How do you process Rap Vocals

[fraserhutch]

see, I actually said.



so yeah, use your ears. But I didn't have to cut up your qoute so I could bitch and moan about people bitching and moaning.

You are fool... and I pitty you.

I didn't cut up your post to complain about your bitching and moaning, I did so to illustrate that there really is no difference in how they are treated.

I did take issue with the "hater" statement. Not about you in particular, but with it's general usage.

I pity you.

 

[smtcharlie]

Yea, and you don't see the opera guys asking how to use their cracked software either.
.

That's a good question, what *is* the best $100 mic for opera? Those cheap Chinese mic's can sound so harsh for opera, I just don't know...

Okay, I have something on topic to say. What about distortion for rap vocals? When I want to give my vocals a bit of a harsh quality (alt-acoustic stuff - very different than rap), I run them through a Dan-o stomp box.

Is that too 90's Beastie's?

 

[mrT]

I don't like people asking dumb-ass questions as much as everyone else. The $100 mic questions get lame and make you dislike the whole group. But THIS question was not dumb. He's obviously just looking for some pointers to get started in recording rap. And as much as you rockers/folkies would like to think that recording rap is the same... it isn't. Is it as hard as recording a full band? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that it is easy to make a good rap song.

So stop hating to hate. Rap is not bad music just because you don't like it. I personally think that at least %75 of everyones stuff on here is seriously lacking in talent and ability (which is about the average in life too). But we are here to learn and help so I keep it to myself.

 

[Dogman]

Start by getting the best recording you can...make the sucker do it till he is spot on. That will help the most....the rest will take some experimentation. Compress and eq to get it sitting well.

 

[smtcharlie]

I don't like people asking dumb-ass questions as much as everyone else. The $100 mic questions get lame and make you dislike the whole group. But THIS question was not dumb. He's obviously just looking for some pointers to get started in recording rap. And as much as you rockers/folkies would like to think that recording rap is the same... it isn't. Is it as hard as recording a full band? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that it is easy to make a good rap song.

So stop hating to hate. Rap is not bad music just because you don't like it. I personally think that at least %75 of everyones stuff on here is seriously lacking in talent and ability (which is about the average in life too). But we are here to learn and help so I keep it to myself.

Sheesh, am I in the mic forum? It gets rough over there....

I'm the first to admit that I don't know anything about rap. I would guess that recording rap vocals is fairly tough - they are really, really dominant in the song, and they've got to have this edgy/screaming/type quality. Rappers would consider my vocals candy-ass.

But if I were tracking a rapper, I'd try some distortion. And compression.

 

[crosstudio]

what you have to do really depends on the person you are recording. would you de-ess 50 cent? if you did, you'd take away his signature "i'm from NY but i sound southern" sound.

many of the rappers and dancehall artist i deal with get so use to shouting into the mic live that they think they have to do the same thing in the studio, which causes me to have to rolloff some of the lowend with EQ.

whether you use reverb, just like an R&B tune, really depends on the tempo and vibe of the song. if its a rap love song [Biggie "im fucking you tonight"] there's noticable reverb on his vocals (as well as the lead vocalist), whereas Biggie's "10 crack commandments" has plenty of vocal doubling but i don't perceive any reverb.

my biggest problem with rappers in the studio is consistency in vocal volume delivery. just like an inconsistent bass player, you end up putting a compressor on the vocals or (my preference for rap vocals) doing some wave editing to bring the low phrases up.