Hi-hat programming is one of those production tasks that can take much longer than expected, especially when you’re trying to add rhythmic movement without making the percussion unnecessarily complicated. You might have a perfectly good kick and snare pattern, a bassline that’s doing its job, and most of the main musical ideas already established, but the hi-hats still need some attention. Getting the timing, accents, and additional rhythmic variations to work together can take a fair amount of experimentation, especially when you’re developing several sections of an arrangement.
WavGrind has released a free plugin called High Hat that aims to make that process easier by automatically generating complete eight-bar sequences.
You press Generate, and the plugin selects a hi-hat sound and creates a new rhythmic pattern, with additional variations in pitch and effects. There are factory presets for producers who prefer starting with an established pattern, along with four controls for adjusting the resulting sound.
And because the sequences can be exported as MIDI, you can continue editing the notes using the instruments and samples already in your project.
High Hat Generates a New Eight-Bar Sequence With One Click
The main feature is the Generate button, which creates a fresh eight-bar hi-hat pattern each time it’s pressed. The plugin combines prerecorded hi-hat samples with programmed sequences, introducing differences in rhythm, pitch, and effects as it develops new variations.
Importantly, this isn’t an AI-based generation system. WavGrind uses an existing collection of samples, rhythmic material, and effects, with the software assembling different combinations when the user requests another pattern. That distinction is relevant because there’s an increasing number of music production products incorporating machine learning into relatively straightforward sequencing tasks. High Hat takes a more conventional approach to generating musical variations.
There’s also a collection of factory presets, allowing producers to begin with a more familiar rhythmic direction before generating alternatives.
That could be particularly convenient when you’re trying to build a percussion pattern around an existing kick and snare arrangement, rather than developing an entire drum section from scratch.
I think this kind of workflow is most interesting when the generated pattern becomes something you continue developing. A sequence might introduce an accent you hadn’t considered, a different placement for a short hi-hat roll, or a rhythmic combination that works particularly well with the bassline. You can keep those details while changing other parts of the pattern, giving the original idea room to develop without being restricted to the exact result the plugin generates.
We’ve previously covered WavGrind’s sample collections in our roundup of the best free trap sample packs, including its Icon Drum Kit, which contains 351 royalty-free one-shots spanning several percussion categories.
High Hat extends the company’s existing focus on production resources into a dedicated sequencing plugin.
You Can Try High Hat in Your Browser Before Downloading
Another interesting part of the release is the browser-based demonstration. WavGrind allows visitors to audition the plugin’s sample content, experiment with presets, generate new patterns, adjust the four sound controls, and export MIDI without installing anything.
That’s a sensible way to introduce a relatively simple plugin because prospective users can understand the main functionality before adding another application to their computers. The browser demo uses a separate audio engine, so its reverb and delay processing approximates the native plugin’s effects rather than reproducing them identically.
High Hat is currently available as version 1.1.0, following its October 2026 release. On macOS, it requires macOS 11 or later and supports Intel and Apple Silicon computers through AU, VST3, and standalone versions. Windows users need Windows 10 or 11 on a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, with VST3 and standalone versions available. Windows ARM systems aren’t supported.
The plugin is completely free, although downloading the installer through the public website requires providing a name and email address. The registration process also includes consent to receive WavGrind’s email marketing, so users should review that information when signing up.
I wouldn’t expect High Hat to replace the detailed percussion programming that goes into a finished production, particularly when the rhythm needs to respond to several melodic and structural elements. But that’s also why the MIDI export is important. The software can develop an initial sequence, while producers retain the ability to make the final decisions about timing, velocity, samples, and how the pattern changes throughout the arrangement.
For a free plugin, that’s a reasonable set of capabilities, and the browser demo makes it easy to evaluate whether the approach fits your production process before installing anything.
You can try WavGrind High Hat in your browser and download the free plugin.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
