MusicRadar Verdict
Seeking to fuse the best parts of its high-end cymbals, and broaden its involvement in world music. The Samba series are capable of much more than just Latin music too.
Pros
- +
Well-made. Suitable for Latin music, but much more flexible, too.
Cons
- -
Not much.
MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.
Istanbul-based cymbal-maker Bosphorus have sent a Samba Series crash/ride and hi-hats to play with.
Build
"They were developed firstly specifically for Brazilian music but have a wider appeal."
The Samba Series cymbals are a 20" crash/ride and 14" hats, which have an unlathed section from the bell until halfway across the bow, and then a sort of spiral groove lathed section to the edge. They were developed firstly specifically for Brazilian music but have a wider appeal.
Bosphorus says that the range is aimed at those jazz players looking for that classic Turkish sound, but owing to the sizes available it hopes to see players in other genres giving them a go.
Apparently the rides have been developed to work well as large crashes in rockier music, and Bosphorus has even developed 16" hi-hats and a 26" ride - time to start buying new cymbal bags and give the postie a raise!
Hands On
The Samba ride sounds open with a brighter fundamental compared to the recently-reviewed Black Pearls (which we had on test at the same time), but still at the darker end of the spectrum. Surprisingly, the bell isn't as defined as expected, but this is made up for by the articulation it is possible to evoke, quite complex patterns staying well under control.
The Samba hats are bright and, while dry, cut through to the point that they could be used as your main pair. They 'bark' well when struck open and quickly closed with the foot, and rapid sticking remains discernible with ease.
“Whether you’re looking to liven up a dull snare or beef up a lacklustre bass sound, these plugins are extremely handy”: Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
Soundtoys just dropped the best free reverb plugin we've tried in years - grab it now before it costs $99
“I knew since I first listened to the music that it was gonna be big - because the music was incredible”: Charli XCX's Brat mastering engineer Idania Valencia on finalising a modern classic
