Remote hi-hat

[Mr. Fanzy Pants]

Hi!
I`ve been thinking lately that the only time i cross my arms when doing something is when i play my drums and that this is maybe not the ideal way of playing drums. Because of this i have been considering a remote hi-hat.

What are u guys thoughts on using a remote hi-hat as a main hi-hat? And what about placement?


All the best

[Guz2]

Um..........What is it?

[basscase]

It is probably better to learn how to play with an open hand technique if you dont want to play traditional, but a remote hat might be the way to go. Remotes are also great for players who use double bass pedals. I have a remote hat that is just set to the closed position that I keep over my floor tom just behind my ride. I dont use double pedals, but I find it easier to use the remote hat sometimes when working with the floor tom a lot. It saves me from having to turn back to my main hats all the time just to return to the floor tom.

[Mr. Fanzy Pants]

I see...i tried to put my regular hi-hat in front of my snare drum and if felt deeelish:) It felt really nice not having to cross my arms and I felt my playing got more fluid. But of course it causes a couple of problems:
1. Where do i put my 12 inch tom?
2. Its almost impossible to control my hi-hat with my left leg when placing it in front my snare.

Do u guys know have much a remote hi-hat costs?

[basscase]

$250 to $300 depending on the brand. Most of them require a rack to mount them on.

[MaDaBe]

I play a DW Cable HiHat. I don't play rack toms however.

[drumguyfromWI]

I play a DW Cable HiHat. I don't play rack toms however.

whoa! interesting set-up!

[caddywumpus]

I considered the remote hat for a long time. Mainly, because I was trying to find a way to stuff EVERYTHING into my suitcase for gigging. When I tried them out, though, I found their response to be a little sluggish for my taste. Plus, the attachment pieces for it would be waaaayyyyy to big for me to fit it in the suitcase, so I opted to not buy one. Mostly for the sluggish response.

I DO like the idea of having a pedal to your left that operates something either in front of you or to your right A LOT, but I don't think it would be right for me. Is there a model out there that's more immediately responsive than the DW ones?

[Mr. Fanzy Pants]

Very nice set-up MaDaBe! Much like the one i`m thinking about converting to.
What made you go for the remote hat?

[jeffwj]

I do not have a remote hi-hat, but I do think it makes sense. A lot of people are playing open handed, meaning that the are basically leading with the left hand when playing a groove. But since the set is still set up right handed, they often perform drum fills using a right hand lead. Most also lead with the right hand on the ride cymbal. That is the puzzling part of open handed playing - switching lead hands. I think that having a remote hi-hat is a better solution if you are intent on not crossing hands.

[scrowder]

Also, if you gig a lot or record, most sound engineers are most familiar and comfortable with mic'ing a kit set up in the standard position. In situations where multiple bands play in one night, moving a hi hat mic to the other side of the drum riser might be a problem, or just a pain in the butt for them. So there's another advantage for being able to play open-handed. Then again...that means LEARNING to play open handed...ughh. The remote does save you some trouble there.

[sticky.widget]

I considered the remote hat for a long time. Mainly, because I was trying to find a way to stuff EVERYTHING into my suitcase for gigging. When I tried them out, though, I found their response to be a little sluggish for my taste. Plus, the attachment pieces for it would be waaaayyyyy to big for me to fit it in the suitcase, so I opted to not buy one. Mostly for the sluggish response.

I DO like the idea of having a pedal to your left that operates something either in front of you or to your right A LOT, but I don't think it would be right for me. Is there a model out there that's more immediately responsive than the DW ones?

I play double bass and bought the Gibraltar Ulta-Adjust Hat Stand in an effort to get my hats closer so I'm not reaching so far because of the slave pedal. The more I play it, the more I hate it. I agree that cable pull vs. direct pull and waaaay to sluggish if you do a lot of hat work.

Thinking of selling it.....and looking for other options.

[MaDaBe]

Very nice set-up MaDaBe! Much like the one i`m thinking about converting to.
What made you go for the remote hat?

I've always kind of disliked playing cross-handed. And I recently decided to go with a no rack toms kit and it just made sense to put the hi hat right in front of me. I had no idea Bruford did this .

The DW remote hat has a fairly wide range of tension adjustments so you can make it sluggish if you want or just as responsive as a regular hi hat. I actually think the DW is better than my previous Tama hi hat stand.

Pearl makes one but it's about as much as the DW. Tama used to make one, Yamaha used to make one and they still might. The Pearl looks pretty cool and I kind of wished I had checked it out before getting the DW.

[Toby_Jackson]

I use the Yamaha remote hat - feel good to me. There's a sense that it may not be quite as responsive as my main, but the difference is slight, and does not affect performance in any way I can detect.

That being said, my remote hat is usually in closed position. It's a lifesaver over on that side of the kit.

[The Parasprinter]

I like 'em a lot. Being able to put your hats in the center and still reach the pedal is great for fast 16th notes where you need both hands on the hats. It's a tradeoff though; leading with the left makes you more ambidexterous on the kit and opens up things you couldn't play before. But if you've already got that down, definitely get the remotes.

[BillBachman]

Does anyone have problems with the cable breaking? If so does the cable generally break at the top or the bottom? What brand?

[Pavlos]

Hi!
I`ve been thinking lately that the only time i cross my arms when doing something is when i play my drums and that this is maybe not the ideal way of playing drums. Because of this i have been considering a remote hi-hat.

What are u guys thoughts on using a remote hi-hat as a main hi-hat? And what about placement?


All the best

I have one that I mess around with sometimes and use a main hat. Mostly for the same reason that I didn't like crossing my arms either. You can see it in one of my setups in the link in my signature. It's fun and promotes some different thinking in relation to setup, but I don't use it to gig out with. It ultimately ends up being more stuff to carry than just the hi hat stand and is kind of a hassle for quick setup.

[bonhamdrummer123]

I just play open handed with my right leading on the ride when I need it. The only problem I have is my stick control with my left on the snare when I'm on the ride...I don't know why since I use my left exclusively on the hats.....I guess that's why I am doing 4000 single strokes a night with my left hand

[ace76543]

In situations where multiple bands play in one night, moving a hi hat mic to the other side of the drum riser might be a problem, or just a pain in the butt for them.

That's their job, if they don't like it they can quit. You shouldn't not try something just because it might annoy a sound tech. Everything annoys sound techs

[cdawg]

i've been thinking of one of these bad boys, just to get the most "direct" feel:

[zambizzi]

I'm seriously considering this more and more lately. The only thing that's been holding me back is the "adaptability" aspect and my own anal-retentive need to stay "standard". By adaptability or standard, I mean the ability to play other peoples' kits as easily as my own. Most people play a "standard" setup w/ the hats in the position that forces you to cross your arms.

This argument is losing out however...since I never can seem to get the hats exactly where I want them and have the perfect spot between my 12" tom and ride. And...well...I rarely play anyone else's drums.

Maybe I'll get a second pair of hats and a remote system and play them both for a while...and the hats on the left will one day mysteriously disappear.

[Meat the beat]

I have a DW remote hat that I use on my practice kit, I have it between my ride usually lives & my floor tom. I use it to prac open handed , moving my ride to my left... I usually last about a week like this!!! :-D
As has been said, for serious gigs, I find it a little unresponsive (3m cable) and may well replace it with a Xhat instead.... good fun tho & great for kit pics!!!!

[Stewed]

I use a remote on the right for main hat. Have for a long time. Currently have the DW 9502 set-up. Sluggish? Not really. I think the cable *can* get dirty and introduce sluggishness, but this is easily avoided or remedied.

Never had a cable break.

[ZLeyba]

That's their job, if they don't like it they can quit. You shouldn't not try something just because it might annoy a sound tech. Everything annoys sound techs

quoted for great justice!!!!

and i've tried the x hat in various places on a kit, and i think frankly unless you're gonna use it as a secondary hat its not worth it, its really hard to get the hat close to the snare, and having two of the most vital parts of your kit apart like that makes the whole thing harder to play

just my two cents

[JENGLISH817]

Does anyone know why Tama quit making an remote hi-hat? With DW and Pearl still making them, I would think a company that prides itself in its hardware as much as its drums would want to keep a product like this going.

[Deathmetalconga]

Hi!
I`ve been thinking lately that the only time i cross my arms when doing something is when i play my drums and that this is maybe not the ideal way of playing drums. Because of this i have been considering a remote hi-hat.

What are u guys thoughts on using a remote hi-hat as a main hi-hat? And what about placement?


All the best

I have always played open handed, left hands on hats and ride, right hand on snare, hats and ride mounted a the 10 o'clock position. Playing open handed seems more natural and ergonomic to me.

I think it is a great idea to put your hihat to your right, near your ride cymbal, so you can enjoy the benefits of playing open. There are additional benefits to having your ride cymbal and hats close together.

[schist]

Yeah, I've been toying with this idea myself recently - moving my main hi-hat to the centre of my kit (above the two front rack toms) and having it remote pedal-operated, Bill Bruford/Danny Carey style. It just seems to make sense to me, not having to cross over (unless absolutely necessary) and being able to play certain parts easier as a result.

I say go for it.

[thelimpingtoad]

I have been playing with a remote on my right side for almost 10 years now. I will never go back to crossing over... I always hated the cross over.... Occassional stick clicks and the whole concept bugs me.
I got a used (from the 70's) cable-driven remote hat from a guy I knew (actually traded my standard hat stand for it :) ) ... it is slightly less responsive for the foot pedal but I've grown to adjust to it. The only real downside is the fact it is harder to do 16th note hat patterns but if you have a scond hi-hat on your left side it would be fine to use for those times.
This is a diagram of my current setup:

http://matthewroy.com/drumming/curSetupAccoustic7_09.jpg
(I also add electronic pads near the snare)

Currently I mount the hi-hat to the tom arm with this jury-rigged set-up using a cymbal boom arm attachment and a standard clamp. I'm hoping to get a decent clamp arm sometime this week because that isn't really too stable... (if anyone has any suggestions I'd for a good one i'd like to hear it, thanks)
The hi-hat slips sometimes and the mounting usually falls apart during tear-down or transport of the kit.

The point is that I HIGHLY recommend using a remote hat on the right side if you can fit it in, and especially if you can keep another hat (maybe with a drop-clutch) on the left.

It also might be worth mentioning that I've never had a problem with the cable breaking... it will need oiled on occasions but other than that it works great!

[thelimpingtoad]

I finally tried just mounting with my clamp to the base of a cymbal stand last night. It seems like i can get it in the right position thankfully. That's awesome because it gives me a stand-alone right side hat.
We're playing a gig at the end of next month at a charity thing and each band only gets 1 set so I'm going to be playing someone else's kit. I'm a little worried about having to get my hat in there.