How to make hi-hats sound realistic?

Subtle-t

Subtle-t

New member
When you have one hi-hat sample and want to modify it to make a 2nd similar hi-hat hit so that you can alternate between the two, what methods do you use?

So far I have just been taking a little off the attack and decay, and a little off of the volume.....to make it sound like the drumstick hit the hi-hat cymbal a tad bit softer...then I program these two samples to alternate and form my hat pattern....this has worked so far but I am looking for more tips on other methods...also I haven't tried reverb on my drums at all yet...is a subtle amount of reverb on hats a bad idea?

So far I have only been using the closed hi-hat from the tr-808 to do what I mentioned above...anyone know any good sources for hi-hat samples on the web? Or pm me and we can swap samples.
 
The TR808 hi hat isn't a realistic hat anyways, so apart from accents there's nothing else to do. ( The open and closed hat should cut each other out though and you should be doing this )

As far as realistic hats go, I guess it depends just how realistic you want them. Myself, I am sort of in a halfway on it. I am making breakbeats and use a mixture of synthetic sounds and realistic sounds and try to find a marriage between the two.

If you are short of hat samples, you can simply get an open hi hat and then proceed to create a closed hat from that simply by altering the ADSR envelopes so you don't have to go searching for samples and then trying to get them to sound good together.

As for programming, make so they cut each other out and you can alter the velocity - frequency so that louder hits appear at their brightest and quiter hits seem 'duller'. You could also experiment with very slight pitch changes, again, quieter hits being slightly lower in pitch ( Not much, just enough for you to feel it a lil ) Sample start time should allow you to make quieter hits seem softer as well.

Depending on what software sampler you use, all the above is usually pretty easy to set up. To get each hat cutting each other out, reduce polyphony to 1 note.

If you are looking for free samples, there's tons and tons and tons here: http://dnbwiki.com/index.php/Free_Samples

Check out the 'DRUM MACHINES', & 'KALAVA - DRUMS' links, The former has a load of classic drum machine samples and the latter has a pile of very good one shots.
 
If you have the opportunity to lift some real Hi-Hat samples, start a record in a Daw and use all parts of the stick on various parts of the Hi-Hat. Then sample those hats in your spare time.

EX

Shoulder of stick across the bow of the top Hi-Hat, shoulder of stick on the edge, varing degrees of intensity of how hard you are holding the pedal etc. Mix and match.

Now, synthetic hats?

Example

808 hat normal tuning, 2nd 808 hat lower tuning, lower volume, accenting wherever you please, combine this with multiple styles of Hats you have.

When you have a straight beat, and the Hats are mostly 1-&-2-&-3-& etc, eight notes, you can lightly flam the pitch shifted down hats with your original hats.
 
Delphine said:
The TR808 hi hat isn't a realistic hat anyways, so apart from accents there's nothing else to do. ( The open and closed hat should cut each other out though and you should be doing this )

As far as realistic hats go, I guess it depends just how realistic you want them. Myself, I am sort of in a halfway on it. I am making breakbeats and use a mixture of synthetic sounds and realistic sounds and try to find a marriage between the two.

If you are short of hat samples, you can simply get an open hi hat and then proceed to create a closed hat from that simply by altering the ADSR envelopes so you don't have to go searching for samples and then trying to get them to sound good together.

As for programming, make so they cut each other out and you can alter the velocity - frequency so that louder hits appear at their brightest and quiter hits seem 'duller'. You could also experiment with very slight pitch changes, again, quieter hits being slightly lower in pitch ( Not much, just enough for you to feel it a lil ) Sample start time should allow you to make quieter hits seem softer as well.

Depending on what software sampler you use, all the above is usually pretty easy to set up. To get each hat cutting each other out, reduce polyphony to 1 note.

If you are looking for free samples, there's tons and tons and tons here: http://dnbwiki.com/index.php/Free_Samples

Check out the 'DRUM MACHINES', & 'KALAVA - DRUMS' links, The former has a load of classic drum machine samples and the latter has a pile of very good one shots.
Click to expand...

Delphine...good looking out...very useful information!

Hitz..thank you! Can you be more specific (flam):

"When you have a straight beat, and the Hats are mostly 1-&-2-&-3-& etc, eight notes, you can lightly flam the pitch shifted down hats with your original hats"

DantayWestwood said:
Easy!!!! Get real drum kits samples

We$t
Click to expand...

That's what I'm lacking and looking for.
 
Last edited:
A flam is this.

Take your hands (if you don't have drums sticks) and do the following.

One hand higher than the other. Then drop your hands on a surface, notice the sounds. taTAP. Apply to your midi controller or MPC, whatever you trigger drums with.

It'll give your beats a slightly delayed sound if the rhythm is open enough.
 
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