4 Perfect Plugins For Rap Vocals

A big part of creating rap music is not only about dropping amazing rhymes but also about the beat that you create. You can really enhance your rhymes with plugins that work on certain features of your music. 

There are great plugins to make your rap vocals even better. Today we will look at some features that you can look for in plugins, and discuss some examples of great plugins that can work wonders in Hip Hop music and for your rap vocals. 

Why A Plugin? 

There are many different ways to make your rap game even better. When it comes to sound and music, I am very critical of my own music, there is always something that bugs me when listening to my own songs. One thing that helps is being able to edit it and enhance the features that I do like. And mix the sound until the song is something that I can be proud of. Or at the very least be something that I can listen to. 

The first step would be to have a great Digital Audio Workstation to use when recording your music. This will give you a lot of features to play with and find a great sound for your music. But you can take this even further. 

On top of your DAW, there are some amazing plugins that can be “plugged in” to your DAW to enhance some of your features. This piece of code can add sound effects, enhance certain aspects and just make your music a lot better. 

That is great news if you are anything like me. I want all the choices to be able to make my voice sound fuller and add the instruments that you need. There are a few things that you can keep in mind when deciding which plugin would be the best for you. 

Things To Keep in Mind 

Different types of music production need to have different options for creating music. For rap and Hip Hop you will need a whole different set of skills than you would need for classical music or pop. Some of the important areas of composition for Rap include: 

Using Reverb 

Your Digital Audio Workstation and your plugin will give you many different mixing techniques and ways to make your music better. These mixing techniques give you a lot of tools to really make your music pop. 

But one important tool for rap is reverb. This effect is much more prominent in rap and other forms of Hip Hop than it is in other genres of music. If you were making rock or pop, for example, you might not give the same focus on reverb as you would for rap. 

Vocals 

This might sound obvious but vocals are really important when it comes to rap. The lyrics are one of the most important aspects of your music. Making sure that it is on point needs to be a critical step in creating your music. 

Rap songs don’t always just have rap, they can also include sung vocals or other melodic elements. They can be layered and the vocal hook can be important. A great plugin will allow you to play with these vocal elements and make the song a lot better. 

Sub Bass  

There are loads of rap songs that you will know the moment that you hear the bass riff or melody. This is a crucial factor that will allow your song to become memorable and an instant classic. 

Having a plugin that can really help to play with the bass line can give you an edge when it comes to creating your music. 

Drums 

Rhythm and the feeling of the music are often a big part of hip hop and rap in particular. A strong backbeat can be a powerful tool for a music producer to use to write their tracks on top of. 

Having a drum plugin can give you this base on which to build your music and give it the beat that will become the heartbeat of your song. 

There are so many different plugins that can work for your music. These are just some of the areas of a composition that you might want to keep in mind when deciding on which plugin to use. If there is another particular sound that you are going for, then there might be other plugins that you would like to consider. But let’s look at some of our favorite plugins to try. 

1. PhoenixVerb Stereo Reverb By iZotope 

This is an awesome plugin for a reverb that gives you a lot of control. It can give you realistic and natural reverbs that are really pure. Many producers believe that this is one of the best plugins you can find when it comes to reverb. It has a lot of great elements that you will enjoy using. 

There are amazing options for tone on the PoenixVerb. You can manipulate and change all the elements of the reverb and change the tone completely to become the sound that you want it to be. This plugin will allow you to control elements like width, diffusion, damping, reflections, and a lot more. It also lets you play with low-mid balance and many other factors. 

There are many presets that are available and they work well with almost any other element that you can add to the mix. There are three reverb types available on this plugin and they are all great to enhance your vocal elements. 

This plugin has all the needed features that you want to give you all the control. You can get the sound that you want with reverb control. Then it also has an internal equalizer, ADSR control options, damping and diffusion, and many other features. 

You can even control the attack and the early reflections, the tail’s sound, and the ADSR and do this separately. This means that you can control the balance of your mix well. Making your vocals pop. 

The interface is simple and easy to use. You can do a lot with this Plugin and create some awesome and unique sounds. 

2. Antares Autotune Pro by Antares 

This is a great plugin to assist in making your vocals crisp and clear. Almost everyone that has ever been into music production or creating beats knows how great Antares Autotune effects are. 

This system has been used by some of the biggest names in rap production and in this product, you will find presets that have been made by the legend himself Mike Dean. Those of us who love Hip Hop, know his work with guys like Travis Scott, and even 2Pac. 

The pro version of Antares Autotune gives you all of the devices and elements from all of the great Antares products. You will be able to take your vocal sounds to a whole new level. 

With this plugin, you can play with sound and decide whether or not you would like to go for a more natural sound that won’t even let listeners know that you used an autotune feature. Or you can choose to make the sound effect really pronounced and fun. 

It depends on what you want to do with it and how you want it to sound in the end. This plugin also offers you mind-blowing effects that will enhance your music. There are effects like octave, robovox, distortion, and crusher and they can elevate your song greatly. 

3. SubLab Synth by Future Audio Workshop 

Want to create a thick bass layer quickly? Then this is the plugin that could be perfect for your needs. It gives you hard-hitting sub-bass sounds and is great for hip hop and rap songs. It will help you create a really powerful 808-style sub-bass that you will be able to feel when the music is playing. One that works well to make your vocals shine. That means making sure your bass isn’t too loud either.

This is probably why SubLab has been building a steady following among producers who want to add sub-production to their mix. There are three primary components that are all available to control and change. You can even blend the three of them together. 

The signal shaping can be monitored closely making it easy to get this element exactly as you would want it. It even has stock sounds that you can use, and that will take your breath away. The stock library really is next to none. It has a filter, an overdrive, and also a compressor that you can manually change.  

But one of the best parts of this plugin is how easy it is to use. Many professionals have used it, but you don’t have to be on that level to enjoy making mixes with this plugin. Even a novice should be able to easily get started and play around with SubLab. Until you can make something special. 

4. Hats Drum Machine by AudioThing 

You have great vocals, awesome bass, and interesting reverbs. Now all your song needs are the beat of the drums. Luckily you can easily add that with this plugin. 

This plugin is dedicated to giving you great drums sounds. The synthesizer had many different hi-hats and cymbal sounds that you can layer over your sound. There are sounds that give you a drum sound that feels generated and there are others where you will be searching for the drummer in the room since it feels so real. 

Again, you have all the control over how you would like your sound to be and what the end product will end up sounding like. There are many options to choose from. You could start with one of the many stock samples to start your creation. There are 50 samples to choose from, so it is almost sure that you will find something you love. 

Since hi-hats can be so important, this plugin can give you the edge you need to make your song an instant classic. There are many ways that you can make it unique. For example, you can shape the pitch, noise, and envelope editors. 

Hats also offer an effects rack to change things up. You can add a filter, reverb, crusher, and also a ring mod. This plugin does more than just add drums and it does all these effects really well. 

Get Mixing Your Tunes 

Rap is a special art form, but these plugins will allow you to enhance your song and make the vocals stand out above the rest. You can add effects or control them making mixes that stand out from the crowd. And ensure that your voice shines more than anything else. 

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