Mastering Hip Hop Songs in Your Own Home Recording Studio Or Computer

I cannot stress enough the benefit of having your home recorded Hip Hop songs Mastered by an outside Mastering Engineer that specializes in the Hip Hop genre. The end result will no doubt be better when done by a trained ear with an acoustically tuned environment & Mastering specific gear. With that said, it is possible for you to achieve usable results in your home Hip Hop recording studio & the purpose of this article is to help you achieve those results using the recording gear/software that you already own. If you are recording on Digidesign Protools software then you can use the plug ins that came with the program. Most similar programs should have comparable processing plug ins so consult your user manual for those.

You will start your mastering session with a two track stereo mix of your song preferably with the master level peaking at about -3db never hitting the red on the meter. This mix should already be sounding the way you want while needing a boost in volume & maybe a couple EQ tweaks to make it translate well to various sound systems/sources.

Starting with the EQ make adjustments to the lows, mids, & highs, based on any notes that you taken after listening to your mix on several different types of sound sources such as earbuds, a car system, a bookshelf stereo, a mono clock radio, laptop speakers etc. Your goal is for your master to end up sounding good on all the different systems where of course on larger systems with sub woofers you will have more bass & on laptop speakers & earbuds there will be little or no sub bass. The key is to have a master that still retains clarity on each of these sources. When you listen to your mix on these sources listen for frequency problems that tend to show up on multiple sound sources as these are the first things you should work on with the EQ. You should try trial & error to find the frequencies and remember it is always better to fix by cutting the offensive sounds then by boosting other frequencies to cover them. Remember that any EQ tweaks that you perform on the stereo mix is going to affect the whole song so make sure the adjustments are actually fixing the problem without causing a bigger one in another area.

The next step in your home Hip Hop Mastering session after you are happy with the EQ results will be adding a Compressor to the track. This will be used to give the song a smooth level sound making the track level consistent from start to finish. The Compressor will also aid in boosting the perceived volume of the song. Below is a set of Compressor settings that I have come to use on Hip Hop tracks as a starting point when putting together a song Master.

gain 3.5 db

threshold -22.6 db

ratio 3.00:1

attack 11 ms

release 50 ms

knee 80

(These are compressor start off positions which I have found are a good starting point for Hip Hop recordings where the mix has been peaked at -3db)

The next device in line after the Compressor is a Limiter, which is kind of like a Compressor on steroids, the Limiter will be used to max out the volume of the mix & create a master that is as loud as any commercially released Hip Hop track.

The Limiter settings shown below are settings that I have found to be a good starting point achieving a loud yet not distorted final master of a Home studio recorded Hip Hop track

3.5 gain

threshold 17.6 db

attack 1.0 ms

release 20 ms

(These are Limiter start off positions which I have found are a good starting point for Hip Hop recordings where the mix has been peaked at -3db)

You will want to do A/B listening comparisons between your working master & a commercially released Hip Hop track that is similar in style to your song. You will want your master to be as loud as the commercially released song and translate well on all the different sound systems/sources.

Just as you will want to do with a mix, after completing your song master save it & leave it alone for a day or two then come back to it with fresh ears and you may have a different perspective on it & finds things to fix that may have been missed earlier. once you feel your song master is comparable to the commercially released song you are done mastering your new song.

There are many different specialty programs & software plug ins that are designed for Mastering however this article is geared toward those that are trying to master their songs using the options that are already present on their recording software or workstation. Also keep in mind that Pro Mastering houses will furnish you with a master CD that will be verified to be error free as well as contain special encoding that will be the master you would want to give to a CD replication/duplication plant to get mass produced CD's. This is an important feature though it seems in the music business more & more artists are bypassing the cost of getting CD's made & instead having download only releases.

The information in this article should give you a path to follow when attempting to master your Hip Hop songs in your own home studio. There are no rules set in stone though trial & error have helped to formulate the mastering procedure given above.

Brian G a.k.a. BG has 15 years experience starting out as a Deejay turned Producer/remixer turned recording engineer with an honor student diploma from AIA. Brian G has recorded over 50 Hip-Hop and R&B artists in his home studios as well as recorded his own hip-hop songs.

Brian G has also recorded in commercial recording studios and radio station production studios. The tips/techniques in this article come from all the experiences encountered during the various hip hop recording processes and have proven to make much better end recordings when followed by any artist recording their own material at home. Visit http://www.BRIANGMUSIC.COM to contact BG & listen to some of his songs and remixes. Song Production Services available at http://www.BGBEATS.COM

Health and Safety: Noise Hazards in the Workplace

Elimination of noise is the most effective way to prevent risks to workers and should be considered when new equipment is purchased or procured for workplaces. Low noise equipment should be selected when possible. A project manager or the equivalent person is responsible for demonstrating that equipment noise levels have been considered as part of the selection process. The control of noise generation/exposure should be considered at every stage of a project and recorded with suitable controls. Site management should monitor activities and determine when noise assessments are required. As a rule of thumb if 2 people stood 2m apart have to raise their voices to be heard then a potential noise problem exists and an assessment should be made (all machinery emitting over 85dB (A) should be considered to be a noise risk).

Occupational noise assessments should be undertaken by a competent person using a calibrated noise meter and should include an octave band analysis. A results sheet should be used for this purpose. Where a noise problem is identified all reasonable steps should be taken to reduce the noise at source and should consider both equipment and workplace design and maintenance.

Engineering controls to include this may include isolation of the source (enclosure, vibration damping), reduction at source or in path (enclosure, barriers, mufflers), replacement or alteration of machines (electrical rather than pneumatic) and carrying out effective preventative maintenance (restriction workplace zones etc).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as ear plugs and ear muffs should be used as a last resort, after all efforts to eliminate or reduce the source of the noise have been exhausted. Ear protection should be selected from the approved PPE list and should be appropriate for the type and duration of the noise, be compatible with other PPE and correctly stored and maintained.

Personnel should be given a choice of suitable hearing protection so they can select the most comfortable solution. Training should be given in its use, storage and maintenance. At the Lower Exposure Action Value of 80dB suitable ear protection should be made available. All individuals should be informed of the noise risk. At the Upper Exposure Action Value 85 dB suitable ear protection should be provided and should be worn in the Ear Protection Zones. Ear protection zones should be clearly marked with the standard blue and white ear protection logo signs.

Health surveillance should be undertaken where workers are regularly exposed above the Upper Exposure Action Values (85 dB and 137 dB peak noise) or when workers are occasionally exposed above the Upper Exposure Action Value, especially if individuals are particularly sensitive to noise, have a family history of the hazard or have previous exposures. All personnel should receive information and training to help them understand and deal with the noise related risks. This should include, but not be limited to the risks faced (as well as the measures taken to eliminate or reduce them), the results of the risk assessment with noise measurements and noise control and hearing protection measures, including restricted areas and PPE.

Documentation relating to the noise hazards should be retained at a work site. In larger companies, upon completion of the project all information should be archived at the company's head office including noise risk assessments, induction and briefing records, PPE issue records, health surveillance records and noise monitoring/measurements.

For FREE hassle-free quick reference health and safety information in small easy to understand bite size chunks, go to http://www.myfiresafetytraining.com/health-and-safety-training/

How To Calculate Cubic Metres (CBM) When Shipping

Determining Cubic Metres or CBM is the first step you should take in determining how to ship your cargo. You don't want to be shipping FCL cargo as FCL Groupage cargo nor do you want to be shipping FCL Groupage Cargo as FCL, unless obviously you have reached or exceeded the break-even point of your cargo which I teach in the section FCL vs FCL Groupage.

The CBM of a consignment is always calculated

L x W x H

e.g. 3,20 x 2,45 x 1,56

= 12,23CBM

For Seafreight shipments, the idea is to calculate CBM in metres. If you have 320cm's
then convert it to 3,2metres before starting the calculation.
If you have 45cm's then your formula will have 0,45metres.

A 20ft General Purpose or dry container will pack a maximum of 33,2CBM whilst a 40ft General Purpose or dry container will pack 67,7CBM.

A 40ft High Cube which will allow you more space to pack and will pack a maximum of 76,3CBM.
All of the above are subject to your line of commodity and how it is packed.

40ft General Purpose containers and High Cube containers are only to be used for larger volume cargo and not larger weight cargo. In my article on cargo weights and road weight limitations, I discuss this point further.

Also to bear in mind is the length of your cargo, you can't pack 13 metre steel pipes in a 40ft General Purpose container as it is only 12,036metres in lenght. The proper equipment will be required in this case.

For airfreight shipments, the method that the airline industry uses is the
Volume / Weight.

If you have 5 boxes that identical in size that are 23cmx34cmx56cm (LxBxH)
Presume that the actual weight of each of the 5 boxes is 10kgs.

What you will have to do first is separate the Volumetric from the Actual Weight.

Volumetric Weight Actual Weight
(23x34x56) div 6000 10kgs per box
= 43792 div 6000
= 7,30kgs per box

For 5 boxes : 7,30 x 5 For 5 boxes : 10 x 5

=36,5kgs =50kgs

The true weight needed to be declared to the airline here will be the actual weight
of the boxes of 50kgs.

Note: Airfreight is calculated in cm's not in metres as in seafreight.

Volumetric weight must be calculated by dividing by a denominator of 6000 in your formula when calculating cubic centimetres (cm) or dividing by 166 when calculating cubic inches (ins)

Make sure that your cargo can fit through the airline's loading doors.

10 Steps to Recording Better Hip Hop Songs in Your Own Home Studio

Let me start by saying if you can afford to go and record your songs at a commercial studio because you will have the advantage of top notch gear and pro engineers to handle the technical stuff allowing you to focus on the vocal performance alone. Stay home a couple weekends and put the bar money into your recording fund as an investment in your career if at all possible and still follow step 1 below when going to a commercial studio. If you insist on doing it all yourself, follow the 10 steps below and you will definitely end up with a better Hip Hop home studio song recording.

Step # 1. Memorize your song lyrics to the point where they come just as natural as when your singing along with your favorite song. Do not record if you have to read your verses off of notebook paper.

Step #2. Try to keep your mouth approximately 3 to 6 inches from the mic when recording, placing your pop screen three inches in front of the mic will help you maintain the right distance. Do a test vocal run recording at the level that you will actually be rapping at. A simple mic check 1, 2 is not enough for a recording level check. Adjust the interface/preamp gain input so that your vocal recording averages in the middle of the meter without hitting red even on the loudest parts. It is a good idea to record with a compressor on your vocal tracks this will help keep your vocals at a steady level. Most recording programs like pro tools le has presets for vocal compression that are good starting points. When you find the right settings write them down, save as custom settings, take a picture of the knob, mark with tape etc so you can recall easily. Do this for each different rapper you record. Be sure to use a pop filter or windscreen in front of/on the mic to keep the plosive pops ( like from p sounds & t sounds) out of the vocal recording. Place heavy blankets or carpet on the walls behind & around where the mic stand is to keep the room sound/echo zing out of your recording. Buy an SE Reflexion filter if you can afford one.

Step # 3. Record 1 verse at a time & get a perfect take of each verse with every word pronounced right. Treat it as if you were not even going to have adlibs as if the 1 main vocal track was going to have to carry the song. Keep your main vocal track panned dead center. Avoid having to punch in because if you can't record your verse without messing up how would you ever perform it.

Step # 4. Use adlibs/ over dubs to accentuate key words phrases on your main vocal don't use adlibs to fix badly pronounce words your main vocal track should be perfect remember that. Duplicate your adlib tracks & pan 1 to the left & 1 to the right 10 to 50 % lower their volume so the blend well with the main vocal & accentuate the words without overpowering them. Do not layer performances of your entire vocal over & over unless you want to have the chant/crowd or the sound of ten of you . Most songs will be better without that effect. Additional adlibs/ sound effects, other person voice reactions to lyrics follow the same but pan slightly different & eq a little different so may stand out from the other vocals at low volume without clashing. **Avoid editing out all of the breathing/breaths on the vocal tracks, you may reduce the volume but leave the natural breaths removing only those occurring in un-natural places and in doubled vocals.

Step # 5. When mixing the vocal tracks at first mute the beat/instrumental & get a good balance between all the vocal tracks recorded that sounds on it's own, compare with an accapella from a major hip hop artist many can be found online. When you get a great accapella mix render it/bounce out to a two-track stereo file & save it by itself. Import that two track mix of your accapella into your recording program. Mute the separate vocal tracks now & unmute your beat. Adjust the volume level of your vocals track so that you can hear each part of the vocal as well as each element of the beat. Do this at a very low volume on your speakers. Make sure you can hear EVERY part then turn the speaker volume up to a comfortable listening level.. *** make you're your master fader output is not hitting the red & try to keep ii peaked at the -3db level. The overall song volume will be maxed out to industry level during mastering don't worry about overall loudness in the mix concentrate on blending all the parts to sound good together.

Step # 6. When you have the mix sounding good to your ears put in one of your favorite hip-hop songs that may be similar to yours turn the volume on it down so the volume level matches your mix listen to both & take notes to how your mix sounds in comparison. Burn a cd of it & do the same test in your car preferably on a factory system with no eq setting set. Go back & make the adjustments that you noted during the test. It is a good idea to wait several hours or even a day to let your ears rest & get fresh again. When you get a mix you like that passes the a//b tests save it & render/bounce it out to two track stereo mix. Bounce out another one with your vocal s raised about 1 to 2 db as well & label it as such. These are the two mixes that you will want to send to be mastered or master yourself though not recommended to do it yourself. The mastering engineer can listen to both & master the one that his/her unbiased ears think is best. They will pick the one that will have the better overall sound after mastering so trust them.

Step # 7. If mastering yourself know that you will need to rest your ears about a day first then use an eq to fix any overall frequency issues then use a compressor to smooth out the mix, then a limiter to raise the overall volume of the mix to be as loud as any commercially released track. Go ahead & do new a/b tests with your favorite industry track this time with the goal of making your song as loud as the industry track even while both volume faders are set the same. Listen to the overall sound & try to get as close the overall quality as you can. Software such as Propeller head Reason as well as others has Mastering suites included that have mastering presets that can be good starting points for your song mastering though adjustments must be made to fit your song.

Step # 8. Use your ears & judge the sound closing your eyes is a good idea to get a different perspective too. Rest your ears for a day then come back to the song for a different perspective. Try to listen to it from the point of view of an average music fan, ask yourself if it sounds like a song you would want to listen to if it was not yours or if you were not even involved in music. Try your best to be objective.

Step # 9. Listen to your master on many different types of systems such as your studio monitors, your car system, your iPod ear buds, very cheap headphones, high quality headphones A loud club system if you can, Laptop built in speakers, a clock radio, an aftermarket car system if you can. Also check your song on mono sound sources to make sure you can still hear everything ok. A great master will sound good /translate well on all kinds of playback systems. That is actually the point of mastering, to make your song loud and make it translate well everywhere.

Step # 10. Get opinions of your songs from people associated in the music business as well as just non music business people like just regular fans. You need to know if your song is something an everyday person would want to listen to on a daily basis. Take constructive critic for what it is "constructive" Use the information to improve and make better songs in the future because really as an unsigned hip-hop artist, you should want to be able to give your music to the world with pride and not have to make excuses for the sound quality/mix etc. All the techniques and tools to capture great song recordings are out there for anybody to obtain. You just have to write great songs then take the time, however long that is, to record the perfect vocal takes, make the mix down, & get the master right.

By following the above 10 steps you will definitely record better Hip Hop songs in your home studio that will be able to compete with songs recorded by the pros.  It is up to you however to either make or purchase catchy beats and write great songs that are worthy of your recording efforts and investment in time.

Brian G a.k.a. BG has 15 years experience starting out as a Deejay turned Producer/remixer turned recording engineer with an honor student diploma from AIA. Brian G has recorded over 50 Hip-Hop and R&B artists in his home studios as well as recorded his own hip-hop songs.

Brian G has also recorded in commercial recording studios and radio station production studios.

The tips/techniques in this article come from all the experiences encountered during the various hip hop recording processes and have proven to make much better end recordings when followed by any artist recording their own material at home. Visit http://www.BRIANGMUSIC.COM to contact BG & listen to some of his songs and remixes. Song Production Services available at http://www.BGBEATS.COM