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Any studio engineers/bedroom mixers up in here?

smoking_robotsmoking_robot 346 Posts
edited March 2011 in Strut Central
I was wondering if the strut has some good suggestions/techniques for livening up rap vocals?

All i have is 1 take, no comp tracks unfortunately, so i need to do deal with what i got.

What i ended up doing was simply doubling 'em both up and panning one a little left and the other a little right respectively and tossed two different compression settings. The left one buses to some very slight small plate reverb and i tried bussing the massey TD5 delay on the right side, but even at very slight (5ms-18ms) timings its either imperceptible, or it just sounds shitty. Oh and both have slightly different EQs, left is thru the SSLEQ, right is just tweaked w/ a regular parametric EQ.

I tried to do something more "interesting" before i settled on this setting - panned left vocal was the same as above, but i tried getting the one i panned right a more abrasive EQ setting so the right side when solo'ed sounds like its thru a megaphone or something, and i was trying to get the right side vocal to sit so it was barely there and would only poke through during the louder more enunciated parts. I coudlnt get this to work out properly, not sure why?

  Comments

  • z_illaz_illa 867 Posts
    Give it a new beat.

    (I know I'm no help, but don't over think)
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    Your complicating your life by trying to make a stereo image out of a naturally mono source. Focus on pressing the mono soure and forget that stereo shit, your just creating phase issues - esp if you are using plugs which will cast the tracks backwards with different processing latencies. one thing for sure, what you are doing will sound like shit on vinyl.

    Here's a good workflow for your vocal track:

    1: trim it correctly. Should not be touching 0dbfs in your daw. If you are in pro tools put a trim as your top inser and ratchet it down.
    2: hpf the track somewhere between 60-100hz
    3: manually adjust the loudest/softest parts with volume automation - don't just expect a compressor to do it
    4: 4 band eq to cut out honking or excessive frequencies at a medium Q setting.
    5: compress at a low ratio 2:1or 3:1

    That should bring it in.

    To add life, set up aux sends and automate delays off of certain words.
    Light reverb will help but remember this: in TE real world when we use plates we tune the dampening and insert predelays to dial them in. Your aux send to the plate might need an eq or other thing in front of the actual plate plug in.

    Hope that helps, if you have more questions I can pm my phone#
  • AndreBretonAndreBreton 344 Posts
    Lately I've been going minimal. One vocal track mono, compresses pretty hard, eq, de-ess, and that's it. Of course the settings are relative to the beat and I automate volume when needed. That's it. A good performance and beat shouldn't be difficult.
    Not much help but honestly, experimentation and practice will guide you to the truth. Trust your ears. Good luck.
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Thes is dropping the knowledge right now.

    I never get to record or mix any more, and it pains me, but I still found this to be a pretty good read a couple weeks ago. Hope it helps.

    http://theproaudiofiles.com/mixing-rap-vocals/
  • undocumentundocument 70 Posts
    Unherd said:
    Thes is dropping the knowledge right now.


  • smoking_robotsmoking_robot 346 Posts
    4YearGraduate said:
    Your complicating your life by trying to make a stereo image out of a naturally mono source. Focus on pressing the mono soure and forget that stereo shit, your just creating phase issues - esp if you are using plugs which will cast the tracks backwards with different processing latencies. one thing for sure, what you are doing will sound like shit on vinyl.

    Here's a good workflow for your vocal track:

    1: trim it correctly. Should not be touching 0dbfs in your daw. If you are in pro tools put a trim as your top inser and ratchet it down.
    2: hpf the track somewhere between 60-100hz
    3: manually adjust the loudest/softest parts with volume automation - don't just expect a compressor to do it
    4: 4 band eq to cut out honking or excessive frequencies at a medium Q setting.
    5: compress at a low ratio 2:1or 3:1

    That should bring it in.

    To add life, set up aux sends and automate delays off of certain words.
    Light reverb will help but remember this: in TE real world when we use plates we tune the dampening and insert predelays to dial them in. Your aux send to the plate might need an eq or other thing in front of the actual plate plug in.

    Hope that helps, if you have more questions I can pm my phone#

    Wow, thanks a bunch man! I'll work at this - really really appreciate the assistance - i'll shoot you a PM if/when i run into some troubles.
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