Types of Crash Cymbals and Details

[MoFoBAMF]

I'm what I'd consider to be a relatively new drummer. I've been playing for around 3 years and I've recently been confronted with a situation which requires me to give my set a good upgrade.

Drum heads and things like that aren't a problem (yet), but when it comes to cymbals it seems like there's SO many choises! What I'd like to know is what's the difference and what you would reccommend for an... "ambitious," hard-hitting drummer (and yes, I know that hitting my cymbals isn't nessecary to achieve a full sound, so don't get on me for that.

So if somebody could give me some of the differences between:
Fast Crashes
Stage Crashes
Explosive Crashes
O-Zone Crashes (yes. I know there's holes)
Vault Crashes
and things along those lines.

Oh, and if it helps, I'm looking at Sabian Cymbals.

 

[madgolfer]

Sounds like you are a Sabian fan? Yeah, let's see:

Fast crashes - good initial attack sound with rapid decay. Cymbal doesn't ring very long.

Stage Crashes - imho, just a medium-thin general purpose crash

Explosion Crashes - larger, unlathed bells on medium thin cymbals designed to add some punch into a cymbal hit

Ozone Crashes - have holes punched into them and sound somewhere in between a regular crash and china type cymbal.

Vault Crashes - There are different types now, but the originals were/are pretty "glassy" and higher pitched, imho.

If you really lay into your cymbals, I would go with something in a little heavier weight ("Metal" or "Rock"), and a little thicker. Nearly all of those cymbals you mentioned are medium or medium-thin and may eventually give out when played hard.