Drill 'em out, just don’t drill the cymbals any more. 
Tom, if its real noticable in the recording, I’ll do a little creative volume drawing with the snare. I think its mor ethe nature of our "dry’ snare that makes it work.
It just seems to fit into the mix, maybe since we’re used to hearing it, we like it in the mix!
It’s such a hard thing to get the right balance between snares and skin, and each song seems to need something different. I’m going to try your unusual method this weekend, Pastor!
Sabian AA cymbals are very good!
I have been a simi pro drummer for 20 or 35 years and all of the AA cymbals sound great.
i would not cut the rivets out but that is up to you, they can be taped down.
Yes, the holes are for a quicker response, designed after the Zildjian quick beat set.
Sabian is one of the Zildjian brothers.
You have some good hats, hang on to them.
Thanks R-king! I’m not going to cut out the rivits, the manufacturer intended them to be there - tape, that’s an idea.
Tom- true about each song. For stuff at church, my drummer often plays with rods, for volume issues,so this may curtail the reverb tails a bit.
let me know how it goes!
Rods - you mean those pieces of dowels taped together or whatever? Ugh, I’m sorry, but along with rivits in hi hats I really am not a fan of those. They seem to me to spread out the sounds in ways that are not as musical as brushes.
I am curmudgeonly these days - gotta stop that…
OK, here’s the final bit about these odd hi hats…I finally got a few minutes to take a close look at the rivits - both top and bottom cymbals are AA fusion - no rivits orignally - someone drilled and stuck these in - not exactly evenly either - so out them come!