how to record nice rap vocals
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Posted on Sep 20, 2004 07:53 pm
mad flows
Member Since: Sep 20, 2004
does anybody know to record nice rap vocals. i've been having alot of trouble. I have a MXL 2001 microphone and a boss br-52. Is there somthing i need to buy or just move to a whole differengt set up. I'm recording just rap.
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cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Sep 21, 2004 02:02 am um, I don't know what a boss br-52 is. Is it a drum machine? or a digital recorder? Anyways, I guess the key is, what are you recording to? Let us know, and we can tailor our answers a bit better.
Anyways, generally, you are going to want to compress your rap vocals to make them sound nice. After that, its all about eq and delay effects (reverb, multitap delay, chorus - ooh chorus)to get them to sit in the mix well.
BrunoThe Quiet MindedMember
Since: Jan 01, 2003
Sep 21, 2004 10:16 am two tips here. have a great singer! have a nearly dead(dry) room, as you may have noticed rappers rarely use any kind of reverb. good luck!
Jason H.Jack of all trades master of ___Member
Since: May 28, 2004
Sep 21, 2004 03:29 pm I do mainly do rap also since I dont' work with any true instrument oriented musicians (i.e. rock, classical, jazz). It's easy to compose yet hard to arrange, (thats if you try to make good tracks)...
It would be nice to know where you're having trouble. I should be able to help you out there..
I agree with Coolo. I typically use compression. With amatuers its hard to maintain a constant vocal volume level without sounding robotic...Therefore I compress, and as he noted also, I add a slight effect to maybe liven things up a little.
Once (2 years ago) I had a track that was pretty dry and stright up and I reverbed the vocals...OOPS. The track sounded like it was in your face but the vocals sounded like he was down the hall. Lets just say when it gets played (rarely) I leave the room and pray to god I can't hear it thru the walls/floor.
Talk to us more...
Sep 21, 2004 04:04 pm a boss br-52 is a digital recorder. and the problem i'm having with the vocals is they sound muddy and unclear and theres alot of buzzing and humming going on. also for compression/gate what woulod you suggest.
Jason H.Jack of all trades master of ___Member
Since: May 28, 2004
Sep 21, 2004 04:29 pm Damn...Well I can't suggest anything concrete.
Therefore I'd check the obvious. Connections? Levels? the MXL's power requirements? If you get a clean sound from your instruments but not vocals...It could be something where you end up finding the solution by tinkering with it rather than waiting for us to respond.
Here's how mine is run and I get a clean sound.
Maybe I'll post a song sometime...
Condenser mic (phantom powered) into mixer channel...I adjust the mic level of input via the 'gain' and the volume slider for that channel which ever works best...Then from the mixer into my soundcard...and onto the software.
I compress using my recording software. It's built right in therefore I am not sure what compression/gate "consoles/software" would be recommended. Someone or something on this site should tell you what would work best.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Sep 21, 2004 05:04 pm The trick to reverb is to not use too much of it (unless your trying for a specific effect).
Hey, does the boss have phantom power. I'm assuming the MXL is a condensor mic. Buzzing and humming could also be from outside noise that the mic is picking up while recording.
Check the gearbag for some compressors. I do all my compression in software, but there are some compressors out there that people speak highly of.
Muddy vocals are most likely the result of the vocals needing to be eqed in conjunction with the beat. Ideally, you would have each different instrument in it's own track, but you can still make it work if it's not. I highly reccomend reading the article on eqing available on this site.
Sep 21, 2004 09:47 pm i don't have a computer, but for the condesnor mic i have a seperate box for phantom power. for th buzzing if it is an ouside source would you suggest the aurlex foam. also thanx for the imput
i'm a new to this.
Jason H.Jack of all trades master of ___Member
Since: May 28, 2004
Sep 22, 2004 08:58 am My apologies...I should have been more descriptive. Anything can be a outside source of noise...DUH....I should know, try recording vocals when living down the street from the fire dept.
What I meant if there is buzzing...your mic, the cable, the connection or the recorder is picking up some sort of frequency or interference that causes the buzz or the hum. For most people...a fluorescent light, for example would cause such. Some power cords running near music cables cause it too.
Just tinker & test with it as much as you can, sometimes the solution is simple. Try not to get frustrated too...Mostly everyone starting out recording on their own has come across these problems. We're all here to help.
Sep 22, 2004 07:06 pm thanx alot for the advice I was really frutrated for a while
Sep 23, 2004 12:10 am do you know if one of the those feed back killers would help stop the hums
Sep 23, 2004 05:22 am if it's actually a low feedback, then yes, or else you should be able to EQ them out if it's really feedback.
