$180 vs $530 Jazz Ride Cymbal | Dream Dark Matter vs Zildjian Kerope

Two of my favorite jazz ride cymbals that are at very different price points. One is a 22" Zildjian Kerope and one is a 20" Dream Dark Matter "Flat" Ride.

0:00 Intro
0:30 About the Cymbals
2:27 Blind Comparison
3:52 Comparison Results
4:23 Comparison With Video
6:10 Outro

[technicalydead]

Definition on the B is Wow. Stick articulation!! I know it's the dream because it sounds higher in pitch because it is smaller diameter and man, do i pick it every time over the zildjian. I just want to add that sometimes big brands put a hefty price tag just for the name, so i guess us musicians should also focus on the sound and not get overwhelmed by the names(and yes try cymbals in person if possible). Great stuff bro <3

[Gkm]

I picked the Dream, but either would be a wonderful ride cymbal. They both have a crystalline quality to their sound, an ability to be clear and sharp even though both have that ‘dark’ thing that works so well in jazz

[SimonMermelstein]

They both sound fantastic but I thought for sure the Kerope was B. First thing I did was order the DMFR 20 (220 used these days, still a steal) and it sounds actually a lot more like 22s in videos. Probably my second favorite ride at this point, and just about singlehandedly justified my recent case of Cymbal Acquisition Syndrome.

Julian, you really did me a solid with this video! Thanks a million!

[graysencrane]

Pro Tip:
Buy your cymbals used! I have around $1, 600 in cymbals on my kit right now that I only spent $900 for because I bought them used and you’d never even be able to tell they had an owner before me!
Craigslist, EBay and reverb are all great used gear shops and you can typically get gear for 1/2 - 3/4 the price of what it would cost new!

[AnotherUsernameGreat]

As much as I really like a lot of Dream cymbals, my ears picked the Kerope over the Dream in this case. For my taste there's a musical cohesion to the tones coming off the Kerope that work together, whereas the Dream has a "pokey" midrange that protrudes and I can't unhear. All subjective though, I bet the Dream would fit perfectly in a bunch of situations.

[mtsuda]

I preferred cymbal B... surprised to find out it was the Dream

[slingerland]

Awesome! Blind test is the way forward buddy:) love the tuning of the drums too

[koseybrown]

This is unfair comparison... dream cymbals are too good. Hand hammered😍😍

[theHumanBryno]

I preferred B. 

I got into Dream when I went to my "local" music store and tried out some cymbals, I liked the 20" Dream Bliss Vintage Crash/Ride the best and was happy when the price came in under $200. I've since purchased a 16" Dream Energy Crash and I'm looking to get more Dream cymbals once I sell my extra drum kit.

[broadpath]

I'd probably use them both. I am, though biased to flat rides and would always have one in my set up. Dream offers some beautiful one-of-a-kinds and this is certainly one of them. Congratulations on the score!

[chuckc]

Cymbal A had lots of wash, couldn’t hear the stick definition very well, cymbal B I could hear the stick definition clearly. In a jazz trio setting I would prefer cymbal B, in a quartet or larger group, I would probably use cymbal A, it’s a little louder and probably wouldn’t get drowned out by horns. Both are nice cymbals though.

[PaulMichaelKenney]

I really appreciate this video, because I know a lot of us are biased about brand, model, and price. I've heard $600 cymbals that sound awful, and $200 cymbals that sound incredible. Personally, I think it's more about figuring out what details you want your cymbal to carry (size, weight, lathing, production process) to figure out what's going to work for you.

All that said, I did prefer the Kerope. However, it's just because I love that deep, warm, washy (almost trashy) sound of a really thin 22 that has some lath, but not too much (letting that brilliance come out a little). Almost reminds me a little of an Istanbul Agop Signature ride, which is a cymbal I love.

Thanks again for the awesome video!

[mrpositronia]

I preferred A and guessed it was the Zildjian. The harmonics of the cymbal worked well all together. It has an easier, laid-back sound too. Great for the proverbial smoky jazz bars. :D

[raymondkarlsson]

Great video again. The Kerope is similar to the Canadian K’s available some 40 years ago. Had a couple of them then but my 22 ride was a bit heavier than your Kerope, almost medium heavy. Every jazz drummer searched for old K zildjians then. I haven’t even played on one but today we have more handcrafted quality cymbals to choose from than ever. The biggest problem is the cost.

[polyduckwanaland]

Dream Cymbals and Gongs are awesome. The Dream Energy 22" Crash/Ride is like the only non-high hat cymbal you will ever need.

[LeakyJAZZ]

I barely prefered A over B, because it was darker, but B had more definition. I'd love to have both on my kit. They seem to be two sounds that complement each other. That said, all I've got on my kit now are a 16" and 18" pst 7 cymbals, so :/

[raysherlock]

I bought this cymbal because of this video. Its my favourite cymbal now. Adding 3 rivets covers the lower, more complex frequencies. I think all of these Dream cymbals will sound different from each other. My one sounds a bit darker. It also has warped slightly over time, most likely changing the sound further.

[Nkisnick]

Dreams are the best inexpensive cymbals on the market right now

[aligrant]

Congrats on 1.5k subs Julian! You deserve so much more

[RedeyePerc]

I played one of those Dream Dark Matter rides at an open jam and was amazed. It sounds so good!