So you want to make rap beats? I’ve been doing so myself for over 7 years or so. My first beat machine was a Roland Groove Box. I didn’t even really know how to use it because it didn’t come with a manual. I had to figure it out on my own. Those were some frustrating days, but I learned a lot. I picked up a few really good tricks along the way too. These should really increase your quality of sound when you make rap beat.
Okay first, when you make rap beat, try combining sounds. Say for instance a guitar and a harp, or even a piano layered with a percussion sound. You’d be surprised at the difference this makes. It gives your beat more body. Single layered sounds tend to sound kind of elementary and amateur. Combining sounds is a great way to create new unique sounds, which will help you stand out from everyone else that make rap beat.
Next, after you make rap beat and you want to listen to your music out loud. Set your speakers six feet away from each other, and angle them so that their sounds waves meet like a triangle. You sit a the point of the triangle. This way you can get an accurate interpretation of your beats overall sound when your mixing it. And also, when mixing, you should pan your sounds the same way they would appear on stage. For example, the drums are usually in the center, but the high hat is usually on the drummers left. The piano might be on one side and the bass may be on another. This just gives the beat a more realistic feel. If you make rap beat, but neglect to do this properly, your listeners will feel it. They may not know what it is, but there will be a distinct difference between your music and what they are used to hearing.
And the last tip, which is most important when you make rap beat, is the quality of your equipment. A lot of people fall short in this area, because a professional sound is so expensive to attain. And even when you get enough money to buy one of expensive beat machines, or computer software you need some one to show you how to use the darn thing. The manuals are usually written in a language intended for an engineer. This is why most up and coming producers never make it. They either lack the education, the finances, or both.