Hi hat rolls

[sargentpilcher]

Something I've always had trouble with were hi hat rolls, and fast attacking rythmic hi hats. I feel like I can get the rythyms of the kick, snare, clap etc. done by myself, but the intricacies of hi hat rolls are currently beyond my skill set. Are there any tutorials or loops sets out there specifically on hi hats?

[invisibled]

hey man, i recommend just playing with it, if you think about it, there can only be so many combinations. for example, very easily you can put your hi hats on quarter notes, 8th notes or 16th notes. Try adding a rush of 4 hats in a row, or 3. try doing something like quarter notes, but shifting them to be offtime instead of on the 1. really listen to other songs and what their hats are doing, or find a song like your song and find what the hats are doing and try that. If i go for a hi hat rythm that isn't a standard quarter or 8th note etc, i do all the variations between when the kick and snare hit. Dubstep for example is really good for this. if you just have a kick on the 1 and snare in the middle, after and before the kick is where you should add some variations to the hats, in that space kick and snare leave.

also, adjust the velocity of your hats, i learnt that follow a pattern of (High, low, medium, low) for the velocity is good. for example 4 hats in one bar would be the following velocities: 127, 80, 100, 80. High, low, medium, low.

Hope this helps!

[Comfi]

The 'claw' feature in FL Studio's piano roll (tools->claw machine) can have some interesting effects on hats.
Also check out flam in the same menu.

Playing with delays and automating reverb levels and lengths can spice up hats. Make sure they are nicely sparkly too.

Try thinking of them more as decoration rather than a time keeping device.

[kings]

^ not necessarily, they accent the rhythm and dictate what everything else will do if you've got a good handle on them. Poly rhythms can be your friend here for interesting effects like the guy above me said, but don't draw in random notes cause that will fuck up your flow. just use it to accent the beat

[sargentpilcher]

lol, so I guess nothing like that is available. I'm surprised there isn't more of a market for something like that. I guess I'll try messing around with what you guys are saying.

[invisibled]

hey, in the end, doing it yourself is the best way to learn. good luck!

[Jas0n]

I have to think you can find some hi hat loops out there somewhere. BUT what I'd suggest doing is just listen really carefully to some stuff you like, stuff you kind of tend to model your own work after, and see what those guys are doing with their hats - where do they bunch them up, how do they orient them around the kick and snare - do they ever use triplets? how often, where, and why? I mean ... post a youtube vid of a song you dig, and we can definitely analyze the hat structuring. Shit, people that consider themselves all-pro at this stuff could probably benefit from such an undertaking.

[blinx]

i like finding nice funky soul hi hat samples and layer them behind my sample patterns. Trying put ssme flange/phaser on the hi hats to add motion and breathe.

[syrup]

Do you use triplets?

[blinx]

honestly when i first started producing i tried use triplets all the time, because i read something somewhere that explained dubstep relied on triplets grooves blah blah blah. I dont generally write "triplets" but ill drag a hit using swing settings to create a pseudo triplet feeling to my hi hat grooves. Currently i try harder to write hi hats like bassnectar, because his are always switching up and riding like an OG... i love solid hi hat grooves.

[syrup]

I'm not saying you have to use them all the time, but they are a good way to switch things up... For example switching to a triplet hat pattern for last 4 bars of 32 works wonders!

[sargentpilcher]

I have to think you can find some hi hat loops out there somewhere. BUT what I'd suggest doing is just listen really carefully to some stuff you like, stuff you kind of tend to model your own work after, and see what those guys are doing with their hats - where do they bunch them up, how do they orient them around the kick and snare - do they ever use triplets? how often, where, and why? I mean ... post a youtube vid of a song you dig, and we can definitely analyze the hat structuring. Shit, people that consider themselves all-pro at this stuff could probably benefit from such an undertaking.

That would be awesome! I'll post a couple and see what you guys think

Royksopp - This must be it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1BLzf4kWFM
Death cab for cutie - You are a tourist http://youtu.be/qkk5wViJo-I?t=21s

[Khazm]

One thing I used to do when I used FL Studio was find a hi-hat sample and enter the piano roll using short notes, dragging from a low note up octaves to a high note. It made a sweep/rising effect, so I made my own wooshs, but I'm using ableton now and don't really do it as much.