Techniques on Getting that Right Sound
by Ivan Valles
I've written previously about the main elements involved in producing a song. For this column, I wanted to focus on tips and techniques to getting an awesome sound out of hip-hop music.
Hip-hop production started around the late 1970s and early 1980s, with DJs mixing two identical records (called beat juggling). The result of this mixing was that you could prolong a section, resulting in a very groovy and tasteful loop. In the 1980s, some bands like Run-DMC became popular for using songs that relied on digital beats created in digital samplers (devices that can record and store audio signal samples and play them back at a range of pitches when triggered). Once this new approach to music became mastered, it became a platform for experimenting and maturing a whole new style of music: hip-hop.
Basically, three elements are involved in producing a hip-hop beat: sampling, beat making and scratching.
Sampling elements are used in a hip-hop track to substitute musicians that might be out of the production budget, or simply to help establish a mood that was already successful in the recording you're sampling from. The downside of sampling is that even though it requires no initial cost, it sometimes ends up costing a substantial amount of money in terms of sharing the record sales with the owner of the sample(s). To avoid this, producers will sometimes opt to re-record the desired parts that they wish to include as part of the track, thus avoiding having to pay for the use of other master recordings.
Drumbeats are sometimes sampled as well, but it is more common to construct them from scratch. To make a good drum beat, you must look for the right sounds carefully, particularly those of the kick and snare. I often find the right sound in a combination of two or more sounds for these. For instance, I like the deep low and classic sound of the Roland TR-808 machine, combined with another kick sound that will give me a more attacked and present sound. I like to record things like claps and finger snaps myself with whoever is available at the time to help me, later mixing them together with a little bit of reverb and compression to create a nice and full sample. I like to maintain most of the beat in a constant loop, but every once in a while I throw a variation, like changing the hi-hat or shaker pattern for the choruses, or simply adding a break to the song in order to break the basic loop. I also like dropping some or all elements of the drum beat at certain points throughout the song as well.
Scratching is used to interpolate samples or beats. DJs have become a very useful spice in the hip-hop mix, as they are capable of producing a unique and original sound. The sound of old vinyl records coming from a turntable can definitively help enhance your production. Since a DJ is not always available, I sometimes take previously recorded scratches and vinyl sounds and blend them with the music I'm creating. This creates a relatively similar effect without involving a DJ in the equation and potential fees derived from the contents of the DJ's recordings.
Besides these three main elements of hip-hop, effects can help you accentuate different parts of the lyrics in the song. It is not uncommon to hear planes, cars, coins and other cool effects that you can use to help support a specific part of the track. There are plenty of different websites that offer these effects at very inexpensive prices. Some of these sounds are so common these days that you'll sometimes find them free of charge.
Recording and producing vocals is also a key element to get the most out of the track. I record the hook parts several times, until I feel the sound is full enough. Several tools are available in the market to align the vocals and tighten the performance. I normally record the chorus only once and then paste it into the remaining choruses. MCs have different ways to approach the verses. Some of them double, triple or even quadruple their performance, while others will only rap once throughout each section. Some artists like adding one or a few tracks of ad-libs. Ad-libs play an important role in coloring the verses and choruses. They are simply phrases or words that support the main performance. Several condenser microphones are common to capture the vocal performance of hip-hop music.
Before mix down, I sometimes use some outboard gear, such as compressors, equalizers, etc., to fatten the sound of some of the tracks. To do this, you'll need professional audio equipment. You must route the output of the track to the input of the desired gear, and the gear's output back into an input to be recorded as a new audio file in your computer or portable studio. When mixing, I am always careful to have an extra amount of low end in the mix, since this is very desired in this style of music. You must be careful with low end, though, as it can easily cloud your judgment and mix altogether. Make sure you review your track in several sets of monitors to make sure your levels are right. I often add final touch-ups to the vocals like filters, distortion and delays.
