NAMM 2020: Brand new for this year, Zildjian’s i Series picks up where its previous affordable bronze cymbals left off, offering thinner weights and contemporary sizes, perfect for players looking for high-quality cymbal sounds at workhorse price tags.
The i Series takes its name from ‘Ilham’ - Turkish for inspiration - and a quick glance at the range shows that the name couldn’t be more fitting. Far from just a basic meat-and-potatoes selection, the i Series is available in six pre-configured setups, or individually as 23 (including hi-hat options) different models.
As well as expected staples such as 14-inch hi-hats, 16/18-inch crashes and 20/22-inch rides, the i Series offers modern players some exciting options in the form of accent and effect cymbals.
There’s a 10-inch splash, 16/18-inch Chinas, and, one of the most interesting, a 16-inch trash crash.
Adorned with a vented hole pattern, the i Series Trash is perhaps the most versatile of the bunch, lending itself to fast, sharp accents when used solo, or even trashier sounds when combined with other cymbals as part of a stack.
The complete i Series line-up is as follows:
• Splash: 10” splash,
• Hi-hats: 13”, 14” (regular), 14” Mastersound, 14” Trash crash/hi-hat top (all cymbals • available singularly)
• Crash cymbals: 14”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”
• Crash/rides: 18”, 19”, 20”
• Ride cymbals: 20”, 22”
We were treated to a preview of the i Series courtesy of Eddie Thrower (Lower Than Atlantis, Busted, 5 Seconds Of Summer) and engineer Jayce Lewis at Northstone Studios.
Watch the video above to see Eddie put the range through its paces and talk about his career-long love of Zildjian cymbals.
