4 Rap Vocal Techniques That Actually Work
Tired of your vocals sounding amateur? 🎤 We’ve gathered two great techniques from industry pros like Leslie Brathwaite and MixedbyAli that'll help you level up your rap game – no BS, just stuff that works. Swipe through for some serious vocal processing wisdom that you can apply right now.
Mix with the Masters
Remove harshness with Notch EQ
Leslie Brathwaite demonstrates how to remove harshness from vocals using the Avid EQ III. He starts by boosting the frequency and narrowing the bell curve to its tightest point, then sweeps across the frequencies to identify the most annoying, harsh sound. Once found, he dips the frequency all the way down to hear what it sounds like without it. From there, he brings the band's gain back up to the point where it reduces the harshness without making the vocals sound hollow, ensuring a balanced and pleasant vocal tone.
Mix with the Masters
Control sibilance with multiple stages of de-essing and EQ
Use multiple stages of de-essing and EQ to control sibilance and make the vocal sound smoother.
Universal Audio
Get the vocal to sit well with smooth compression
Within the SSL 4000E Channel Strip, MixedbyAli applies compression after EQ to ensure the vocal sits prominently in the mix without overpowering it. It is important to him to avoid overcompressing and losing transients, so he opts for a low ratio (2:1 or 3:1) and sets the threshold to engage only during the loudest parts. Once the ratio and threshold are set, he fine-tunes the release time to a medium setting for a smooth and coherent result.