Editing Cymbal making (section)

===Modern casting techniques===

====Rotocasting====

The more unusual of these is [[centrifugal casting (industrial)|rotocasting]], in which the mold is spun to force metal into the details of the mold by [[centrifugal force]]. This allows the hot forging step to be reduced or even omitted, as the resulting casting can be made far closer to the final shape of the cymbal, including its bell and [[Taper (cymbal)|taper]]. It is an expensive process used for a few top quality [[bell metal|bell bronze]] cymbals.

====Sheet metal cymbals====

Many modern cymbals are stamped or, less commonly, hammered from [[sheet metal]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bucur |first=Voichita |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Handbook_of_Materials_for_Percussion_Mus.html?id=ygJ6EAAAQBAJ |title=Handbook of materials for percussion musical instruments |date=2022 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-98649-0 |location=Cham |pages=452 |chapter=Manufacturing a Cymbal}}</ref> It is a widely held misconception that only [[malleable]] alloys can be cold rolled into sheets. The historical and current production 602 line cymbals and the historical Sound Creation cymbals, both from the major manufacturer Paiste, and the current production M-Series cymbals from Meinl are made from sheet bell bronze with a 20% Tin content. Nevertheless, the term "sheet metal cymbals" tends to refer to cymbals produced from all other common [[cymbal alloys]] as opposed to bell bronze.

Some claim that these "sheet" cymbals have a different sound to traditionally made cymbals, owing to their manufacture from sheet metal rather than from individual castings. Others claim that the larger difference is the [[cymbal alloys|alloy]] or the hammering technique. Top quality "cast" cymbals are normally made from bell bronze, while "sheet" cymbals are normally made from [[malleable]] [[cymbal alloys|alloys]].

Paiste even claims that the division into cast and sheet cymbals is misleading, as all alloys are at some stage cast, and refuses to say whether or not particular cymbals are made from sheet metal. Their Sound [[cymbal alloys|Alloy]] patent implies that they have a method for making sheet metal cymbals of this [[cymbal alloys|alloy]], which would make these a unique third category.

The 2002 Paiste Cymbal Guide even claims that all cymbals are "cast", not just their own, but here they are not using the word in the established sense. All other manufacturers openly state that all of their malleable alloy cymbals are made from sheet metal, and that all of their bell bronze cymbals are 
individually cast. One possible reason for Paiste's claims is that there is still a great deal of prestige associated with traditionally cast cymbals. The first sheet cymbals were brass, and were very
cheaply made. It is only in the last few decades that top-quality sheet cymbals have been produced at all.

But whether this prestige is still deserved is doubtful. The major manufacturer Meinl produces both cast and sheet cymbals, and currently chooses to make their top premium line from sheet bronze. Some top drummers who play Zildjian or Sabian cymbals now choose to play their sheet bronze cymbals, rather than their more expensive cast cymbals, for the sake of their sound.

Louder drummers tend to choose sheet cymbals, while jazz players and major orchestras still tend towards cast cymbals. So it is more a matter of choosing the correct cymbal for the sound required.