Hi-hats and chicken wings...

Hi guys, I don't have much time as I write today but I'm going to share two simple recipes which I'm sure you'll enjoy. If you don't make music or don't cook, look away now.

Recipe 1: Hi-Hats.

I love the sound of hi-hats from famous Roland analog drum machines such as the TR-606 and the legendary TR-808. Contrary to popular belief, these sounds are not that hard to recreate. It may be hard to duplicate every nuance of Roland's circuits but it's not hard to make something for yourself which is more individual than using straight samples of these machines.

To make this type of sound you need just two simple ingredients: Square waves, Hi Pass filter or Low Shelf EQ.

Mix a number of square waves (six is a good number) each with a frequency not harmonically related to the other. I prefer to use frequencies in the higher end of the audible range. Once combined, play around with the frequencies a little. The resulting spectrum should sound noisy and by adjusting the frequencies to taste, you should start to hear that inharmonic, metallic sound that we associate with bells and cymbals. Use your filter or EQ to remove the lower frequencies and you should now have something resembling a Roland Hi-Hat.

Yes, it really is that simple. You will find several articles online which will take you through far more complex and convoluted steps but my method will get you there in a fraction of the time and give results that are close enough for people who want to spend more time making music than making sounds.

The above recipe is easily achieved if you have a well spec'ed analog modular system, a Clavia Nord Modular or Native Instruments Reaktor. What do you do if you have none of these things? Most audio editing software and most DAWs can generate square waves, so simply generate a bunch, mix them together and see what happens. Alternatively, use a square wave from an analog synth and use a series of pitch shifting plugins to generate the other waves.

Here are some hi hats I made using a square wave from an SH-101 and several pitch shifting plugins in Pro Tools. I also programmed a pattern using Native Instruments Maschine to give you an idea of how they sound in use.

Hi Hats (Right click and Save Download as) Hi Hat Pattern (Right click and Save Download as)

Next: DC reveals the secret of the perfect chicken wing

Recipe 2: Buffalo Wings

If you live in Dublin, you'll probably know that the Buffalo wings at The Elephant and Castle in Temple Bar are pretty good. In fact, you may have waited a long time for a table just to have some. Did you know how easy it is to make really, really good Buffalo wings at home?

They key here is the sauce. I always imagined that it must be really complicated to make a good sauce for Buffalo wings, I've sat eating wings at The Elephant and Castle and tried to deconstruct the sauce in my head but always felt that it must take years to unlock the secret.

The truth is that, just like Roland hi-hats, all it it takes are two ingredients.

1. Frank's Red Hot sauce
   
2. Melted butter.

That's it!

Preparation is made even easier by the fact that you simply mix the two ingredients 50/50. Frank's Red Hot is now stocked in many Irish supermarkets.

Instructions: Fry a small batch of chicken wings in hot oil for 11 minutes and ensure that skin is as crispy as possible. Alternatively, mix wings in a bowl with a little olive oil until coated and bake at 220 degrees for up to an hour or, again, until skin is as crisp as possible. I usually do them in the oven as you can make a large amount at once and then start eating.

I can't overstate the importance of crispy skin on your wings. There are few things worse than wings with slimy, soft skin.

Melt a good amount butter in a saucepan add Frank's Red Hot and stir until you have a rich reddish-orange coloured sauce. You can adjust the mix to taste but 50/50 butter and hot sauce is a good guideline.

Place your cooked wings in a bowl and pour your completed sauce over them, stir with a wooden spoon to ensure wings are evenly coated. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dip.

Use the comment box to let me know how you get on. As always, you can say hi and keep up to date at http://twitter.com/looklong