Do deathcore drummers actually use splash cymbals?

As an occasional accent for marking the transition from a blast section into a breakdown, rather than a core voice. No deathcore drummer has a widely documented signature splash rig, but a splash's fast decay genuinely suits that specific structural pivot better than a full-size crash.

What splash cymbal fits Chris Turner's crash setup?

A Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Splash extends the same dry, controlled voicing behind Chris Turner's Byzance Extra Dry Medium Crash for Oceans Ate Alaska, giving the blast-to-breakdown transition a punctuation accent that doesn't wash out.

Dry/dark or fast/bright splash cymbal — which is better for deathcore?

It depends which side of deathcore's blast-into-breakdown structure your material leans toward. A dry or dark splash (Meinl Byzance Extra Dry, Meinl Classics Custom Dark, Zildjian K Dark) suits breakdown-heavy writing, in the mold of Chris Turner, Isaac Lamb, and Ben Koller. A fast, over-hammered splash (Zildjian K Custom Dark) suits blast-heavy writing, in the mold of George Kollias.

What size splash cymbal is best for deathcore?

8"-10" gives the sharpest, most precise accent for marking the exact pivot point where a blast section drops into a breakdown.

What's the best budget splash cymbal for deathcore?

The Zildjian Planet Z Splash (€35-50) and Sabian SBR Splash (€30-45) both use budget B8 bronze but deliver a genuinely usable transition accent for developing drummers, while the Meinl HCS Splash (€25-40) is the most affordable brass-alloy option for a first full beginner cymbal setup.