Meinl Generation X 8" Alien Hats

Group: Hi-Hats
Type: Alien Hats
Size: 8 Inch
Series: Generation X
Weight: Top: ?g / Bottom: ?g
Years of production: ?
Sound file: unknown
Meinl's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "Meinl’s Marco Minnemann Alien Hats are part of the company’s unique cymbal series called Generation X. Developed in cooperation with Marco (and also with Johnny Rabb), the cymbals feature what Meinl calls FX9 alloy technology. The metal seems lighter than that in most other cymbals, with a distinctive silvery-bronze color.

The Alien Hats are the coolest, most fun hi-hats I’ve ever played. They’re available in 8", 10",and 12" sizes; the most entertaining and versatile of these is the 12" model.

The bottom cymbal has four sets of double tambourine jingles. Of all the “jingle enhanced” hats I’ve tried, these hats produced more “tambourine” sound than any other—especially when played with the foot. (On their own, the hats themselves generate a thin but well defined “chick” when played with the foot.) Stick definition is super-clean, which makes intricate patterns come alive.

Just for fun I switched the top and bottom cymbals, which produced an even more pronounced “tambourine” effect. There are also many percussive possibilities when placing the bottom “tambourine” cymbal on top this way, such as playing the cymbals with your fingers and creating accents by striking the jingles.

The 8" and 10" models were generally similar in sound to the 12", but neither was asversatile. They seemed to have the same sizebell as the 12", which left them with muchless cymbal body to work with. Still, both produced a surprisingly well-defined “chick” when played with the foot. When played with sticks, the tone of the smaller models was thin and shallow, with a quick bite. This worked well for short accents and intricate sticking patterns. And when all three models are set up together, they work well in creating very cool-sounding patterns between them.

Each Alien Hat model comes packaged in a specially designed carton printed with helpful information on all the Alien Hats, along with a complete transcription of Marco Minnemann’s famous triple hi-hat groove. The 8" model is priced at $175, the 10" at $198, and the 12" at $225. With Marco being the extra-terrestrial drummer that he is, it’s no wonder he helped develop some of the most out-of-this-world-sounding hi-hats on the market."

Review written by Mike Haid ("Meinl Marco Minnemann Alien Hats - Quick Looks" Modern Drummer, December 2002, p.43)