Submitted by anonymous on Sat, 11/17/2007 - 10:08

:lol: Hi Guys

I have problem with my OH setup, coz I hear the Hi-hat is more dominant than others,.Why?

Btw any body have Pictures with drum Micing setup?

Thanks

Panca

Comments

the Hi-Hat is more dominant than others,.Why?

Perhaps your drummer is hitting the hat harder than any other cymbal?

Could be he/she is using too heavy a pair of sticks?

Try simply moving the mics to a different location, a couple feet back, or closer to the parts of the kit that aren't being picked up.

I'll occasionally put the overheads lower so they are aimed more at the center line of the kit, instead of looking down from above - that might help you.

patrick_like_static wrote:
Errant microphone placement aside, the answer is probably more holistic: hi hats are loud "instruments" (quotes intended). Without having them matched in volume to the rest of the cymbals and learning to play the kit with appropriate balance, there's little that can be done.

Just what I was about to say. Hi-hats come in different "weights" just like any other cymbals. Studio cymbals tend to be lighter (thinner) because they give a more controlled and brighter sound, but they're not as loud (which is also a plus), while heavier cymbals are more often used in live situations. An example of heavy cymbals would be the Zildjian Z Custom, which are probably some of the loudest cymbals made (besides maybe the Paiste Rude series). Heavy cymbals also sound REALLY bad if not hit full force with massive sticks. Thinner cymbals would be some sort of Zildjian Avedis series or Sabian AAX...

The point being if the hi-hat is too loud, it's probably too heavy (or consequently the rest of the cymbals being to small and too light) therefore creating the unbalance.

If that's the case I'll sometimes skip micing up the hi-hat, since it will come through enough through the overheads. I might even go to the extent of dropping the overheads closer to the crashes/ride (but not too close as it will create a phasing effect) if I know I won't need a full kit sound and will be using more of the close mics (metal for instance) .

Patrick, being the fine drummer that he is, has nailed it, once again. Off-axis hi-hats sound like crap...sorry, like trash can lids. Cymbals are one instrument that have to be on-target. The player has to NAIL his/her sound before the mics ever go up. Maybe "aiming" the mics towards the outside edges of the kit (and the hi-hats) a bit will aid you in this correction. Sounds like you're in to the "cups" a bit too far? And, in fact, pulling the mics away from the outside entirely may help this situation, depending on the drummer's dynamics (there I go again, blaming the damned drummer...where's my Dr. Rhythm when I need it?). That's why God invented Earthworks...