Advice on hi-hat upgrade

[gdunlop]

Hi,

I have an eDRUMin 10 bought end of 2020 so assume it is Rev 1. Use it exclusively with SD3 and a mixture of Jobeky, Yamaha and Roland pads and it works great.

My Yamaha RHH-135 hi-hat is the weak link - it only outputs 4 levels of openness and the rubber pad surface is badly split

I am mainly looking at VH-10 or, for a bit more, a used VH-13. Which one will get the best performance with my eDRUMin 10 and latest version of SD3? I'm interested in playability so any comments on that appreciated too.

Thanks!

[Dadwrshpdrum]

I had a VH10 and now I have a VH13. I think the VH13 plays better, and it is more than just because it has a bottom hat. That really does help though. What is funny is that the VH13 plunger and top hat look very similar to a VH10z. However, they do play differently. VH13 is slightly better. With the eDRUMin I think a nice used VH12 would essentially be equal to a VH13.

[jacko]

a minority of drummers, including me, prefer to use a static cymbal and separate pedal.

in my case, a 3-zone lemon 15" (previously Roland cy5) and a Roland fd9 which is a set up I'm very happy with.

it's not for everyone but worth considering it you're considering options - playability is excellent.

[monospace]

I’ve played a VH-11 and later, a VH-10, for more than a decade. They’re fantastic trigger systems and I highly recommend them. Connected to an eDrumIn and SD3, they play like a dream. I wouldn’t bother with the VH-13, it’s still a 12” trigger but it costs a lot more. You can achieve the same levels of openness including “tight” with the VH-10.

That said, a few months ago, I sold my VH-10 and started using a Drone optical trigger, mainly because it allows me to use a bigger cymbal pad. I’m currently using a CY-13 with it, which just feels more natural to me. For stability, I had to craft my own “bottom” cymbal — just a plastic disk that eliminates the wobbling when the pedal is closed. It’s also a bit sensitive to environmental light, so I had to build a protective casing around the sensor as well. To me, the bigger playing surface and the full range of openness are worth those minor inconveniences.

[brave_kilby]

I use Jobeky 14" Low Volume hihats (metal), which come with VH-11 pedal module. Before that, I had drum-tec branded clone (might be same as goedrum, they all look the same). I've had no problems with either, but the VH11 feels much nicer and has metal parts instead of full plastic.

[MWJT42]

I've just 'upgraded' from a 14 DIY dual metal w/ Goedrum GHC to a Lemon 13 with their 'VH11' controller - its fantastic.

The Lemon needed some modification, the spin stopper needed a 12mm hole bored through it to slip over a HH clutch (no idea why it ships with a 10mm bore) and I used a large washer on top to minimise some of the wobble and a fat felt on the bottom to stop any clunking. It's my favourite HH solution I've owned. The controller is way better than the Goedrum, I can calibrate much easier - all splashes, chicks, and all 5 articulations dialled in with little effort.

[gdunlop]

Thanks for the replies - lots of great advice and tips.

I was about to press the button on a nearly new VH-13 but put off by the noise it makes - that would drive me mad as I prefer to play through an amp rather than isolated headphones.

So… for quite a bit less I’ve ordered the 13 inch Lemon cymbal with hihat controller and an 18 inch ride.

Regards
Graham

[MWJT42]

I love my new Lemon setup.

HH controller is ace, but the clutch/spin stopper seems to need modifying to sit right. I used one of these to bore a 12mm hole:

16391551268928352066496646708642.jpg (1.24 MiB) Viewed 1681 times

Careful, as it gets crazy hot and stops cutting as the metal melts on to it! I had to stop a couple of times to let it cool and pick it clean.

I also added a HH washer on top to dampen the wobble:

1639155281387192675533417213572.jpg (1.6 MiB) Viewed 1681 times

[gdunlop]

Quick update…

Lemon HH controller seems okay - set it up using VH-10 preset with some adjustments to splash sensitivity.

The 13 inch Lemon cymbal may work as a hihat with some modifications as above, but it’s not for me. I’ve gone with a Yamaha PCY-135 instead and the clutch from my old RHH-135 - it has a built-in rotation stopper and is nice and solid. The Yamaha cymbal is 3-zone so I can also use all the articulations in SD3.

The 18 inch Lemon ride i got at the same time is excellent. Really good triggering, nice feel and positional sensing seemed to work great out of the box.