Meinl Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat

Group: Hi-Hats
Type: Fast Hihat
Size: 14 Inch
Series: Byzance Brilliant
Weight: Top: 1168g / Bottom: 1416g

Top: 1184g / Bottom: 1372g

Top: 1185g / Bottom: 1362g

Top: 1196g / Bottom: 1426g

Years of production: 2005 - Present
Sound file: Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Byzance Brilliant 14" Fast Hihat
Meinl's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "I tried the 14" size first, playing an open/closed swing jazz pattern. The cymbals responded with a smooth wash. It was easy to control the amount of contact between the upper and lower cymbals, resulting in a really nice blend between them. They were very articulate and clean. In a side-by-side comparison between the Byzance and my traditional hi-hats, the Byzance cymbals yielded a wider range of overtones.

When I closed the hi-hats with my foot, there was substantially greater presence to the "chick" sound than one would expect from cymbals of this weight. This can be attributed to the holes in each cymbal. Even when the cymbals were held together tightly, they didn't have the choked sound I would have expected. (For those that have varied the tone of closed hats by pressing down with your foot while rolling on the cymbals, you would still get that sound - but with increased brightness.)

I judged that the Fast hi-hats would work in a variety of applications, as long as I remembered that they possess more of an up-front sound than the standard hi-hats that I've worked with. This came from using them in a show, then later in a rock setting where I could really play out. The cutting quality remained consistent through all styles."

Review written by Chap Ostrander ("Product Close-Up - Meinl Byzance Fast Hats - from Thomas to You", Modern Drummer, August 2005, p.39)

Review: "Byzanze Fast hi-hats are a production collaboration between Meinl and Austrian-born drummer Thomas Lang, whose credits include The Clash, Robbie Williams and Bonnie Tyler.

This isn´t the first time Thomas has teamed up with the good folk at Meinl either. Back in 2002, he collaborated on the Tom´s Becken line, designing a range of innovative crashes for electronically-inspired dance music. This endeavour is altogether more traditional, both in terms of looks and construction.

Available in 13" and 14" sizes, Meinl describes the Byzance line as traditional and individual, whereas the Generation X Tom´s Becken cymbals are all about pushing boundaries and using non-traditional alloys. As such, the Fast hi-hats are made from B20 alloy, with 80 percent copper and 20 percent tin, and look aesthetically far more ‘normal´. Having said that, there are a couple of crucial features that set these babies apart from the rest of the crowd.

The first is that the top and bottom cymbals are finished rather differently from one another. The bottom has Meinl´s Dark finish, with an untreated surface and very heavy hammering marks, while the top is Brilliant and highly polished. In addition, the top cymbal has eight small holes drilled toward its edge to allow the speedy exit of air when the two cymbals are brought crashing together.

Meinl says the Dark bottom cymbal is designed to produce earthy tones, with short sustain and plenty of low end. This is apparently balanced by the bright, but rich characteristics of the top cymbal. We´ll find out if these claims are justified shortly, but in terms of appearance, everything´s just dandy. The heavier bottom cymbal looks gorgeous, in a moody, rugged sort of fashion, with its speckled, neo-leopard-print hammering hinting at plenty of raw, dark tonal response. The glistening polished finish of the top is alluring too, as is the fact that Thomas´s moniker doesn´t appear on the cymbals at all.

The top simply features the Meinl logo and the simple-script Byzance marking, along with the tiny product description below. As a result, they look highly professional yet understated at the same time.

There´s been a variety of solutions to the problem of moving air from between hi-hats, with Paiste´s Sound Edge, Zildjian´s grooved Mastersounds and Sabian´s vented Fusion Hats all prime examples. The Meinl way of doing things with the Fast hats, however, is completely different to any of these (given that the holes are drilled in the top of the pair), but seems to make sense. Clearly, the thinking behind the holes´ positioning is that as air shifts to the edge of the cymbals, it can exit from the edge as normal, or whizz through the little vents.

In practice, there´s certainly no denying that the Fast hi-hats are snappy little numbers. The bottom cymbal is fairly heavy, with the raw finish adding to the perception of weight. And while the top isn´t paper-thin, it´s light enough to add a quick attack and lively response to the overall voicing.

Replacing the 13"s with the 14"s leads to a crunchy, lower-pitched roar. They respond well to movements of the pedal, and the front edge of each stroke is quick to leap out, but the grunt of the 14"s is pushed well to the fore. This is the ‘rock´ pair, and no mistake. Even so, the manner in which they fit into the mix of a kit is exemplary.

Thomas speaks of his desire for cymbals to exhibit a short, tight sustain, and that´s exactly what we have here. The bigger hi-hats certainly make their presence known, but they don´t get in the way of a well-tuned snare and kick. Thomas uses both the 13"s as his main pair and the 14"s situated to his right-hand side, but if you´re playing louder, frenetic rock or metal, the 14"s on their own make a great choice."

Review written by Music Radar Team ("Meinl Generation X Series cymbals review", MusicRadar.com, January 29, 2008)

Artist/song where it can be heard: Alvin Ford, Jr.