Tracking HipHop/ R&B/ Neo-Soul...

[droctii]

Read a lot of posts on recording/mixing urban music stuff, but I am wondering what you all are using to track mainly the music not so much the vocals.

How much EQ, do you use in the tracking process if any and how important do you think it is?

Also, in your post can you tell me what level (commercial, mix-tape, demo, etc.) you are releasing your music at.

[droctii]

at least the number of views to this thread shows interest. I know you all have been trying your best to contain, but you can speak...really, you can! ;)

[jazzius II]

What kind of sound are you going for?......

[djui5]

Originally posted by droctii
Read a lot of posts on recording/mixing urban music stuff, but I am wondering what you all are using to track mainly the music not so much the vocals.

You talking about live instruments involved with those genra's or MPC/Samplers and that type of stuff?

Hip/hop and R&B are 2 different sounds also. R&B is cleaner so you'd want to use cleaner equipment.

Most of the tracking I've done/seen done with hip/hop has been out of a MPC and didn't use any EQ'ing during tracking, that was done in the mixing phase. The API 10 band graphic EQ (560) is great for hip/hop snares....brings the snap out of them. It's a lot dependant on the sound you want to..like jazzius said.
A lot of hip/hop has a scooped mid range too...cutting mid's might be necessary quite a bit depending on the quality of the original sound during the mix.

Same with R&B type of stuff, not much EQ while tracking and not a whole lot during mixing, more delays and subtle fx's, mute automation, layering of sounds. There's always some subtractive EQ'ing to assist sounds in finding their place in a mix but when dealing with samplers and such a lot of the sound is allready there.

Live insturments are different, some EQ while tracking to shape for the sound your looking for might be a good idea. How much and what EQ's will depend on the type of sound your looking for. Probably a high pass filter won't hurt on most recordings unless it's the bass or kick tracks.

Most of the stuff I've worked on/with has been somewhere between commercial and local with features from big artists like Black Rob, 4th deciple and Baretta 9 from Wu. Not doing a lot of that type of thing now...except for one local artist.

Hope this was at least a little helpfull.

[droctii]

Thanks for the replies....I guess I could have been more specific, but I am just curious as to the different approaches/ equipment that people are using to get a particular 'sound' within the genre.

Most of the stuff I am doing is 'cleaner' sounding, but still sample based (i.e. very little static from vinyl samples, etc.). I am kinda doing something that is a mixture between Pete Rock and music from Lauryn Hill's first album.

However, my curiousity is about what I wrote in the first paragraph. I just like to learn, so I ask questions. It gives me ideas to add to my own. I'm not looking for the 'secret', because as my friend, engineer Troy Hightower (LL Cool J, De La Soul, Genuine, etc.) tells me when I call him for advice "Eh dawg, there's no secret...you just have to listen. You can do it!"

[jlotto]

When tracking to PT HD at our spot we always have synths going thru Brent Avrill Neve pre-amps or a few others we have laying around. Can run mpc3000 thru Hedd, Fatso, etc. Just got a Cranesong Spider for tracking as well. Vocals rap- U87/Avalon r&b Sony C800g/Avalon. With all that said have tracked in major NYC spots and have gone straight into PT HD without any "coloring".

[jazzius II]

Originally posted by droctii
as my friend, engineer Troy Hightower (LL Cool J, De La Soul, Genuine, etc.) tells me when I call him for advice "Eh dawg, there's no secret...you just have to listen. You can do it!"

Good advice.......listening is the hard part

[droctii]

I was reade intering an article recently where Dr. Dre was saying that his engineer spends a lot of time EQing things on the front end- ex. kicks, snare, etc. I guess that's why i was wondering about there things.

[Jay Kahrs]

I never EQ vocals to tape unless it's got effects on it which are part of the sound. Anything else is fair game for any and all processing. Just gotta listen and see what you think the sounds need.