two covers- one fast, one slow

[NotThatBright]

I got a couple of songs here that I had left unmixed a couple months ago... just mixed them and would appreciate anyone giving an opinion as to how they sound. Honesty is appreciated, even if the truth is just heartbreaking. These are both Bad Religion songs, by the way.

Skyscraper is the first. Something I don't normally do- I put a shitload of reverb on the drums, which seemed to make the instruments mesh together better. I don't know if that's something reverb is known to do, or if I was hearing things. I already cut some bass guitar out at 200Hz, but I'm not sure if I did enough. I also think the vocals might be a little loud.

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/skyscraper2-1/s-OdVOh


Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever is the second. This is not a good BR song compared to the rest of their body of work... I believe I recorded this one because I wanted to do a slow song and this popped in my head.


https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/boot-stamping2/s-V5ybf


I can't sing, so I always pretty much yelled (with minor inflections) when recording stuff in the past. These songs required legitimate singing, so I gave it a whirl. Results are mixed. Still can't sing, but I had fun trying. I felt like Barbara Striesand, or that woman from the Von Trapp family.

The last several songs I've heard on this site were just too polished and perfect, so I must take it upon myself to bring down the curve a bit. You could say I'm a martyr of sorts.

 

[Ashway]

*like*

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

Skyscraper's kick is really messy. The low end is a pile of mud. I can't make out the kick besides the high-end cut through and I can't hear any definition on the bass.

I don't like the rhythm guitar sound on the second song at all. Sounds like a fuzz pedal driven too hard. The low end is still really undefined.
There are also a few timing problems in both songs.


The vocals fit the style, I thought that they were nice.

 

[BroKen_H]

Skyscraper's timing feels like a bucking bronc, and the cut off at the end is abrupt. It sounds like most of the timing problem is from the drums.
Boot Stamping is much nicer, but all of the drums in general are muffled mud. At least I could hear a bass. And again, the drums seem to be tearing up the beat.
The songs are well written and deserve a bit better...
I agree your voice will fit these songs well. You need a little help on your glissando work (when you slide up, you don't quite make it there), but your voice sounds nice, kind of Alice Cooper/RAMI-ish.

 

[TripleM]

I listened to Skyscaper.

The tempo varies considerably through the song. It really speeds up. There are some sloppy spots.

The mix is missing a lot of high end - it sounds quite muffled and muddy.

I liked the energy in the performances.

The vocal is quite a bit dryer than the other tracks.

 

[NotThatBright]

*like*

Thanks!

Skyscraper's kick is really messy. The low end is a pile of mud. I can't make out the kick besides the high-end cut through and I can't hear any definition on the bass.

I believe you have said this about everything I ever posted that you commented on, but every way I've listened to stuff that I've recorded (earbuds, living room stereo, car stereo), the kick at about this level sounds right to me. Whatever you're using to listen to these files must accentuate the hell out of the kick... compared to what I use, anyway. From now on whenever I put a song up I will include two mixes- a standard mix and a Schwarzenyaeger mix, the latter having much less kick drum. It'll only take me an extra 5 minutes, which is certainly worth hearing you tell me at least once that, regardless of any other problems with the song, at least the kick sounds good!

I don't like the rhythm guitar sound on the second song at all. Sounds like a fuzz pedal driven too hard.

I was trying to mimic the guitar in the original version, which has a really overdriven fuzzy guitar. I guess I overdid it.

(paraphrased) Drumming (timing) sucks in Skyscraper.

I was wondering how bad others would think it is, now I know. Due to the noise my drums make I've got a short window I can actually play them, maybe 20-30 minutes on a Saturday if I'm lucky. This particular drum recording is also a few months old (I've gotten a little better since), and golf, sun, and beer earlier that day robbed me of whatever dexterity I would have had. BrokenH, you mention the cutoff at the end... wasn't supposed to end there, but I started slipping off the seat when hitting the splash at the end, so it seemed prudent. I am now in agreement that I should have shitcanned this drum track. I'm going to do it over next time I have the opportunity, if for no other reason than to prove to myself I can do a lot better than this.

The songs are well written and deserve a bit better...

You're preaching to the choir, brother!
I never mean any disrespect to the original artists of any songs I cover. My versions always suck compared to the originals, which is to be expected. If someone doesn't know the original, I always hope he youtubes it after hearing mine just so he knows it's a good song regardless of how I may have butchered it. I always do this when I listen to a cover on this site.

The [Skyscraper] vocal is quite a bit dryer than the other tracks.

I had to google "dry vocals" to know what that meant, and I came up "nothing really done to them- raw"...
You're right. I put some reverb on them but it didn't really make a difference... I usually use a delay effect at the time of recording, which I must have forgotten to do. Definitely some delay from now on.

I liked the energy in the performances.

Thanks! I am nothing if not energetic when doing this.

The vocals fit the style, I thought that they were nice.

Thanks. I don't care for my voice, but judging from some of the older shit I recorded, I've gotten better at singing in tune (or close) than I used to be.

I agree your voice will fit these songs well. You need a little help on your glissando work (when you slide up, you don't quite make it there), but your voice sounds nice, kind of Alice Cooper/RAMI-ish.

Well, we both kind of sound like girls , but I heard his AC songs, and he sounds like a real singer. I still sound a bit like I was put in a chokehold after walking through the desert all day.

 

[NotThatBright]

By the way, I thank all you guys for your comments.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

It doesn't have to be less kick drum, it just has to cut through more and create a nice transient that helps carry the low end information better. That way the low end doesn't need to be bloated just to be heard!
A nice kick drum recording isn't a thump, it's a "kick"

And maybe I'm just anal about kick drum sounds since they tend to be one of the weakest points in home recordings.

 

[NotThatBright]

It doesn't have to be less kick drum, it just has to cut through more and create a nice transient that helps carry the low end information better. That way the low end doesn't need to be bloated just to be heard!
A nice kick drum recording isn't a thump, it's a "kick"

And maybe I'm just anal about kick drum sounds since they tend to be one of the weakest points in home recordings.

Hey man, everybody has their "thing" that annoys the hell out of them! I actually have several of them.

The kick drum sound I got before I got a decent mic was an abomination. When I was able to get the sound I get now I thought it was just about perfect. of course, the truth is that while it's a shitload better than I used to get, it's far from perfect.

How's this for a low end?

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/coolidge/s-6tSTK