What size hihats do you play?

You should use 40" gongs as hi hats.

Worship guys: “YoU aRe WrOnG iF yOu’Re NoT uSiNg 18 InCh Hi HaTs” haha myself included

Is it just me or does the camera angle make the drumset look like a ( ° o ° ) emoticon with those black dots on the toms only.. Once you see it...

I'm definitely flying the flag for the Meinl's. They sound ideal to me. I'm currently using a buggered pair of K's and they're totally shite! I love the subtlety of the Meinl's. I find Hats to be the obnoxious one at the party, so the quieter the better ... That's just me :)

15” new beats all day. I see you haven’t centered that dot on your floor tom.......

Me and my 13" Sabian Fusion Hats will leave the room now, thank you. Lol, jk Dave. Rock on, duder

Saying 'ten hundred' sounds so weird to me.

The K Sweet top / New Beat bottom wins my ears... also kinda diggin' that jaunty, seasick keyboard riff in the backing track. Groovy I usually play 14 Sabian B8 hats (early, made in Germany ones) but I also play a set of custom cut down cymbals (13", made from 18" El Sabor crashes)

Other YT drum vloggers need to step up the audio recordings of their kits, cause this dude is #1! Through speakers or headphones it sounds great!!

The 15“ Meinl Dual hihat is amazing 🤌🏻

15 new beats were the best well rounded in my opinion. They were the only ones I could hear over the ride cymbal when stepping them with the foot. The extra weight might sacrifice a bit of the open wash but I would rather control that than have light hi hats that had no definition

Wanna hear a dank nestered Tuplet polyrhythmic groove? 0:10

5:36 - 15" Meinl Byzance Dual Hats 6:18 - 15" Zildjian New Beats 6:59- 15" Zildjian K Sweet Top/New Beats Top (as bottom) 7:40 - 16" Zildjians (vintage)

Reminds me of Ian Paice telling a man from Paiste who was asking him to demo cymbals "I had a pair of 14" hi hats as a child"

The black dot on the floor tom is making my eye twitch

The KA combo and the Zildjian 16”.

I love my 15” Byzance dual hats. Perfect balance of crunchy but with that cut and precise feeling of brilliant hats

love my 15" HHX complex medium hats. never thought they'd be the ones I'd go for in an extreme metal band, but just happened to run into them in a shop and fell in love with them.

Your title is so wrong! I have 12”, 13 “ hats and 14” hats all are awesome! It’s preference and taste! Nothing is “wrong” because you prefer it! 15” are cool too so if that’s your preferred size good on ya Mate!

All pairs were great sounding but personally the Meinl 15” are superior. Each sound (open, half open, closed and foot pedal) have so much dynamic range to them.

I use 14s but these hats all sound great to me. Highlights belong to the chik of the 15 new beats, and the open sound of the Meinls is just uniquely gorgeous

I love that all of the weights are included most people don’t talk about that! I have the 15” Byzance Duals I love em!

Mostly 14" with the occasional 13" but I must say th vintage A's you play here are FANTASTIC. Experimentation time for me. Thank you!

For me, the most interesting factor was the difference in loudness, where I perceived New Beat and K/A to be louder than Meinl and 16"s. I think that is a crucial part of how good the hi-hats fit in the mix. I like the definition of K/A but prefer the more moderate output of the 16"s and Meinl.

I thought the ideal size was 14" and didn't see the point in going any bigger... until I bought a set of 15s for a good deal, and now I can't go back. I tend to use/enjoy bigger crashes and rides, so it's probably why 15s suit me.

wow the 16" have such a nice sound I love it!!

15” new beats for my ears. Great vid!

The track in the beginning sounds like something you play on a keyboard with a looper when you’re violently stoned.

I actually like all of the hi hats. I kinda favored the Zildjian K hats overall but I personally enjoyed every single pair. I also like your style of drumming cuz it, is uncommon yet very tasteful. Those two characteristics really vibe well together. Thanks for sharing and Rock on Bro!

15" new beats by far the best sounding

Love my regular 13” New Beats and I will also switch them out for a 14” New Beat top with a 14” EFX bottom. Maximum chick and crispness from both sets. I would like to get a “different” sound for my 13” soon to mix it up. As far as my favorite for this video, they all sound good, just depends on what musical message you want to send.

I own a pair of 15” Zildjian Kerope hats (which are quite simply the nicest hi hats I’ve ever heard) and a pair of 13” Zildjian Armands. Both are beautiful, and being so different, between them they basically cover all the bases I need them to when I’m working. Interesting video man!

The 15" Zildjian New Beats are sweet! Love the tone and the way they cut through the track.

Meinl Duals are just God tier. Brb, selling all my hats to get those!

that 15" new beats sound gorgeous, its the most balanced, to my ears, on the 3 factors you named. The 15" size is the hi hats sounds! Since i have my pair of 15 paiste giant beat (reisue) im a happy drummer! Regards from Argentina, keep blasting!

I've got the 15" K Sweets myself and absolutely love them. They've been articulate with just the right amount of wash, and aren't too overpowering in the mix. They're probably my most versatile hats

I have close to 20 pairs of 15" hats so i definitely agree its the best size, especially for most rock music. I really think you need to branch out beyond B20 alloy though. Paiste FTW.

You're WRONG if you don't use 15 inch hats! *proceeds to use 16 inch hats as one of his favorites*

I got some hollow-logo Zildjian hihats a few years back. No clue what model, but they sound amazing. Those K's though!

HAH! Ok, so here's my take.... I always thought anything bigger than 14 was too big, and clumsy. For YEARS I used two heavy 14" marching cymbals (acquired from a friend that was a band director, that was trying to clear out old stuff from his band room) VERY high pitched, and again clumsy! To when I could afford things, I bought a pair of 13" New Beats, and LOVED THEM! They felt better, and they just sounded great for the music I was playing at the time. (Pop/rock/country) I happened to be at my local drum shop (with cash in my pocket) and found a pair of 13" K/Z's! I messed with them for a while, and decided that I would get them! These were my go-too's for a blues gig I had at the time, and thought they were the best. When I stopped live playing, I relegated the New beats to an X-hat, and the K/Z's were my primary. Another friend a few years prior, sold me an old Zildjian thin 14" that I used as a small crash for a long time. During "experimental" times (bored) I swapped different cymbals, and tried different things. Well ONE day I decided to use the 14" thin and one of the heavier 14" marching cymbals as a hi-hat and WHOA!!! Talk about a perfect set! LOVE THEM LOVE THEM LOVE THEM! So I bop between all three pairs, but those hybrid 14's are killer!!

I also play an old 16” zil orchestral/marching crash as my HH bottom, top cymbal is a 16” meinl vintage crash. Love it!

I liked #2 the best. I play 15" Sabian Rock Sizzle Hats, which I've owned since 1993. I put the heavier bottom "sizzle" riveted on the top.

I use 14' hi-hats almost exclusively, and live a fine existence.

Nice video! I liked the Meinl hats most of all. The 15" Avedis are great too!

When I was in high school I DIY'd my own hihats out of two 16" crash cymbals

I've got 13's and 16's. So a little bit of both ends of the spectrum. The 13's are A. Zildjian Quick Beats and the 16's Istanbul 30th. They are quite different from each other, but both are pretty versatile too.

the 16s sound great

15 inches up and down. 14 is what still is found. Crisp and bright and so defined. It’s still all about the sound. Size don’t matter anyway, my old 14’s here to stay. 😅

I am a Jazz Man and the Zildjian 14" Con's are perfect!

Back when I got my hats in 2000, I tried a set of 14" new beats in a small dank music shop here in town... As I was playing them, the guy went in the backstore and pulled out an old pair of Paiste 3000's... From a distance I said "Are these 15"?? Bring 'em on!!" and never looked back since!! My only regret was a few years after that I saw a lone 3000 15" sound edge bottom in a drum shop in Montreal and didn't buy them on the spot.... Yeah, that was dumb!!!

The Ronalds have decided they agree and will not hurt you today, David.

I bet you’d love those 16 inch extra dry medium thin hats dawg

I used Zildjian 15" Rock hi-hats for years exclusively (am a heavy metal/rock guy), so I completely get the title of this vid. Until I lent them to a famous thrash drummer a couple of years ago and he managed to crack the top hat. Huge bell crack. I decided to experiment. 14" Wuhans sound surprisingly good. I found a brand new Zildjian 15" A Series Beat Hi Hat Bottom on sale so I used it as a top with my remaining vintage 15" Zildjian Rock Hi Hat Bottom. Not exactly the sound I was looking for, but unique and you could do a lot worse. I bought a brand new set of special order acquiredPaiste 15" Formula 602 Modern Essentials Hi-Hats from the Drum Center in Portsmouth as their favorites of all time. I saved a few bucks by buying the top and bottom from 2 different sellers. These do not disappoint. Live or recorded they are tough to beat (pun intended!) But my go-to is now something I never would imagined in a million years. I got a Zildjian Z Dyno Beat 13" hi hat and then paired it with another extremely rare Paiste Rude 13" vintage white label hi-hat bottom (with pre-drilled holes). I am surprised every single time I sit down with them. I will never be famous, and so this will NEVER happen, but if was ever approached to do one signature piece of drum gear, it would be to recreate this 13" set of hats.

I used A Custom Mastersound hi hats for years (until they were stolen) and I eventually replaced them with K Custom Hybrid Mastersound hi hats and I couldn't be happier.

Ever since Louis Bellson asked Zildjian Co. to match a pair of hi hats with the bottom heavier, this seems to be a rule that SHALL NOT BE BROKEN. Guess what! It doesn't matter. It is up to the drummer to choose what he/she likes. I have a vintage pair of matched Avedis hi hats that I bought new in 1965 with the bottom lighter than the top but the bell is much shallower, giving it a deeper sound. There is such a difference to the bells that I can only spoon the cymbals together with the top, on top. When I try to spoon the bottom on top, there is a huge gab between them. These cymbals are very light (top - 710 grams, bottom - 685 grams) and have a wonderful sound. They've been played hard during my early garage band days and very light during my current acoustic jazz band days. These cymbals look new except for the wonderful patina. Yes, I have some New Beats and I have some K Custom Dark hi hats, all with heavier bottoms. My old cymbals are still my favorites for overall use. Bottom line: the best hi hats are the ones that YOU LIKE.

Those 15" new beats followed by the 16" were pretty friggin sweet

I've been stuck on using a 15" K Sweet Top hi hat with a 15" A Series Mastersound bottom hi hat combo. I dig it. Cuts through just right.

14" Quick Beats for at least the last 35 years. Rock, Blues, Metal. I love them. I'd entertain a set of 15s I guess.

Idk man, I jusy love the sound of darker cymbals and that meinl is fire

Those 15” new beats and 16” zildjians sound really fricking good to my ears

Just got my first 15" a pair of K Fat Hats, I'm in love with them

I play 14" Zildjian New Beats but those 15" hats sound so good that I might have to switch

15" Istanbul 30th Anniversary. It's rare if I like 14's. I play 16's sometimes too but currently don't have any. The 30th are my only pair ATM. I love switching out rides but tend to stick with one hihat that works for everything.

The K Sweet combo is the clear winner IMHO.

I started with a cheap 14" beginner hat branded "Boston" probably just a generic no name, with a rebranding. When i turned 13 years old i bought a 13" K Custom hi-hat... I was into funk, and the music school had one which was just great... Last year i sold it to buy a 15" Dream Bliss hat. I had wanted to buy a 15" for a few years , and it is robably the best change to my sound i have made.

Please put flex paist on a drum head to see if it dampens it or makes it like a practice pad

Gotta give Paiste some love

Well...guess I'll put in my hi-hat opinion....I'm a 66 yr old working 2nd generation drummer that was lucky enough to alwaays have top quilaity gear since I started. By the time I began gigging on my own Dad had cut way down on "playing jobs". My first and long time set of hats we late 50's A. Zildjians that were super thin. I used those all the way thru jr. high/high school and past the couple of years of college I did before going out on road in 1978. Those hats were very thin. Around 1989 or so I put two 16 inch Ziljian Constantinople A & CIE crashes together that became my primary set of hats for several years. Loved them. 16's just feel solid to me plus not as "thinny" as smaller hats. Only recently got a good deal on some discountinued Sabian Artisan 16 inch hats that I'm currently using. The Sabian Artisan 16 have a little more beef to them than the other 16's and fit in every playing situtation so far. After using larger hats for so long when ever I play a backline or house kit that has 14's just doesn't cut it for my ears, so try to take my own cymbals when I can. Continued suscess all keep on drumming!!!! All good things!!!!...

Mix-wise, I find it much easier to work with 15 inch hi hats. Vocals and the rest of the kits sit in the mix effortlessly

If 14” hi hats are wrong then I don’t want to be right.

I have a pair of 13" and 14" Zildjian New Beat hi hats. Love the 13" more, but got the 14" to have a packed to take on gigs. I play different genres and prefer the 13 and 14 for the better dynamics. I've played 15" hi hats in the past and never felt comfortable nor the dynamics I got from the smaller hi hats.

The Realm of Darkness would be a great dad-metal album title.

I love the "chick" of the old 15" Zildjian New Beats,but love the wash on the Meinls.

cool topic. I actually agree with you on how you categorized them. I liked the sound of the Meinl HH the most EXCEPT for the low volume. Maybe a higher-pitched set would help it cut. New Beats sound like New Beats. Good stuff, man.

I remember when I started learning how to play drums and every performer seemed to use 13" hats. The late 90s were a weird time for music.

In the beginning of the Beatles, Ringo played I thought 15" Avedis Zildjians, I like those for their crashy sound when struck half open.

My band was playing a show together with Righteous Vendetta. Their drummer Zach Goggins and I were talking drums. He asked me to use his 15's combo he "put together" so he could hear them from FOH. When I played them, they mixed in with the kit so well that I started my search for my own set of 15's! I ended up with a Zildjian New Beat bottom and a Zildjian Dark Thin Crash. I love it and feel awkward playing anything smaller as a main hat. I never got why people used 15's until that moment. Now I'm hooked. \,,/

I love the sound of the Zildjian sweet k 15s. I try to not be crazy picky with the sound because at a high volume gig (playing hard Rock like Zeppelin or Rush) mic’d up, the way you sound is up to the sound guy almost 70%. In my experience, better sounding cymbals are more important sonically when your in a low volume situation where the cymbals can come out on top in the mix.

Man the entire byzance series is so amazing

As we learned from a previous video, the K makes it sound amazing, as it prevents fart sound.

Finally someone who speaks my langauge I could never go back to 14" hats. I got the duals and I cant stop using them

I have always used 14-inch hats. Never tried a 15. Always thought they would be too heavy. But I dig the sound of that Zildjian K A. And of course I hope nobody is OCD watching this video and you notice the black dot on the floor Tom is off center. Good luck with that

Oh man, I switched to 13 inch hi hats and a LOVE THEM!

I am playing 16s right now myself and I really love them

I like the z/k from Zildjian, the 14“ and the 13“ a little more because they are more crisp

Love the sound of the Meinls. I'll have to go find a pair of thes.... *looks at price* ah nevermind I'll stick with my old hats.

similarly, I got a used pair of 15' 70s New beats that I didn't like at all. very metallic and clangy. was going to flip them until I bought a pair of used 15' Kerope. They were nice, but when I mixed the new beat top with the Kerope bottom, it was like magic... they are incredible

You were sneaky with the way you hit the hi hat on the beat at 3:35 , I had to put it in half speed lol

You can’t change my mind, 14” hi-hats are superior

I love my Zildjian Heavy A 15 inch Hats. I don't think I could ever go back to using 14 inch hats ever.

I too enjoy being in the 15" hi hat club. (15" Dream Contact hats)

those 15" New Beats have a really nice presence in the mix. They seem to cut/crisp without being too over bering or too soft. While brighter than all the other hats, they still sounded very warm to me.

15 new beats my go to 👏👍

Liked the sizzle of the 16 new beats with K sweets second. Hated the others.

Dang, I can’t decide. The symbol and you playing them can’t go wrong. Nice.

no.2 for me, for sure! Love that high end crisp. Also, that snare is so tasty!

I play 14s now, but I also had a pair of 15" New Beats ages ago. I L❤️VED them, but the keyboardist, who played mere feet from them, did not

Great video. I love your Zildjian 18 inch K Custom Special Dry Crash .

Nothing wrong with 14in hi hats ! Everybody played 14in for a long tine. I actually play Zildjian 13in K / Z hi hats much heavier bottom hat great sound not too dark and beautiful crisp bark