Meinl Amun Series cymbals review

© Bill Ray 13612

The Meinl Amun series cymbals is the latest addition to their product line. For starters, many of you have never heard Meinl's cymbals. For this reason, I will use comparisons to the major manufacturer's sounds. It is not intended to be disparaging towards Meinl's sounds in any way.

A brief overview -
There are two general schools of cymbal manufacture- the Turkish sounds and the Euro sounds. Turkish sounds are generally more complex tonality wise and have a certain darkness about them. The Euro sounds are much cleaner sonically and seem more focused in; less intangible frequencies bouncing around. To my ears, the Meinl lines sort of fall in the cracks between these two methods of construction. Think "K. Paiste".

Meinl Amun Series cymbals review

© Bill Ray 13612

Rides

The first Amuns I received were two 20" rides, in light and medium weight. I have to say, these rides have to be the darkest sounding cymbals I've ever played. It's just a low pitched blanket of warmth that fills in a real nice sonic space that you wouldn't normally associate with a 20" cymbal. Both really sound like a 26" or even 28" pitchwise, with the Medium being slightly higher in pitch than its thin counterpart. One thing that I think helps achieve this effect is the profile of the cymbal- Where a higher pitched cymbal will have more of a bow and curve, the Amun rides have a flatter profile. Due to the lack of the curve, the cymbals have a slightly more controlled sound. The cymbals don't have much wash to speak of and have a nice short crash sound. The sustain is also a bit more controlled. Stick sound is nice and clicky. The Bell is bright and cutting, a nice contrast from the body of the cymbal. If you like a ride that falls into the dark, controlled, mid-volume category, this is definitely a contender.

Crashes

The crashes I have are just gorgeous. I have 16" and 18" medium crashes in my arsenal and I have to say they take the majority of the workload. I can use these gems in *any* situation and feel great about it. The 18" has a small bell which detracts from the usual thought that all cymbals 18" and above have to have a large bell. The crashes are warm and shimmery as would be a Turkish model yet maintain the higher frequencies within their voice that eludes to their "Euro school" of manufacture. Due to the medium weight, I find they really crave the shoulder of the stick with a few more foot-pounds of force behind it in order to get the metal moving. Overall, the crashes are very present in the blend and as their Ride cymbal compadres, have a bit flatter profile which adds to the control factor and darkness of tone. The bell sound is what a crash cymbal's is usually thought as- higher pitched and really not used for any more than a tonal generator for the body of the cymbal.

One criticism I have of the cymbals is the finish- In my "bag of tricks" I like to scrape the tip of the stick across the surface of the cymbal to achieve a very high pitched squeal. With the sealer coat Meinl puts on the surface of the cymbal, I find it nearly impossible to achieve this effect.

Conclusion

All in all, Meinl has a great product. I have been involved with the company for almost a year now and have been treated to some very beautiful cymbal sounds. My personal selection includes the Amun series (crashes, ride) CCS line (Hi Hats and splash) Raker (HiHats) and their One-of-a Kind series. (Ride cymbal #2, splash and chinas).Every recording engineer I work with has raved over the cymbals The Artist relations team there is second-to-none, and have done great things to help my career. Everyone there at Meinl is very down to earth and can answer any questions you may have. Just Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have any questions or comments.

Proud to be a Meinl guy!

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