ok well i wanna know what are some good plug ins to start off on mixing rap vocals
Vocals typically have reverb delay and compression on them.
If your sample has a fair amount of reverb on it, you would want to put some reverb on your vocals so that it blends. You can add delay to add texture to it and a feeling of more "space", similar to what reverb would do.
Compression may be used to tame a rapper with poor dynamic control.
Do you know what all these things are? You can find very thorough articles explaining what these "signal processors" are and how they work. If you don't know words like reverb, delay, and compression, you have some reading to do.
With singing hooks, it's very typical now for autotune to be used heavily (at least on popular rap, as im unfamiliar with less popular rap music).
Another common technique in rap vocals will be to double the end of lines. As in, record the ending of the vocal line a second time to add more oomph to that line.
And where can you get all these plug in's? Theyre all on pro tools other than auto tune. You can use the pro tools plug in's can give you a "pro" sound. You have to know how to use them. But the "pro" sound comes from a lot more than just a preset. It comes from the entire signal chain. That includes the performer, the content, the microphone, microphone choice, microphone placement cable, preamp, AD/DA converters, monitors, and mojo. Truth is, plug in's probably are a very small factor in a "pro" sound. Unless of course you're t-pain or whatever. You could never sound like him without a plug in. Which may even discredit him as a professional. But it sells and people like it so he rolls with it.
Good luck man. You have to get interested in what youre doing. The answers arent all black and white. Look up the answers. Look up the things I've noted. Understand them, then look further into everything else. You should be able to get something worthwhile with some practice.
Eric
