How to Choose the Best Low-Volume Cymbals For Your Drum Set

Get Your Free DRUM! Mag Pack ► Cymbals are loud! Well, cymbals themselves aren’t loud, but they’re certainly capable of projecting a whole lot of noise when we hit them. For drummers in residential settings, educators in small rooms, or players simply interested in protecting their hearing, regulating cymbal noise has long been a struggle with few solutions. Balancing feel with legitimate noise reduction is no easy task. Thankfully, the era of cymbal sound management is upon us. From classic pads and mutes to entire lines of cymbals specifically designed to reduce total noise output by as much as 80 percent, there’s something out there for almost every situation. With that in mind, we figured it was time to get to work on a good old-fashioned roundup. We lassoed nine different products designed to address cymbal volume and put each to the test. We’re not talking winners, losers, firsts, or worsts, but more of a snapshot of what’s avai