How Do You Record?

[bknot1]

Wsup Fam, I wanted to start this to see how does everyone record their beats, vocals whatever..what are your steps to making the hits you put out?

this can be helpful to some of the newbie's that wants to get started but dont know how to start.

Willie B- Boss Recordings

[LiquidBronze]

i normally dont start out with a specific beat in mind, i just start testing diffrent drum kits on my drum machine first. ill record that whole session normally for about 10-20 minutes. then ill go through it and if i found i was repeating a certain pattern, ill normally work with that one first. then i cut that pattern and bring it into acid pro, where i can loop it to what ever time i want. then i go back and add the percussion in (fromt he same kit normally). after that i just start playing some simple notes or chords on my synth, to get an idea of what kind of melody i want. next i start playing with bass sounds, either ones i chop, or ones i use from my drum machine or synth. then i will add any extra effects/instruments i think fit the song, and by that time i normally have a nice preliminary track i can work with.

peace
LB

[chalin27]

I usually start out with the sample I'm using. I load that into acid first then I start out listening to it then I start out with kick drums to it. Once I get a good kick pattern then I move on to bringin the snare in. I load different snare samples til I get the cobination I want or I just leave the snare as is by it self. Once I get a basic pattern lined up with the sample then I start choping the sample up to fit the vibe I'm feeling with the sample. Once I do that then I start to add hats, cymbols or what ever else I think will fill out the drum track. Once I have a basic loop then I will try to make it more complex creating a whole new pattern with the same sample or another sample. I will probably make like 2-4 different loop patterns. Really depends on the sample. This is where I will do more with the drum pattern as well either adding more hats in the other loops or several kick or snare hits. Once I'm done with that I got my basic track ready for customizing. Once I get vocals to the track I go back and add other parts either with Soundfonts or more parts from the sample I didn't add before it just depends on how complex I want the beat to be. Just basically try'n to gel the track and vocals to make them one.

[bknot1]

I make all drum and synth sound from my RM1X, 1st i get the drum pattern down i want, then i add the snares, hi-hats..and all the other soun i think might soun good into the beat..once i got all that down i go and add some efffects to certain parts of the beat so if will sound a little different..Im still trying things out to do with the beats..sometimes its hard cause i seam to cant get that fullness sound out of the beat like i want it..so i gotta figure that out..one i have all my track done i play with the pattern, start muting track and bringing them back in so i can see how i want to do the break downs..once i got it i record it in cubase(use to record it into n-track) and just wait and see which one of my boys wanna spit over the beat..thats about it..still looking for pointer thou...

[L'espion Noir]

1- I sequence a beat on the triton (i'm getting help on how to RS7k into my setup it gets better ) usually about 4-8-12 measures usually depends on the melody
it varies sometimes i'm sitting in front on the keys and play a melody and decide to make a beat out of it- or it could be a bass line where i foresee a switch up
i also make up alot of bass lines that i record into my PDA
so when i get to the lab i just replay the shit i made with my mouth on the keys and look for a suiting bass sound
2- I record the beat (8 measures) in cubase for about 6 to 7 minutes via midi - just let it loop
3- Then I record the vocals on cubase via audio
Then I edit the beat around the vocals by taken out measures and notes where I don’t want them sometimes I’ll add some notes

i also have a bunch of squeleton drum tracks in both triton and RS waiting transformation ( either bass line or melody so i can finish up the beat)
so my beats are mostly taylored to someones lyrics- mostly fam members.

since i don't sample and quantization tends to mess up some of my other tracks ,production time varies. ( i'm still working on beats i made in 95 )

[L'espion Noir]

1- I sequence a beat on the triton (i'm getting help on how to RS7k into my setup it gets better ) usually about 4-8-12 measures usually depends on the melody
it varies sometimes i'm sitting in front on the keys and play a melody and decide to make a beat out of it- or it could be a bass line where i foresee a switch up
i also make up alot of bass lines that i record into my PDA
so when i get to the lab i just replay the shit i made with my mouth on the keys and look for a suiting bass sound
2- I record the beat (8 measures) in cubase for about 6 to 7 minutes via midi - just let it loop
3- Then I record the vocals on cubase via audio
Then I edit the beat around the vocals by taken out measures and notes where I don’t want them sometimes I’ll add some notes

i also have a bunch of squeleton drum tracks in both triton and RS waiting transformation ( either bass line or melody so i can finish up the beat)
so my beats are mostly taylored to someones lyrics- mostly fam members.

since i don't sample and quantization tends to mess up some of my other tracks ,production time varies. ( i'm still working on beats i made in 95 )

[LAZI]

I walk into the lab sit down and just pick which piece or pieces to use... Kinda like "Hmmm...I haven't heard that do this in a while".

So then I decide whether it's new drum sounds or old drum sounds... Load (sample/select) em up and drop a drum track... Get a quick simple kick, snare, and hat beat going... I don't sample much so next it pretty much becomes what sounds will set the snowball to rolling. So i'll just pick a synth sound from either the 01/W, JV1010, Peavey Synth or RM1X and play something until I catch a feeling. Somtimes i'll take a old patch in the 01/W and just start tweaking it until I make something new out of it. Somtimes i'll sample a synth from the PEAVEY into the ASR-X and tweak the hell out of it until I create a new sound. Sometimes I just want some pianos and strings... Whatever it is i'll sequence that.... Now i'll probably look for something like a shaker or tamborine or something to add another rythmic element. Now i'll probably try to find something to complement that.... After that i'll go back and adjust the drum tracks or maybe add a second snare or kick or something which is also about the point where I decide on how low we get to go. Lpw end being a very import part of my music it's either mid bassline and a sub kick or a sub bass, or sub kicks??? When I decide then it's back to the synth boxes to add that layer that ties it all together. After that I can just season to taste...

I'll be back to post about recording..........

[Flo' Dolo]

One day, when I grow up & get serious, I'ma have some kinda methodology laid out, too. Right now, I just get lift, make noise, and see what it all sounds like the next day when I wake up...

i'm such a damn slacker...


djfd

[LiquidBronze]

^^

LOL, if it works Flo, keep on keep on

peace
LB

[Trumpspade]

In a nutshell:

I use Reason 2.5, so I arrange, rearrange, import, different types of Kicks without a clue of what type of beat I want.
Once I get something I feel is unique, I add in snares, high hats, and all the other good stuff to spice it up. (To me it's like cooking, "Season to taste"........)
then I get a Bass line, one that pronounces and add more flavor to the Kick Drum. Then I fill in with other little riffs on the Keys...
By that time I have some type of idea where I want to go with what I created, and I stick to expanding that idea to ........


Trizza

[bknot1]

i see..this is a good topic let keep it going..i will add more later...finally started using Cubase for my recording vocals and still got my RM1X for beats..Lazi you gotta give me some pointers on making the RM1X sound alittle better..since from all me feed back it seams that the sounds of the kits is whats killing the song sometimes..

[Trumpspade]

If I may add this:
I've found more success and I have gotten better responses by concentrating on getting a nice beat together and complimenting it with a "Sweet Bassline"......That is the core of your music, that is the first thing that catch's a person ear.
Those 50 cent lovers know that 50 hit it hard! But Dre putting down those ill tracks, with the funky bass lines, fill-ins, etc.......
Set it off...........Then all you have to do is loop it, and pull out the upfront tracks during break downs........Now lyrically all you need is a catchy hook with a nice feel to compliment your beat.
The catchy hook and funk beat/bassline is what makes Bangers-Bangers.......................
It's easier for me to work off of a beat 1st, bass line 2nd, then fill in all the rest.......

Just my "O"

Trizza

[rnb259]

i use fruity loops 4.0 the producer edition along side cool edit pro 2.0 to get the results i want. I make the beat in fruity loops just the way i like it, then i take it over to cool edit pro 2.0. After that its all about the vocals, im still learning about vocal production and mic placement but hey thats the reality of living the dream, you learn, you grow, you get better.

P.S.- Give me some time an i'll show ya'll something hot, don't just love hip hop and rap, take itto the next level.

[PoetSleep00]

I pretty much just fiddle around on the mpc 2000xl until inspiration strikes me. Usually I start off with a synth groove or something like that, off my k station synth. Then I put some basic drums down, and eq or put some fx on them. After that I add some melodic extras to keep the beat going. And give the beat more life and personality. I used vinyl samples every now and again too.

[spock]

i usually write the song before i do the beat. i program the drum tracks for the song and bring em into cool edit. then i lay the bass down, and record all the other instruments one track at a time. i just kind of listen to the song in my head and let the music write itself. tune up the sound a little, add vocals and im good to go.

[malcolm123]

Tight Thread !!

I come in the studio and power everything up. LOL
(This is based offa when I have no clue about what ima bout to do)

I load up Sonar and Surreal or Reason
I think in my mind of a tempo that I might want
I go to Sonar and loop 8 bars based on the tempo. ( vibe/think)
Stop Sonar and go to my sample bank via wavelab
Set Wavelab to "Auto" and click on the samples for playback
Once I feel a sample I then load it into Surreal
go back to Sonar and pick the surreal bank with that sample
Start the loop back up with Sonar and puch the keyboard controlling the sample.
Move up and down the keyboard with the sample until I find the pitch,speed, etc I want to use that works with the tempo
Once found,,, press record on Sonar and play 8 bars of the sample variations
Once the sample is recordeded I check the timing. Quantize sometimes,, somestimes I dont need to
Then I pick another port/bank in sonar for different Drum sounds using softsyths or external gear. ( Still all Midi though)
Kick first
Snare
Hi Hat
and whatever drum sounds that may compliment the loop
Then I pick the softsynths for instuments.
For Basslines (Depending on the track ) I may pull my real bass out or go with a softsyth bassline
I then build the track by cutting and pasting what Ive done so far up to 4 min. Some parts stay,, some dont

Lyrics ?
Vox are tracked into Sonar on seperate tracks.
1 main Vox for each flo'er, 1 Adlib, then 1 fillin
When through with tracking I then go into Sonar and pan,level,reverb,chorus the softsyths and send them all out to a digital console via Spdif ( Stereo)

Then I send each Vox track to a seperate channel on the Digital console and tweek them in the console

I level everything in the console, then comp,EQ,effects, still in the console.
Next I get a fresh set of ears to critique it all.

If it passes,,, I send the whole mix through a stero buss of the console back into Wavelab at 24/44.1. I used to used 24/48 but the resampling was pretty weak to me.

once the final mixdown is in Wavelab, I flatten all settings (for the stereo wavefile channels) on the console and send them back through from wavelab while I master it in Wavelab.

On the final mixdown I stay below 0db for every channel

Burn it and ride out.

That's what yall talkin about ?

Malcolm

[bknot1]

nice posting everyone *bump*

[L'espion Noir]

c'mon y'all share the wealth
bump

[Hi_D_Ho_Man]

First i power up everything, and keyboard around until i find something i like. I usually start with the main chorus part first and build the rest of the parts around it. Bass and drums usually come in last unless they are part the initial main idea. Ya'll will prolly notice that my bass and drum parts are usually pretty basic and this i'm sure is why. After that i sort of listen until i get bored with whats there and throw in mild change ups and drum cuts and such.

Haven't had much experience recording vocals. Just sort set up tracks for the main, doubling, and adlibs and go at it.

[tattootearz]

ummm.... I dont produce or anything... I got about 4-5 cats that pass me tracks regularly... some exclusive...some not.

I Use a $70 Condenser Mic.. a $300 Preamp (Edirol UA-5)...

I got some Edirol Studio Monitors ($250)...

I record my vocals into the PC using Acid Pro 4.0

I use the Waves Platinum Bundle Plug-ins and the CUBASE Effects to tweak my vocals and adlibs.

When I got a real good mix of what I need (this could take 2 days)... I render it down to a WAV... and use T-Racks Presets to broaden the sound...

Thats what I do.

[Altruist]

Lets see...

My boy takes care of all our production.

He uses FL studio and Nuendo2.0..

I believe he just grabs records of that shelves, samples them into Nuendo..chops it and arranges in FL Studio..

That done he mixes down in FL Studio and back over to nuendo.

He then sends it to me and I record the vox and dubs with Nuendo

Basically we got a mic booth made out of a walk in closet and just wired it up. Clothes dampen a bit, the walls are irregular so it gets the job done. After the raw tracks are recorded I pass them thru some waves plugs. De-esser, de-poppin, compression, any kinda effect. Mix it all together in Nuendo, export and off to wavelab or Sound Forge for eqin and limiting.

Thats our process. then we basically press it to cd. the last part is changin as we have found some people to master our shiz now sooooo I don't have to do it the home way.

PEace

Geoff

[pgm]

wassup fellas

1) start with a nice phrase loop/sample(a lick,riff,melodic sound,chord whatever)

2)drop snares on the 2 and 4 (for tempo purposes)

3)loop it over and over sometimes for hours if I gotta

and then I just build off of that,everything just comes,you can just kinda "hear" what to add next,if that makes any sense(real simple ,but it works)



............one.......

[sweetnubs]

why don't you guys learn how to play an instrument for christ's sakes. You are musicians right?

[moroccog]

Hey Nubs don't sleep on what it takes to put together hip hop music. You may be able to play that instrument but can you write an 8 bar chorus and 3 16 bar verses within an hour of first hearing a beat? I bet not.

[sweetnubs]

yes I can. I use staff paper and a pen.