WADUP drum fans!

So today I got a little bit from everywhere to talk about so let's get into it.

8" AA Rocktagon: I was expecting splashy, but what I got was kind of a trashy, china-like cymbal. I wasn't expecting that from this weird looking cymbal. I felt it served its purpose as an accent cymbal which is what, to me, makes a good all around splash.

14" HH Sizzle Hat: From the start I felt like I should have been sitting on the throne playing some eclectic jazz Miles- or Coltrane-style. These hats derive this rustic, dirty, vintage, raw sound that has the feel of those old cymbals that grandpa put away 40 years ago when he got a day gig. When I found these hats it was like finding a treasure in an attic chest. Why? Because of the rivets on the bottom hat that give it that old school touch. I love that old dusty jazz sound with washy rivets on it. It's so cool and sounds great! I found myself rockin' away on these hats as well.

18" Paragon Crash: This cymbal was bright and it felt like it was meant to be played hard. Its tonal characteristics were unique and it spoke its own sound. It definitely breaks through the music, and the bell is killer! If you're looking for a cymbal with bright, loud and heavy duty sounding characteristics, definitely check this one out.

19" AAX Stage Crash: Another bright and cutting crash. It's kind of a hard hit and the bell didn't get my attention like the Paragon. The edge fluttered some and it felt like I might lose control at any time. What does this all mean? Well for me, I love this cymbal. It's so raw and bitter! It's like waking up the beast and letting him out of the cage. Rock n' Rollers, Heavy Metal Heads, and those who play all too aggressively, this may just have your name written all over it!

19" AAX X-Plosion Crash: I have to admit of the two 19" AAX cymbals I tested last night, this is my favorite. This is probably my favorite crash of any line. So much so I got one for myself. It's very responsive. It responds right on impact. It's not as bright as the Stage, but it has its own unique characteristics. It has an un-lathed bell that's super raw and loud. It's easier to hit and more versatile at that. It felt a little lighter so that it allowed me to smash away on it and have fun while I go nuts! It's super powerful and looks beautiful in a Brilliant Finish!

20" HH Mini Bell Ride: I thought this cymbal was going to take me in a different direction than it did. Maybe it was my stick choice. I used the 2B Vater Rock Sticks. This might have been too much for this light cymbal, and it might not have suited my playing. I noticed this cymbal blended rather than cutting through. To me, it has a real smooth jazzy kind of sound. The bell wasn't too loud but it can be heard. I could see somebody with a light touch choosing this cymbal. I recommend this cymbal to the cool, calm, and collected Jazz kat!

-Mike

Edited: 08/31/2009 at 11:06 AM by MikeFoote

Hi All,

This is Chris DeLisa, West Coast Regional Manager for Sabian. This morning 10 dealers from all over the US, VP of Sabian Lane Davy and myself headed from our Hotel back to the factory for the second day in a row. Some of us, just can't get enough of the Vault. Mark Love and the boys were there to help everyone pick out some amazing "One of a Kind" cymbals to take back home. In fact Jeff Ryder from Jeff Ryders's Drum shop in Austin, TX said " This kind of sucks! Everything I hit sounds great,so I have to buy them all!". Everyone had an amazing time and on the bus ride back to the Hotel everyone was talking about their new pies! Another great day on the US dealer visit to Meductic. Now, it's off for cocktails and dinner at the Hotel.

Hello drum fans,

Last time I tested a few selections from the HH series. I found some likes and others that didn't suit me so well.

20" HH Bounce Ride: As it says it was like throwing your drum stick on a trampoline. Its sound was saturated and very washy. I would use this cymbal more as a crash than a ride except for one thing - the bell. The bell was loud and clear! The stick attack on the bow wasn't strong enough for my personal interest. Don't get me wrong it's a great cymbal, but it didn't suit my playing. If you are doing a bunch of stick work and need great articulation, this probably isn't the ride for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a washy cymbal that can really roar, this baby's the one!

15" HH Sound Control Crash: This cymbal is like that kid wearing Dark Hipster Sunglasses and your Grandfathers Hat from the 1940's in the midst of a crowd that's way too contemporary, a total surprise! I love this cymbal. I used it in between two ride cymbals on a 7-piece Gretsch. It served its purpose perfectly. It feels like a medium thin cymbal that has a bright and crisp attack to it. It's responsive to all types of attack and is heard through most anything. It really colors up a fill and it's so easy to crash ride on. I really like a 15" because it breaks through and it's so easy to place on your kit and get a good sound. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the total package!

13" HH EQ Hats: These hats are as funked out as Funkmaster Flex himself. From what you can see the cymbal make has a super cool look. The top hat is a flat bell top, which gives it this really tight "chick" sound. It kind of reminds me of a midi sample that might be used on a drum machine in hip-hop music. The foot reaction is just as quick as some of the lighter stuff similar to the Fierce Hats. The bottom cymbal was way cool too. It has small holes that let the air out and could fit rivets. They give the hats these really nice textures that help it funkify. Like any cymbal it doesn't have to be for the funk drummer, it can be played by any type of drummer given the right situation.

-Mike

Hello everyone. I tried a few cymbals out upon request that I otherwise wouldn't have thought about trying. Here is what I found:

14" HH Rock Hats: Now here is a cymbal where I got results that I wasn't expecting. Hand Hammered cymbals are awesome, but to me I don't feel they are always ideal for Rock. So yesterday I searched for something new to get a different perspective, and what do you know I found these hats. From the first hit to the last hit I noticed there was nothing but sheer power in these hi hats. That alone blew me away! They were loud, bright and super responsive to quick funk and rock style slamming. I don't think they'd be my choice for speed metal, but for the rock drummer and somebody looking for power and finesse, say hello to these bad boys!

21" Vault Crossover Ride: I tested this cymbal upon request. Once again, I found my new favorite ride (is this happening every day now?)! Wow, I had no clue this ride even existed. As far as jazz is concerned, this cymbal is the be all and end all for me! It has a partially-lathed (like lines of lathing separated by un-lathed bands) top has this dry effect to it, but a fully lathed bottom. It has this flutter effect that I've never really seen before. So it really gives you an opportunity to smack it senseless! I think this cymbal is perfect for be-bop or hard bop jazz. It's great for that slam/swing thing that drummers like Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, and Art Blakey did. I was really happy about the results I got out of this cymbal. The bell has a sweet spot which kind of turns me off about a cymbal, but this cymbal was an exception because the sweet spot was so sweet and loud when you hit it right. This is one bad ass ride cymbal folks!

21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride: This cymbal is just like the Rapper, Mr. KRS-ONE. Super RAW, to the point and on target! The bell is super loud, which was a huge turn on for me. No sweet spot exists on the bell because the entire bell is sweet! The hand hammering on the bell give it a beautiful touch. The bow is dry but not in the standard sense. Its decay is quick between hits and with a nice ping. Personally, I would prefer this cymbal in a rock based setting due to the power you get out of the combination of the bell and bow. This cymbal wouldn't have been my first choice, but upon request I soon learned to love it. I might otherwise not have touched it.

-Mike

Let's go down the route of variety today. Like any drummer I like variety in my sound in drums, percussion, and especially in my cymbals. Last night I decided to go all over the map, which I often like to do. I used some light cymbals along with some super big and heavy stuff to try out everything I know.

8" Signature Max Stash Splash (Mike Portnoy): Talk about interesting! When I hit this combo I felt like I was hitting the side of a rusted out, metal garbage can on a busy NYC street corner trying to make some extra loot. It's got that super trashy sound. It gives a fill or a groove a really nice color and texture to spice things up. The Max Stash has one of the most distinctive sounds I've ever heard, and I'm not just talking about cymbals! I used it in the context of a funky groove hitting it on the &'s of every beat to give it this funky coloring. This type of cymbal is a great addition to help spice up your regular old crash, hat, and ride!

13" HHX Manhattan Jazz Hats: Personally, I love these hats! They're light, a lot of fun and easy to play, the foot and stick attack are equally incredible! It's another one of those cymbals that you shouldn't let the name fool you because they aren't just for jazz! If you don't smash them too hard you can rock out like Carmine Appice. Your stick attack will remind you of a type writer, or better yet a chick sound. When you open the hats it will remind you of a Southern California wave gently breaking off the shore. These hats aren't something I'd call your "bread and butter," but they're definitely cool to have in your collection.

16" HH Thin Crash: Big crashes are "in" these days, but you can't write off the 16" crash cymbal. It's not small and it's not huge. Not only is the size key on this cymbal, but it's super light as well. I grew up playing on a 16" crash so this cymbal suited me well. Playing this cymbal suits me even in a hard rock context. It had a bright attack with a powerful bell. It's a whole lot of fun to play!

23" HH Override Limited Edition (Ride): Uh oh, look out ladies and gentlemen, here comes Jimmy Degrasso and his limited edition masterpiece. I recently just got my hands on one of these rides for myself. I love this cymbal. It's an all around drummer's necessity. Its super powerful bell is like nothing I've heard from a cymbal before, not even the aluminum or stage bell! The bow depresses downward to create extra flutter for some serious slamming if done right. It's got a great ping on it to be-bop yourself to jazz heaven like Elvin Jones, or rock out hard and make great faces like John Bonham! It might not be the ideal cymbal for your main ride, but it's still a necessity in my opinion. Hurry and grab one of these before it's too late! You'll be delighted you got one.

-Mike

Congrats to all those who participated in the World Class Finals last night!!!

The evening started off with the US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps in exhibition for about 25 minutes, followed by several award presentations (Volunteer of the year, World Class director of the year, etc).

The competition officially started at 6:40pm, and continued to 10:25pm. Around 6:30pm I caught up with Jerry Carpenter and the pit of the Boston Crusaders while they practiced before the big show. The sun was hot and the parking lot was busy with transports and people, but they blocked it out and practiced one last time before the competition.

The Boston Crusaders, with the program The Core of Temptation, under the direction of Tom Spataro, Omar Carmenates and Andy Beal had a strong showing, coming in 7th place. Congratulations!!!

Well, it's time to wrap up and start packing for the journey home this evening. If you were not able to make it to Indianapolis this year, I strongly encourage you to come next year for DCI 2010 - this was my first drum corps event and I'm so glad to have been part of it!

On the road again...
-Katie

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Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Hi all!

I just got back from the DCI 2009 Open Class Finals and SABIAN was very well represented!! Congratulations to all 12 corps who made it through to the finals, and to all those who participated in DCI this year - you should be very proud of yourselves.

So, what were the final scores??? Here they are ...

12th Place - Memphis Sound from Memphis, TN

10th Place - Legends from Kalamazoo, MI

Legends also won several awards, including:

2009 Most Improved Corps

2009 Outstanding Director - Ibe Sodawalla

2009 Jim Jones Leadership Award (Drum Major) - Kelly Coach

There was a tie for 6th place, between 2 SABIAN corps:

6th Place - Raiders from Wayne, NJ.

6th Place - Revolution from San Antonio, TX.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Later on this evening, the World Class Finals will take place - good luck to the Boston Crusaders!

More updates tomorrow

-Katie

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Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Hi everyone!

Today was a busy day watching the open class semi-finalists, and then running out to the parking lot to meet our corps with t-shirts after they performed. They all did an awesome job - my first DCI is going to be a memorable one!

First up was Dutchboy from Kitchener, Ontario (Canada) with a program called Bizarro, under the direction of Doug Darwin, Steve Meikle and Joe Shuker (Percussion Caption).

It was great to see some fellow Canadians!

www.dutchboydrumcorps.com

Next were the Colts Cadets from Dubuque, IA with Lullaby & Good Nightmare, under the direction of Vicki Schaffer and Ronnie LaGrone (Percussion Caption Head & Arranger).

www.colts.org

Next up was Legends from Kalamazoo, MI, performing Incrementum with selections from Maurice Ravel's ballet, Daphnis et Chloe, under the direction of Ibe Sodawalla and Landon Ewers (Percussion Supervisor).

www.legendspaa.org

Memphis Sound from, yep, you guessed it, Memphis, TN, performed Celebrations...Rebirth of a Planet, under the direction of Ryan Pride

www.memphisdrumcorps.org

Late in the morning, the Raiders from Wayne, NJ performed Isle of Hope, under the direction of Robert Villanova and Chris Marousek (Percussion Caption Head)

www.raidersdbc.org

The last SABIAN corps to perform in the Open Class semi-finals was Revolution from San Antonio, TX. They performed ElementALL, under the direction of
Johnny Rodriguez and Carlos Botello (Percussion Caption)

www.revolutionypa.org


***


Tonight, the Colts from Dubuque, Iowa and the Boston Crusaders from Boston, MA performed in the semi-finals in the World Class category. They will find out later tonight if they have made it through to the Finals, taking place tomorrow evening. Both performances got standing ovations - excellent job!!

Good luck to all 40+ drum corps participating in the Finals tomorrow morning and evening!

-Katie

-------------------------
Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Edited: 08/07/2009 at 09:42 PM by KATIE86

Hi DCI fans!

Today I took in the World Class Quarterfinals where 22 corps competed for a chance to place and move onto the semi-finals (taking place tomorrow evening).

First up was Pacific Crest from Diamond Bar, CA, with the performance El Corazon de la Gente under the direction of Stuart Pompel and Matt Altmire (Percussion Caption).

Quick fact: At four weeks long, the corps' 2007 tour is the longest in corps history.

The Colts, from Dubuque, IA, took the field around 7pm with a performance entitled Fathoms , under the direction of Greg Orwoll and Max Mullinex (Percussion Caption)

Quick fact: Iowa's governor has declared the Colts as "Iowa's Ambassadors of Music".

The Boston Crusaders were the last SABIAN endorsed corps of the night with a program called The Core of Temptation, under the direction of Tom Spataro, Omar Carmenates and Andy Beal.

Quick fact: For many years, the corps ended each year's show with "Conquest" (from the film, "Captain from Castile") and since has hidden snippets of this signature melody in their musical program.

CONGRATS to the Boston Crusaders' percussion ensemble who won the Individual & Ensemble competition yesterday!!!

More to come tomorrow from the World and Open Class semi-finals!

Pictures will be going up tomorrow

-Katie

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Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Edited: 08/07/2009 at 09:54 PM by KATIE86

Hi folks!

Well, I finally made it to Indianapolis, Indiana after being re-routed through Atlanta, Georgia - what a BUSY airport! Today is dedicated to getting used to the area, finding out where our corps are practising, and handing out some t-shirts.

More updates to follow!

-Katie

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Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Chickenfoot arrived in the early evening - they were greeted by the other bands, Q104 contest winners who had a quick meet-and-greet and they did a quick radio interview.

After taking a quick break to walk a signed cymbal from Chad Smith back to the hotel (for a lucky winner named Samantha), we enjoyed listening to Our Lady Peace stage-side. The legendary guitarist Joe Satriani also took in some of the show, standing about 3 arm-lengths away. As he rounded the corner to stand backstage, he donned his usual hat and sun glasses. OLP always puts on a good show, and this was no exception. Raine made sure to make the security guards nervous by climbing on the stage and running through the audience.

After OLP left the stage, servicemen and women took the stage with Minister of National Defence (and MP of NS), Peter MacKay, to say a few words about their work and encourage those who are away from home and overseas.

While we waited for Chickenfoot to hit the stage, we hung out with Finger Eleven - a talented group of guys who were very welcoming. When we heard the audience scream, we ran to the stage to watch the super group play... WOW, what a show!!! The other bands looking on were in awe of their musical heroes...their jaws dropped to the floor while watching Chad do his thing on the kit (those SABIAN's sounded beautiful ), and while Joe shredded the guitar. It's unheard of to have this much talent on one stage - and Halifax was their first show in North American since their European tour - what an honor!

Chickenfoot was untouchable with lots of security, so I didn't get to meet Chad, but maybe next time! After they left the stage, I introduced myself to III, Chad's drum tech - while walking away, he called out my name, and handed me a pair of Chad's sticks from the show ... WOW, what an awesome end to an incredible day!!!!!

-Katie

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Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Hi folks,

My apologies for the lame blog post title, but it's true! Halifax is a great city, and everyone involved in the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest should be proud. It was a wonderful way to show the troops our support (a video of the performances will be sent to all Canadian bases overseas).

Sunday afternoon started off with Pink Thunder, a "sassy female driven rock" group from Nova Scotia - they won the Next Great Atlantic Rock Band contest to rock on the same stage as some greats. They held their own with a few original tunes mixed in with some covers, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (www.pinkthunder.ca).

Next up were Halifax born and raised rockers Sloan - they played all of their hits, and songs from the new album Parallel Play. In the middle of their performance they were joined on stage by members of the local Q104 radio station who inducted the band into their hall of fame - they have supported Sloan since the beginning ... Congrats on 20+ years and counting! (www.sloanmusic.com)

The hot sun was no match for the enthusiasm of Finger Eleven! I was fortunate to go backstage during their performance and watched the rockers as they prepped before going onstage (very quiet and focused). Once they hit the stage, they were in full rocker mode - they are awesome musicians and great performers. Later in the evening I spoke with (SABIAN) drummer Rich Beddoe (http://sabian.com/EN/artists/Rich_Beddoe.cfm) - a very down-to-earth person who made sure that my guest and I were taken care of. He has been with SABIAN for 8+ years and couldn't say enough about the best cymbals in the world He is most excited about their upcoming trip to Afghanistan to play for the troops - they leave on September 5th and will be staying in Kandahar for 6 days. The best of luck from the SABIAN family!

That's it for tonight folks - with a sunburn from yesterday and after a long drive back home today, it's time to rest my head. But, there is much more to come tomorrow ... including the awesomeness that is CHICKENFOOT!!!!!!

-Katie

-------------------------
Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.

Edited: 08/04/2009 at 10:57 AM by KATIE86

Hi folks!

I'm in Halifax right now, waiting for Halifax Rock Fest to start in a few hours. Chickenfoot (Chad Smith) and Finger Eleven (Rich Beddoe) are some of the awesome acts that are on the bill.

If you're in the Halifax area, the weather in beautiful today, so you should stop by the show! More to come later on, once the show starts.

-Katie

-------------------------
Katie Robinson
eMarketing Coordinator
SABIAN Ltd.