Morning motherfuckers. I aint typical into it so you'll know i get straight to the point.
Recording Mixdown
One thing you have to remember is quality. Quality of sound is achieved by staying away from the microphone 6-9 inches far. Be careful of peaks, they are hard to be removed.
When you record your verse make sure it is low volume enough cuz it will need to get some more. DO NOT DELETE ANY BLANK PARTS. You need them.
First pick some 0.300 of a second, portion, from some blank point of the recording and go to Noise Reduction. Click "Get data from sample" and then apply it to your whole recording. All the fucked up hiss and noise will be removed.
Now that your verse is noise free, you gotta use dynamics. Use dynamic prossessing (at limitsoft - 18 db) twice on your verse. Now the verse is clean and has the same volume everywhere.
Save it at 192 kbps 44110 kHz ALWAYS. And every mp3 you have should be there.
Also. Download MP3Gain and apply it to your mp3s. Always on 93 db. It's the best quality volume for your mp3. Dont worry if it's 92.5 or 93.5, just apply it. It's really easy to use.
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Mixtape Mixdown
Mixtapes. Mixtapes can be hard to make. You gotta find how the mix plots, like after a "Fuck Bitches" skit, you gotta put Candy Shop, not Gunz Come Out. And tracks should have a continuation between them, unless you want to use the Whoo Kid style and blast them with some shots.
In any case make sure your mixtape has everything in the right order. Intros, tracks, skits, interludes etc. I personally use Cool Edit Pro 2 and i put everything there, in a big session. I do the mixdown and i have a huge 45 min long mp3, which i cut and paste into smaller parts. Therefore, the perfect mixdown. I did this ever since i dropped Harlem Nightmares. The best way.
I usually put skits and interludes on slot 1. Tracks on 2 and 3. And every other effect like dime-dropping and click-clack to slots 4 and 5.
Anyways. Once the mixtape is ready, you gotta remember a few things.
1: The names. EVERY SINGLE TRACK SHOULD BE LIKE THIS.
[Track Number] - [Artist Name] - [Track Name with a "(feat. Other Artist, Other Artist, Others Artist & Final Artist)" in case it is collaboration].mp3
04 - Coccoa - Fuck You.mp3
or
07 - Thomas - Psycho (feat. Cojack & MC Maybe).mp3
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[Track Number] - Interlude - [Interlude Name].mp3
03 - Interlude - Pitched Battle.mp3
Interludes are parts from movies, or TV shows, or interviews that are used in the mixtapes.
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[Track Number] - [Artist Name] - [Skit Name].mp3
08 - G Killa - Voices Skit.mp3
Skits are set up interludes, made up by artists or assossiates.
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Always save EVERYTHING at 192 kbps and 44110 kHz (16-bit) for best hearing quality. Higher frequencies might cause less hearing due to the ear's limited frequency receiving.
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Equipment
The proper equipment costs three to four figures. You will need 3 things:
1) Proffessional Microphone (pro microphones cost from $100 and plus) with cable to insert in channel mixer/console.
NEVER PLUG your microphone to the Soundcard, unless you wanna be an amateur.
2) Soundcard. Right now, Creative SB Live 16 or Audigy rule. Ask 50 Cent, that's what he using. Buy the External drive as well.
Direction on how to install the soundcard come bundled with the package so dont ask me.
3) Channel mixer/console from 4 to up to 16 channels. For now you need 4 no more than 6 so dont buy my monster.
You'll need an RCA-to-Spike cable to plug in from Soundcard's "Line-In" to "Output" on the back of the mixer.
Plug the microphone into one of the mixer's inputs. Make sure its batteries are always full.
Increase the microphone volume (from the mixer) to near 0. If it's still too silent, use some gain (from the mixer).
Choose "Line In" to be the default recording input. Decrease the "Line In" volume to 2 or 2.5 (depends on how you want it) from "Record", and minimise it from "Playback" (all this preceedure will take place on the Windows Mixer)
Now you gotta decide your program. As i said before, i personally use Cool Edit Pro 2, good, simple, a bit difficult, but proffessional nontheless.
You're ready.