Sabian HH 18" Rock Crash
Group: Crashes
Type: Rock Crash
Size: 18 Inch
Series: HH
Weight: 1773g, 1808g
Years of production: 1988* - ?
Sound file: HH 18" Rock Crash
HH 18" Rock Crash
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: (This review is for both the 16" and 18" HH Rock Crashed) "When it comes to the crashes, Sabian says that the cymbals are "bright, powerful crashes with medium-heavy weight for added volume, good projection and resonance. Substantial high-end cut and moderate decay. Double as excellent ride cymbals. Punchy." My test results bear out just about all of this. Again, using the cymbals in an unmiked situation led me to the conclusion that they could only meet moderate rock volume requirements. (Let me stress that I'm talking here about amplified rock music in a medium-sized club. That still gets pretty loud, so I'm not saying these cymbals are wimpy, by any means.) I got the feeling that the limitation was based on that "moderate decay,"rather than on any problem with initial strike volume. The 16" crashes especially tended to speak out very quickly, and then disappear equally fast. The 18" cymbals, owing to their larger diameter, held out a good deal longer. Once again, I would say that these very factors would be distinct advantages for a miked-up drummer, either live or in the studio, so don't get the impression that I'm counting this quickness as a negative feature. Sabian has deliberately built it into the cymbal, and has succeeded admirably in making the cymbal do precisely what they say it should do.
By the way, I did find one interesting,and useful, application for this characteristic quickness in my unmiked playing situation. I discovered that the 18" crash (standard finish) had as much or more power and attack as the AA 18" medium-thin crash I normally use, but the duration/decay of a 16" AA crash. That made it especially useful for punctuating loud passages where the band was really cranking, without a lot of heldover cymbal noise adding to the general din. I really appreciated that particular cymbal for that reason.
It's always hard to describe in print the acoustic characteristics of a cymbal. I've already spoken about the dryness. To me, that means that there isn't a lot of sibilance, or "hiss," to a cymbal. I usually call that the "shimmer" in a cymbal's sound. The HH Rock cymbals don't have a great deal of that, and the rides are especially devoid of it. If you want that kind of "shimmer," these aren't the cymbals for you. However, if you prefer a cleaner, more distinct, pinpoint stick sound on a cymbal, these cymbals offer that sound to the utmost. In terms of pitch, Sabian is correct when they say that these cymbals are higher in pitch than corresponding standard HH cymbals. That's because a heavier cymbal creates a higher pitch, and these cymbals are heavier than their standard HH counterparts. They also have a higher profile and larger bell, which combine to give them their added volume and power.
It's important to note that the finish of the cymbals proved to make quite a diffference. Generally speaking, all of the characteristics of "dryness," "quick decay," "controlled sound," etc., were enhanced by the application of Sabian's Brilliant finish. Buffing down some of the tonal grooves reduces that "shimmer" I spoke of earlier on any cymbal. When that process is applied to HH Rock cymbals — which start out dry—you get a positively arid sound. For my personal taste, I preferred the cymbals with Sabian's standard finish, since they retained just a bit more "shimmer." But a drummer performing on a club or concert stage might appreciate both the added dryness and the exceptional visual appeal afforded by the Brilliant finish. Both finishes are offered at the same price, so the choice can —thankfully— be a musical, and not an economic one."
Review written by Rick Van Horn (Modern Drummer, pp. 109 & 111, "Product Closeup", July 1988)
Artist/song where it can be heard:
Source:
(*) "New And Notable", Modern Drummer, May 1988, p.118
