Hi-hat
- Peaks up close
- up to 125.3 dB SPL
- Sources
- 138 independent: not from a mic maker
Frequency bands
| chick / clang | 300 Hz – 1 kHz | pedal chick peaks near 320 Hz; low modes at the cymbal edge |
|---|---|---|
| body | 1 kHz – 4 kHz | open hi-hat peaks here |
| sizzle | 4 kHz – 16 kHz | falls to about -27 dB at 16 kHz |
Own analysis: 1/3-octave band levels of the first second after the hit (dB re loudest band), plus a 12 ms attack window and spectral peak picking. A band is listed where the level stays within about 10-15 dB of the loudest band (weaker bands are given with their level). "tone" = clear spectral peaks; "noise" = dense or broadband energy. Measured from: Virtuosity Drums mid_hh_closed/open/pedal_vl3_rr1.
Sounds it makes
| Closed | short tick, mostly above 1 kHz |
|---|---|
| Open | long wash, 400 Hz-12 kHz within 10 dB |
| Foot (chick) | dull click, peak near 320 Hz |
| Half-open | sizzling, rattling |
The sound
Two small cymbals: when closed they choke each other, leaving a short tick; open, they ring like a small crash.
Frequency areas
How loud
Sound pressure level measurements as published. Different kinds of figure (a playing level, a peak, a dose at the player's ear) can't be compared with each other, and neither can figures at different distances.
| Playing level | |
|---|---|
| 68–94 dB | near the player's left ear; UK Sound Advice table, row 'Percussion (high-hat near left ear)' secondary15 |
| Peaks | |
| 125.3 dB(Z) | at the entrance of the drummer's ear canal; Open hi-hat of a DW Performance Series kit struck individually with wooden sticks at moderate force by two drummers, live room of a recording studio (Valderrama et al. 2025, Table 2)16 |
| 119.1 dB(C) | at the entrance of the drummer's ear canal; Open hi-hat, same single-hit test16 |
| 125 dB | near the player's left ear; UK Sound Advice table, row 'Percussion (high-hat near left ear)' secondary15 |
Recording it
Mics
- 16 setups from 13 sources, 8 of them independent of any mic maker.
- On top: the mics more than one source names for this instrument, in any role, the most named first. That is a count of sources, not our verdict.
- In the full list, each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those come from a mic maker.
- Shure SM81 3 sources, 2 from mic makersClose
- Shure KSM137 2 sources, all from mic makersClose
All the mics sources name, by setting and role (11)
On stage
Close
- Shure KSM1091 source from its own maker
- Shure KSM1371 source from its own maker
- Shure KSM1411 source from its own maker
- Shure SM811 source from its own maker
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close condenser, small diaphragm (type only)close, live; its low-frequency roll-off suits a hi-hat, which has little below 200 Hz
A small diaphragm condenser would be a great choice for a hi-hat microphone because of its inherent low frequency roll off.
1 - Close small-diaphragm condenserclose, turned nearly horizontal above the hi-hat, aimed away from the snare
turning a small diaphragm cardioid condenser nearly horizontal above the hi-hat ... pointing it away from the snare
2 - Close hi-hat mic (type not named)close
The only cymbals I consider worthy of miking for live reinforcement are the high-hat pair
3 - Close Shure KSM137 or Shure KSM141 or Shure KSM109 or Shure SM81a few inches over the edge away from the drummer, aimed down
Aim microphone down towards the cymbals, a few inches over edge away from drummer
4
Studio
Close
- AKG C451 / Neumann KM 83 / KM 84 (earlier version of the AKG C451 B)1 source
- DPA 20121 source from its own maker
- DPA 4011 (earlier version of the DPA 4011A)1 source from its own maker
- Royer R-series ribbon1 source from its own maker
- Shure Beta 87A / Lauten Torch / Neumann KM 84 / Audio-Technica PRO 371 source
- Shure KSM137 / KSM1411 source from its own maker
- Shure SM812 sources, 1 from its own maker
The 10 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close DPA 4011 (earlier version of the DPA 4011A)close, 5-10 cm above top cymbal
a good condenser microphone like the 4011 Cardioid Microphone ... would all be a great choice
5 - Close DPA 2012close
the 2012 Cardioid Microphone or the 4099 CORE+ Instrument Microphone would all be a great choice
5 - Close small-diaphragm condenserclose, from above, 2-3 in away, sometimes pointing away from the kit
hi-hats should be miked using a small condenser mic placed 2"-3" away
6 - Close Shure Beta 87A / Lauten Torch / Neumann KM 84 / Audio-Technica PRO 37close, special attention to placement and angle
For hats and rides it is again almost always a small-diaphragm condenser, giving special attention to placement and angle.
7 - Close AKG C451 / Neumann KM 83 / KM 84 (earlier version of the AKG C451 B)close, isolated from the adjacent snare and tom
a directional small-diaphragm condenser is the usual choice ... Some popular models are the AKG 450 series, the Neumann KM 83/84
8 - Close Royer R-series ribbonclose, 45 deg, clear of sticks
R-series mics are wonderful on hi-hat and can handle all the hi-freq eq boost.
9 - Close Shure KSM137 / KSM141close, off-axis
Jim Riley uses KSM137 on hi-hat/ride; Simon Phillips KSM137/KSM141 off-axis (paraphrase)
10 - Close Shure SM81close; rarely used in final mix
Paul Wertico: SM81 on hi-hat, rarely used in final mix since the overheads suffice (paraphrase)
10 - Close small-diaphragm condenserclose, over the side of the cymbal about 1-2 in above, away from other drums
mic up the most important cymbals - usually the high hat and the ride; If possible, use small diaphragm condensers.
11 - Close Shure SM81 / AKG C451 / sE Electronics sE7close, 10-15 cm above the outer edge of the top cymbal, null toward the snare
position the mic about 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) above the outer edge of the top hi-hat cymbal
12
Studio and stage
Clip-on
- DPA 4099 CORE+1 source from its own maker
Close
- Shure PGA98D (variant of the Shure PGA98H)1 source from its own maker
The 2 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on DPA 4099 CORE+close, mounted under hi-hat with U-CLIP
The 4099 CORE+ can be mounted underneath the hi-hat using the universal U-CLIP
5 - Close Shure PGA98D (variant of the Shure PGA98H)close, 10-15 cm, pointing at edge
Pencil condenser mic roughly 10-15 cm away and pointing directly down at the edge
13
Advised against
- Close microphone (type not named)close, under the centre / close to the hi-hat stand
sound technicians should avoid placing microphones too close to the hi-hat stand.
14 - Close microphone (type not named)close, facing where air escapes from the closing hats, or too close
get too close to the cymbals and they will take on a gong-like quality; avoid facing the point where the air escapes (paraphrase)
6 - Close microphone (type not named)close, aimed at the edge where the sticks strike, or over the bell
do not aim straight at the very edge where the sticks strike
12
Sources
- Berklee Online Take Note: Drum Mics, How to Place Microphones Around Your Kit for a Live Concert
- ProSoundWeb: Mic Methods: Two Sides Of The Same Coin (James Cadwallader, 2018)
- ProSoundWeb: How To Ruin A Mix: Enough Already With The Cymbals (Michael Fay, 2023)
- Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement
- DPA Mic University: How to mic hi-hat & cymbals
- MusicRadar: Mic up a drum kit for pro recordings - 13 ways to get it right
- Recording Magazine: Drumming and Drummers and Mics - Oh My! (Paul Vnuk Jr. with David Blascoe)
- Recording Magazine: Recording the Drums (Joe Albano)
- Royer Labs: Introduction to Recording Drums
- Shure: Beyond the Basics, Drum Miking
- Signature Sound (San Diego studio): Mic Positioning: Cymbals and Overheads
- Violet Recording: How to Record Hi-Hats (editorial team, 2026)
- Shure: Recording Drums Part 1, Setting Up and Microphone Technique
- Harrison, J.J. & Hill, A.J. (2013) A scientific approach to microphone placement for cymbals in live sound, Proc. Institute of Acoustics 35(2), University of Derby
- Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)
- International Journal of Acoustics and Vibration: Valderrama, Arenas, Cardenas, Noise Exposure During Regular Practice Sessions of Drummers and Their Risk for Hearing Loss (vol 30 no 4, pp 423-431)
- Sound On Sound: Recording Drums
- Sonicbids: EQ Cheat Sheet, Mixing Frequencies for Every Instrument
- iZotope: EQ Cheat Sheet