loud hats.
I’ve seen people try to sell the star stamped Dyno in or for a K/Z set.
(& it’ll work similarly I’m sure)
But the correct Dyno for a set of K/Zs is the big hexagon (scaly) stamped version.
My first pair of hihats in '90 were the 14" K/Z combo.
Still have then and use them from time to time.
Nice!
I love 13 inch hats
Hey man. Really dig your video style. Articulate and informative!
Thanks Patrick!
Immediately felt like I heard the intro HH-lick of Grey Street by DMB when I started the video :)
Carter Beauford got me into these in the early 2ks. He usually flipped his with the Z on top. They were always great, but much prefer his 14" a new beats now. Both classics!
Ah interesting! The Z on top would be crazy bright!
Yes, same here. I always assume that Carter Beaufort has a custom 13 inch on the top and a z Dyna beat on the bottom
Great content, in the 80's Kong had the DYNO piano in the 01 keyboard, I don't know why Dino but I think it was a popular word those past days.
This is very interesting the viewpoint of everyone, but the first person using these was Peter Erskine. I was a NAMM talking to him many many years ago. At the Zildjian booth he was talking about these cymbals when no one even knew what to do with them. They were released to appeal to metal drummers. Peter stumbled upon them from what I remember and I had Zildjian send me a set of 13" K and a set of 13" Zs to my shop in case it was not for me. I always had a nice set of Ks to fall back on.
Maybe someone can do a bit of research and see that Mr.Erskine was one of the originals to use the K/Z combo. Just my 2 cents.
I'm always looking for something to change in my kit but I've never found anything that beats my 35yo 13" KZs (bought new). I prefer a high-pitch sound from my hats which usually means you can't hear them when played live but the Z makes them LOUD.
Interesting/crazy how the price of cymbals has gone through the roof too. I paid about £150 (UK) in the late 80s. They're over double that now. In fact, I think I could get more for them 2nd hand than I paid new for them.
Simply put: the Z series was an entire line of heavy cymbals. Therefore; just like an A series New Beat, or a K series Fat Hats, it's just a name, a designator. The Z line included Dyno Beat hats, a Light and Heavy Power Ride, a Power Smash (china), and Power Crashes. Hope that helps.
Hey Mike, thanks for chiming in. Very familiar with the Z series, so no questions there.
@@ColeParamore Gotcha. Just saw your query about "why Dyno Beat".
these were my first set of hats. didn't know they were a combination until much later. found them on my walk home from elementary school about a year apart. still have em. when my drum teacher first heard them he described them as 'tangy'. tre cool played 14 inch versions with green day on the first few records.
Tangy is a great descriptor for these haha.
‘Found them on my walk home from elementary school about a year apart’
I owned a 13" pair of these back when they were popularised by Weckl etc. Unfortunately my pair always seemed a bit "brutish" and less amenable to more delicate playing. Zildjians are more variable in consistency so maybe I was just unlucky wih my pair. I'm now a Paiste guy and own a pair of their 13" Signature Dark Crisp hi-hats which are are conceptually similar (i.e. relatively light top cymbal with very heavy bottom). They are superb and again better than the 14" version that I have also tried. My other hats are 15" and I do get the appeal of bigger hats too. And I know 13" are relatively out of fashion, but I love what these hats do and when I go back to the 15" they feel sluggish by comparison.
I currently play the K/Z set, after playing the demo beats for over 20 years.
I have a 14 KC dark, A Armand, Z dyno so I have endless combinations. For the16s my favorite is 2x Z medium crashes.
It’s a classic sound. I had a pair but they didn’t really do it for me. I enjoy it when other people play them but not my sound personally. I have a lot of hats in my collection but my two favorites are both mix and match that I put together. The first is a pretty heavy 14” 70s zildjian A bottom with a pretty light 60s zildjian A on top and the other is a 14” kerope top with a k custom special dry on bottom.
Wow sounds awesome!!! How we can find the good ones online? How much they should weight??
My go to set is a 14 Sabian hh duo hat bottom on the top with a 14" a custom mastersound bottom on the bottom. Near perfect imo
It’s called dyno beat because the geometric pattern of the hammering resembles the skin of a dinossaur. That’s the way Zildjian explained back in the day, as I recall it.
Interesting!
Yep dinosours and dyno spelling in reference to mesurable power
These were the jam in the early mid 90s. All the cool kids had them.
I've got these now in both the 13" and 14" sizes. I bought a 13" pair in 1989 that looked EXACTLY like the pair in this video.
Nice! How do you like the 14s in comparison?
The Zildjian "S" family mastersounds bottom is also very thick but I haven't found a crash or top b20 hi-hat yet to pair it with my set. Then the "A" custom bottom might also be good under the "K", since its another chicky thick bottom.
I think the A and A Custom Mastersounds may be even thicker as well.
No idea why it’s a dyno beat! 🤷♂️ I’m not as familiar with the Dave Mathews Band as I should be so today I listened to Before These Crowded Streets. I was thinking the hats sounded like bright 13s! That was literally today and then I see your video tonight!
I really love these but I’ve got a very very very heavy Sabian 14 inch bottom hat and use a regular 14 inch K crash on top
Super cool!
Just found a 13 K hi hat top in perfect condition today at the pawn shop up the road. Pop guy didn’t know what he had. I asked him what’s the price on it and he said 20 dollars. I gave him a bill and left the store so fast knowing I just got the deal of a lifetime. I’ve never bought a cymbal for 20 let alone a K!
Nice!
If you are around east central PA I have a the correct version of the Z Dynobeat for the bottom.
Then you’ll have yourself a pair of K/Zs.
😁
What's the snare in this one? Is it a Dialtune, and which model? Sounds amazing.
Yep, the Dialtune, so I can't take any credit for the tuning. 😅
This is what I use as my main set. I got a good deal on them and didn’t know about the hype. Once I heard them they replaced my others.
Nice!
Are they worth $130 for the pair?
In my opinion, yes. I'd buy them again especially at that price.@@mcopilot
Id like to hear the pair in 15"
Love these hats. I've had mine since the early nineties, and would still use these on a gig, if I was gigging out anymore. And if I remember, they were sold just as you display them...there was no special K/Z label on either cymbal.
Anyways, sorry to hear that these aren't to your taste, but (dare I say it? I dare) we all march to the beat of a different drummer.
I have 14 inch Z Custom Mastersound hi hats and 14 inch K Custom Hybrid hi hats. I wonder if they would work the same?
Won't sound the same, but might sound great!
Cuz they sound absolutely amazing probably 😂
I’m 45 now and bought a pair of 14 z dyno beats when I was around 12-13. I saved up I think $220 for them I saw them in poisons talk dirty to me video Rikki was an idol and Lars also back then and I had to have them. My hi hats at the time were cracked a bit came with my first drum set they were just awful. I remember getting home putting them on the stand and the zs just sounded like garbage. The sounded good from 100 yards away lol. I was devastated and as a kid I was afraid to tell my mom I hated them seeing as I worked and saved for them and had to have them. So finally around 4 years later I saw guys using k/z I believe it was a Josh Freese pic in modern drummer so I bought a k top and boom!!!! I played those for so many years until trading them in for a new pair. I still have one dyno beat though it’s the one with the star marks on it. Just kept it for nostalgic reasons all my hats are 15s now but man this video brought back some great old memories. I liked the 14 k/z combo 🥁🔥
Great story, thanks for sharing Mike!
Was not Dave Weckl that did the combo originally?
That is indeed something I mention in the video. Thanks for watching!
WOULD A LIGHTER K WORK ON TOP? I HV AN 822 GRAM K TOP.
That's the beauty of hi hats - any combo will work. Is it the sound you're going for? That'll be the question.
Dyno is a prefix but I think zildjian is comparing their dyno beat hi hats to dynamite loud explosive etc.
Doesn't it have diamond shape hammer patterns?
Try it with a Dark K top if you find this too bright.
Good tip!
Akira Jimbo used these.
That's right! Pre-hybrids.
Only hi hats I use
Short for dynamite? Explosive sound?
What is the name of the background music?
I can't remember specifically but it's in the UA-cam audio library - royalty free.
Erskine created the combo but Weckl made them famous on his best selling back to basics instructional video.
It became the best selling zildjian item of the decade but Weckl received no royalties.
Disappointed by this Weckl switched to Sabian so he could develop to evolution line of cymbals and receive royalties from them.
EVERYBODY in 1989 was playing KZ 13” hats !!!!!!
Interesting - I hadn't heard of the Erskine/Weckl part of it.
Jazz guys .. Ric Dior loves the 13's
Love that chicky sound