Primacoustic CrashGuard Drum Mic Shield

Cymbal bleed is one of the most persistent problems in drum recording. Overhead cymbals are loud, aggressive, and omnidirectional — their sound finds its way into every microphone on the kit, including the snare, tom, and kick mics. This bleed limits how much you can process each drum independently in the mix. Bring up the snare attack and you bring up cymbal harshness. The CrashGuard is designed specifically to reduce this problem at the source.

How It Works

The CrashGuard mounts between the drum microphone and the cymbal above it, shielding the mic from direct cymbal sound. The shield is constructed from high-impact ABS plastic tough enough to take a direct drumstick hit without cracking or deforming — a real-world requirement given how close drum mics sit to sticks and cymbals during aggressive playing. The underside of the shield is fully coated with high-density open-cell foam that absorbs internal reflections and reduces phase cancellation caused by sound bouncing off the shield's interior surface back into the microphone.

An extended cable cutout runs along the edge, allowing the microphone to be articulated and repositioned for precise placement without removing the shield. The mic mounts using its standard clip, which holds the CrashGuard in place on the boom stand — no additional hardware required.

What It Does for Your Mix

Reducing cymbal bleed into drum mics gives engineers significantly more control over each drum's individual sound. With less cymbal content in the snare mic, you can push the high-end attack of the snare without simultaneously accentuating cymbal harshness. The same applies to tom mics — less overhead bleed means cleaner, more isolated tom sounds that sit better in the mix without fighting the cymbals.

Specifications:

Construction: High-impact ABS plastic
Internal absorption: High-density open-cell foam
Mounting: Standard microphone clip — no additional hardware required
Compatible with most popular drum microphones
Cable cutout allows full microphone articulation

Applications: Studio drum recording, live drum recording, broadcast percussion recording, any application where cymbal-to-drum mic isolation is needed.