Hi-Hat
A simple Hi-Hat that’s easy to build off.
Tune the VCF frequency to C9. Experiment with different filter modes: BP2, BP4, HP4, LP4, LP2.
MIDI pitch CV controls decay time. Low pitch CV plays closed hats. High pitch CV plays open hats.
Use a metallic noise alt noise. There are 3 alt cymbal noises. 1: a high pitched hum. 2: a chopping/whirring noise 3: a lower metallic hum. Try them all. 3 is the best, but 1 is good too.
1: MIDI pitch to ENV-B shape. Turn the shape slider up.
2: Patch ENV-B to VCA-B in, then VCA-B VCA out to VCA-A CV in.
3: MIDI velocity to VCA-B CV in.
4: Turn up the noise in the mixer. Switch noise to alt, and select one of the cymbal noise sources. To select different noise flavours, hold down the red manual gate button and click the buttons in the MIDI/CV section.
5: Set the filter to bandpass 2 or 4 with a frequency around 10,000 Hz.
6: Raise Q a little. Raising filter resonance accentuates the high frequencies. Don’t raise it too high, or it’ll screech. Find a nice balance.
Further Reading
See the manual linked on this page, there’s a lot of good information here.
Designing a TR-606 style hi-hat from scratch (Youtube)
Moritz Klein, the designer of the Erica Synths EDU DIY Hi-hat describes how the module works.
Analysing Metallic Percussion (SOS)
Explores the challenges of synthesizing metallic percussion instruments like cymbals, hi-hats, tam-tams, and gongs.
Synthesizing Realistic Cymbals (SOS)
Synthesizing cymbals using FM synthesis and the Nord Modular.
Practical Cymbal Synthesis (SOS)
How to synthesize the cymbals from the 808 and 909.
This article is mostly about bells, but the epilogue at the bottom has a brief description of the 808 hi-hats.