Posted in: Digital Music by LoS on May 31, 2007 | 16 Comments
Having a hard time getting your vocals just right? Recording on a low-budget but still want that quality sound? Follow these few simple steps and you are on your way.
Dynamic processing can either make your mix shine, or destroy the whole essence and flow of your sound. When mixing vocals a good preset to use in Cool Edit is “RealAudio Compander” (effects>amplitude>dynamic processing). This will regulate the peaks of your vocals and will even out everything so that the audio is even all the way through.
Noise Reduction is also extremely powerful when cleaning up a rap vocal, especially if it’s recorded poorly. To properly use noise reduction you need to select at least 5 secs of the audio track were no there is no vocals, after this go into the noise reduction tab (effects>noise reduction>noise reduction), in the tab click “get profile from selection” and then click close.. yes close. Once your back looking at the wave file select all (ctrl>a) and reopen noise reduction. Now play around with the noise reduction level slider until you get it to a number where you like how it sounds. Good numbers are
Anything from 55-90, the lower you go the more of the noise you are going to hear the higher you go the more of your vocal presence your going to lose.
Most of the time vocals need to regain some of the essence and natural sound that they lost during dynamic processing and noise reduction. To do this you need to use an equalizer and parametric equalizer (effects>filters>parametric equalizer) in Cool Edit is perfect. This is pretty much personal preference but most of the time augmenting the mids in vocals will make it sits nicely on the beat and a good preset for this is the Mackie Mid (Boost). Play around with these settings to achieve the sound that you want.
Reverb (effects>delay effects>reverb) is also a personal preference effect; reverb will thicken up the vocals and add a tiny bit of delay depending on how you set it. A good preset in Cool Edit is the “Tight and Close” preset but of course to make your mix really shine is better to make your own original reverb setting. Echo (effects>delay effects>echo) is also a good effect when mixing rap vocals especially in the ad-libs and doubles. Echo gives the mix presence and makes it fun. It is also good to make your own echo preset that is not to echoed but enough so is felt in your mix.
Panning is extremely important when you have adlibs and doubles recorded because it gives your vocals body if all these elements are panned precisely. Usually the main vocals are panned slightly right or left (R5 or L5). Doubles are panned right or left opposite to were your main vocals were panned (R20-30 L20-30). And finally adlibs are panned not too much where they can be hardly heard but not to little where they overpower the main vocals. Good adlib panning is usually set between R15-20, L15-20 opposite of your doubles. Volume is also good to play around with in every track, the doubles in rap vocals should always be less so the main vocals don’t get overpowered the same goes with the adlibs.
Mixing is simply an art and Cool Edit got powerful effects to make you rap vocals really shines. Training your ear to hear flaws in your mix makes it easier to correct them and playing around with settings is always good to learn what each specific effect does. These set of steps is just a basic way to clean up and mix your rap vocals so that they sit nicely in a mix with quality.
gabro January 10th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
How To Make West Side Sound?
Mak April 14th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
what is “west side sound”?
Jeremy May 2nd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
West side sound is West Coast rap. The melodies would consist mostly strings orchestra hits hard kick drums a G-funk kinda bassline.
Sam August 4th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
This is a really helpful QRG (quick reference guide) for me in my home studio. Really put that atomic-level detail to the vocals which without it sounded really homemade.
Good job, and thanks for a great explaination behind every element!
Zinn August 11th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Yea so i also use mackie high boost, which currently stopped working. Like, the graphic for it shows up as an absolute zero (a straight horizontal line)
Zinn August 11th, 2008 at 7:39 am
NM, I fixed it, turns out my sample rate was jacked up, the hz on the preset was 12000 and my sample rate was 11025, just start a new multitrack and choose the correct sample rate around 41000 i think for mics
Needhelp boy October 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
what is adlibs and doubling?
teddi October 29th, 2008 at 8:30 am
to be continued my dued
Islam1emcee December 13th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Question? Do you need an external noise gate when recording on these DAW, or can you just simply use the gate inside the program?
Adhi January 29th, 2009 at 5:08 am
this is extremely good man … may i get ur email id .. i still have sme doubts …
no 1ife March 12th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
does any one know how to do the walkie talkie effect on cool edit pro?? im not sure what the real name for it but it sounds like ur talking through a walkie talkie or an intercom.
Big E myspace.com/lbsouthstudio March 15th, 2009 at 3:46 am
I Dont Have Cool Edit I Have Adobe Audition, & the Walkie Talkie Effect Is Under Multiband Compressor as a preset
doe April 13th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
i recorded a track and put an echo effect on it. i then saved the track only to decided after wards that i no longer wanted the echo effect on the track. problem is the undo button is no longer there as an option to undo the effect and i don’t know how to remove it. can anyone please help me?
Double H a.ka Spitfire April 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
plz LOS bro or ny 1..plz…post a same kinda QRG abt how 2 mix on Adobe Audition 3..I extremly need dat..plz bro ny 1 plz………..
LoS May 22nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I will have a new guide up about mixing with adobe audition.
http://www.LOSBEATS.com
kenjee kennedy May 24th, 2009 at 7:51 am
the probleme with cool edit pro is that you cant undo your fx if you added your fx in the edit view…
the best to do for cool edit, is to add your fx on the multitrack view itself..
clik on the fx button just behind the eq and panning knobs at your left…a rack will open, adjust your fx’s as you want..
you should select the fx you want to use, then clik ok..
another window will open, then you gotta balance your dry and wet..
adjust the ms for your delays as you wish
then you save..
the day after when you listen and see the fx are not ok..you can always open up the rack again and change your fx setup
bless
kenjee kennedy
from mauritius island
indian ocean