Electronic – A pickup for cymbals

detectionelectromagnetic

I'm trying to find ideas how to capture just the sound of the cymbal(s) of a drum kit – while the entire kit is being played. As cymbals are made of bronze, they are not magnetic and that rules out normal electromagnetic pickups. Optical systems probably struggle with the fact that there is quite a lot of movement when a drummer strikes the cymbal hard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpoanOlb3-w

I do have access to normal microphones, but I'm looking for a different approach. The sound of the pickup does not have to be "perfect" or very natural. Any thoughts?

Best Answer

One quite intuitive possibility is to put a piezo sensor where you can capture the vibration of the cymbal, that is in the junction with the stand.