3

I would like to know the name of the effect that can be heard in pretty much every rap song on earth. It's an effect that sounds like a dual voice, like there's 2 people with the same voice rapping at once. You can hear it everywhere, especially when it's used to emphasize rhymes. What is this effect called (and maybe how can it be done in programs like Pro Tools and Audacity unless it's done using some kind of hardware)? I've searched everywhere but I can't find anything.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Michal Kuchar
  • 49
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
  • 4
    I think it's usually achieved by actually overdubbing the part. I.e. performing it several times, often with different people doing the part. Doubling the exact same sound clip will give a different effect. – Meaningful Username Jan 19 '15 at 17:46
  • 1
    Can you provide an example? – Goodbye Stack Exchange Jan 19 '15 at 18:35
  • An example would be great here. Even if it's an effect used on "every rap song on earth" a specific song with a specific time/passage listed would help a lot. – tarun Jan 19 '15 at 22:04
  • 1
    The process is called overdubbing or double-tracking. It has nothing to do with hip-hop. It has been used in all forms of music recording going back to the 1920s, so it is almost 100 years old. –  Jan 19 '15 at 23:41
  • @WheatWilliams: It has something to do with hip hop, since the technique is used there. The asker did not know what it was, and the context is quite important for the question, don't you think? – Meaningful Username Jan 20 '15 at 11:35
  • One example from the top of my head would be Fight the power with Public Enemy. The first verse starts with a doubling of "1989". – Meaningful Username Jan 20 '15 at 11:38
  • 1
    I should have said "it has nothing to do with hip-hop *per se*" or perhaps "it is not exclusive to hip-hop". My point is that as it has existed for about 90 years, it predates hip-hop by many decades. –  Jan 20 '15 at 13:32

3 Answers3

10

Not just in hip hop, this is called a double-tracked vocal. It is simply two vocal takes, recorded onto two tracks. Alternatively it could be two people performing in unison. On sung vocals, double-tracking thickens the sound, and hides a certain amount of pitch imperfection. In rapping, the thickening is still there.

You could try to approximate it using a short delay - known as a slapback echo (you can hear it on early Elvis rock'n'roll songs) or with chorus. But if you're recording, getting two vocal takes is easy and conventional.

slim
  • 35,926
  • 8
  • 94
  • 154
2

The most common way this is done is by having members of the crew join the lead in rapping certain words. Sometimes the entire crew.

In the studio it may be just the rapper over dubbing his own vocals, as per Meaningful's comment.

You could try using a chorus effect on the vocals, and pan the wet and dry mixes - this will expand the sound stage a bit, but it won't sound like the real thing.

Doktor Mayhem
  • 36,672
  • 9
  • 65
  • 153
0

Dont know if this is what you are referring to, but a sample delay helps spread the vocals out and make the sound more present in your mix. Its called sample delay in logic, in PT i think you can use a slap or short delay. Use the stereo version even if you are in a mono track...25-30 ms is all you should need.if you want more separation between the main vocal and the delay try 150ms and dial it in from there.

D3l450ul
  • 19
  • 1