Are you bored with your hi-hats? Here’s a quick tip to make them a bit more “fancy”. I remember noticing this technique listening to Kraftwerk’s epic song Trans-Europe Express. Simply send your hi-hats to their own Channel, add a flanger and set it’s wet/dry knob to at least 70% wet. Play with your flanger’s settings to control how much movement takes place.

I wouldn’t use this method on every song but it adds some nice spice once and a while. Remember you don’t have to have your hats flanging through out the entire song. Often I will only put my “flange hats” during a drums break or to add tension to only the last verse. Here’s some examples on how it can sound:

Download audio file (Flanging_HiHats-1.mp3)

Download audio file (Flanging_HiHats-2.mp3)

Download audio file (Flanging_HiHats-3.mp3)

Are there any songs you know of off hand that use this technique? Do you have a favorite flange plug-in or hardware box?