Direct drive hi hat stand

[Shawn76]

What's the difference in a direct drive hi hat stand compared to one that us chain driven?

[N2Bluz]

I've seen some that have a cam drive with a chain; just like a bass pedal. I assume "direct" drive is like most of them....where the pedal pulls down directly on the rod; even if it's attached to the rod with a piece of chain or a solid linkage?

[slinglander]

I had an old Ludwig HH with direct drive, but didn't realize it was unique.... It had a tough plastic linkage. It lasted a long time and didn't really feel any different from my current chain drive HH.

[Shawn76]

I picked a Gibraltar one up cheap today but haven't had time to use it,so I was wondering if it'd feel any different.
For under $30 I can't complain and it's super heavy duty.

[kay-gee]

Under $30? Wow!

all the best...

[BigFatDrummer]

It's all to do with how the pedal board connects to the rod.

This is a direct drive attachment method:



Whereas this is an example of a more traditional chain attachment (which could also be a strap):



Chain drive can get a little more complex with cam's such as the example below which start to give options that sit between direct and chain/drive feel:

[PineyplayParadiddles]

I've found that the simple chain attached to the rod method feels rather similar, if not the same as direct drive (like the DW MDD) but the cam thing makes the pedal feel more like a bass drum pedal. SO a DW 5000 hi hat feels a lot different to the floaty offset cam of a DW 9000. I think that MDD hi hat is more for people who have to have matching footplates, but it does offer the feel of both the 5000 and the 9000.

I've seen lots of vintage pedals that are direct drive. It's a robust system but is nowhere near as important as on bass drum pedals.

[SpazApproved]

I'll tell you I have the DW9000 Hi-hat with the cam and it is soooo smooth and it's fast to. The response is phenomenal. You need to try one and you'll feel the difference instantly. Now as far as a direct drive hi-hat I've never had the chance to try one in person so not sure.

[Ricardo]

I've owned both...............not a huge difference.
I'm currently using a nice Tama; the clutch is great.

[Shawn76]

Under $30? Wow!

all the best...

Yeah, it was a deal. I didn't realize what it was until I got it home. I just needed a new one since mine was junk.
I like the adjustable tension that it has. To me it feels a little better then a chain driven one. Might be the way it's made as far as the foot board goes. More comfortable to me then the others and doesn't take as much pressure for
Me to close them,which helps my back out.
I had to use the clutch from my old HH stand since this one was missing but it works.

[Powertrip240]

About 3 years ago, I bought a Vex hi hat stand online. It was a blind purchase, but one of the best I've made. it's a double leg stand with a double eccentric cam system. It's the smoothest, most responsive hh stand I've ever tried. and at the time, it was only 80 bucks brand new.

[SpazApproved]

wow only $80 that's an awesome deal for that cam'd hi-hat

[Powertrip240]

wow only $80 that's an awesome deal for that cam'd hi-hat

Yeah, it was. I really love it. It's a sleeper of a hat stand. Apparently the word got out a little bit though, now they're going for $150 on the same site.

It looks like the exact same design as the Griffin remote hh in the picture above posted by BigFatDrummer. Maybe Griffin bought them out....

[gdmoore28]

I think you guys are confusing things a bit, and it's largely due to the marketing language that companies use to ply their products.

- A direct drive HH pedal is any pedal in which the footboard is attached directly to the pull rod. It does not matter whether the connecting link is chain, strap, plastic, or metal. If the footboard is connected to the rod directly, it is a direct drive pedal. The direct drive nomenclature appeared back in the 1960s when several companies discarded the system that attached the footboard to a lever sticking out of the side of the bottom tube because these were renown for breaking off. (This system was, in fact, nothing more than an offset direct drive arrangement.)

- All others are intermediate drive designs. Ie, any mechanism that interrupts the direct connection of the footboard to the pull rod is an intermediate drive design. These include the Vex pedal pictured above, and the Griffin remote pedal in the first picture, along with the new Pearl HH stand that uses the Demon Drive interchangeable cams.

GeeDeeEmm

[drummerMD]

I checked my Falcon series Hi Hat stand and it's direct drive, I guess, the pedal is connected right to the shaft. Can't get any direct than that! I think the Mapex Falcon Hi Hat stand is one of the best out there!

[BigFatDrummer]

I think you guys are confusing things a bit, and it's largely due to the marketing language that companies use to ply their products.

- A direct drive HH pedal is any pedal in which the footboard is attached directly to the pull rod. It does not matter whether the connecting link is chain, strap, plastic, or metal. If the footboard is connected to the rod directly, it is a direct drive pedal. The direct drive nomenclature appeared back in the 1960s when several companies discarded the system that attached the footboard to a lever sticking out of the side of the bottom tube because these were renown for breaking off. (This system was, in fact, nothing more than an offset direct drive arrangement.)

- All others are intermediate drive designs. Ie, any mechanism that interrupts the direct connection of the footboard to the pull rod is an intermediate drive design. These include the Vex pedal pictured above, and the Griffin remote pedal in the first picture, along with the new Pearl HH stand that uses the Demon Drive interchangeable cams.

GeeDeeEmm

That's an interesting insight. I wonder if the terminology has developed since the 1960's as this is what seems to be the common terminology used nowadays that I'm more familiar with:

[SpazApproved]

That's an interesting insight. I wonder if the terminology has developed since the 1960's as this is what seems to be the common terminology used nowadays that I'm more familiar with:

yeah sounds like they've just improved technology since the 60's and made a more defined definitely now. Because this is what I've always known to be true. But I'm from 83 and didn't experience the 60's.

[kay-gee]

In drum pedals, the term "direct drive" refers to the link between the originator of the motion (foot board) and the object of the motion (beater) being a solid rigid piece as opposed to something flexible like a chain or strap.

It's a misnomer in reality. A true direct drive pedal would be the beater attached directly to the foot board. Wouldn't work very well. In mechanics, a wheel attached to the engines crank would be direct drive. An engine turning a transmission which in turn turns a chain or a shaft which turns a wheel is not.

all the best...

[late8]

I use a direct drive legless Gib hihat stand. It's the $99 version with the spring tension system rather than the more expensive fluid drive version. It's only used in really tight situations when there's no room for folded legs. The 'drive' mechanism is cheap and squeaks and rattles around when I'm doing 1/4 notes on the pedal. The legless hihat has been demoted to ekit duty.

[SpazApproved]

late8 that is a super slim hi-hat stand. Sorry to hear it's so noisy though

[gdmoore28]

That's an interesting insight. I wonder if the terminology has developed since the 1960's as this is what seems to be the common terminology used nowadays that I'm more familiar with:

As Kay-Gee pointed out, I was referring to hi hat terminology, not to pedal terminology. In the case of pedals, the "____drive" descriptors simply refer to how the pedal is connected to the beater drive.

GeeDeeEmm

[late8]

late8 that is a super slim hi-hat stand. Sorry to hear it's so noisy though

Not a huge fan of Gib footboards on the hihat stand or their bass drum pedals.