Metamyther’s Rattle Battle: Four Eurorack Hi-Hat Modules Enter, Only the Sharpest Survive

Archer’s Rig from Shakmat is compact but packs a punch, with a minimal knob count and plenty of button action. You get decay, filter, effects, and master tune—all accessible through a streamlined interface. The randomisation feature is a highlight, letting you dial in anything from subtle variations to full-on chaos. Preset storage means you can save your best accidents for later.

Clutch from WMD is the sample-based contender, offering two layers (A and B) you can blend and tweak. With banks of open and closed hi-hats, pitch, release, and filter controls, it’s a playground for those who like to sculpt their hats. Metalloid by Steady State Fate goes full analog, with three ring-modulated oscillators and a multi-mode filter—think gritty, inharmonic textures perfect for techno. Noise Plethora (plus Befaco’s Percall) is the wild card: a noise source with banks of sound profiles, filters, and endless tweakability. Each module brings its own flavour, from surgical precision to pure sonic mayhem.

What sets these modules apart isn’t just their sound, but their workflow. Archer’s Rig stands out with its killer randomiser—hold a button and you can scramble parameters to taste, then save your favourite results in one of 96 presets. It’s the kind of feature that turns happy accidents into repeatable weapons. Clutch, meanwhile, lets you blend layers and access eight banks of samples, with a feel mode that injects human groove by varying volume patterns. The B layer is fixed, but acts as a reliable fallback when you need it.

Metalloid keeps it old-school—no presets, just hands-on knob-twiddling and inharmonic madness. Its variant and material modes give you two distinct voices and plenty of filter action, but don’t expect to recall your favourite patch. Noise Plethora is all about options: 30 sound banks, multi-mode filters, and dual channels. The downside? No preset storage and some say the filters lack bite. Each module’s quirks will either drive you mad or make you fall in love—depends how much chaos you crave.

Metamyther doesn’t just twiddle knobs—he drops these modules into dense, industrial grooves to show how they cut through the mix. Archer’s Rig and Metalloid both excel at metallic, synthetic hats that punch through techno and industrial tracks. Clutch’s sample layering and feel mode make it a secret weapon for adding groove and variation, especially when you want your hats to sound less like a drum machine and more like a live percussionist having a good day.

Noise Plethora, especially when paired with Percall, is for the true weirdos—if you want hi-hats that sound like broken machinery or alien insects, this is your ticket. The video makes it clear: these modules aren’t just for polite, polite hats. They’re for carving out space in a crowded mix and making sure your percussion stands out, no matter how much distortion you throw at it.