Zildjian ZXT Titanium Hi Hat...I know but I bought them anyway.

Okay--so I screwed up. I bought these 14" Zildjian ZXT Titanium plated hi hats and like many of you know, they sound damn crappy. They are very bell-like and closed hits are too bright and glassy yet don't cut through the mix unless you're hitting it for god and country. Open position yields a bright glassy melee that will wash out your snare mic easily. Brushwork sounds decent and very bright but I play in a hard rock band so brushes aren't always an option. Stickwork, however, is almost always unpleasant. I use nylon-tipped sticks. Would wood-tip be the better choice for taking some of the brightness out of this set of hats? I don't always use the tip of the stick, of course, but maybe it would help a little? They sound lame live and even worse when recorded. I need either a good suggestion or a new set of hats.

Oh, and yes, these hi hats look cool but looks don't rock the crowd and looks definitely won't get you booked for this saturday.

pop them on craigs list. if you want cheap, and good, go gor dream, or wuhan.

I've got a smorgasbord of cymbals..Zildjian A-Customs, Paiste Heavy Dry Ride, some Wuhan chinas and some Paiste chinas and a Paiste splash.

I also have the Titanium hi-hats....which I like a lot. I like them because they are bright....and cut like a razor. I play fast and use a cranked down piccolo snare and they fit in the mix. The combo of A-Customs (a little dark) with the heavy dry ride and the bright hi-hats.....works for me. Go figure.

To each his own....hope you find something you like.

did you buy them online or something? why would you buy them if they sounded so {censored}ty

I bought a full set of ZXT Titaniums when I first started playing, and the only ones I still use are the hats. I love their sound.

I played them with brushes in the music store and really liked the sound. They work great as a set of jazz hats which is what I bought them for. Since then, we have been concentrating on a different genra of music (hard rock) and the hi hats are inappropriate for this style (IMHO). I was wondering if there is a way to mute the higher frequencies of the sound.

So typical to see people saying they like the sound of the cymbal...and hate it.... it the same thread. It just goes to show you that this sort of thing is always VERY subjective.

As for the sticks, it will make a difference. The nylon tip will usually produce a harsher, shorter attack sound than a wood tip stick. I personally do not like wood tip sticks because I can hear the sound change as I rotate the stick (ie sounds different when the stick is hitting parallel to the wood grain vs. perpendicular to the wood grain).

So typical to see people saying they like the sound of the cymbal...and hate it.... it the same thread. It just goes to show you that this sort of thing is always VERY subjective. As for the sticks, it will make a difference. The nylon tip will usually produce a harsher, shorter attack sound than a wood tip stick. I personally do not like wood tip sticks because I can hear the sound change as I rotate the stick (ie sounds different when the stick is hitting parallel to the wood grain vs. perpendicular to the wood grain).

+1, True story!!