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Subject: Hi Hat Programming
Original Message 1/12 23-Jul-02 @ 04:06 AM - Hi Hat Programming
I was wondering if anyone had any advise on programming hi hat patterns for house music. The patterns I have attempted thus far seem very mechanical and sterile...no soul. I've attempted to disect the patterns used in some of my favorite tracks, but I just can't get them to groove. I am using Battery in Cubase to program the patterns, along with the groove control function to add various amounts of swing and velocity changes. I just can't seem to get them to sound good.
What type of effects/dynamics should I be adding to the hi hats, and how much of a difference will it make? I've been working on the principal that the effects/dynamics should be used after I've got the hats grooving along.
Probably wrong on this, so please feel free to correct me at any time!!
I read an article recently on how the Chemical Bros. will spend days on the hat patterns in their songs, just to get them to work right. Obviously hats are an important part of dance music, and I will get to grips with them eventually...Right now I just need a nod in the right direction ;)
Appreciated,
Richard
Message 2/12 23-Jul-02 @ 09:50 AM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
hope the link is right.. it's trance, but i like their hihat sensibilities..
always pretty happy with mine. my considerations are that (a)the pattern should tell a little story, have a lyric phrasing, like some titchy bird rattling off some sq
Message 3/12 23-Jul-02 @ 09:56 AM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
hope the link is right.. it's trance, but i like their hihat sensibilities..
always pretty happy with mine. my considerations are that (a)the pattern should tell a little story, have a lyric phrasing, like some titchy bird rattling off some ssqueak that sounds like somebody saying something..
"hello john got a new motor" whatever.
then the line would be
"hello john got a new motor
hello john got a new motor
it looks like a shiny new motor
hello john got a new motor
pretty much always do some velocity to amp.. hardly ever works without it.. the closeds a little louder, or the opens.. the 2nd and 4th open louder or quieter, the 4th with a shorter envelope to pick up into the next measure, et c.
usually get away with pretty straight quantization, but all sorts of fun. the #1 trick would be to pull them just the most minute bit forward.
Message 4/12 23-Jul-02 @ 10:04 AM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
Morning xoxos. When you say pull the op hats forward, do you mean make them come in say 5 ticks(in Logic) earlier than than if they were quantised to straight 8ths?
Message 5/12 23-Jul-02 @ 01:49 PM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
fx?... forget that... it should groove without any fx - what it could be tho, is that your hat decay is too long or short on open hats, and the closed hat also can change the feel by decaying longer or shorter... otherwise it's down to the patern and the velocity ONLy and that's it... what would be good would be if you posted a little mp3 snippet attached to a post here so we can hear it, that way we can say for sure what is the problem - To add a small mp3 attachment with a post just signup for free as a CLUB TYPE user and come back logged in and add your file with the post
really we need to hear it - Also just adding quantise may not do it, or may make it worse if it's the wrong quantise.... peeps rarelyt use built-in quantise settings on sequencers.... we do it all 'home-made' style...
Message 7/12 23-Jul-02 @ 06:33 PM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
what are "clocks," alex?
although the amount there can vary. if you set quantize and snap to off, the nudge tool moves the events at whatever resolution you have the ppq set at (I fergit whar ye set that an I ain't in front of it rat nyow).
right?
Message 8/12 23-Jul-02 @ 09:02 PM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
in robot discotheque i pulled the hats (everything's vsti, sample accurate sync) 8 ticks forward. fuck if it made any difference really, but i was smiling.
Message 9/12 23-Jul-02 @ 09:39 PM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
hi,
the best "groovin" hats i ever managed happened due to sheer lazyness -- i was REALLY sloppy when i cut [some james brown hats... uh, ... okay, can't remember, very tired].
anyway, each sample was _two_ hat hits, and since i a)didn't slice them well, and b)didn't strethc/etc., the second hit was WAY late.
but it worked VERY well.
so maybe try pushing/pulling?
Message 10/12 24-Jul-02 @ 03:24 AM Edit: 24-Jul-02 | 01:58 PM - RE: Hi Hat Programming
umm yeah... regarding general "groove" thingsies, i sometimes pull a whole track a bit to fore or after, like the whole kick track/ snare track/ hat track etc... works for me because my shit is too fast to do much 'subtle' changes within a bar.
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