rap vocals

[rediflight]

i just started my first rap project. i was playing around with different effects for the vocals and i did get my eq and compression settings to where i like them. however i was messing with other effects, that are usually on vocals(reverbs, delays, etc...) and could find any that i really liked. i was just wondering what other people with more experience with this music genre, usually use on there vocals.

 

[DrJones]

i just started my first rap project. i was playing around with different effects for the vocals and i did get my eq and compression settings to where i like them. however i was messing with other effects, that are usually on vocals(reverbs, delays, etc...) and could find any that i really liked. i was just wondering what other people with more experience with this music genre, usually use on there vocals.

A lot of double vocal tracks (2 seperate rec. tracks) dropped in and out. Download some accapellas' to check out what type of sound your looking for.

 

[ssscientist]

The words are what rap is all about.

You probably want them as dry as possible --- no reverb, no delay. Those will just obscure the words, and that's something you don't want to do.

The old 'Antares set at (or close to) zero' is REALLY getting old too. It's become a cliche, and IMHO hip hop is all about avoiding cliches.

If you really need something a tight, small room sound might be good if it's high enough quality, you have enough of the 'too-bright-to-be-natural' top end rolled off and it's not placed too loud in the mix.

And I second DrJones' idea of doubling the vocal but dropping the second vocal in and out.

 

[rediflight]

yeah i did do a second vocal track, only accentuating certain words in the song, like you both are talking about. i figured that most vocals are left pretty dry but, just being used to doing screaming vocals and such, i just wasnt sure of what to and what not to use.

 

[Brok_Homz]

I Do Rap

yeah man thats what genre of music i do

after i record vocals, i just apply a preset dynamics processor, and do a vocal presence boost on the EQ. Other then that i normalize it, then lower or raise levels on tha main mixer. I also apply overdubs to emphasize certain words or phrazes. Yes words are key... you want to keep vocals mostly dry, maybe a LITTLE reverb, but the room i record in adds a little reverb to the recording already, so i dont even bother adding any.

Hope that helps!

 

[rediflight]

yup. thanks alot guys

 

[rory]

I do mostly rock, but have done some rap as well. It completely depends on the song with what you want to do/add. I don't much like the clean approach. To me, its been beat to fucking death. I like adding echo to the ends of phrases, adding distortion or dirt to the vox, shit tons of reverb with a predelay that is completely un-natural. Another thing I like to do is to do multiple takes of the vox, not just two, a main and a secondary, like 6 or more and have them panned in a crazy fashion. Then you can bring some up some of the time, others other times, you can fade some up when you fade others down, etc. Be creative! If clean is your thing, thats cool, just not my slice of bread.

Rory

 

[musicstew]

Right now my favorite vocal effect is Vocal Magic:
Demo HERE

Since you have your compressor and equalizer settings dialed in this may take you to the next level of production.

VM sounds great.