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Thread: Hammerax 21" Indigo Flatride review

  1. #1

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    Default Hammerax 21" Indigo Flatride review

    I am now the proud owner of this fine cymbal, the Hammerax 21" Indigo Series Flatride and would like to share a review with you drumchatters! I got it for $250 dollars which I say was a great deal, and it came with a 9.5" Nice bell and removable rivets. It shipped very quickly in a matter of 2 to 3 days, and it shipped for free.

    First thing out of the box, I must say that this cymbal looks just great. It is all hand hammered and looks beautiful, with goldish colored hammered marks over a black background (sort of hard to describe). It is a flatride but it features a bunch of mini cups in the middle which you can rake your stick over, and even hit with the side of the stick to produce a sort of bell sound. I love this cymbal already! It is called "Heavy" in the description, but it is actually a very thin cymbal, only weighing in at 1983 grams. The feel is very light and jazzy and quiet but not too quiet with good feel/bounce, and is a pleasure to play.
    Now for the sound. When hitting it with a stick the sound is very dark, and there is a deep, rich wash. However the wash isn't sustained too long and doesn't overpower the stick sound at all, which there is plenty of. The stick definition is very good. When crashed it produces a very low, silvery crash that isn't gonglike but is just very low pitched. It is very desirable in many uses. Considering its weight the cymbal is very light and it noticeably wobbles around the edges when crashed, but it feels very durable (supposedly Hammerax has a special hammering technique to improve durability). Raking your stick over the buttons makes a very interesting one handed roll effect sort of sound that is rather hard to explain, but very fun and sounds great. The bell sound achieved by hitting the buttons is a dark, subtle bell sound that I can see being used in multiple applications. Overall, this cymbal sounds and looks great, with a deep, dark, rich wash and great stick definition, as well as a nice low crash and cool bell sounds. The sustain is not too long, and the wash is not overpowering... When I first got to play it my first thought was about what a good cymbal it sounded like.
    Now for the rivets. The rivets are removable and so make this cymbal an immediate sizzle cymbal, because there are 3 holes in the cymbal opposite the logo. The rivets really are nothing more than a glorified brad like you would stick into a stack of paper and then fold the little metal parts under. However, they make this cymbal sound fantastic. Some sizzles made by those chains with beads on them I would say are more of a rattle that a sizzle, but these simple rivets provide a perfect, subtle sizzle that dies off with the sustain of the cymbal. Like bacon sizzling on the frying pan (sort of). The sizzle makes a a perfect wash sound and I've actually used the cymbal more with the rivets than without so far.
    The free Nice bell that came with the cymbal seems like a very nice bell. It is meant to be mounted upside down above a cymbal so there is still room to hit the cymbal underneath. It provides a long, sustained, bright, and brilliant bell sound that really cuts through. You can hit it on the edge for the loudest/most sustained sounds, or hit the inside of the cup for more of a ride cymbal bell sound. It is a good addition to the ride cymbal I purchased.
    Now, I know that you guys'll probably say something like "pics or it didnt happen" but I haven't been able to get any yet, hopefully I will be able to put some up sometime and maybe a sound clip if I can, but for now I'm just going to try to stick with this review (you could also find the video on mycymbal or youtube) But overall this flatride cymbal is very unique (only a certain amount of # made) and should definitely be considered a high quality cymbal. I'm very happy to have got it as it sounds and looks great. The only problem is because its so dark it doesn't exactly fit in with my hihats and crash which are quite bright (Zildjian A's), but I love it anyway and can definitely fit with other cymbals. I tried playing some jazz Dave Brubeck's Time Out CD and it blended in very well. The bell is very nice, and the rivets add a whole new dimension to the flatride's sound. I think that Hammerax is really making some quality cymbals, whether regular or not so regular (boomywang, liquicy, meanie, etc. ) and this cymbal is included. Personally I definitely want to look into them more for later purchases possibly! But anyways hoped this review helped anyone who may have been interested
    ~Pearl, Zildjian, Hammerax, Remo, Vic Firth, LP, Pulse~

    Zildjian League

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Hammerax 21" Indigo Flatride

    Awesome review! Sounds like a pretty sweet cymbal...congrats on the new purchase!
    Matt

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Hammerax 21" Indigo Flatride

    thanks yohin I played again today and the cymbal doesn't fit every song, but for some it just fits great. Like I said is a great jazzy cymbal, was great with Dave brubeck quartet Time Out. It also sounded particularly good on The Doors Riders on the Storm, the Ghost Song, the End, Touch Me, break on Through, as well as many pink floyd songs, especially Dark side of the moon. Besides these, was good on many other songs too. One thing about it is it isn't exactly very versatile but more of a specialized cymbal when you need that light, dark sound. What I'd like to do is get another stand so I can put my other ride up above this one and then I'd be set
    ~Pearl, Zildjian, Hammerax, Remo, Vic Firth, LP, Pulse~

    Zildjian League

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