AlterEgo covers - your feedback on our mix is welcome

[MusicAlterEgo]

Hi All,
we've just completed a round of new covers, home recorded and mixed.
Since we've just started with this process and we're not yet satisfied, it would be nice to receive your feedback and suggestions.

Here are few tracks:
https://soundcloud.com/musicalterego/sex-on-fire-alterego-cover
https://soundcloud.com/musicalterego/mardy-bum-alterego-cover-1
https://soundcloud.com/musicalterego/charlie-big-potato-alterego-cover
https://soundcloud.com/musicalterego/uur-hand-alterego-cover

Many thanks!

 

[Bubba po]

Hi. Sex on fire didn't have the right intro riff and the riff was extremely muffled, but the song wasn't too bad overall. The snare was too distant and lacking in bite. The vocal seemed like an afterthought - totally buried.

Mardy Bum pretty good, accent not bad but all the guitar sounds were really twee, without any bite. The kick sound is totally wrong for this track. it needs to be more of a pop sound than the heavy thwack that you have at the moment.

The Skunk Anansie song I didn't know but the mix sounded pretty punchy. The vocal sounded like it was recorded through a pillow.

The Pink song had a good backing track but the lead vocal sounded like it was recorded through a mattress. Sorry for the brief critiques, but you posted four songs and they each got a quarter of a comment.

 

[MusicAlterEgo]

Even just a quarter is priceless - thanks.
In each song we tried to blend some ideas and slightly change the arrangements, that's why riffs, choruses or structure may sound different.
About Sex on Fire vocals: are you referring to the male or female voice? or both?

From your feedback I understand our first priority is voice, followed by drum. Am I right?

 

[Bubba po]

Even just a quarter is priceless - thanks.
In each song we tried to blend some ideas and slightly change the arrangements, that's why riffs, choruses or structure may sound different.

I have no problem with you doing the songs your own way arrangement-wise, I'm really only commenting on the mix and the sounds. I do like the way you use the female backing vocals on the tracks where there is a male lead. They don't use the same harmony lines as the originals and that's good. For some reason you're not treating the female vocals properly. They seem to have been dulled down, unaccountably. The lass sounds as if she can sing, and the male vocals you've recorded have been recorded with clarity and definition, so it's a mystery to me why the lady's vocals sound the way they do.

I only commented that the Sex On Fire riff was wrong because you're using the same basic arrangement and riff structure. It sounds very muffled and fizzy, and just isn't different enough from the original to escape the criticism that it just isn't as good-sounding as the original riff. The rest of the band came in on the right beat, which is a bonus! I've lost count of the number of cover bands I've seen who fail at that, including my own old band!

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

The guitar sounds were a bit rough on Sex on Fire. The guitar that comes in on the off beats during the intro has an undesirable tone. The tones are a bit muddy in general. Too many low mids perhaps?
The guitar during the chorus that's doing the bends is too loud. It's overpowering the vocals.
Drums are a bit muffled.
I liked the concept of a male/female duet.

The drums on the Skunk Anansie cover sound much better. The snare has a lot more body and the kick has more low end. It's not muffled.
What was different between this recording on the Sex on Fire one? Definitely something to look into.
This whole recording sounds a level better than the first song. The guitars are also better and the vocals better placed.

2 outta 4 songs, that's all ur getting from me

 

[MusicAlterEgo]

Thanks for your feedback - I think vocals placing and thickness remains a major improvement area for us. There's a lot we have to learn and any specific tips would be welcome.
I agree also on the rest and we'll continue working on making this sound more professional. We invested only recently in some new equipment and we started recording drums in our own studio, so there's plenty of room for learning and improving