Is cleaning cymbals good? does it affect the sound???

Question

Is cleaning cymbals good? does it affect the sound???

Answer 1

Old cymbals develop a layer of patina from natural oxidation and such and on top of that you get stick marks and other crud.  

This layer of crud will dampen the higher frequencies, creating the mellower sound of a "used" cymbal which is advantageous during recording because the highs are often equalized out due to the harshness of the sound.  

Frequent cleaning is for those who perform live.  Often in a live situation, you want the brilliance of the cymbals to cut through a loud guitar amp and the polished shine looks sweet.