Zildjian GEN 16 AE Cymbals Acoustic Electric System Traditional - New

Zildjian Gen16 AE Boxed Cymbal Package with Controller

A box set of Zildjian's groundbreaking low-volume and patented Gen16 cymbals with all the needed accessories. The Zildjian Gen 16 AE Cymbal System is a paradigm shift in cymbal design. Features include patented, low volume acoustic cymbals, a radically new pickup that utilizes a patentpending and dual-headed mini microphone design. The Digital Cymbal Processor (DCP) sound module allows you to shape tones while enabling audio mixing. Each kit also includes a dampening pin for each cymbal. The pin can be placed in any hole to reduce overtone, shorten decay and lower the fundamental pitch of the cymbal.

The Gen16 cymbals were developed by Japanese businesses and the concept was introduced to Zildjian by Korg.   Due to the Japanese businesses not having manufacturing capabilities,  Korg partnered with Zildjian and they produced a great product called the Gen16 AE Cymbals.

The 1st thing that draws you into the cymbals are the perfectly designed tiny holes in the cymbals along with the nickel plated alloy cymbal sleek design.   The holes reduce the acoustic volume of the cymbals although you can still hear the cymbals very well.   They give you a quieter cymbal sound.

Under each cymbal is a stereo microphone that is in a “reversed cup shaped” mount, in which lights up.   The clarity of these cymbals  coming through an amplifier or sound system will blow your mind.  The responsiveness and articulation of each cymbal sound made me smile.    The feel of each cymbal felt slightly different than a regular cymbal, and I couldn’t help but wonder if these beautiful cymbals could be cracked with one hard hit.  Although these AE cymbals seem as if they are built very well, I’m sure that using caution may be an automatic response.   After all, they are essentially electronic.

Each cymbal plugs into a module called the DCP (Digital Cymbal Processor) in which you are able to control

1. Master Volume and Channel Volume
2. 20 Tones (each channel) 100 total
3. 11 Reverb Presets
4. Reverb return levels
5. Channel Pan
6. Mix Blend (drums/cymbals)
7. Headphones volume

, one 1/4″ input (for electronic drums L/R), output L/R, one 1/8″ input for (MP3/CD player), and USB for firmware updates.   You are supplied with a color coded snake in which plugs into DCP and runs to each individual cymbal and hi-hat.

We were a little confused on how to assemble hi-hat due to the assembly of  the AE microphone, but were able to quickly access “How To” videos on Zildjian’s website.    Otherwise, the lighting/microphone cup was fairly easy to assemble.

If you are a drummer who loves the Newest and Greatest…..you will love these babies, but for a touring drummer on a big stage they would prove to be a great investment.    They simply add excitement to your kit as well as giving a great sound in an amplified system.

These acoustic-electric Gen16 cymbals let you trigger a huge range of Zildjian cymbal samples -- and they feel like the real deal, only 80% quieter.

The Zildjian Gen16 AE (Acoustic Electric) cymbals produce a wide range of sounds ranging from that classic Zildjian cymbal to some very non-traditional sounds. The AE cymbal plays and feels like a real cymbal. The Gen16 AE cymbal is an actual cymbal that utilizes a unique dual microphone and DSP engine to amplify and model the cymbal's output.

Zildjian Gen16 AE cymbals combine low volume acoustic cymbals, an innovative new dual-head mini microphone system, and a controller/mixer with preset tone modeling that allows the user to experience an array of Zildjian tones and/or add effects to each real AE cymbal. The cymbals come in a full range of models including rides, hi-hats, and Chinas.

The Zildjian Gen16 AE cymbals are created from a custom sheet metal alloy that combines with a complex network of holes in the cymbal for true cymbal feel and sound, with about an 80% reduction in volume. The cymbal sound is then captured with the included mic pickup and then processed and modeled with sounds and effects from the Gen16 Cymbal Controller. Dual condenser mics capture every articulation of your cymbal work, converting the sound into waveforms that are then applied to a wide variety of carefully recorded samples in Zildjian's Gen16 controller module.

The Gen16 module, complete with face mounted controls for your mix-tweaking pleasure, is ready to load up with the host of samples available from Zildjian. Easily scroll through presets with dedicated softpads on each of 5 cymbal channels, and control your overall mix with a single knob if you choose to run e-drums through the device.

It new set, never used.