I just thought i'd share this. Everything is copy-pasted from
http://home.mnet-online.de/cymbalism/cymbalism/cymbals/materials.htmlGeneral Considerations
Cymbals are made of special composed metals called alloys. An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals combined by melting them together. Now what is the ideal mixture for a good sounding cymbal? That is a question pondered by generations of cymbal makers for centuries. Modern science has made available many new materials that the 17th century alchemist Avedis (later called Zildjian, cymbal smith) could not even dream of. However, the alloys actually used today are few.
The major part in all cymbal alloys is copper, combined with one of three second components, tin (for bronze), nickel (nickel silver), and zinc (brass). Although there are very small amounts of other elements usually contained in cymbal alloys (for example, raw copper naturally contains a small amount of silver), the major components define the sonic properties.
Almost all the materials employed in making cymbals are being used for other industrial applications and therefore are available in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices. This is an important factor for any commercial cymbal maker for obvious reasons: All cymbal manufacturers are dependant of the raw metal market situation. The fact applies to those working on prepared sheets as well as to those 'cooking their own soup'. This should be kept in mind, when pondering the qualities of that magic new alloy laboration some cymbal maker just came up with. However, the material is just one factor in cymbal sound. How the material is being worked is another, maybe even more important one. The host of different sounds found in B20 cymbals is the proof.
Bronze (B20, CuSn20)
B20 is the classical material for cymbal making. It has been in use since ancient times when in Tibet or China the first cymbals were made. B20 was also the only cymbal metal until other alloys were introduced in the 19th century. Still today almost all professional cymbal makers employ B20 in at least one of their top lines, since it is said to have the highest sound potential of the known (or at least used) bronze alloys. The sonic properties of bronze include richness (many different tones) and sustain, with an even amount of high, low, and mid frequencies. B20 is a mixture of 80% copper and 20% tin.
Examples of B20 cymbals: A/K Zildjian, Istanbul, UFIP, Paiste Sound Creation and Formula 602, Sabian, Turkish, ...
Red Bronze (B8, CuSn8)
B8 had been in wide industrial use for decades when in 1963 Paiste decided to make cymbals from it. The still lasting success of their 2002 series (and many other cymbal lines) justifies this decision. The sound character of B8 is less neutral and more focused than that of B20. This is why B8 cymbals feel louder and more cutting to some drummers. B8 is composed of 92% copper and 8% tin and can easily be told from other cymbal alloys by its reddish color. By numbers of cymbals produced, this is the most important cymbal alloy today (2000).
Examples of B8 cymbals: Paiste 2002, Dimensions, Sabian B8, Meinl Raker and Custom Shop, Zildjian Edge,...
B6, 12, 15, 18
These are other, less common, bronze alloys used for cymbal making. As with all bronzes, the number denotes the percentage of tin. It must be noted that even in industrial bronze alloys the amount of tin varies within a certain range. However, according to a cymbal maker I discussed the topic with, "one percent more or less" is nothing to worry about.
Brass (MS63)
Brass is used for the cheapest of cymbals, because the material itself is cheap. As with bronze, there are many different alloys but the material used for cymbals usually consists of 63% copper and 37% zinc. Brass cymbals have little sustain, because the high frequencies decay quickly. Compared to bronze, brass sounds less rich and deep, and also less powerful. However, not all brass cymbals are inferior. In some instances even professional instruments are made from it. UFIP is known to make large cymbals and gongs from brass.
Examples of brass cymbals: Many budget cymbal lines like Paiste 302, Meinl Marathon, UFIP Kashian 2000, UFIP M8, some UFIP custom made cymbals
Nickel Silver (NS12, Packfong)
This is the brightest sounding cymbal alloy. NS12 is another material often found in budget cymbals. The typical formula is 12% nickel and 24% of zinc, the rest being copper. The nickel component is responsible for the silvery look and bright sound. Nickel silver usually has more sustain than brass, but less than bronze. The frequency spectrum is less broad than with bronze, making the sound very focused, even narrow. Again, not all NS12-made instruments are minor quality. Namely the famous Paiste gongs are made of nickel silver. CuNi, as it is also named, is like B8 in wide industrial use.
Examples of nickel silver cymbals: Zyn, Meinl Marathon N12, Paiste 402, Sabian Glennie's Garbage
Paiste Sound Alloy (PSA)
Paiste have abandoned B20 as their alloy of choice for top quality cymbals since their introduction of this new proprietary alloy in 1989. The ingredients of the patented mixture are kept secret, but it is a pretty safe bet that it contains mostly copper and tin. The color of the material is more red than B20, but less red than B8, so it will most likely be somewhere in between those alloys. Chances are, it contains noticeable amounts of other secondary cymbal metals.
Examples of Paiste Sound Alloy cymbals: Paiste Line Signature, Paiste Line Traditional, Paiste Sound Formula, Paiste Visions
