Removing Top Hat From a Sampled Kick

[Oviedesia]

Hi guys, i just sampled a couple of good Kickdrums and they have a hi hat right on top of 'em, i've heard that you can actually remove this hat sound, how exactly can i do this?

[Kriminal]

EQ

wont be perfect but might be usable.

[Xenobt]

Hey Oviedesia,

Try a "notch" filter, if your DAW offers one. If not, make the "Q" of your existing parametric EQ as thin as possible and use maximum negative gain settings, then sweep the frequency range as the sample repeats.

You'll hear most of the offending freq disappear. You may need two or three in a chain, since notch filters are usually much deeper in their cuts (24db or more per octave) and most eqs don't have that kind of range.

There are also programs like iZotopes RX 2 that let you visually "lasso" things in your audio and remove them. It's not terribly cheap, but the results are AMAZING!

Check it out here:

http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/rx/

The Bob Bronow clip in the middle of the page shows just how much this UBER cool toy will do!

Good luck!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

[Tricky-Loops]

A notch filter could help, but a lowpass filter (with 24 db cut or more) could work, too.

I recommend to use a chain of some filters (or eq) to achieve the best result.

[synthgeek]

I'd use a low-pass filter with envelope modulation, starting more or less "wide open", and sweeping down quickly, so you can keep at least some of the high frequencies during the initial attack. A graphical envelope might be best (maybe host automation if you have nothing else that will do it), so you can control the slope precisely. An AD envelope might also work, especially if it has an adjustable slope (plain old linear probably won't work as well). You could combine this with EQ if needed.

I've used this method a few times, seems to be about the best way I've found to get rid of the hihat without also turning the kick into a dull "thud" with no excitement in the attack.

[Xenobt]

A low pass filter is a good solution if you don't need the "click" or "air" as much.

But I find that the notch filter leaves more of the original signal around the problem freq and isn't as destructive to the rest of the audio. And I sometimes use them in octaves to remove even more.

If most of the hat is centered at 3k, notches at 1500k, 6k, and 12K will suck out the overtones that bleed into other areas.

And one last note about RX 2, there is a downloadable demo, so maybe get all your kick ducks in a row and clean them all up during the demo period. Hard to beat free!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

[manducator]

You could try to isolate the hihat in a multiband compressor and use the compressor like a de-esser. The ducking of the particular band can sound more natural than cutting out the whole frequency range.

Or you could try to get the hihat in solo from the same recording and put it on a separate track and phase invert it with the kick.

[synthgeek]

A low pass filter is a good solution if you don't need the "click" or "air" as much.

That's why I mentioned the envelope thing. Worth trying both ways though.

[Xenobt]

You could try to isolate the hihat in a multiband compressor and use the compressor like a de-esser. The ducking of the particular band can sound more natural than cutting out the whole frequency range.

Or you could try to get the hihat in solo from the same recording and put it on a separate track and phase invert it with the kick.

Both good solutions, mandu. I hadn't thought of the phase cancel option! But unless the hat is a sampled one at the same velocity and volume, it may not cancel well.

In that case, you'd want to copy the track, then HIGH pass the kick til nothing was left but the hat on the copy, then add another high pass set to do nothing on the original to keep phase aligned, then flip the phase (the O with a slash thru it symbol) on the high pass track. Should work!

And yeah, you wouldn't even need a multi-band compressor, you could use a regular compressor with a side chain to the hat freq to quickly duck it, much like what synthgeek suggests. Or just try a de-esser!

LOVE that there are so many ways to go at it, I learn (and remember what I already knew) a LOT here!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

[VibraSound]

Phase invert a highpass copy is the best way to do it.

But I suggest you take a pure kick (no hat) so you can skip this process.

[maclean]

Unless theres something super unique about the kick, I would simply lowpass it to take away the high hat, and take another simillar kick sample, highpass it, and layer it ontop.

But there is no way to 100% perfectly remove the highhat.

[Oviedesia]

Wow so many different approaches! Thanks a lot guys, i'm pretty sure i'll try 'em!

[highkoo]

A Dynamic EQ could maybe do this well too if it were really really fast. Would be especially handy on a loop.
http://www.meldaproduction.com/mautoequalizer/

[olepro]

If you sampled the kick from a loop you maybe can find the hihat alone in there, cut it out phase invert it and put it ontop of the kick-hat to cansel out.