Iconic Song
Midnight Vandal
Recording
AK.Record
FT.
Nova Skelz
This powerful rap celebrates the hustle spirit, from rough nights in the studio to a city full of “traps” but also full of opportunity.
At AK Record, our focus was to create an environment where authenticity could shine.We supported Nova Skelz vocal tracking sessions with a clean and emotionally responsive setup and a minimalist engineering approach — letting the performance speak for itself.
RECORDING ENGINEER
We crafted a custom vocal chain with a Neumann TLM mic and tube preamp to capture Juice WRLD’s signature tone—warm but edgy.
Live gain staging ensured clean signals without sacrificing emotion.
Room setup minimized reflections to let Nova Skelz move naturally while tracking, supporting both clarity and expression in every take.
MIXING ENGINEER
Our internal mix served as a solid reference for playback and review.
Subtle EQ, stereo balancing, and reverb added emotional weight without over-processing.
Although the final mix was handled by the label, our version helped define the sonic intention early on.
VOCAL EDITING
We comped takes across three passes, selecting the most emotionally resonant lines.
Pitch was lightly tuned only where needed, and de-essing kept the vocal clean but organic.
The result? A polished yet human vocal that maintained Juice’s unique phrasing and breathwork.
VOCAL DIRECTION
We offered quiet but intentional direction to help Juice stay emotionally locked in, especially during the outro.
Rather than push, we let the energy guide him.
That single-take outro—raw, honest, and unfiltered—was one of the most powerful moments of the session.
SESSION MANAGEMENT
