layering hi hats

do you do it? i used to mess with it, but didnt really feel that i was accomplishing much.

i have been using 1 hat layer per track lately, but sometimes i wonder if i could get a fuller sound.

if you layer hats could you post up some beats or something that you layered them on? what are you mainly trying to accomplish when layering your hihats?

Personally I like to layer hats now more then ever and this is since I started to use MPC's. I used to search for the perfect sounds / sample to achieve full sound or that perfect hi hat sound and that is straight up boring althought on some tracks I still do that depending on my mood.

When I layer I will either layer sounds by overdubing on the same track or an additional track,depending again on my mood and workflow at the time. The thing I do now most often is layer on the pad since I can have up to 4 sounds per pad. Some of my other gear takes a bit more work to do this where the MPC's especially the 5000 it's just so daym easy that it is fun. I weak the settings from level to pan to filter or pitch.

Ultimately I am looking to a sound or a specific sound and one that I can say I added my own personal touch to. With so many people bangin out beats these days gotta take every chance to be unnique and run with it. That is my 2 cents worth.

Peace,

yeah i agree, layering sounds is hella fun on the mp, im gonna try and mess with some more hats and see what i can do with them.

I personally don't like to layer hihats unless they have different frequency ranges (which most likely they don't) So the frequency begin to clash and just muddy up the instrumental.

Tha_Skywalker wrote:I personally don't like to layer hihats unless they have different frequency ranges (which most likely they don't) So the frequency begin to clash and just muddy up the instrumental.

+1

i rarely use more than 2 high samples per beat, and never layer two on top of each other

if i have a break playing at the same time as my hats i sometimes even sidechain my hats to the break making it so every time my hat hits the break gets quieter, to prevent that double hihat sound

es-k wrote:

Tha_Skywalker wrote:I personally don't like to layer hihats unless they have different frequency ranges (which most likely they don't) So the frequency begin to clash and just muddy up the instrumental.

+1

i rarely use more than 2 high samples per beat, and never layer two on top of each other

if i have a break playing at the same time as my hats i sometimes even sidechain my hats to the break making it so every time my hat hits the break gets quieter, to prevent that double hihat sound

^^^this is a good tip.

thats one reason i stopped layering hihats too... because of the frequency range of them clashing and sounding phasey, but i figured alot of people must layer some hats.

although i have heard some good results layering them with other things, such as tambourines or other instruments like that, i think i can be less concerned with it as i was.

i have gotten some good results layering some darker sounding hats with really bright ones as well.

Yep good tips. I wish I could side chain with the MPC. I often travel and if I take an MPC only I cannot find a way to do this. I was recently working on a track where I needed to sidechain my bass / synth sounds and could not see a method with MPC. Is there one im missiong?

As far as the layering obvious it need to sounjd decent and not phase or clash. For me its about what sounds good and in fun making.

I think that layering snares and kicks is really important, but i almost never do it with hi hats. I think for hats it's all about finding the good sample and eq'ing it right. You can add a tamborine, it works really well sometimes(Buckwild does this a lot and he has some of the best drums imo). You can also try to copy your hi hat track, pan one hard left and one hard right, that works well for me!

cool, ill try that stuff out.

@jayson, no you cant sidechain in the mpc

Jayson Wonder wrote: I was recently working on a track where I needed to sidechain my bass / synth sounds and could not see a method with MPC. Is there one im missiong?

using amp envelopes. turn attack up on your bass notes that fall on the kick drum, for example

i aint really got into layering kicks but the snare is the main candidate for layering

Hats are better alternated then layered. Just my two...

Ecspecially for hi hats, dont forget to "layer" different patterns, not just layering sounds on top of each other. Even if you get a real tight hi hat groove its always good to have subtle varation or motion here and there.

Oh and dont sleep on other percusive elements. Shakers, tambs, ect. You could have a pretty straight forward minimal pocket hi hat grove going and get the funk and flavor from your percussive tracks

dopedee wrote:Oh and dont sleep on other percusive elements. Shakers, tambs, ect. You could have a pretty straight forward minimal pocket hi hat grove going and get the funk and flavor from your percussive tracks

yea thats how i usually accomplish variation.. percussive tracks