1st, let me start off by saying that I don't have the best quality to be found. My quality also isn't studio caliber. However, I have pretty decent to good quality and can help you achieve the same. Some people expressed content with how my vocals sound, and so this tutorial is for them. I hope it can help someone somewhere with their music.

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I was highly surprised to discover that some people record WITHOUT headphones!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!?! Please, PLEASE wear headphones while you record your vocals so that the beat won't be picked up by the mic and pollute the signal with excess noise. If you are one who records WITHOUT headphones, start wearing them. Your quality will improve 1000000% just from that alone.

Now, let's get started.


1. Open the instrumental you plan on recording to and insert it into the 1st slot in Multi-track.

2. Put your headphones on!!!!!!! Then, check your mic input levels.


Note: If you are using a Pre-Amp like I am, then turn the level up just enough so that the red "MAX" light goes off only occasionally when you test it by saying "POP, POP" into the mic. If the red "MAX" light flashes whenever you say anything into the mic, it's up too loud. Adjust it so that the "green" light only flashes when you speak into the mic.

If you ARE NOT using a Pre-Amp and are just using the settings in "Volume Control", then turn the Mic slide jus slightly below center. You don't want it up too loud because it can cause distortion. It's always better to record lower and amp, then record higher and deamp.

3. Now, record your vocals. Don't be afraid to spit your verse 20 times if you have to until you get it JUST RIGHT. Seldom do I or anyone for that matter get a verse right on the 1st take.


4. Once you've successfully recorded your verse, mix down that track ONLY as MONO into the Editing screen.
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Now, for the editing of the vocals.

1. The first thing you need to do is gather a Noise Profile from your mic's circuitry so that you can run Noise Redux on your vocals. Enygma explains this fully in his tutorial. http://community.rapverse.com/showthread.php?t=164859

2. Before I actually run Noise Redux, I delete any portion of the vocal sample before the verse actually begins, up until the 1st word. Then, I go AMPLIFY>AMPLIFY>CENTER WAVE. Do this before you run Noise Redux.

3. After you run Noise Redux, run Click/Pop Eliminator under the Noise Redux menu. Use the setting "Hiss and lots of clicks".


4. Once you've run Click/Pop Emliminator, convert the mono vocal to stereo vocals.


5. At this point, I run Antares Mic Modeler on my vocals. Antares is a program that turns whatever mic you record with into damn near any mic on the market. So, you could record with a 50 dollar Radio Shack Mic and convert the sound to a 300 dollar AKG 3000. I run Antares at this stage. If you don't have this plug-in, skip this step.


6. After I run Antares, I use Dynamic Processing on my vocals.


7. Next, I run "NORMALIZE" under the Amplify menu. Use 70-80% as the percent range. Anywhere in there is good.


8. At this point, I save the edited mixdown as "Lyr1". Then, I Save that AS Lyr1bac1 and then once again as Lyr1bac 2.


**I create my "dubbed" effect by literally centering one vocal (Lyr1), then panning 2 vocals either left or right (Lyr1bac1 & Lyr1bac2).

NOTE: A little "secret" that I use on my backup vocals is to raise the pitch slightly on them to further create that "dubbed" effect. Under the pitch menu, select "raise pitch" and set it to 99.9 or 99.8.

Go into multitrack and insert your original vocals (Lyr1) into the 2nd slot where you want it in the beat. Then, just click somewhere on the outside of the 3rd slot box and insert the backup vocal (Lyr1bac1). Do the same for the 4th slot and insert Lyr1bac2.

For Lyr1bac1, pan it 50-60 to the left.
For Lyr1bac2, pan it 35-45 to the right.

Decrease the volume of both Lyr1bacs to about -3 to -4 DB

For the EQ--it looks like H-M-L--set both backup vocals to H (4) M (0) and L (-4). For the main vocals (Lyr1) set the EQ to H( 4) M(-2.4) and L(0).

Normally, I amp the main vocal (Lyr1) to 2-3 DB. Experiment with this. Depending on how loud you rapped it, and what your NORMILIZATION settings are, it will change.

**For my adlibs, I record them, run the editing process above on the vocals, then mix them into the track in Multitrack. I pan my adlibs about 35-40 right. I set the EQ on my adlib vocals the same as the back-up vocals.

Once you've inserted all the vocals and adjusted the settings, listen to the tracks to determine if anything needs to be altered. A suggestion I have to determine if your vocals are too loud or too low besides listening to them is to MIX DOWN ALL WAVES into the Editing screen. Analyze the beat's wave peaks compared to the vocals' wave peaks. If the vocal wave peaks are towering above the beat's wave peaks, then they are too loud; deamp them. Conversely, if the vocal wave peaks are well below the beat's wave peaks, they are too low; amp them. Just listen to your own shit. If it sounds fucked up to you, more likely than not it'll sound fucked up to other people as well.


Good Luck and Happy Recording!

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Youtube Video for my song "CARRY ON"

hey man, good tut and all but WTF is a "noise profile from your mics circutry"? Mic's don't generate operational noise, so do you mean a frequency response chart? And also, the mic modeler won't make any mic but a completely flat one sound liek any other mic. All it does is pre-EQ the characteristics of one mic's FRC into all the recordings of what ever mic you're using. Seems liek a great idea, but this definitely will not make a $50 RS mic sound like any other mic than a $50 RS mic with a pre-EQ. In some cases it could sound worse, which would be the result of applying this to mics that are completely opposite like a 990 with a 991's FRC. If you apply the stated motto that it's always better to record low thne amp as opposed to the other way, everything recorded on that set-up will be covered in hiss.

Otherwise seems pretty straight foward aside from those points. But I still wanna know if you meant FRC or something different whne you said "noise profile from your mics circutry".

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#1...I mean the noise from the electronics of not only ur computer, but mic connections which can generate noise, and/or any other circuitry involving the electronics of ur set up...Most of the noise in my set up comes from my XLR connections, which I've improved since I discovered that.
**When you record in Cool Edit or w/e, if you allow "dead air" to record, you can see "noise" being generated as a small wave. THat's the wave you define as the noise profile.

#2...When I say record "lower" that's relative...I mean you don't want to have yoiur levels so high that they clip or cause distortion...that's why I gave guidelines for the levels...

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#1, how do you differentiate between that an ambient noise? Mic connectors don't make any sounds at all btw.And with nothing in the mic moving, I don't see how it could be anything but ambient noise, unless oyu consider the resistance in the wires and connectors, but of course you know that's not noise.

#2: no, I'm not speaking in regards to clipping. You can be well far from clip and still have that mean-ass his with that combo I mentioned, os to advise someone that it's a good thing and it'll work out like afar more expensive mic isn't accurate at all.

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I'm not going to argue with you Dooms...I'm telling the people what I do...and if they wanna follow that...fine...

and noise can be geenrated from Connections...that's what happened with my mic a week ago...The cable itself was loose, which caused a constant Hum and Drone in my recordings until I tightened it...And you can differentiate between Ambient sound and electronic circuitry noise easily if you have headphones on...It's common sense to Kill all ambient noise that you can...and in cool edit, sudden noises occur as peaks rather than flat, constant waves such as circuitry noise, which is unique to everyone's set up...That's why I couldn't correctly run noise redux on ur vocals using a Noise Profile from my set up...


Also...The levels I record at cause little to no hiss AFTER I run my editing process...it's pretty clear...and these are the levels I suggested for whoever likes the way my shit sounds and want to copy it.


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P.S. Antares works well for me...It allows u to change the characteristics of ur Mic such as trebel, bass, tube saturation and all of that...In fact, what it really does it allow u to select mics and settings that bring out your voice more...u gotta play with it.

Cool Edit Clarifies the Noise Redux Issue:

Cool Edit Pro’s Noise Reduction function can dramatically reduce background and general broadband noise with a minimal reduction in signal quality. It can also remove tape hiss, microphone background noise, 60 cycle hum, or any noise that is constant throughout the duration of your waveform.
You can reduce the noise incurred by the sound board's circuitry during recording--just record a second of silence before whatever you want to record and tell the noise reducer to remove the sound of that silence in order to further reduce the noise level by up to 10dB.


^^^Besides what they mention...u can define any sound as "noise" to be technical...My point is, run NOISE REDUX after defining "dead air" as NOISE so your vocals will be clearer.

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It's a great tutorial...

But I didn't understand half the shit you were even talkin about haha...But I'll try it...

Word.

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lol...well, it's for people who know how to record, but wanted a different editing process...I feel most kids over process their vocals and cause them to sound like shit...After I record and run this process, my vocals are very clear...

then it's all in the mixing...

but, I appreciate it homie...



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Youtube Video for my song "CARRY ON"

I hear all that. Tellin people what to do vs. telling people what is no owhere near true are seperate. You're just bumping yuor gums and not knowing wtf you're talking about? You shoulda cut everything outta this except for the actual settings of shit and based on your ability to be accurate, I even question that!

how's it feel?

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ur so jaded...meanwhile, people give me compliments on my quality and know yours is garbage.


u got clowned da fuck by Lady Fiya...don't take ur frustrations out on my thread kiddo...





MOD...Clear this out and sticky it...

thank you.

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Youtube Video for my song "CARRY ON"

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"Clear this out and sticky it...thank you" LOL bet it ain't time you said that huh?

About your jackass hypothesis about me and LF, if I wanted to rip her I'd jsut battle her.

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You fucking nerds need to stop typing paragraphs at each other, gon catch carpel tunnel syndrome and shit.

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lol...yea man..but Q..u could prolly step ya vocals up WAY more..i did i got a mxl 990..and like Dooms said that Mic moduler makes it sound worst =\...i use the alcatrakz process...Indeph and Acuity thought i was pretty close to studio quality..oo yea..and i fugred that if u record higher witout clippin..then just de ampin or hard limitin..it would reduce the noise ..lol lucky for me i found the right settin on my pre amp..i record about a foot from my mic now too..but yea its a good tut for starters..if u downloaded that Waves shit u could get betta quality

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[.Diabolic:.]

did u read the very 1st thing I said?...I said i DO NOT have the best quality, but that it's pretty decent...I also said SOME PEOPLE like the way my vocals sound and wanted to know HOw I mixed them...This is for them...MOVE ALONG PLEASE.


PS...If recording the way you do works for you, fine...THis ain't about you.


thank you.

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Youtube Video for my song "CARRY ON"