Hello out there . I'm new to E drumming and 2Box as well ( two years). I could use help and opinions on best Hi Hat for 2boxdrumit 5 mk2. I've slogged through most of the setting up and tweaking and I have the system triggering great and sounding better the more play with the sound settings ( attack hold decay.ect). I use FSR pads for drums and Yamaha 3 zone cymbals. I DIY 'd a HiHat using a Roland variable controller with a 12" Lemon brand 2 zone cymbal. Thats the weakest link in the kit. It sounds fairly good but not as good as the Roland or other name brands on YouTube Demos. With everything else sounding and feeling so real Ive got to be sure I got the best Hi Hat. I am considering a Roland Vh 10.. Any advise ? Or should I try a better sound file from a VST.?
Thanks In the future I'll shoot for brevity.
Is how it sounds or how it plays that's the problem?
Hi Thanks for responding. I think its the playability. Im holding it to a pretty high standard . the edge of the Lemon is kinda thick so it sometimes triggers by the shaft of the stick. That i know falls under playability. It plays ever phase accurately just feels sluggish when i put it through its paces. Im trying for that last 10% improvment. If its possible.
Okay, lemon top cymbal, what controller are you using?
Hey Steve i'm using a Roland Vh 10 or 11 controller. I reset the raw value to 850 (recomended for Roland ) Recalibrated and it seems tighter. I also moved the cymbal so I'm not hitting the hot spot. It was drowning out the edge sound when rocking the stick bow/ edge style. So now I'm thinking its sounding and triggering very good. My problem is it feels like a tom hit not hard rigid like a HiHat. So that makes a ear/ hand latency sort of.. It sounds good tho .I think. So it boils down to the way it feels mainly .unless you think a Roland hihat cymbal would trigger better. I have no Idea. Welcome your opinion.
Thanks Steve
I have only tried a Lemon crash, and it was okay. I cannot comment on it as a hihat.
"Feels like a tom hit, not rigid like a hihat" do you meant how it actually physically feels? If that's the case, that a thing of rubber cymbals with a soft edge. You'll find that from most if not all Rubber hihats cymbals.
I would recommend a metal or low volume cymbal. Where are you based?
Hi Im located in Long Island NewYork. Yes a real feel type would solve it as long as it triggered as well . The Roland Controller has a metal base if thats relevant. I looked at Jobeky cymbals. Do they work well with 2box?
Yes they do. I just so happen to have a 13" top cymbal that I am not using. I'd only want £50 for it. I only don't use it as I am up to my ears in Yamaha/LV cymbals (just bought another set, because they were going really cheap and I cannot resist a bargain)
The pisser is the shipping.
Alternatively... depending on what kind of budget you might have, contact Extremedrums, I am sure he can knock you up a 13" low volume cymbal top. His stuff is very highly rated. He's USA bases, not sure where but no doubt the shipping will be way lower and without import taxes.
Yeah, Hold that thought. Id try that 13" except for the shipping ect. But it still may be worth it.. Ill check the cost. where are you? I looked up extremedrums There aren"t any cymbals on their site . I emailed them tho to double check. I have a unused 2box HiHat If I sell that I'll put $ towards the new one. Thanks for reminding me. Know anything about Pintech? they have low volume style too. Hi Hats are wired the same as 2 zone crash Right?
Thanks
Yeah the pintech LV cymbals are wired (I would assume) like a crash cymbal. i.e. A piezo with a membrane switch element on the edge, most likely underneath. The bending of the cymbal when hit creates the switch activation.
The Jobeky one I have, is from their Real Feel or Brass series. It's basically a cheap cymbal on the top, a second plate underneath with a neoprene layer between. When the edge is hit, it bends and touches the 2nd layer and creates the edge switch.
Extreme drums doesn't have cymbals on his site, but I am lead to believe that he does make them if you contact him directly. Don't know why he doesn't advertise them myself.
I am based in UK.
I did contact them they responded in the affrimative . Ill have further contact with them .Im guessing ill send the specs . and get a quote
Hi Still undecided on the hihat change over. Anyone know about the Yamaha hi hat? I read something about 3 zones? Does Drumit.2 work 3 zone with Yamaha hh pad Rh135? Thanks. Can't use Extreme drum HH too heavy for cable HiHat. Only 14" available. Too bad for me.
The Yamaha Hihat is 2 zone. But, the PCY135 is a 3 zone crash cymbal with a foot controller (eg Roland FD7) in certain circumstances will give you 3 zones of Edge, Bow and Bell.
You can get this with an edrumin, either the 4 channel one or the 10 channel one.
Also, I THINK the Yamaha has a 4 stage open-close per zone rather than a continuous curve. But, if this is true, I am not 100% if its to do with the module or the hihat controller. Perhaps someone can clarify. I am gonna do some digging on that and will confirm when I find that out for sure.
Unfortunately, 2box hihats are 2 zone operation and that's down to how the module bundles hihat voices into one sound.
As far as I know, Gewa and Efnote 5 (and above) are the only ones that have 3 zone hihats.
Stir crazy, I think you can send Marshall at Extremedrums .com a 13 inches volume cymbal as well as other companies like Saluda and he can trigger it for you and send it to you. I am sure he would be willing
Hey Stoked 2
Yes He will. but my problem is that i have to use a cable hi Hat due to space and it wont take a heavy cymbal. Plus i dont have a sacrificial cymbal . Are they that much better than Roland?. The triggering isnt really all that bad . Id like to find a better hi hat control. Ive been going crazy with this Roland controller only to figure out it only has 4 actual positions.Right? I thought it was gradual continual resistance . Thats been what Im trying to over come Cant be done . Right. ? It sounds a lot better now that I know what to expect. So a Hall senser type HH is more sensitive? I have a 2box HH I wonder if Extreme would gut that and rewire to a groovie cymbal. That sounds like progress. Or am I wrong again?
hi just retried my old 2box HH and it works the same as the Roland controller only 4 positions. Guess you already knew that at least I wont waste any more effort . But how come i cant trigger 2 zone sounds bow or edge. on either set up? never worked . Is it even possible? all i get is bow. edge triggers bow sound. Is there a setting I missed?
What hihat cymbal are you using?
If its the hihat with the speed light, that's a single zone hihat. As for positions, you should be getting way more than 4 levels of open/closed. I got a Roland FD6 and on a edrumin/pearl mimic you can see the gradual open to close. On the 2box, what might look 4 levels is actually more, I am assuming you're looking at the screen, which will approximate the transitions due to the limitation of the screen resolution, but you do get way more than that.
hi Welsh Steve. I just retested both HH setups . I got my 2boxHH 2.5 yrs ago. It has perf edge and i plugged it into tom1 and it triggers 2 zones. But when i try it as a HH only one zone . I lowered the Raw value by100 and raised the poff and now 5 distintive changes (gained one) not gradual but i take your word for it. It sounds good either controller. The Roland /Lemon HH Is the same as far as the controller I see and hear 5 positions . and I only get 2 zones when the sound is set like * * . Some sound files re-act differently But the best is 15 Groove . Thanks in advance for any Help. This really has been over 2 years but I was winging it in the dark. Maybe if i try a factory reset? or update the OS? Right now Im trying to decide which contoller is better for 2box .their hall sensor or the Roland reostate. I hear no differance. I'm considering having ExtremeDrums refit a cymbal with the 2box hall sensor. But only if it'll be noticably better than Roland type. Ps my old elisis pedal did nothing. dead end
Hibthere. Haven't been in until a while and saw your posts. I see Steve gave you some answers and also that you seem to have found your own solution or improvement anyway. Hopebitvis working ok for you
Hi I tried one more thing using the HHPOS If i go from off to full (30) I only hear 4 different sounds .It goes from 1-30 and every 7 or 8 clicks the sound changes. Im old but my hearing is still good. If thats all there is its ok as I said Over all the sound is pretty good. Im just trying to squeeze the most out of it.
Hi Stoked 2 . Im closing in on a solution .The unwanted sound when i come off the pedal is annoying but that may be mechanically related. Will know that once I reset onto a floor HH stand. see if that helps.this cable drive HH is sluggish (low end brand) and theres a lot of shifting between the HH Pad and controller. Thanks for checking in. Ive learned a lot in the past 2 weeks and its helped with tweaking the whole kit.
Hello again I have a question.. Thats driving me sideways. A while back I was trying to use the program dial in reverse. I hit more and program at the same time and now whenever I turn on the module kit # 75 comes up .No matter where i left off. Thanks in advance for help
hi all (I also live on long island new york) I'm using the older Yamaha PCY135 with the Drumit3 and both zones work well - gain set at 10. Using older Yamaha foot controller feels very real but the mid sounds have only a very narrow movement range. 2Box really needs to correct these hi hat issues it's the only real issue that holds it back from going against the big guys.