Mix Rap Vocals Basics

General

• Avoid to Boost of Cur More than 3dB

• Match Gain Between Steps

Method 1

1) Basic EQ, Cut Boomy Part with a Rather Wide Bell, Add a High Shelf and Boost Highs 

2) Compress for Consistency (e.g. Brit SSL), Fast Attack  / Slow Release (0.50), 3:1 Ratio

3) Compress for Thickness (e.g. 1176), 8:1 Ratio with 5dB to 10dB GR, Fast Attack / Fast Release, Parallel Mix 20% to 30%

4) Compress for Groove (e.g. Red VCA) = Slow Attack and Fast Release (i.e. Avoid Initial Transient Compression but Just After Transients for a Little Pump), 2:1 or 3:1 Ratio

5) De-Esser = Control Sibilances which Came Up During Compression, Around 3kHz or 8kHz

6) EQ = Control Frequency Issues which Came Obvious Through Previous Steps

7) Add Crispiness with Fresh Air 

8) Add Reverb / Delay

Method 2

1) Basic Compress the Voice (Preferably with Extern Hardware)

• i.e. Send Through a 1073 Pre Amp (Line at Sweet Spot, and then Through 1176 to Tame the Peaks (4:1 with 3-5 dB GR, Attack Around 3 to 4 and Release Around 4 to 5)

2) Tame Resonances and Peaks with a Dynamic EQ

– e.g. Boxy Around 400Hz, Mic Resonances Around 2.5kHz and 3.5kHz

3) Add Clipper and then De-Esser

4) Add Compressor for More Buss Like Vocal Compression but in Parallel (50% to 70% Wet) with Only About 1dB of Compression, i.e. 2:1 with Attack Around 0.80ms to 1ms and Release around 50 (Soft Knee 6dB)

5) Add Another 1176 Compressor (CLA 76 Blueface) for Mid Range Punch, Use All Button Ratio, Attack Around 3 to 4, Release Around 6

6) Add DBX 165 Compressor in Parallel (50/50) for 1dB Compression Only with Medium Attack and Release

7) Add Tape Saturation for a Little Top End Shine, Remove Eventually Added Tape Rumble Afterwards with Low Cut Around 20Hz

8) Use Pultec EQ, Boost at 100Hz Around 1dB, Boost Around 8kHz Around 1dB, Bandwidth Middle Position

9) Use a E Channel EQ to Boost Around 2dB at Around 4.5kHz to 5kHz, Reduce About 2dB at Around 300Hz 

10) Add De-Esser

11) Use Sends to Send Vocal to Medium Room at Rather Low Send Level, Optionally Compress the Reverb

• Always EQ the FX, i.e. for Reverb Buss Roll Off Steep Lows Until Around 500Hz and High Less Steep to Around 5kHz or 7kHz (Do this with a Separate EQ as Well as Inside Reverb unit when Possible)

• Keep Reverb Decay About 1 Second or Less and Rather Short Pre Delay

– Try Medium Room Plates as Well

12) Use Sends to Send Main Vocals to Waves Sibilance to Cut Esses, then ADT to Spread Main Vocals, then EQ to Fine Tune

13) Use Sends to Send Ad Libs to Delay, 1/4, Little Feedback, No Modulation, Filter Lows and Highs to Taste, Eventually Add a DeEsser Before the Delay Unit so No Excessive Esses Go into the Delay, Optionally EQ Afterwards

14) Use Sends to Send Ad Libs to Tube Exciter, Optionally 1176 In Front of the Tube for More Top End Shine