Instrument

Hi-hat

Also called hi-hat cymbals.

Peaks up close: up to 125.3 dB SPL
Sources: 13 (8 independent)

Mics sources recommend

16 setups from 13 sources, 8 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.

On stage

Close

Shure KSM109 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Shure KSM137 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Shure KSM141 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Shure SM81 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
condenser, small diaphragm (type only)1 independent source
hi-hat mic (type not named)1 independent source
small-diaphragm condenser1 independent source

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 condenser
close, 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 snare²
Close hi-hat mic (type not named)
close
The only cymbals I consider worthy of miking for live reinforcement are the high-hat pair³
Close Shure KSM137 or Shure KSM141 or Shure KSM109 or Shure SM81
a few inches over the edge away from the drummer, aimed down
Aim microphone down towards the cymbals, a few inches over edge away from drummer⁴

Studio

Close

AKG C451 / Neumann KM 83 / KM 84 (earlier version of the AKG C451 B)1 independent source
DPA 2012 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
DPA 4011 (earlier version of the DPA 4011A) maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Royer R-series ribbon maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Shure Beta 87A / Lauten Torch / Neumann KM 84 / Audio-Technica PRO 371 independent source
Shure KSM137 / KSM141 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
Shure SM81 maker's advice2 sources, 1 independent
small-diaphragm condenser2 independent sources

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 choice⁵
Close DPA 2012
close
the 2012 Cardioid Microphone or the 4099 CORE+ Instrument Microphone would all be a great choice⁵
Close small-diaphragm condenser
close, 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" away⁶
Close Shure Beta 87A / Lauten Torch / Neumann KM 84 / Audio-Technica PRO 37
close, 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 83/84⁸
Close Royer R-series ribbon
close, 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 / KSM141
close, off-axis
Jim Riley uses KSM137 on hi-hat/ride; Simon Phillips KSM137/KSM141 off-axis (paraphrase)¹⁰
Close Shure SM81
close; 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 condenser
close, 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 sE7
close, 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 cymbal¹²

Studio and stage

Clip-on

DPA 4099 CORE+ maker's advice1 source, 0 independent

Close

Shure PGA98D (variant of the Shure PGA98H) maker's advice1 source, 0 independent

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-CLIP⁵
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 edge¹³

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 strike¹²

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.

Recording it

Where: 10–15 cm above the outside edge, on the side away from the snare, looking down
Watch: not at the side where the cymbals close: the air blast; under the cymbals the stick attack is lost
Mics: small-diaphragm cardioid condensers for the fast transients^17,5

Frequency areas

Clank: 200–300 Hz
Harshness: 3–7 kHz
Sizzle: 6 kHz and up^18,19

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

Sources

Berklee Online Take Note: Drum Mics, How to Place Microphones Around Your Kit for a Live ConcertKen 'Pooch' Van Druten · educational · online.berklee.edu
ProSoundWeb: Mic Methods: Two Sides Of The Same Coin (James Cadwallader, 2018)engineer · prosoundweb.com
ProSoundWeb: How To Ruin A Mix: Enough Already With The Cymbals (Michael Fay, 2023)engineer · prosoundweb.com
Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcementmanufacturer · 2007 · music.arts.uci.edu
DPA Mic University: How to mic hi-hat & cymbalsmanufacturer · dpamicrophones.com
MusicRadar: Mic up a drum kit for pro recordings - 13 ways to get it rightmagazine · musicradar.com
Recording Magazine: Drumming and Drummers and Mics - Oh My! (Paul Vnuk Jr. with David Blascoe)magazine · recordingmag.com
Recording Magazine: Recording the Drums (Joe Albano)magazine · recordingmag.com
Royer Labs: Introduction to Recording Drumsmanufacturer · royerlabs.com
Shure: Beyond the Basics, Drum Mikingmanufacturer · shure.com
Signature Sound (San Diego studio): Mic Positioning: Cymbals and Overheadsengineer · signaturesound.com
Violet Recording: How to Record Hi-Hats (editorial team, 2026)magazine · violetrecording.com
Shure: Recording Drums Part 1, Setting Up and Microphone Techniquemanufacturer · shure.com
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 Derbyeducational · adamjhill.com
Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)eclass-b.uoa.gr
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)Chiara Valderrama, Jorge P. Arenas, Jorge Cardenas · academic · 2025 · iiav.org
Sound On Sound: Recording DrumsHugh Robjohns · magazine · 2003 · soundonsound.com
Sonicbids: EQ Cheat Sheet, Mixing Frequencies for Every Instrumentmagazine · 2026 · sonicbids.com
iZotope: EQ Cheat SheetNick Messitte · magazine · 2023 · izotope.com