Hi guys, I don't have much time as I write today but I'm going to share two simple recipes which I'm sure you'll enjoy. If you don't make music or don't cook, look away now.

Recipe 1: Hi-Hats.

I love the sound of hi-hats from famous Roland analog drum machines such as the TR-606 and the legendary TR-808. Contrary to popular belief, these sounds are not that hard to recreate. It may be hard to duplicate every nuance of Roland's circuits but it's not hard to make something for yourself which is more individual than using straight samples of these machines.

To make this type of sound you need just two simple ingredients: Square waves, Hi Pass filter or Low Shelf EQ.

Mix a number of square waves (six is a good number) each with a frequency not harmonically related to the other. I prefer to use frequencies in the higher end of the audible range. Once combined, play around with the frequencies a little. The resulting spectrum should sound noisy and by adjusting the frequencies to taste, you should start to hear that inharmonic, metallic sound that we associate with bells and cymbals. Use your filter or EQ to remove the lower frequencies and you should now have something resembling a Roland Hi-Hat.

Yes, it really is that simple. You will find several articles online which will take you through far more complex and convoluted steps but my method will get you there in a fraction of the time and give results that are close enough for people who want to spend more time making music than making sounds.

The above recipe is easily achieved if you have a well spec'ed analog modular system, a Clavia Nord Modular or Native Instruments Reaktor. What do you do if you have none of these things? Most audio editing software and most DAWs can generate square waves, so simply generate a bunch, mix them together and see what happens. Alternatively, use a square wave from an analog synth and use a series of pitch shifting plugins to generate the other waves.

Here are some hi hats I made using a square wave from an SH-101 and several pitch shifting plugins in Pro Tools. I also programmed a pattern using Native Instruments Maschine to give you an idea of how they sound in use.

Hi Hats (Right click and Save Download as) Hi Hat Pattern (Right click and Save Download as)

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