While electronic drums and percussion have been around for years, the AE Cymbal is a completely new twist that uses established technology to create essentially a completely new instrument. “The Acoustic Electric Cymbal is capable of creating a wide range of sounds, from that of a classic Zildjian cymbal to some very non-traditional sounds,” explains Zildjian’s VP of New Business & Product Development, John Roderick. “For drummers, it will have an inspirational impact akin to what the acoustic electric guitar has done for guitarists.”
Unlike most existing electronic percussion systems, the AE Cymbal is not a sample trigger device. Instead, it’s an actual cymbal, and plays like one, but at reduced volume levels, utilizing a unique dual microphone and DSP engine to amplify and model the cymbal’s output.
“One of the most important things for us in creating the AE Cymbal was that it had to feel and play like a real cymbal,” says Paul Francis, Zildjian’s Director of R&D. “Most of what’s currently available for drummers are rubberized, cymbal-shaped trigger pads, and they typically lack the feel and responsiveness of a real cymbal. For us at Zildjian, we’ve always been about the real feel.”