is this as uncommon as i think?
i personally prefer not to do it, but i had a band in last weekend (our first paying customers! yay!) that i think kind of expected it. . . and it might be expected in the future with some of those pseudo-disco dance-punk bands that are popping up here and there.
when i tried to mic it (never tried before), it sounded like a really bad drum machine hi-hat and i didnt bother with trying to make it work in order to save time.
any suggestions for the future?
-wiggins
hi-hat microphonizing
2I just heard that Franz Ferdinand song last weekend - the one with the really really loud hi-hat.
Some people like that kind of thing, and they feel compelled to do it to give them more "options" in the mix. I'd say if you have the tracks, put a mic on top and one on bottom and gradually fade them down as you're tracking. Eventually you'll hit the "sweet spot" and someone will notice that the faders are almost at zero.
Some people like that kind of thing, and they feel compelled to do it to give them more "options" in the mix. I'd say if you have the tracks, put a mic on top and one on bottom and gradually fade them down as you're tracking. Eventually you'll hit the "sweet spot" and someone will notice that the faders are almost at zero.
hi-hat microphonizing
3I've never needed more hihat in a mix, (actually most of the time I'm figuring out how to get lesss hat everywhere, speacially in the snare mic...). But as you say some people want to have a separate track for the hihat. I've had best results with the beyer m160 about 30cm and positioned to try and avoid snare spill. I've found also that close miced hihat sounds "strange". I usually use the channel hipass filter to get a sound the band is happy with.
I hope this helps
Javier Ortiz
I hope this helps
Javier Ortiz
hi-hat microphonizing
4yeah I used to mic the hihat just because I thought you were supposed to ha
now I don't, because I get so much hi hat in the overheads
now I don't, because I get so much hi hat in the overheads
hi-hat microphonizing
5I may or may not mic the hi hat. Depends on the type of hi hat and the setup of the drums. Usually, I can get away without miking the hi hat since (as some have already pointed out) there is plenty of that coming through the overheads. My studio kit has a really loud hi hat (Zildjian K series) and so I don't put an extra mic on the hi hat.
However, some clients have come in with rather large drum setups which tends to put the hi hat outside the range of the overheads. Then you really do need to mic it separately. Also, if the hi hats aren't as loud, I'll use a dedicated mic. So it really depends on the hi hat itself and the setup.
I don't do anything weird when I mic a hi hat. I tend to use an Oktava MK12 on the hi hat (because I like the way it sounds). I usually angle it above the hi hat, pointing down at and area around the perimeter, maybe about 6 inches above it. I'll EQ out the low end stuff so it sounds nice and crisp.
When in doubt - mic it. The hi hat, snare and kick are the main time-keeping elements of a kit and deserve special attention above all else. I mean, we're only talking about one more mic and one more track. You can always delete the track later if you don't need it. But it's hard to put it in there if it wasn't there to begin with. Err on the side of caution at all times.
Don't know what else to say on the subject. Check out a cool little program called Studio Buddy (www.studiobuddy) for more tips.
btw: I'm new to this forum. I hope Steve doesn't take exception to my being here since I could be considered a competitor. I'd like to become a functioning member here - offering my own personal tips and insights - if that's ok with everybody else. If not, I'll go away quietly
However, some clients have come in with rather large drum setups which tends to put the hi hat outside the range of the overheads. Then you really do need to mic it separately. Also, if the hi hats aren't as loud, I'll use a dedicated mic. So it really depends on the hi hat itself and the setup.
I don't do anything weird when I mic a hi hat. I tend to use an Oktava MK12 on the hi hat (because I like the way it sounds). I usually angle it above the hi hat, pointing down at and area around the perimeter, maybe about 6 inches above it. I'll EQ out the low end stuff so it sounds nice and crisp.
When in doubt - mic it. The hi hat, snare and kick are the main time-keeping elements of a kit and deserve special attention above all else. I mean, we're only talking about one more mic and one more track. You can always delete the track later if you don't need it. But it's hard to put it in there if it wasn't there to begin with. Err on the side of caution at all times.
Don't know what else to say on the subject. Check out a cool little program called Studio Buddy (www.studiobuddy) for more tips.
btw: I'm new to this forum. I hope Steve doesn't take exception to my being here since I could be considered a competitor. I'd like to become a functioning member here - offering my own personal tips and insights - if that's ok with everybody else. If not, I'll go away quietly
hi-hat microphonizing
6Larry wrote:I hope Steve doesn't take exception to my being here since I could be considered a competitor.
i'm guessin he's scared shitless of your 16-channel mackie VLZ.
LVP wrote:If, say, 10% of lions tried to kill gazelles, compared with 10% of savannah animals in general, I think that gazelle would be a lousy racist jerk.
hi-hat microphonizing
7yeah - and my SM57. Don't forget my SM57. Oh, and my ART Tube MP. I plan to wipe out all competition with my Tube MP & SM57 
hi-hat microphonizing
9Crap, unless you're in like, !!! or something. The last record of ours we mixed, I buried my head in my hands almost sobbing, "The only thing I can hear is the hi-hat!"
Most rock drummers hit the hi-hat so friggin' loud it's not necessary. Personally, I don't really like loud cymbals in the mix anyway, they kinda distract from the THUD of the kick and snare.
Most rock drummers hit the hi-hat so friggin' loud it's not necessary. Personally, I don't really like loud cymbals in the mix anyway, they kinda distract from the THUD of the kick and snare.
hi-hat microphonizing
10Err on the side of caution Larry? That is the problem with far too many engineers out there. Commitment to tape and confidence in your decisions is paramount. Sound like there's enough hi hat in the overheads? Then don't mic it, same goes for anything. There are way too many mics on kits these days. Some of my favourite kit sounds have been recorded with 2 mics.
I'll mic the hi hat if the track calls for it or if I wanna key gate to it and that's it.
As far as getting the hi hat down in the mics, here's a couple of tips.
1. Teach the drummer to actually hit em right. That John Bonham sound all drummers go on and on about? Because he had finnese with the cymbals and hat. Get the drummer to lay off em and, naturally, the rest of the kit will sound louder.
2. Instead of concentrating on pointing the snare mic at what you wanna record, concentrate on pointing it away from the hat, remember, cardioid mics have quite a large area where the pick up sound and only a small area of rejection.
I'll mic the hi hat if the track calls for it or if I wanna key gate to it and that's it.
As far as getting the hi hat down in the mics, here's a couple of tips.
1. Teach the drummer to actually hit em right. That John Bonham sound all drummers go on and on about? Because he had finnese with the cymbals and hat. Get the drummer to lay off em and, naturally, the rest of the kit will sound louder.
2. Instead of concentrating on pointing the snare mic at what you wanna record, concentrate on pointing it away from the hat, remember, cardioid mics have quite a large area where the pick up sound and only a small area of rejection.