How do I keep the 808 and the vocal clear in a rap mix?

The 808 and the vocal stay clear when the bass stays low and the voice stops sharing anything with it from about 100 Hz up. Turning both up only makes the mud louder.

This is the one cut most rap mixes skip. The longer pass is in How to mix rap vocals over a beat.

The short answer

• Vocal EQ: cut everything under 100 Hz
• 808: under 40 Hz, only as much as a phone still carries
• If they clash: turn the 808 down, do not rescue the voice with a boost around 200 Hz

Why it turns to mud

Kick, 808 and the chest of the voice sit in the same basement. Three signals, one seat. The limiter then makes everything equally loud – and nothing stays intelligible.

Three moves, then a phone test

1. High-pass the vocal somewhere between 80 and 120 Hz. The 808’s note has to be gone.
2. Hold the 808 on one note while the line runs. Octave jumps in the middle of a word eat the vocal.
3. Sum it to a phone. If you understand the words at half volume, it sits. If you have to turn it up, the bass is still too big.

Use the beat as WAV, not the preview MP3: Do I need WAV and stems, or is MP3 enough?

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