Crash cymbals are some of the most important and basic parts of any cymbal layout, but that's not to say they're all created equal. Far from it - there are tons of different varieties of crash cymbals, and every percussionist has a preference about what works best for their personal style and sound. One of the most important factors to decide is the cymbal's weight, or thickness. All crash cymbals have fairly thin edges, but the thin crash cymbals in this section are lighter-than-average all the way across, giving them a leg up in attack and decay speed that makes them a natural fit for soft rock and pop, as well as studio recording in a variety of genres.
Here's an interesting piece of crash cymbal trivia: the sound of the cymbal is actually affected by how shiny its surface is. A highly-polished cymbal like the Zildjian Oriental Crash of Doom (best name ever?) will create a sound that's crisper and more defined. On the other extreme, a "raw" oxidized cymbal like the Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Thin Crash Traditional Cymbal comes off duller and mellower. Of course, those aren't the only variations to look out for - you'll also find cymbals with different alloys, and even some with cut-outs drilled through them for extra bite and aggression, such as the Sabian HHX Evolution Series O-Zone Cymbal.
It's up to you to choose the perfect cymbals for each spot in your kit, and that naturally includes the crashes. But no matter how you like to play, there's definitely potential to take advantage of the speed and clarity of thin crash cymbals. Take a look at everything in the lineup here and think about how each cymbal could fit into your palette of percussion sounds - when you've come across one that seems like a natural fit, it's safe to say you're looking at a good candidate to become the next crash cymbal in your collection!
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