Want to recreate the 95-2000 hiphop era sound via digi age!

[Killah_Trakz]

That sound is my steez and im doing this for my personal use and maybe might grind it out if its good to the outside folks. I love that era of music but I dont have that budget suitable for this right now. I have the samplers and drum machines of that time, now im looking to capture vocals and mix with that vintage sound.

So right now im looking for a pretty good mic thats nuetral and not too coloring and basic native plugs (uad2 are not protools ready yet as ive been told.) I get close to the sound now just with stock stuff but want to touch it up a lil bit more.

[ReaLsoN]

So you consider 95-2000 vintage sound? Interesting.

However, if you´re looking for that kind of sound there are plenty of existing threads to look out for.

[Silver Sonya]

There's a paradox here.

That sound involves budget for skilled work. But who among us can afford Bob Power to come on over, hang out and mix along with us? He's a genius, but he doesn't do a thing without getting paid and getting paid well. You would be like this if you were Bob Power too.

So, where to start?

I encourage you to do a lot of research on your favorite producers and engineers. There are a lot of articles out there. Read, read, read! Try to get inside the way they think, learn what turned you on about the records they helped to create.

Many of these people are more accessible and approachable than you might think. Because they aren't celebrities in the larger world (i.e. nobody gasps when they walk down the street), they're often happy to be recognized by a fan and may even spend time to email back-and-forth with you, if you're lucky.

When I was starting, I was blessed to spend some time around many of my heroes just because I was passionate enough to try and reach them. I learned so much.

The UAD stuff is amazing. I use PT and like it fine, but why wait for them to get their PT act together. Get Logic, buy a Mac Pro (the cheapest one has all the power you'll need), get a UAD2 quad card and keep moving. Gear matters so little with hip hop. It's how you hear, how you want to shape sounds, what you hear in your head, how much soul you have. People fetishize the MPC and yeah, they're cool, I have one too, but really a sample is a sample is a sample. The world of sound design continues to move forward, why be nostalgic?

Be creative. Snatch stuff from surprising sources. Don't look to the same Meters records that everybody else has bitten. Find an obscure moment on a lilly white Blossom Dearie record and run it backwards. Add a booming 808 from the Goldbaby library. F*ck sh*t up. Do whatever you want.

No rules. No boundaries. This is hip hop!

These days, it's up to you and your ears. Have faith in yourself, experiment, have fun. It's an endless learning process.

Also, if you have friends who are more "engineer"y than you, hang out with them, ask them a lot of questions. Be respectful and humble and enthusiastic. People will help you out.

- c

[computa]

i'd go 92-96 then 98-2000 (97 was all puffy)

get some hardware synths and tape machines and outboard and ssl consoles.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by computa

get some hardware synths and tape machines and outboard and ssl consoles.

Agree on all the above.... especially 2" TAPE.

And I'll add....... a GREAT engineer.

There's no shortcuts to this sound folks.... You either go all the way with the gear, the room, and the engineer.... or you forget it.

Up until 1999-2000, Pro Tools was not very common in the big studios. It was ONLY 2" TAPE and SSL's.

Even all the way up until 2002-2003, studios were charging rental fees for people who wanted to use Pro Tools. Now, you can't even find a tape machine.

[Killah_Trakz]

I wasn't asking for a discussion on hiphop theory. Just looking for a few essentials I can run through some recordings and call it a day for the average home user..... Yeah I can pull all those stunts and get all that... but that's not the sonics im trying to go for.

But maybe im @ the wrong place place asking the right question.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Agree on all the above.... especially 2" TAPE.

And I'll add....... a GREAT engineer.

There's no shortcuts to this sound folks.... You either go all the way with the gear, the room, and the engineer.... or you forget it.

Up until 1999-2000, Pro Tools was not very common in the big studios. It was ONLY 2" TAPE and SSL's.

Even all the way up until 2002-2003, studios were charging rental fees for people who wanted to use Pro Tools. Now, you can't even find a tape machine.

This is all true but the important cultural factor not metioned here: an actual label with elastic purse strings and an expectation it will recoup its costs through a rapacious profit margin for $18.99 CD's sold to the consumer in Tower Records, while offering the artist Byzantine accounting obfuscating the fact that the artist is getting paid pennies on the dollar.

The $18.99 CD's are gone. Tower's gone. Artists have figured out that <1% royalty on net is absurd. Consequently, the budget's gone. Bob Power's still here but you can't afford him. The '90s was a different time.

Don't romanticize the past. Deal with the now. Jump into a DAW and use your imagination and create a masterpiece for tomorrow. Use the tools that are swinging in the toolshed.

And when you create that masterpiece, own the master.

- c

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Killah_Trakz

I wasn't asking for a discussion on hiphop theory. Just looking for a few essentials I can run through some recordings and call it a day for the average home user..... Yeah I can pull all those stunts and get all that... but that's not the sonics im trying to go for.

But maybe im @ the wrong place place asking the right question.

I hear you, but I think the difficulty here is that the premise of your question involves a different economic circumstance.

Emulating the characteristic of great hip hop records of the '95 - 2000 involves a lot of money spent. That's the main thing.

To pursue that vision exactingly, you'd need to spend the dough they spent. Y'know?

Again, Bob Power and his ilk are expensive.

And for good reason.

- c

[E-Irizarry]

Originally Posted by computa

i'd go 92-96 then 98-2000 (97 was all puffy)

get some hardware synths and tape machines and outboard and ssl consoles.

Yeah the reel tape emulation is an integral part of 90s East Coast Hip-Hop sound no doubt.

Puffy took all types of shit and resampled. He cleaned up - damn shark byte-er he is. LOL

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by E-Irizarry

Yeah the reel tape emulation is an integral part of 90s East Coast Hip-Hop sound no doubt.

I think you mean "real tape," right?

- c

[ReaLsoN]

Originally Posted by Killah_Trakz

But maybe im @ the wrong place place asking the right question.

Nah, but maybe you were expecting a different answer ...

[ReaLsoN]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

Don't romanticize the past. Deal with the now. Jump into a DAW and use your imagination and create a masterpiece for tomorrow. Use the tools that are swinging in the toolshed.

And when you create that masterpiece, own the master.

Very good advice! Co-sign ...

[alexstringer]

I was told the Focusrite Blue 330 comp was used a lot on most big Hip Hop prods from that era...

[Jermaine]

Originally Posted by ;3418795

Don't romanticize the past. Deal with the now. Jump into a DAW and use your imagination and create a masterpiece for tomorrow. Use the tools that are swinging in the toolshed.
- c

thats definitively true, but it is a good way to learn and understand the old masters, or the things that you like, to built the fundament for your own style. its like guitar playin.. i played all the soli of the masters like bb king, hendrix and some metal guys. with these fundament i built up my own style.

if he wants the fundament of old school hip hop, than its great that he wants to learn (which means understand and built knowledge) to recreat the sound and make his own shit.

and be honest: many so called "composers" creat just midi-c-chord bullshit with no soul and sterile sounddesign, but the think they make new hip hop..

[illacov]

Originally Posted by Killah_Trakz

That sound is my steez and im doing this for my personal use and maybe might grind it out if its good to the outside folks. I love that era of music but I dont have that budget suitable for this right now. I have the samplers and drum machines of that time, now im looking to capture vocals and mix with that vintage sound.

So right now im looking for a pretty good mic thats nuetral and not too coloring and basic native plugs (uad2 are not protools ready yet as ive been told.) I get close to the sound now just with stock stuff but want to touch it up a lil bit more.

I take it you have means to cop this mic?

And you already know i think u should get one built. I think u would do well with a 251 type thru a colored pre or a clean pre so u can add color.

Peace
Illumination

[Jermaine]

and for real vintage, you need this baby:

STUDER B67 REEL TO REEL TAPE RECORDER - eBay (item 190250170568 end time Sep-16-08 17:20:13 PDT)

i love it!!

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by Jermaine

and for real vintage, you need this baby:

STUDER B67 REEL TO REEL TAPE RECORDER - eBay (item 190250170568 end time Sep-16-08 17:20:13 PDT)

i love it!!

Nah... waste of money. You need one of these:

[blarg]

At least start in 94 with - Saafir : Boxcar Sessions

[SAYWORDS]

I feel you! alot of the old records had warmth,But yet again some had none.Emulation of that sound these days can be achieved with all types of gear.Some of that hip-hop was done in one take directly to tape. Obviously reel to reel is expensive. So try working with an old high quality 4-8 track tape recorder or shell out for all the miraculous plug-ins built specifically for that application.

[terrytee]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

Don't romanticize the past. Deal with the now. Jump into a DAW and use your imagination and create a masterpiece for tomorrow. Use the tools that are swinging in the toolshed.

And when you create that masterpiece, own the master.

- c

Also got to co sign this shit, it is by far the best advice.

[Jermaine]

Originally Posted by SAYWORDS

So try working with an old high quality 4-8 track tape recorder or shell out for all the miraculous plug-ins built specifically for that application.

but in my opinion, all the plug ins for saturation doesnt do the job well enough! its like simulate a sp1200 with plug-ins.. ;)


@tony: DAMN!!!! :)