22nd July 2012
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#1 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3
Thread Starter | 15 year old rapper
hi, im 15 years old. im a rapper. iknow iknow just another 15 boy who hinks he can rap. but im trying to record my music in my room/studio.
i dont know what type of gear to buy if someone could help me it would be very aprreciated. thank you ! | 
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22nd July 2012
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#2 | | Gear addict
Joined: Oct 2010 Location: Smithfield,VA
Posts: 372
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Before someone can help you,chime back in and let us know your budget and o.s. it'll help with suggestions fam.
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22nd July 2012
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#3 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 259
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Probably a decent mic and computer. Or you could just buy studio time.
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22nd July 2012
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#4 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2012 Location: London UK
Posts: 660
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yep - a half decent mic, and maybe a computer like a mac, which often comes free with garage band, which is a basic version of logic.... could work on that and you'll learn the basics in no time. Come back in a little while and ask what to upgrade.
15 is an awesome age to be getting into beatmaking / DAWing. Good luck!
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22nd July 2012
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2012 Location: Hamburg, Germany
Posts: 1,432
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- DAW software - I would recommend Reaper, because you get the most value for your money (the full version is only 60$, this is half the price you have to pay for a limited "student/beginners" version of other DAWs like Cubase). As for effect/eq/dynamic plugins, there are lots of good free plugins out there.
- A decent Mic - can't recommend anything without knowing your budget and recording situation - but you'll find lots of threads about entry level mics here on gearslutz.
- An audio interface that comes with some decent pre amps (because your budget won't allow an additional external Mic Pre amp, I guess).
If you're absolutely desperate and low on money you can use onboard audio and get a cheap mini mixing desk like a Behringer Onyx 802 for Mic/Instrument pre amps but that would only be a temporary solution until you can afford some decent entry level gear - I would prefer saving some money and look out on eBay for a neat audio interface.
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22nd July 2012
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#7 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Lake Charles
Posts: 1,404
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The absolute best thing you can do is not waste the zillions of hours it will take for you to learn how to do all this, and instead just focus on being the best rapper you can be. Then, at some point in the future, you will be so good that somebody who already knows how to record will record you in a real studio.
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22nd July 2012
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#8 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2012 Location: London UK
Posts: 660
| Quote:
Originally Posted by jdsowa  The absolute best thing you can do is not waste the zillions of hours it will take for you to learn how to do all this, and instead just focus on being the best rapper you can be. Then, at some point in the future, you will be so good that somebody who already knows how to record will record you in a real studio. | In my view this is a somewhat nuclear version of extremely sensible advice.
I'd say your passion and core skill is rapping; producing pro-sounding records is a core skill in itself so be wary of finding all your time taken up with fun geekery of playing with synths and DAWs etc. Focus on your rapping skills, and a big part of this can be recording your stuff into a DAW over basic beats, then building a library of raps you can listen to anytime and play to your friends. Over time you'll realise the raps that remains sounding great to you, and the ones that get your friends feet tapping or commenting on / remembering your lyrics more, this will often give you big clues as to what you're really great at and what is working less.
Esp. at 15, it's great to get a relatively cheap daw and mic, and to let the thrill of hearing your stuff coming out of speakers help you hone your rapping skills.
Dont go getting into lengthily discussions on gearslutz about mics and cables until you're at least 17!  | |
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22nd July 2012
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#9 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3
Thread Starter |
thanks everybody your input was well aprreciated so basically just a mic and a DAW
to hone my skills
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22nd July 2012
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#10 | | Jack of all Trades
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,268
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I would buy a USB mic, and use reaper, then call it a day.
USB mic means you get to save money and not buy an interface and all that fun stuff... and reaper because it's so damn cheap, yet still effective.
Take this as honest opinion from a rapper turned rapper/producer/engineer/manager/promoter/etc etc etc - the less you have to do, the more you'll enjoy what you do.
It's great being able to say you can do everything... but daaamn is it a drain. Your 15 - get good at rapping, and maybe one day you'll get the rest down, but as a rapper, the last thing you want to worry about is your EQ/compression settings.
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22nd July 2012
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#11 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3
Thread Starter |
I UNDERSTAND thanks everybody my problem is i just need beats but i dont have money to buy 15 or 16 beats for a mixtape
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22nd July 2012
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#12 | | Jack of all Trades
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,268
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For a DAW (if you have a Mac) buy Logic Pro 9. If PC... probably get FL Studio or Reason.
And then buy a cheap keyboard controller, and you'll be set. The M-Audio Oxygen is a good cheap controller.
Your beats won't be radio ready for awhile... but they should be able to be rapped on in not to long.
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22nd July 2012
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#13 | | Gear nut
Joined: Jun 2011 Location: Toronto
Posts: 114
| Quote:
Originally Posted by newkidontheblock I UNDERSTAND thanks everybody my problem is i just need beats but i dont have money to buy 15 or 16 beats for a mixtape | You can always just go in the route of taking an instrumental over an existing song and just spit your own lyrics to it. If its just a mix tape and you don't expect money off it, I doubt you'd be in legal trouble anyway.
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22nd July 2012
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#14 | | Gear addict
Joined: Feb 2011 Location: St.Petersburg, Russia
Posts: 448
| Quote:
Originally Posted by newkidontheblock I UNDERSTAND thanks everybody my problem is i just need beats but i dont have money to buy 15 or 16 beats for a mixtape | We don't know your level, but if you just started - don't bother with it.
There are shiploads of stock loops in any decent DAW.
Also you can buy a lots of loops to your own taste: Hip Hop Samples, Hip Hop Sample CD, Urban Samples, RnB Samples, Soul Samples, Royalty Free
PS.
Damn auto correct.
Reminded line from comedy show: God just don't give a... ship! :D
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22nd July 2012
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#15 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 192
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Honestly you could start with a USB mic like the Samson g-track. It's a very easy way to get going, but you will out grow it in the long term.
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29th July 2012
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#16 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2010 Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 141
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Hey Kid,
First thing, change you username here, its not gangsta, especially for us older guys who know who new kids on the block were!
Now, I did this for my boy who started at 14, so I'll suggest it for you...
Get your folks to buy you a Mac., you'll use it weather you continue doing this or not. It comes with Garage Band, it is excellent and can produce great results. Real easy to learn, has tons of sounds, plug-ins and loops.
Buy a second hand SM58 or SM57. You can get them for about $65 and will be able to resell it for the exact same price. They are easy to find and sound very good.
Buy a second hand interface (it plugs into your computer, then you plug your mic into it). The older Apogee Duet will last you a long time, it is inexpensive, sounds great, and it works perfectly with your Mac.
Buy some decent monitor type headphones. Your parents will love you. You probably already have Beats, and though they work fine, but they are not the best for hearing what you will sound like. This is an option, you can really use anything you want, but for $100 Sennheiser 215's will do you well.
And that is it for your setup.
As for beats/loops, there are more free beats then you can ever use on the net. My boy started out just re-doing his favourite songs so that he could get a feel for the styles he liked. Listen carefully to what the pros are doing and start picking out patterns. You can get instrumental version of almost anything on YouTube.
Or if you are already past this stage, almost all of the companies that sell beats have free ones. Learn how to cut them up and loop them yourself in Garage band.
Finally on this, and this is important...
Take music in school, and pay attention in your English class.
Learning how to express yourself in writing, and understanding basic music principles regardless of the instrument, will be of more help to you then you will ever realize at this age. You are in school, you might as well learn things that will advance things you in that you like to do.
Hope this helps,
A
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Smokin' cigarettes, writing something nasty on the wall.
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