How To Use The CrashGuard

The CrashGuard is extremely simple to use. It is designed to fit any standard boom arm or gooseneck. Begin my taking the mic clip off your mic stand boom arm. Make sure you leave the knurled washer on that usually comes with most booms. The CrashGuard comes equipped with a spare in case you do not have one.

Push the CrashGuard onto the mic stand boom arm. Then, take the mic clip and screw it onto the boom to hold the CrashGuard in place. Do not over tighten. Rotate the CrashGuard so that the microphone clip is pointing in the right direction and then slide the mic into the clip. You can now connect the mic by passing it through the rear access port. Snug tight the mic clip and boom so that everything is secure and you are set to go.

The CrashGuard is designed to fit most microphones and since most microphone clips allow the mic to be adjusted forward and backward plus be articulated up and down, you will find positioning the mic easy.

Keep in mind that for the most part, the CrashGuard will be used with a cardioid microphone. The cardioid pattern is created by mixing the sound coming in the front of the mic with the sound going in the rear, behind the capsule. Since the rear sound hits the diaphragm on the back side, it is out of phase and therefore causes cancellation. Try to leave some space between the mic head (capsule) and the inside top of the CrashGuard. This will reduce any effect the shell may have on the polar pattern.


Drum Kit

The CrashGuard can be used on one or more instruments in the drum kit. When used on snare drum the high frequencies from the hit-hat are attenuated and the audio engineer has more control over the HF response. Tom Toms are often electronicaly gated to reduce bleed but when toms are played the gates open and the sound of the cymbals gets louder. This creates the "pumping and breathing" sound asscociated with compressors and gates. CrashGuard can reduce this noise naturaly through attenuation making gates a little easier to set up.

Percussion

Percussion instruments have the high frequency response and sharp trainsient attacks that cut through the loudest stage volumes. Experienced percussion players know they don't have to be on-axis or even close to the microphone to be picked up. For the mix engineer this means an instrument may appear at equal volumes on several percussion mics. CrashGuard can be employed to create better seperation between percussion mics

Acoustic Instruments

Acoustic instruments are often at the mercy of louder electic instruments forcing engineers to use contact pickups that just don't sound as good as a quality microphone. CrashGuard can give acoustic instrument an advantage that allows better seperation and gain before feedback. Try the CrashGuard on piano, acoustic guitar, violin, flute, etc. before reaching for that contact pickup

Primacoustic is a division of Radial Engineering Ltd. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.