Evans dB ONE Low Volume Cymbal Pack

For over a decade I’ve been lucky enough to have a studio at home where I can play as loud as I like. I only mention this because sometimes some drum-related releases and products tend to pass me by. Take the Evans dB ONE low volume cymbal pack as a case in point; until they were given to me, I’d no idea they existed because I never needed low volume cymbals, or heads.

You don’t need me to tell what you these are about; the name kind of gives it away in that respect. What did actually surprise me though was that these have been designed by Evans, a company known for drumheads and related products, and not cymbals. However, when you take into consideration these are designed to be used in tandem with Evans’ dB One drumheads, it all makes a bit more sense.

These cymbals are made from a nano-plated stainless alloy surface, into which the holes are punched. Evans says that the design ‘achieves a chime and resonance as articulate as many full-volume sets, but with 80% less noise’ and that the ‘cymbals let you play and practice naturally, whenever and wherever you want.’ So, do they live up to this?

I thought that, to play, these cymbals had a nice feel to them. Obviously, they’re not going to have the same feel as <insert your favourite brand/model/design here>, but at the same time what they give back to the player is a good, balanced middle of the road response.

Under the stick they moved freely and felt quite responsive, which I liked. They do definitely feel lighter to the touch when being played and some aspects of that ‘lightness’ reflects in how the cymbals respond; you can see in the video that the hihats move way more than a regular pair would. The ride cymbal also could possibly have been tightened down a little more than I had it to stiffen the feel up a bit more. Minor stuff…

The sound the cymbals make is light and bright, and, unsurprisingly, not that loud. They do have tone though, it’s not like they all have one generic sound to them. The different sounds are reflective of the different sizes and that makes them feel a bit more real in that regard.

The pack size itself in terms of what you get is good too, providing a spread of sizes and applications that realistically reflects the needs of the potential user. Price-wise, it sits ballpark around other options available in the market.

I wish this sort of thing was around 30 years ago when I was just starting out; would have made things so much more fun than banging on metal lids etc.