Hip Hop artist in need of help

[Soulstice]

I am currently using cool edit pro 2.1, with mi at2020 and fast track pro. I need help with basic mastering techniques on this program to make it sound more professional. a kid rapper by the name of dpryde on youtube has good techniques and seems to work for him. however i do not have his usb mic and i lack the knowledge of mastering professionaly. I even have issues with if i should double mi vocals and put adlibs or just record one layer of vocals and adlibs, and messing with the eq and panning out the music etc. Any help would be appreciated thanks.

 

[Waltz Mastering]

Keep experimenting with what sounds good to your ear. Read up on stuff and then read some more, practice and then practice some more, repeat ad nauseum, learn from your mistakes. etc, etc.
*mastering is not mixing, mixing is not recording.

 

[TheChikenMaster]

Practice Practice Practice Listen Listen Listen. You are currently Recording, and mixing. Mastering is a different puppy which should concern you at the moment. The pro sound you want will come in time and experience. You got to know your tools there advantages and disadvantages what they can or cant do and when and where they are needed. Listen Listen Listen. Your ears are very important in recording develop them and your recordings will develop too.

 

[OneWerd]

Layering....

It's been my experience that people tend to layer rap vocals when they don't really know how/ why to use compression/ EQ. I'd focus on getting to know those tools first. I've found that a single good take (through a good mic and pre) that is properly compressed and eq'd wins out over layered takes in most situations. I usually do a single, centered main vocal, with two ad lib tracks panned hard left and right. The only time I ever layer multiple takes is when I want a chorus to sound thicker....then I do three and pan two of them (no ad libs in that case).

You can hear what it sounds like @ myspace.com/onewerd