I Need The Proper Microphone To Record Rap Vocals

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pennitentiary

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Hello,

I'm setting up a home studio. I want to record rap vocals with the best possible microphone, pre, and sound card within my budget. I will be recording my rap vocals with the help of a sound engineer I am hiring.


INFORMATION REGARDING MY HOME STUDIO PROJECT:



My Computer Specs:

HP Vectra VL400
P3 Socket 370 (Tualatin 1.4Ghz)
512MB PC133 Infineon Sdram
80GB Western Digital IDE Hard Drive
100GB Western Digital IDE Hard Drive
LG Dual Layer DVD-RAM +/-/R/RW (x2)
Windows Xp Home w/Service Pack 2



Recording Software:

- Adobe Audition v1.5

- Cubase SX v2.0



Budget:

- $500 Maximum for all items including mic, pre, sound card, popper stopper, cables, and stand.



This is what a close friend suggested I buy:

- M Audio Audiophile 2496 (Sound card) $129
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TubeMPps

- ART Tube MP Project Series (Pre) $55
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=007605&cid=SC

- Studio Projects B1 (Microphone) $120
http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/b1.html


Goal:

- To record commercial album quality rap vocals at home. Just so you know no booth will be used for some time. So recording will be in an open room. I will have a professional booth built later on.



QUESTIONS:

1. Would the list of equipment my friend suggested be sufficient enough to provide album sound quality for my home studio?

2. Please write a list that you would make for my home studio equipment within my $500 budget. (ie: mic, pre, sound card)




THE MICROPHONE IS MY MOST IMPORTANT ITEM. IF I GET A BAD MIC MY VOCALS WILL SOUND BAD. PLEASE HELP.





NOTE:
ANY REPLY BELOW WITHOUT AN INTELLIGENT RESPONSE HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY YOUR FELLOW COCKSUCKERS, NUT HUGGERS, AND BITCHES. HAVE FUN.
 
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Record into a mobile phone, having previously dialled your phone answering machine. Record from the phone answering machine speaker.

The quality is perfect for rap.






Or simply get something like a Rode NTK into a Focusrite Platinum series pre (like Trakmaster).

A lot will depend on your room and your voice quality, so apart from "clean" there really aren't any other recommendations.
 
pennitentiary said:
Lol. Thanx for your reply. Anyone else have any suggestions or answers? I want to recieve as many replies as possible.

I'm sure you would but if you searched around you would see that this topic has been covered numerous times and pretty much has turned into a long running joke around here
 
Hmmm, this is like asking, which car should I buy? My maximum budget is $1000, and I want something to race in the Nextel cup series. There's a reason why pro gear is expensive.

The setup you list will give you good or even great results, but don't expect album quality.
 
The gear you've listed should be fine considering your budget.

I'm not sure if "commercial quality" recordings are realistic with that gear though and particularly if you're going to be recording in a less than ideal acoustic environment?

On the other hand if the engineer is good you should be able to get decent results.
 
I'd say get a different pre. there are a couple in the $100 range that are pretty ok. the SP VTB1 comes to mind. Very respectable quality for the money. So with the 2496 and a VTB1 you've got about $300 left. NOW. you could buy a comp and an eh... mic or a decent mic. I might suggest getting a decent mic first but start looking for a compressor now. Cause once you figure out how to use this stuff you're gonna want one. You might be able to find an AT4050 for around $300 on ebay used. The Shure KSM series ins't bad for that price range either. But there are a million different opinions on cheap mics here.

BUT I must say too that it is just wishfull thinking for you to expect "commercial" quality out of $500 worth of equiptment. You might not even get a commercial quality product if you paid someone else to make you a demo in their own studio for $500. Spend a couple G's on this stuff and another couple years learning how to use it and then you can start to expect commercial quality.
 
With such a small budget I'd question the sense in getting a hardware compressor.

Why spend money on something you can do with free software?
 
Mics:
AT 4040
ADK Hamburg
Shure SM-7B

Pres:
SP VTB-1
M-Audio DMP-3
GT Brick

Soundcard:
the 2496 is fine

Again, with this budget and no room treatment, you will be unlikely to get "commercial album quality" (though, with good engineering, you can get very good results). I don't know what studio rates are where you live, but you might be better off buying studio time for a couple of days to lay down your vocals. Just a thought. YMMV.
 
Hmmm. A mic for rap vocals. What a new and interesting concept! I love it when people come up with fresh and interesting topics of conversation. Otherwise it can get pretty stale around here ... you feelin' me? :D

Anyway ... I'm having trouble understanding the logic behind coming here and asking this question. You mentioned that you'll be hiring an engineer to help you with this. Now I don't know about you, but when I hire a plumber to fix my toilet or leaky faucet ... I don't go on plumbing forums and ask what wrench my plumber should be using. Or what hammer my carpenter / contractor should be using.

Even in my most micro-managing hour, I just feel that these types of questions are best left to the person hired to do the job. No offense or anything.

QUESTIONS:

1. Would the list of equipment my friend suggested be sufficient enough to provide album sound quality for my home studio?


How many albums do you think are out there that use a signal chain that you just listed? I would guess somewhere in the neighborhood of ... zero. That should give you a clue. Can it be done? Maybe. I mean, never say never. But I think it would take someone with unusual intelligence, skill, ingenuity, and decades of experience.

2. Please write a list that you would make for my home studio equipment within my $500 budget. (ie: mic, pre, sound card)

I would say what you have listed is perfectly fine. For making demos. That's what you should be focused on right now. Honestly ... adjust your expectations and you won't be let down.


THE MICROPHONE IS MY MOST IMPORTANT ITEM. IF I GET A BAD MIC MY VOCALS WILL SOUND BAD. PLEASE HELP.

If it's that important to you, then I would recommend auditioning as many mics as possible until you find one that gives you the quality you want / need for this. If it's not that important to you, then I would recomment just going with whatever mic a bunch of anonymous swinging dicks on some internet discussion board recommend.

.
 
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yahooooo

a "best mic for rap" style thread

anyone mentioned the megaphone being picked up by a sub-kick speaker :D
 
Kevin DeSchwazi said:
With such a small budget I'd question the sense in getting a hardware compressor.

Why spend money on something you can do with free software?

I just like to compress "out of the box." I run compression before it comes in. I do think it makes a difference... but to each their own. I guess he should get the hang of compression first before he buys one but I like the outboard route.

chesscock said:
If it's that important to you, then I would recommend auditioning as many mics as possible until you find one that gives you the quality you want / need for this. If it's not that important to you, then I would recomment just going with whatever mic a bunch of anonymous swinging dicks on some internet discussion board recommend.

touche...
 
How quickly you all forget the real answer:
liljoncopy.jpg
 
BigRay said:
rap should die . should die a horrible, painful death.

So should Jimmy Buffet, Metallica, Motley Crew, VH, Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Nickleback and the rest IMO.

I think you guys are just closet racists. :rolleyes:
 
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