Mixing vocals over a stereo track

[tone_aot]

Whasup fam. Lately i've been going back through alot of old beats and i realize i have alot of heat. I found plenty old beats i want to write to but most of them are stereo files and i don't have the separate tracks. I was wondering if yall had any tips on recording vocals over a stereo file. I wanna know this specifically for my beats, but it'd also be useful when recording vocals over a mainstream instrumental for a mixtape or something.

 

[quietb03]

Whasup fam. Lately i've been going back through alot of old beats and i realize i have alot of heat. I found plenty old beats i want to write to but most of them are stereo files and i don't have the separate tracks. I was wondering if yall had any tips on recording vocals over a stereo file. I wanna know this specifically for my beats, but it'd also be useful when recording vocals over a mainstream instrumental for a mixtape or something.

Ive never rapped over a mono beat lol

 

[mentalattica]

^lol

Yeah it's really no different than recording over a beat session other than you can't control every instrument seperately. Do it as you normally would, use EQ, compression and maybe even a stereo imager to compensate for the vocals not sitting right.

 

[bknot1]

I wuold say do some EQ and Compression on the track

and dup your main vocals twice...

1- L -45
Main- C -but lower the volume below the other 2 abit
2- R -45

use whatever effect you use..
and they should sit well in the mix..

 

[Call Me Cell]

what up TONE- everyone pretty much hit this one right on the head. First off I wouldn't do anything to the track, just record your vocals over the beat "as is". Doing it that way will let you determine what needs to be done in the mixing stage. Once you get everything tracked out and you have your vocals on top of the track you can THEN do some eq'ing and compression on the beat to bring out some of the sounds that may have gotten covered up by the vocals, after that (and after you have polished up the vocals) make sure it's mixed good enough for your liking, compress the whole mix (the stereo file with beat and vocals) and just make sure it bangs !! HOPE MY 2 CENTS HELPS - ALSO WHAT UP ERRBODY !!!

 

[bknot1]

Whats goog CMC..nice to see you back in the place..

 

[Call Me Cell]

Whats goog CMC..nice to see you back in the place..

All is good man. I've been really, really working hard on this album that I'm doing, other than that, just living ya know!?!

 

[ItzCashew]

I dunno for me i usually use ONE main track and a bunch of other adlib tracks....and i pan the Adlibs A1: L100 V-8, A2: R65 V-5,,,,it works for me. I dunno two main vocals sounds wierd to me =\

 

[Salois]

i dont ever do two main tracks of vocals, usually 1 main track of vocals, 1 of overdubs, and then 1 of adlibs and shit

the only time i do multiple FULL recordings of the verse is when im doing a hook or a chorus, then i pan em out and lower the volume on the additional tracks

you hafta be real good to hit an entire verse exactly right to layer em like that, the best Emcee thats done it consistently to date was Pac, and not everybody's voice is good for that sorta thing