Recording/Stacking Rap Vocals

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DJ_Mc7

New member
How do rappers today go about recording vocals? Is it just a straight one vocal track or do they go Eminem-like and make one whispered, one angry, and two normal (if that's even true).

I'm trying to make the vocals on a rap my friends made to sound crisp and clear but it still sounds blank. I already put EQ on it and all that jazz but it's still soft. Should they re-record it aggressively and normally?
 
There isn't a "right" answer to your question. Some artist prefer to Stack a couple of takes of the main vocals and a seperate track for ad libs. Some prefer a single take of the main vocal with doubles on a seperate track for emphasis and another track or two for ad libs. Some prefer a single take with plug ins for effect. Sometimes it comes down to how the arist is just "used" to doing it, which usually goes back to when they first started recording.
 
I like to stack my vocals.. I agree with Pase tho.. Really is just what the artist is used to. And what the producer thinks would sound good.

I like it because it gives you more tracks to play with mixwise. You got more options when it comes to panning, levels, and effects. That is the main reason I prefer it.

I also think it just gives you a lot more life in your track.

But, you can easily ruin a good lead vocal with a bad backing vocal.

Just experiment and come up with your own formula.
 
Yea...I think the other guys covered everything...there's really no magic answer....Even song to song an artist may do vocals differently...I tend to do one main...make a copy and mix it pretty low. Also combine 2 or more backing tracks (ad libs and to double certain parts)...This is MY usual way, though it depends on the song.
 
Sounds like a delivery problem with the artist. Professional artist give professional takes. I know this first hand. I was really enlightened when I started recording for a living. Stacking, eq, panning, and fx will add to a perfect take to get you the perfect sound.
 
Stacking vocals is always fun..

Different panning just works differently... also depends on the instrumental.. it could cover alot of sounds if the vocals are stacked too much
 
And how do you guys pan everything? I usually pan backing tracks to left and right only, and ad libs to either right or left (though I haven't recorded any ad libs yet).

Anyways, I think it sounds empty because of the instrumental. It's a simple beat utilizing 808 drums, snare+snap, hi-hat, and the Lil' Jon synth (temporary). However, when you listen to something like Soulja Boy's "Donk" or even "Snap Yo Fingers", the instrumental track isn't very full but the vocals (which sound like a single main take), REALLY fill the sound. Is it pretty much just a lot of compression and EQing? How should I set up the compressor? I know it's different for everyone but if I have a "template" I can tweak it until it sounds the way I want it to sound.

Oh and also...one thing I'm trying to do is Flo-Rida's stacking. I finally got the studio a cappella of "Low", and it sounds like he's got 4 or 5 tracks going: one he is singrapping, one he is rapping the beat as if almost confused, other one is end phrase ad libs.

I will use exclamation marks to express the "happiness" of the singrap track.
I ain't ever seen nothing that'll make me go
go!(delayyyyyy)
This crazy all night spending my dough
dough!(delayyyyy)

So on and so forth.

Can anyone tell me if the version without T-Pain on the chorus, is *ALL* Flo-Rida? Or was there a vocal producer or some other [uncredited] singer on there.

Thanks for everything!
 
I record the main vocals for the track then i record the same thing over again in another track and have it at a lower volume. then i record another track of ad libs to emphasize some of my words. after that i equalize all the vocal tracks, compress em, then i bounce it and use ozone 3 to master it. I record with AKG Perception 120
 
i record my vocals like this 1 main vocal dead center, 2 repeats of the main vocal at panned to the righ 40 and panned to the left 40, then i get 2 rhymin vocal tracks (ex. "im in the kitchen bout to whip it nigga study me hard gettin brain from a ***** thats how i study a broad" id want them to repeat "bout to whip it nigga study me hard" and "thats how i study a broad") and i pans those out 100 percent to the left and righ, its all about how u level it out to sound good though takes some practice and some listenin and knowin how u want ur **** to sound.
 
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ALIASTrP said:
i record my vocals like this 1 main vocal dead center, 2 repeats of the main vocal at panned to the righ 40 and panned to the left 40, then i get 2 rhymin vocal tracks (ex. "im in the kitchen bout to whip it nigga study me hard gettin brain from a ***** thats how i study a broad" id want them to repeat "bout to whip it nigga study me hard" and "thats how i study a broad") and i pans those out 100 percent to the left and righ, its all about how u level it out to sound good though takes some practice and some listenin and knowin how u want ur **** to sound.
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I would never pan like that. I'm a mixing engineer.

I do leads dead center, dub IF NEED, slightly off center, add-in track where certain things are highlighted. Not always at the end of a line. panned a little more out. Another one like that but different panned different. Then a track or two or three for flavor all panned different. I usually don't pan equal on both sides for verses unless it's called for which rarely happens to me unless it's one word or phrase.

Your panning technique sounds more like a hook, not a verse.

Panning is decided by the track, not habit.
 
The rapper should spit his style and flow to this particular beat. Might be a bad idea to tell him to spit in a certain way, he should spit in the way he's most comfortable. At the most you could perhaps hint that he should spit with more emotion if that's the problem. And make sure he knows his lyrics so he don't have to read it from a paper, cause that often sounds like it as well then.

If you feel it's missing something, might be a delivery problem, but most of the **** you hear on releases are pretty heavy on adlibs and double takes. So that might be why you think something's missing.

A verse is often recorded in one continuos take, and then double takes and adlibs added. But sometimes it's more cut up, there's a lot of tracks out there where the verses are recorded bar by bar.

Sometimes even whole verses are double taked and layered, and more often than not there's more words in a verse that's double taked than not. Especially in mainstream rap, underground rap feature slightly more raw verses though, single takes, no doubling, etc.

Check out some of your favorite tracks and see how it's done there. Listen intently, be focused and really analyze the tracks.

Some rappers are just great, you don't need to do much to their take. Sometimes less is more, others might need some help to make it interesting.
 
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Yeah I just mess around till it sounds good and ****, i use Ozone 3 to master everything and compress it and that Bombfactory it go hard
 
what software is the best to fix vocals

i need help ..can some body tell me which software is good to fix vocals ..because i been writting a lot but i cant find the perfect software to record my song...so can some body tell me which software is the best to recor , fix vocal and make song like a profesional?????pleaseee
 
There's a lot of software that's good for recording, Audition is decent, Cubase and Sonar is great.
 
it literally applies 2 what gear u have... and what the song/instrumental is looking 4...it varies a lot like 4 underground artists I won't stack as much bt when its a very commercial track I have a lot stax on everything
 
$$$mq$$$ said:
i need help ..can some body tell me which software is good to fix vocals ..because i been writting a lot but i cant find the perfect software to record my song...so can some body tell me which software is the best to recor , fix vocal and make song like a profesional?????pleaseee
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I can get professional recordings out of Acid Pro. It's all the same quality. It's gear and technique that gives you the million dollar sound.
 
well i kno how to mix the way i do and i kno the way a hook and a verse is supposed to sound, and my hooks and verses dont sound the same and everybody (including other engineers) say the mix is crisp and on point, so until i explore other ways to try my mixes that'll be the way i do it unless the artist ask to record another way
 
ALIASTrP said:
well i kno how to mix the way i do and i kno the way a hook and a verse is supposed to sound, and my hooks and verses dont sound the same and everybody (including other engineers) say the mix is crisp and on point, so until i explore other ways to try my mixes that'll be the way i do it unless the artist ask to record another way
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I just listened to some of your tracks and I have to say that it's clean and the vocal mix is decent. But the lead vocals are too loud, and it's annoying how EVERY end of a line is stacked out the a$$ and panned like crazy. Vocals should sit in the pocket. It's ok to pan some stuff all over but you over did it.
 
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