I've had a MCS setup for over 4 years now, so this review is from experience, not a bunch of bull. Added this 18" to my original 14/16/20 hat/crash/ride MCS pac with 14" china. Great complement to the 16" crash. If you have a MCS setup this is a great addition. Used as a ride it has a different pitch from the 20" MCS ride. So in some applications you can play between the 2 rides for a nice effect. The bell on the 18" sounds a bit more powerful then the bell on the 20" ride. I find myself going back and forth between the 2 on different songs. I know MCS is marketed as a step up from Meinl's entry level HCS, but the MCS is more of a mid-level cymbal, not a entry-level. They blend in well with some Meinl Classic crashes I have too. Not a top of the line cymbal, but it will not force you to take out a loan eather. Done tons of gigs, and took them to the studio, never any problems. I highly recomend them.

I got this cymbal in the MCS pack that came with hi-hats, and I have to say this cymbal is pretty decent. If you don't have the money to buy something a little better then this cymbal is a good choice to go with. Like all cymbals, it sounds better when playing with a band so you can't hear the overtones as bad. Very good cymbal for the price. Only bad thing is that the bell doesn't sound as good to me, but thats just me. BUT if you can buy something a little more pricey like a Meinl Classics or a Zildjian ZHT, that would probably be a better choice.

I've owned this cymbal for over a year now. It may be a starter cymbal but it sounds really good. I've gigged with it several times, and recorded with it more times then I can count. Most people say crash/rides aren't any good, but this one is an exception. If your on a budget this is the way to go.