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Old 08-08-2018, 09:20 AM   #1
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Default Where is the hi-hat placed in the mix most often?

I was listening a record now and the hi hat is in the middle

i guess i could listen a couple more to double check...

but in any way

where is the hi-hat placed in the mix most often in rock/pop music?

and any particular reason?

thanks
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Old 08-08-2018, 09:46 AM   #2
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Default Where is the hi-hat placed in the mix most often?

Very subjective. If you stood in front of drummer, where would you hear the hi hat coming from? No drum kit sounds the way most of us mix them which is often with a pretty wide stereo image. You would never hear toms moving from left to right, or cymbals in that extreme way. It sounds great, but its a little unnatural. Then there is the song. Maybe you want to marry the hi-hats to the acoustic guitar, maybe opposite another element of the track that occupies a similar sonic range (frequencies). And are you listening from the audience perspective or the drummers? My vote is to have fun, no rules.
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Old 08-08-2018, 02:00 PM   #3
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If it's disco, it's probably "front and center".

If you are going to pan it off-center, the hat (and snare) are normally on the drummer's left (audience right). So, you can either pan it toward the right or full-right depending on what you like or depending on what sounds most-natural to you.

...Don't bother trying to "perfectly" position everything across the soundstage because the position will sound different to different people in different rooms.

BTW - magicbus is right... When you listen to a band live you hear the drums come from "somewhere around the center" of the stage or just "from the stage". Or if you are at stadium concert everything comes out of the speakers in mono.

With studio recordings (or multitrack live recordings) the engineer/producer can give you a "better than live" stereo image.

Last edited by DVDdoug; 08-08-2018 at 02:11 PM.
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Old 08-08-2018, 08:06 PM   #4
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Take this example and listen to what I did with the hi hats..
No rules. I used the HH to create ambiance, rhythm, a little bit of a bounce etc. And I sculpted them to fit on top of the other instruments and not cover up vox. I completely forgot about where they should have gone.

I am always listening to songs and love when I hear something outside of the norm (hh on the left side for instance) it's really pretty rare in most rock (radio) songs. Usually and simply its just a little off center to the right in a lot of mixes. But, where's the fun in that.

I suppose ask yourself, What are you wanting to hear when your mix is all done.. How are you planning out your final presentation of the song?
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Old 08-09-2018, 05:02 AM   #5
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My vote goes to "slightly off center" because that's where it is in the kit.

Fun tip: When panning the various close mics, listen to the overhead/room tracks for where that particular drum/cymbal sounds like it's coming from in the overall stereo field. Pan the close mic to match.
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Old 08-29-2018, 02:11 PM   #6
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Some like to mix according to the drummer's perspective. Others could care less about that and pan the drum parts for desired listener affect. If you want the hh to be noticed but not raised as high in the mix as a realistic panning would have it, panning it 100% is certainly an option if you like the result.

On a live kit you need to be concerned with what happens to the focus of the hh sound itself, if it gets too diffuse when panned if there's much of it in the other mics, which can blur the attack, if that matters. With totally isolated parts, as in a VSTi that's not a factor.

If there's an instrument that shares a role and frequencies with it, like a bright, rhythmic acoustic guitar, you could have them completely hard panned opposite to keep them clear and defined, or both panned center to glue it together and have it more as one than separate.

That said, I tend to mix with the hh in the drummer's seat perspective, possibly shifting it if something else, like said acoustic or a tamborine, enters the equation.
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Old 08-29-2018, 03:49 PM   #7
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Anywhere you like but lower


Reminds me of one of first things I learnt after using a tracker for a while, played back some of my first tunes, and a regular question was "why is that hi hat so loud?!"

Maybe there are exceptions but if in doubt, lower the hat ©
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Old 08-29-2018, 10:23 PM   #8
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Or, if you're old-fashioned, you might raise your hat. Especially whenever you meet a lady.
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Old 08-30-2018, 12:45 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanofoz View Post
Or, if you're old-fashioned, you might raise your hat. Especially whenever you meet a lady.
This is a gentleman's answer i appreciate.

By the way: read, your question is a bit vague. Mostly rock pop don't has a classical drum set but rather a lot of shakers, midi hats and other additional percussion which gets widely spread all over the mix or just gets dumped in the middle.

Place your hi hats the way it fits the mix. If you already have presence of high frequencies on one side, put them on the other side to get the stereo feeling in balance. If you have a widely spread synth with high energy, just put the hats in the center or only slightly off. It just depends. The only thing where its important to place the hi hats RIGHT is, if you mix a classical rock song with an accurate image of the live setup. Like the old rock songs from AC/DC or so. Rockabilly, Punkrock etc. they all just want to sound real!

For example, the best rock song of all times. I was a little girl when my daddy listened to it, and i still remember, how all my senses focused on that rough sound without knowing anything about it. But it created a special feeling yet even if i was only a kid.


Last edited by Eliseat; 08-30-2018 at 11:10 AM.
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Old 08-30-2018, 01:39 AM   #10
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Sounds like it's dead centre here to me, but I have plenty of other albums where it's off to the left or right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn2J44PNP0g
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Old 08-30-2018, 01:55 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanofoz View Post
Or, if you're old-fashioned, you might raise your hat. Especially whenever you meet a lady.
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