Home Studio Recording “i didn’t think so” – Shure SM58 + Nuro Audio’s Flexion | Rap & Hip-Hop

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A Song About Being Projected Upon

This is a track that I created not only for myself, who has had this experience, but for friends and anyone else in my immediate circle who can relate to being projected upon.

What’s interesting about this song is that when I started writing it, it didn’t really come from a personal place as much as an observant place. For this song, I decided to write in the first person because there have been times in my life when I felt like this. It just so happened that at the moment of creating this song, I didn’t.

Everything here came to me pretty quickly.

My Thoughts on the Lyrics

I recently got SoundCloud Pro, and this song is part of me testing what it’s like to record over a YouTube type beat, which I’ll link in this article, and publish it on SoundCloud.

If I could rate the lyrics, I’d probably give them a 3 out of 5.

I think it’s a concise track, and I think it gets the point across. I do plan on editing this song over time.

Hopefully, as time goes on, I’ll be able to find a beat donor, so to speak. I have a friend who makes beats for me, or I’ll make a beat myself at the same tempo and eventually put it on streaming platforms.

Right now, though, I am in a very experimental phase with this blog—What’s most important is that I finish tracks now.

Recording Chain

This track treatment comes courtesy of the Shure SM58, of which I recently replaced the standard silver mesh grille with a gold grille that I picked up on eBay.

Going into FL Studio, I kept the plugins to the bare minimum because I’m at that point where if it isn’t easy to create a song, I’m not going to be as inspired to keep creating.

Lyrics come through me rapidly.

Why I Keep My Workflow Simple

In all actuality, it’s a little harder for me to consistently pump songs out the way I want because I have to think about things like:

•   Ear fatigue
•   Eye fatigue
•   Burnout from repetition

Even though I have blue light coating on my glasses lenses, it’s still a concern sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time.

I am not scared of the work, but I am experienced enough to know that if I am creating something like a blog—and whatever this is ultimately going to turn into—I need to pace myself.

I need to be realistic about the strain something is going to have on me.

Everything in my toolbox is catered toward faster results, but quality results at that.

Plugins Used

The plugins I used on this track were:

•   Nuro Audio's X Rider
•   Nuro Audio's Flexion
•   Nuro Audio's Blackchain Ultra (on the ad-libs)

Even with me using the SM58 this time, it was a creative choice that you hear a little bit of carelessness in the approach to the vocals.

You might hear slight handling noise, and I thought it gave the track character.

I really wanted to practice punching lyrics in without overthinking them.

Why I Keep Coming Back to the SM58

I also have the Shure SM7B, which a friend let me borrow, and I’ve been going back and forth between it and the SM58.

I’m really beginning to appreciate the creative potential of the SM58.

It’s raw.

It’s straight to the point.

There’s something about holding the microphone while creating that lets you feel it a little better, in my opinion.

My Thoughts on Nuro Audio Flexion

I recently acquired Flexion from Nuro Audio.

At this point, I pretty much own all of their plugins except their delay and reverb, which I’m sure are amazing.

I initially bought Flexion because I was sold on how much quicker it could make my vocals shine.

I think it does that here, but I’m still experimenting with it.

I don’t have a full grasp on everything it can do yet, although there are plenty of videos that explain it.

Nuro Audio also supplies those videos, and I’d like to make some videos covering the Nuro Audio plugins that I own.

For now, though, all I can really say is:

It works.

Blockchain Ultra Is Like Batman’s Utility Belt

I also used Blockchain Ultra from Nuro Audio.

It’s honestly just a blast to have and use.

It’s literally an entire utility belt in audio form—and that’s a Batman reference for my fellow DC nerds out there.

I used it on the ad-libs across two different channels, and honestly, that’s all I had on there because I use a less is more approach with my tracks.

Am I Happy With the Song?

I’m not saying my tracks are industry standard per se, but I wouldn’t have any gripes about putting this on streaming.

Maybe I’d tighten up the clarity of a couple of words here and there.

All in all, though, I’m happy with how this one came out.

I’ve played it for one other person at the time of writing this, and they absolutely loved it.

I actually think I only played them the first half because I wasn’t even done with the track.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those old-school boom bap type beats—a J Dilla type beat—and the melody for the hook just came to me.

It simply felt like the thing to say.

The subject matter of dealing with being projected upon is a very real thing, and I wish more people were aware of it.

If nothing else, I hope this song helps you cope.