Join Paul Francis, Director of Research & Design/Quality, for a 30 minute preview of the cymbal prototypes Zildjian are taking to the PAS International Convention on November 13-16.
It is a sneak peek at some of the new cymbals the company has been working on this past year. You get an up close look at how a cymbal goes from an idea to a new sound, how Zildjian work with Artists to design models, and how the decision is made which cymbals make it into the 2014 Catalog.
Paul Francis first joined Zildjian in 1989 as a lathe operator and quickly rose through the ranks as Cymbal Tester, R&D Technician, and R&D Specialist. Throughout his early years, he was personally mentored by Armand Zildjian in the craft of cymbal making and the importance of shape, weight, hammering and lathing. Armand also encouraged Paul to experiment with new technologies to not only re-create sought after cymbals of old, but to expand on them and develop new sound nuances and versatility. In working with Armand, Paul not only absorbed Armand's incredible wealth of cymbal knowledge, but also his ability to relate to the musicians of today and develop the sounds they're looking for.
On October 18, Paul Francis hosted the first Cymbals 101 master class live on Zildjian.com. Paul talked about how the cup size and shape affect the overall pitch, volume, and sustain across ride and crash cymbals.
