who mics hihats?

[corban]

I'm just curious, cause i hear people saying "oh this mic sounds really good on hihats" and I can't figure it out, cause I've always had enough hat in the overheads, and when i have miced the hat i've usually found that it's very difficult to get a nice sound (using an oktava MK012 or an AKG 451) while still micing close enough to avoid massive bleed from the rest of the kit. and then I just end up turning the hats down in the mix anyways. is it just me?

 

[phaqu]

They are nice to have if you ever need them,like if you want to focus on, or have up front, some soft intricate HH passage. Or, say, if you want the accent on the open bell to come through more, but yeah, most of the time I dont even pull them up .

 

[Lurk_R]

The only time I do mic the hi hat is when I want the drum kit and band to sound as if you are facing them on stage. I will pan it to about 50-70% to the right to give the allusion the band is in your face. It is hard to get it to sound right. Most of the time I only mic the snare, and that mic picks up the hi hat too...

 

[ez_willis]

I mic'ed my hats the last song I recorded, but ended up not using the track.

 

[Massive Master]

I'd rather mic it and not need it than need it and not have mic'd it.

 

[RezN8]

Never had a need to mic the hats. I've done it on occasion, but the track never ends up in the final mix.

 

[gcapel]

I was trying to get that hi hat delay effect like the one the Police does in "Walking on the Moon". Sure enough you have to mic it if you don't want the effect on the rest of the kit.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Only of the drummer sucks or if I'm recording a cover of the old "General Cinema Corporation" movie theater trailers.

G.

 

[xstatic]

I'd rather mic it and not need it than need it and not have mic'd it.

This will saave your ass. Many times you do not NEED it, but why not have it and not use it rather than try and figure out what the hell you are going to do if you don't have it?

 

[Bulls Hit]

If I need more hats I just double the snare track and compress the bejesus out of it. Makeup gain lifts the hats right up

 

[Elton Bear]

I've tried both, and I generally let the overheads/snare mic do the talking when it comes to hi-hats, and sometimes (but not as often) toms as well. Live, however, I like the control you get 'coz the OHs pick up guitar, bass, bands swearing at each other etc. and drown the hats out.

 

[TuoKaerf]

I come from the field of thought that if you have enough Mic's and inputs, use as many as you can.

It is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[rocker]

if im doing the fletcher 3 drum mic thing i dont mic the hh but otherwise i do

 

[Bondo]

It is always good to have the extra mics. I like having the flexibility, especially if I want the Highhat panned a little differently in the sonic spectrum than where it naturally may occur.

 

[Mindset]

In the studio, we usually always mic the HH if it's part of the whole mix... Even with "massive" bleed.... Usually either the kick or snare will bleed down into it, but that's easily fixed with some gating & Hi pass filter, and a little bit of EQ work, and compression.

 

[zacanger]

I'll usually mic everything I can, using all my mics and stands and inputs, but usually I don't end up using the hi-hat mic if there is one. Usually the OHs get plenty of it.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

depends on the drummer and the kit

 

[Micter]

If your overheads are doing their job you'll never need to mic hats.

 

[Reilley]

Ed Millicent.

 

[xstatic]

If your overheads are doing their job you'll never need to mic hats.

Not true at all......

YOU may not want the hi hat mic, but to lump it all into one is pretty crazy. I use hi hat mics most of the time and they usually make the mix, just not as hot as the overheads.