Help me record a rap

[kaylee]

Hello friends!

I recently became a rapper – within the last week or so – and i am looking forward to spittin some of the bars that ive written ??

please tell me, audio peoples, what is the cheapest way for me to record solid vocals? imagine that i have very little knowledge about this, never done it before, but i know some basics about sound i guess

i have:

- a shure sm58

- a huge closet i can make into a lil recording room, do sound treatment on the walls, etc

- a mac

- adobe apps

would yall PUHWEASE help me out...?

theres SOooooo many options...

like, to start, if i even wanted to use the shure sm58 i have to record, i think id need a thing like this

to plug it into my mac, is that even right? if so, right away thats $100

i have nooo idea how to spend my money here.... and i have so little ?

a completely different option is doing none of this and just reaching out to see who i know who already has this gear... im sure theres someone, then i could go record wherever, and im open to that, its sadly totally a matter of money right now... its the end of the year and im broke...!

happy holidays fellas ?

[kye]

@IronFilm can tell you the cheapest way to hook up the mic to your computer.

In terms of making a sound booth, you want to pad it out with as much absorbent material as possible, blankets and foam mattresses work well, but use whatever you have. The heavier the fabric is the more likely it is to absorb sound.

Of course, rappers have recorded in all sorts of circumstances and on all sorts of equipment, including their iPhone in a walk-in-robe, so experimentation is the key. Remember that music is creative so it's not about quality so much as getting the sound you like, so experiment with everything you can think of.

Also, performance is more important than the sound, so if you don't perform well squatting in a wardrobe covered in blankets then change it up.

Best of luck!!

I wrote electronic music as a hobby for about ten years and when you make something that sounds great there's no better feeling!

[BTM_Pix]

If you want a much cheaper alternative to the Shure mic pre-amp then have a look at the Behringer UM-2 which will get you what you need for not far off a third of the price.

With regard to fitting out the recording environment, have a look at someone like BoothJunkie on YouTube for some insights into low cost DIY options using quilts etc.

Reflection filters such as this have come down in price quite dramatically in recent years and can help in producing a more controlled sound in less than ideal environments.

They can be had on Amazon for under £40 but their effectiveness does vary so obviously check out reviews on there and on YouTube for specific ones.

One challenge you will face though combining being the performer and the recording engineer is having the computer as your recording device. Having it in the same room will likely throw up issues regarding noise and also the ergonomics of where you are going to place it so that you can operate the mouse/trackpad/keyboard to control the recording software.

The option here if you have an iphone/ipad would be to use something like DuetDisplay so you can operate the computer remotely from in the booth.

Another option would be to control it from in there from a small USB control surface like the Korg NanoKontrol

The advantage for the Korg is that it is far better ergonomically as it is giving you dedicated controls for playback, recording and looping (which will be important when you are getting a section right) as well as control of your recording level and monitoring level for the backing track etc. It will also find utility of course in the same roles when you are doing your final mix and make the whole thing a far more intuitive experience.

Price wise, its about £40 so although its twice the price of the DuetDisplay its still not too bad at all

Now......having said all that...

If it was me, I might actually consider going a different way and getting a more dedicated multitrack music recorder like the Zoom R8

This will give you the whole thing in one package.

It is small enough and quiet enough to be used in the booth with you, has all the dedicated controls you need to combine being the performer and the recording engineer and also has in built effects to get you where you need to get to sonically a bit quicker.

Even if you didn't want to use its internal recording then you can use it as an audio interface to your computer (as per the Shure/Behringer interfaces) and as a control surface for the software (as per the Korg NanoKontrol).

Or any combination of both, so you could create the backing tracks on the computer, transfer to the Zoom to add your vocals, then transfer back to the computer to finish off and use the Zoom as a control surface.

In addition, it also has a drum machine and sampler built in so can actually be used to help create the tracks in the first place.

It is powered by mains or battery so can also be put to work as a field recorder for your films if need be.

They are currently around the £200 mark (though you can always find a lot of used ones cheaper) so its more than the price of just adding an audio interface and controller to your computer but if you can stretch to it then I think you would find it a much better solution for what it is you are trying to do.

https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/multi-track-recorder/r8-recorder-interface-controller-sampler

[Snowbro]

Repeat the same words/versus over & over seems to be key ?

[kaylee]

wow, im learning about music, this is fun!

hey, anybody use adobe audition? i dont even know if its the right software for something like this but i HAVE it, thats why i ask

or is there a decent free app i could use to mix this song?

no way im buying logic for this bc poverty, otherwise i totally would

[BTM_Pix]

13 minutes ago, kaylee said:

no way im buying protools for this bc poverty, otherwise i totally would

They do a "free" version of ProTools called ProTools First that you can have a play with.

The "free" limitation is the number of sessions you can save but it might be enough to get you going with it.

If you then like it you can upgrade the session space for $5 a month or $50 a year.

The major upside to using ProTools is that it is built for music recording and mixing more so than Audition so you will find a lot more resources online in terms of tutorials to get you up and running.

And of course it offers you an upgrade path into the fully blown ProTools system when you get all rich and famous and forget us all

https://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first

[kaylee]

well ill be damned, i had no idea.

@BTM_Pix first i wrote protools, then i was like Whoops! Do I mean Logic? so I changed it ???

thanks, that's an awesome tip~! even i have $5 a month!!

[Dustin]

@kaylee I’ve been recording for about 10 years now. I wouldn’t personally use Adobe audition for a DAW. I used to use pro tools but for $299 I’d say pick up either Logic Pro or Studio One- no monthly payments for me lol. I personally use and LOVE studio one, I have the pro version3. 

Next- get yourself a decent audio interface such a Focusrite Scarlett’s 2i4 or 2i2. These are pretty cheap around $100. Next you can use the sm58 but I’d pick up a $100 large diaphragm condenser microphone and a pop filter. If you are making beats you will want a midi keyboard at the minimum. If you’re just buying beats then this won’t be necessary. Spend some time on YouTube and find some good tutorials but it’s not any harder than video editing, just a different creative hat to wear!

Finally pick up a good pair of studio headphones or monitors so you can accurately hear everything. Nice studio monitors can help with video editing too btw. I have a set of KRK RP5’s and the KRK Kns 8400 headphones. These are fantastic!

 

best of luck!

[KnightsFan]

I use Reaper as a DAW. It has a free trial thay never actually expires, and the full version is like $50. Ive been using it for maybe 4 years and absolutely love it. I mainly use it for mixing for films, but have used it occasionally for recording simple stuff (which i do in a closet with heavy sleeping bags hanging about for isolation, if you are looking for budget ideas). I use my zoom f4 as an audio interface, and monitor with the classic mdr-7506 headphones.

[mercer]

As a writer, I recently became interested in audio dramas and am in the middle of setting up a similar space for voice recording, except I don’t even have a closet. For an audio interface, I went with a Tascam but I may end up getting a Zoom F4 or H6 to double as a field recorder for my films and to make the audio drama recording more portable. My friend produces audio dramas and he uses a Scarlet. But @BTM_Pix ‘s R8 suggestion seems interesting to me as well. I’m not familiar with the product but it seems to be a decent compromise if you’re interested in both voice and music work... how well it would handle as a field recorder for my needs... I’m not so sure?

As a DAW, I’d agree with @KnightsFan , Reaper is pretty amazing. I just downloaded the trial which is the full version but I think it’s only good for 60 days now and then it’s $60 to purchase... a really amazing piece of software for the money with some pretty wicked filters. 

If I were @kaylee I’d stick with the SM58 microphone. I went with the SM57 for two reasons... I like the look of it better than the 58 (silly I know but I tend to work better if I like the look or ergonomics of my equipment) and I was pretty impressed when I read that every US Presidential address has been recorded with the SM57 for the past 30-40 years. But the SM58 is truly a classic mic... especially for the price. Mic drops aren’t breaking that thing. Lol. Plus a dynamic mic will work better for the recording space she’s describing. 

[KnightsFan]

5 minutes ago, mercer said:

it’s only good for 60 days now and then it’s $60 to purchase...

True, what i meant was that all it does is tell you to purchase. It doesnt stop working or cripple any features. Its such a refreshingly non-invasive install that i gladly paid, despite it being the easiest thing in the world to steal. No background processes or separate licensing/update software automatically draining resources every time you boot (hello apple and adobe).

[mercer]

Thanks, I didn’t even realize that. Like you, for $60 I’ll gladly pay. 

[BTM_Pix]

10 minutes ago, mercer said:

But @BTM_Pix ‘s R8 suggestion seems interesting to me as well. I’m not familiar with the product but it seems to be a decent compromise if you’re interested in both voice and music work... how well it would handle as a field recorder for my needs... I’m not so sure?

Its form factor and 2 simultaneous input limit definitely put it into the 'can be pressed into service as' category of field recorder rather than a first choice.

Although for someone who doesn't have a separate field recorder it is certainly serviceable.

[mercer]

10 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

Its form factor and 2 simultaneous input limit definitely put it into the 'can be pressed into service as' category of field recorder rather than a first choice.

Although for someone who doesn't have a separate field recorder it is certainly serviceable.

Well, against a lot of folks’ recommendations I went with the Zoom F1 since I predict I will be using lavs to record the majority of my dialogue. I believe it will suit my run and gun needs better but I do want a separate field recorder for foley and the occasion that I want/need more tracks. Right now I’m leaning toward the H6. But since these instances will be so rare, the R8 could be suitable in a pinch. Plus the preamps seem to get good reviews. The price is right and I love the control surface capabilities of the R8 which I just found out is compatible with Reaper. Thanks for the heads up!

This is a little OT but does anyone have any experience with the Roland R-07? I love the size and portability and the Bluetooth seems pretty invaluable for inconspicuous recordings on trains or in the public. 

[kye]

14 hours ago, kaylee said:

wow, im learning about music, this is fun!

hey, anybody use adobe audition? i dont even know if its the right software for something like this but i HAVE it, thats why i ask

or is there a decent free app i could use to mix this song?

no way im buying logic for this bc poverty, otherwise i totally would

There are lots of good software choices out there, and for simple stuff it probably doesn't matter which you choose.

A little history lesson that may (or may not) be relevant to choosing a DAW..  I remember there being three major types of audio packages:

• Those designed to work with notes (MIDI at first, but samples later on too, eg Logic)
• Those designed to work with loops (eg, Ableton Live)
• Those designed to work with long tracks of audio (like recording an orchestra, eg ProTools)

It's gotten to the point now where the big packages can probably do a respectable job at all three, but there may still be advantages to getting a package with the right 'heritage' because it might have more features you'd use.

I would imagine you would be more likely to be working with loops, or working with the timing of drum samples, rather than creating tunes, and this is where loop based software can often have an advantage.  For example, in a good loop based DAW you can change the speed of the song and it will slow down the loop samples, programmed elements, and perhaps the effects too, so that everything stays in sync, whereas other programs may just make a mess of things.  In addition to this, Ableton Live has a performance mode where you can take pre-written sections of a song and kind of mix and match them live, allowing beat-matching and other cool stuff that DJs like.

It depends on how you work and what is valuable to you.  Logic might have similar functionality too, I'm not sure, but Ableton Live is just the one I'm familiar with.

10 hours ago, Dustin said:

If you are making beats you will want a midi keyboard at the minimum.

When you're making beats, you want access to enough different samples and you might also want velocity sensitivity (so it knows if you're hitting it hard or soft).  You may want a keyboard (which has both) or you might find that something with pads is nicer.  Pads are rubbery and softer to hit, and are therefore nicer on your fingers, but aren't that good for playing tunes.

Something like the Arturia Beatstep:

I bought this one and it's really solid, is powered by USB so is portable, and has the knobs which make mixing or effects programming so much nicer.

The other thing is that you don't NEED anything except a computer, some software, and your microphone setup of choice.  The rest just makes doing things easier.

My advice is to remember that music is a creative pursuit, and you should only buy things that help you be creative.  In general, technology is distracting for creativity (having to remember which button does what and how to change modes really kills the creative flow!) so buy things that let you be creative by getting out of your way.

[Snowbro]

Have you considered mumble rap? It is quite popular right now and would require much less clarity in your audio ?

[kaylee]

1 hour ago, Snowbro said:

Have you considered mumble rap? It is quite popular right now and would require much less clarity in your audio ?

uhh i WASNT considering it until this thread got so advanced and then i was like Hmmm........

Kaylee gang?

? kaylee gang kaylee gangkaylee gang? ? that was easy!

seriously tho, thank you SOoo much guys, now i have some stuff to research instead of just following my nose in ignorance. THANK V MUCH

edit: one more thing, ill just leave this here

 

 

[Grimor]

Much better 

[hansel]

No idea how deep you want to get in the game? But I would consider to at least stick with one discipline. If you will try to master rap, beatmaking, producing, Puhhh. See you at the other end, unless you want to spend the next 5 years in the closet. 

I would suggest keep it simple.

get beats from the internet, contact people ask them for beats. Once you have recorded over it. Get someone to master the stuff. And/or keep it fun trashy and simpler give it some "live recoding"  feel and fuck HiFi

dont do drugs and gang stuff ?.

 

[webrunner5]

All you have to do is rent some expensive ass car, and find some big Assed Hoe's, wear a bunch of gold shit, and you are in business. All sounds the same, so the sound and lyrics part doesn't really matter. People are only looking at the Car and the Hoe's anyways. ?