Mastering Rap Vocals Wasn't Easy

Platinum Vocals

Platinum Vocals

New member
Why does it seem mastering for rap vocals requires more effort. You have to make sure you pan the vocals, stack the vocals add just the right effect etc. I mix and master vocals all the time but when it came to rap vocals I was like, yikes!! : ) I am a female singer, writer, rapper and producer. I have a production company On The Grind Productions and I manage it alone. I do all the mixing, editing, recording, writing etc. When I would get music projects that were rap I would always think wow I gotta get this right. It took me a while to learn the technique of mastering rap vocals. I'm comfortable with it now but in the beginning I was clueless. Peace.
 
I haven't yet done much of it, but i am told it's different than Pop or Rock, because it's not always about following the tune.
 
I find that when rap vocals are hard to mix, it's usually because of performance error. People mumbling, doing too many doubles and adlibs, rapping off beat, stumbling on words and thinking there's no reason to fix them.

Most professionally recorded and commercially released rap songs don't have anything I just listed. Usually just a good clean loud and clear lead vocal track, a few dubs/adlibs if absolutely needed, and possibly at worst, an intricate chorus because of things like layers of singing and doubling to give that "stereo chorus" effect.

Other genres from my experience take alot more when working with professionals. Alot can't be done in 1 take loud and clear no matter how good you are. in rap, if you know what you're doing, you can literally do a chorus in 1 take, all your verses in another, adlibe/dub the entire song after that from start to finish, and be DONE.
 
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