Meinl Byzance Splashes and FX

93
WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM FEBRUARY 2017 |
M
e inl has been at the forefront
of shaping the ‘modern’ drum
sounds that we’ve become so
familiar with in recent years.
Producing some of the driest and darkest
sounds around, the German company has
also released FX accessories which promise to
further augment any drummer’s set-up.
Build
Today we’re looking at the Byzance Extra Dry
Dual and Byzance Vintage Trash Splashes, the
Meinl Ching Ring and the comically named
Cymbal Bacon sizzle chain.
The Dual splash is completely unlathed in
the centre whilst the outer 1½" area shows off
a brilliant fi nish. A number of broad
hand-hammering marks are clear to see
which, considering the small size of the
cymbal, should dry the sound considerably.
The Vintage Series Trash Splash features four
enormous circular cut-outs and four smaller
From £7.50 Meinl continues to add to its Byzance range and
brings us some other new toys…
MEINL BYZANCE
SPLASHES AND FX
WORDS: TOM BRADLEY
ones, evenly spaced around the bow. What is
left of the surface is sandblasted which leaves
it with that distinct golden patina.
The steel Ching Ring is perfectly sized to sit
snugly around the bell of most cymbals and
features fi ve tambourine jingles, attached with
rivets. The Cymbal Bacon doesn’t differ much
from sizzle chains that we’ve seen before
except for the rather smart, branded steel
mounting disk to which the chain is riveted.
Hands On
As suggested by the names, both splashes are
dry and trashy in nature. The sandblasted
Trash Splash is the shorter of the two and has
more of a glassy quality. The Dual Splash had a
little more warmth but was ultimately short
and cutting. Where both cymbals come into
their own is when used within stacks. Simply
placing one of these over a regular crash
completely transforms the timbre and opens
us up to an endless number of applications.
PRICE S
10" Byzance Extra Dry
Dual splash: £107;
10" Byzance Vintage
Trash splash: £123;
Ching Ring: £9.20;
Cymbal Bacon: £7.50
MATERIALS
Cymbals: B20;
FX: Steel
FINISH
10" Byzance Extra Dry
Dual splash: unlathed
and brilliant;
10" Byzance Vintage
Trash splash:
sandblasted;
FX: steel
COUNTRY OF
MANUFACTURE
Germany
SUITABLE FOR
Most styles
CONTACT
D’Addario
0191 300 3000
www.meinlcymbals.com
Essential spec
CHING RING
The small, steel Ching
Ring is surprisingly subtle
and versatile
DUAL FINISH
The Byzance Extra Dry Dual
splash has a part-unlathed and
part-brilliant fi nish
CYMBAL BACON
The aptly named device rests over
any cymbal to add a delicate sizzle
The additional metallic quality that is offered
by the Ching Ring results in drying out my
hi-hat sound slightly and helps it cut more
rather than just adding a generic tambourine
layer. It does however come through in
abundance when stepping the hi-hat. I had lots
of fun experimenting with rides and crashes,
and achieved amazing results adding it to
cymbal stacks. The Cymbal Bacon is perfectly
weighted for a clean and lengthy decay.
VERDICT: These cheeky kit additions
offer endless combinations of
interesting and inspiring new sounds
which would make a strong addition to
most set-ups. Well-made, versatile
gear that won’t break the bank.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING
RHY264.gear_meinl.indd 93 19/12/2016 13:01