Paiste New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I

Group: Rides
Type: Dark Energy Ride
Size: 22 Inch
Series: New Signature
Weight: 2997g, 3012g, 3023g, 3036g, 3038g, 3044g (2014 Serial Number), 3055g, 3058g, 3060g
Median Weight: 3038g (n=9)
Years of production: 2004 - Present
Sound file: New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I
New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I
New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I
New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I
New Signature 22" Dark Energy Ride Mark I
Paiste's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "In general, Mark I rides sound drier than Mark II rides, but the overall characteristics are similar. A drummer could certainly use one of each in a setup (perhaps in 20" and 22" sizes) and switch between them within the same tune to get different but complementary colors.
To be more specific, the 20" Mark I ride is extremely dry, but has just enough overtones to keep it from sounding metallic or anvil-like. This cymbal's strongest feature is its definition. No matter how loudly I played it, the "click" from the stick was never buried under a wash of overtones. This made the 20" Mark I very controllable. In terms of volume, it would work best in acoustic, small-group settings than in a big band or amplified situation. On the other hand, small-group drummers often prefer more overtone spread to fill out the sound, so this model might have limited applications.

The 20" Mark II is brighter and fuller than the Mark I, but it still has a contained, dry sound. Although the overtones had a bit more spread than on the Mark I, the definition never dissolved in a washy sound. The cymbal remained very controllable.

The timbres of the 21" Mark I and Mark II rides were very similar to their 20" siblings, but the extra inch gave them a bigger, fuller sound. If a 20" ride is typically your preference, you might want to consider the 21" versions of the Dark Energy rides. I rate these as considerably more versatile than the 20" versions.

Over the years I have reviewed countless rides that were available in 20" and 22" diameters, and more often than not, the two sizes barely resembled each other. But Paiste has achieved a remarkable degree of consistency of timbre in the three sizes of each model.

The 22" sizes abviously had a bigger sound, by virtue of their size. With the Mark II, the balance between definition and overtones were not as good as with the smaller model. When I really laid into it, the definition started getting lost in the wash. The 22" Mark I, however, with its narrower spread of overtones, retained its definition at high volume levels. So, with the 22" Dark Energy rides, I would count the Mark I as more versatile."
Review written by Rick Mattingly ("Product Close-Up - Paiste New Signature Dark Energy Cymbals - New Musical Hybrids", October 2004, p. 35)
Artist/song where it can be heard: Alvino Bennett, Dean Butterworth, Drew Hester, Abe Laboriel Jr, Nathaniel Townsley