pre amp to pro tools suggested amp settings for hip hop vocals?

[tazzof408]

ive ben spending way to much time trying to get the right settings i just need sumthin to start from and go from there.. my delivery is similar to eminems with alot of energey and i stand about 10inches from the mic..what are suggested compression and eq seetings? even gain and tube drive settings? if u producing eminems track were would u start the settings?

[Emcha_audio]

Originally Posted by tazzof408

I've been spending way to much time trying to get the right settings I just need something to start from and go from there.. My delivery is similar to Eminems, with a lot of energy and I stand about 10 inches from the mic.. What are the suggested compression and EQ settings? Even gain and tube drive settings? If you're producing Eminems tracks, where would you start off with the settings?

There's a lot of things that comes into play here. Room, mic selection, voice tones. All of these are very much inclined to affect the choices you will have to make and are very subjective on a forum without actually hearing the song and the MC, to be able to determine what is needed.

So if there's anything to suggest and you do not have a problem with it, upload a small bit of a vocal track, clean without any process. And then people will be able to chime in with more inputs.

The other thing you could try, is to find out where a certain track has been recorded, and then see what equipment they have at that studio and go from there.

[albee1952]

The settings are likely much less important than the hardware itself. Proper recording levels don't change, but the sound of mics and preamps can vary drastically. I would work a bit closer(like 6 inches) and maybe double up on the popper stoppers, or experiment with twisting the mic a tad(so you don't sing into it straight on) if you get to many plosives. Choosing the best mic and preamp for the voice is the most important thing here. This is a spot where "cheap" doesn't pay off too well. Having said that, a chain that doesn't require a mortgage can be had if you shop around. You will get tons of opinions on this(and that's fine) but my suggestion is a Miktek C7 into either a Neve(or clone like BAE or Vintech) or an API-312(or clone like the Five Fish Audio X-12). Another step up would be top add a compressor to this chain(like a Distressor). As mentioned, the room can have an effect on the sound(working closer will lessen that effect) so maybe treat a corner of your space if you are surrounded by drywall(don't forget the ceiling and floor). If you DO record thru any compressor, don't overdo it(you can add more with plugins, but you can't undo over-compression). My advice, use 2:1 to 3:1 and set for no more than 3-4db of reduction on peaks, or split the signal BEFORE the compressor and record to 2 tracks(mute the uncompressed if you like, it will still record). Make a group of the 2 tracks and do the same punches on both if you need to(so the performances are matched) If you have an EQ in your recording chain(hardware EQ that is) don't do a lot of EQ on the way in, but do hi-pass(80-140Hz depending on the voice). Make note of any EQ so you can match it at a later date(trust me, it can happen after months or more)

[sonixstudio]

Originally Posted by tazzof408

ive ben spending way to much time trying to get the right settings i just need sumthin to start from and go from there.. my delivery is similar to eminems with alot of energey and i stand about 10inches from the mic..what are suggested compression and eq seetings? even gain and tube drive settings? if u producing eminems track were would u start the settings?

Set your output of the preamp to unity , centre detent or nutral what ever you want to call it and leave it there for now. Sing into the mic. then bring uo the input on the pre until it is about at 0 on you pre. adjust output as needs be. If you don't know EQ or COMP settings leave them alone it will do way more damage than good if you screw it up. You cant get back a frequency if you don't have it. So leave it . Use you pre as a hardware insert for EQ. If it has EQ on it I presume it does. Once you EQ the Channel strip in PT the way you like it write down your settings and theres your EQ setting for next time.

[albee1952]

Here's my method for EQ once you have recorded the track. Insert the EQ III 7 band. Grab one of the mid sections, set it for really narrow and boost it to +9db. Now, play the track(or loop a section) and sweep the frequency while you listen for "ugly" to jump out at you. When you find this, you will understand what I mean. When you hit a spot that is nasty, pull the boost down and do a modest cut at that frequency(start around -3 to -5db). Repeat with another EQ band as needed. The idea here is to find what DOESN'T sound good and reduce it, instead of boosting all over the place trying to make things sound good. Besides, boosting will get you closer to clipping(maybe too close). Once the EQ is sorted, then I would look over the track as you listen and keep an eye out for sections/words that are too soft(get lost) or too hot(stick out too much). I like to level those sections with the Audiosuite GAIN plugin(or Clip Gain in PT10). Doing this will make the track hit your compressor plugin more evenly and make for a better mix in the end. I like to use a "character" compressor plugin and SMACK! does a nice job(there are several choices here).

Once that is all done, if you STILL feel like the vocal is not popping enough in the mix(and volume doesn't help), here's another little trick. Put a mono AUX send to a new mono AUX track. On the AUX track, insert EQ III and turn on the HPF, and sweep it up to around 3KHz. Next, insert the AIR distortion plugin(try the soft overdrive setting). Start with the AUX track fader down and play the session. Blend the AUX track in behind the main vocal and at some point, the vocal should pop forward in the mix(its the extra harmonics you are adding). Above all, remember to have fun with this stuff and experiment to find what works best. Just using presets or whatever from others is kind of like painting by numbers.