Hi hats and air lock, no luck.

Mad About Drums: Thank you so much for the pictures !

They solved a long time mystery for me. I have had this cymbal for years and I always wondered why there were half holes around the edges.

Now I know. It was a bottom hi hat !!





Thanks.

,

Hollywood Jim said:

Did your big powerful left foot smash those poor little cymbals into flat hunks of metal?

.

Click to expand...

Yes.

Yes they did.



My favorite mod is the pic in your post Jim.

That looks like it would really work.

Methinks I have a date with Mr. Tinsnips.

Starship Krupa said:

As for the physics of it, I suspect that what it happening when hi hats airlock is that first, the trapped air cushions the clash so that it is weaker, and then the two cymbals choke each other by stopping the ringing all around the edge. That's why just having holes in the cymbal doesn't cure it completely. Just my theory.

Click to expand...

Your whole post is great but this is the crux of the biscuit AFAIC.

Kinda missed this earlier, so whoops. I'm understanding now. The footsplash really drove the point home for me. There's a really small, perfectly even cushion of air developing between the cymbals, right at the edge, at the point of contact. It would seem like just one, or at the most 2, semi circles cut into an edge would disrupt that. I'll start with one. Not right now, but I think I'll try it, what's the worst that can happen right? I'd do it with a RotoZip Dremel type tool with a cutting wheel and go slow so it doesn't heat up. Maybe use some cutting oil too. Unless someone has a better way. I don't want to heat up the metal.

Hollywood Jim said:

Mad About Drums: Thank you so much for the pictures !

Click to expand...

You're most welcome Jim





PS: May I point out that the Zildjian Quick Beat not only has 4 holes on the bottom cymbal but also no bell to reduce harmonics... it was designed at the time for recording studio

Hey Larry !

I thought you were an Electrician. I happen to be an Electrician too.

I have a Greenlee hole punch set sort of like this:




I would use this conduit hole punch to make the half round holes.



.

larryace said:

Your whole post is great but this is the crux of the biscuit AFAIC.

Kinda missed this earlier, so whoops. I'm understanding now. The footsplash really drove the point home for me. There's a really small, perfectly even cushion of air developing between the cymbals, right at the edge, at the point of contact. It would seem like just one, or at the most 2, semi circles cut into an edge would disrupt that. I'll start with one. Not right now, but I think I'll try it, what's the worst that can happen right? I'd do it with a RotoZip Dremel type tool with a cutting wheel and go slow so it doesn't heat up. Maybe use some cutting oil too. Unless someone has a better way. I don't want to heat up the metal.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I was wondering whether you had noticed that part. It was kind of wordy for a web forum.

Try what I suggested about the neoprene clutch washers and hi-hat seat before you start taking chunks out of your cymbal, though. Your felts have been on there a loooong time.

This is what I'm referring to:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/hi-hat-clutches/gibraltar-rubber-hi-hat-clutch-pads

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-percussion/gibraltar-rubber-hi-hat-seat

Tilting the bottom cymbal helps with the air lock on the way down. That is, the build up of air pressure prevents the cymbals from slamming together. I had posted a question about the Edwin Starr song War and Jon pointed out how you can really hear the air shoot out as the cymbals were slammed together.

Tilting the bottom cymbal doesn't keep them from being parallel when you close them however. Although it usually misaligns them enough that there's some leakage. And the gradual closing limits the sudden trapping of air.

I have had the hats stick together although they come back up, it's just slow. This can happen with thin cymbals set flat and that line up really well. If you really press down, the top cymbal (usually thinner) compresses and really sets up a low pressure inside. Kind of like pressing down on the lid of a Tupperware and burping it.

I've not experimented with drilling holes in a hat to make it like a Quick Beat. I've played those and they really have a quick, sharp chick.

I wouldn't use the Greenlee punches though. I drilled an old kind of ugly A to make an Ozone like thing. Used a bi-metal hole saw. You still have to use plenty of cutting oil and go slow or you'll affect the temper of the cymbal. Then I deburred the edges with some diamond burrs I have. Hasn't cracked yet.

Remember that the quick beats bottom cymbal is nearly flat, thus creating a smaller air pocket then a set of regular hats.

I have another set of k master sounds . They have a wavy bottom and takes care of the problem as well.