Nirvana cover challenge, Come As You Are

[Alison]

I wasn't sure how to post this here and copy it into the Challenge thread so, I'm just now posting this here.
So, yeah, I'm STILL struggling with the stinking drums (EzDrummer) and the bass eq is off. Not sure I'll spend a whole lot more time on this but it was fun to try.

Anyway, I tried some new stuff with my vocals as well as with the drums but it apparently is too harsh (and, yeah, I tend to agree. Think I'll stick to my "tried and true" from now on). I just can't seem to get the drum sound right and it is driving me CRAZY ! Pointers are welcome, @Bubba, I've made a note of yours, thank you!
So, I will make note of any other mix critics, then chalk this up to a learning experience. . .

Come As You Are.mp3

[Bubba]

I wasn't sure how to post this here and copy it into the Challenge thread so, I'm just now posting this here.
So, yeah, I'm STILL struggling with the stinking drums (EzDrummer) and the bass eq is off. Not sure I'll spend a whole lot more time on this but it was fun to try.

Anyway, I tried some new stuff with my vocals as well as with the drums but it apparently is too harsh (and, yeah, I tend to agree. Think I'll stick to my "tried and true" from now on). I just can't seem to get the drum sound right and it is driving me CRAZY ! Pointers are welcome, @Bubba, I've made a note of yours, thank you!
So, I will make note of any other mix critics, then chalk this up to a learning experience. . .

Come As You Are.mp3

Honestly, Alison, it's not too far off. Just a bit quieter on the drums, with a cut on the highs, and you'll be in the ball park.

[Armistice]

Perhaps there's a need for a VSTi drum thread - easy to generate sounds from these things, but it can be quite difficult to generate GOOD sounds. And a lot of this is the fault of the software itself, which gives you so many options to tinker with. And then there's the issue that people wrangling with VST drums often are not drummers and so don't have an understanding of drums and their recording as a starting point anyway.

With lots of crashing and distorted guitars in the mix, minor fiddling with the attack setting on the snare for the top, bottom, overhead and room "mics" (if indeed you're availing yourself of all four, which I don't) may not produce noticeably audible results in the mix, but if you're doing something quieter and cleaner, trying to tame the damn thing to get the right, softer sound can be a bit of a journey and take some time.

Perhaps I'll have a play around with that idea next week when I finish off the current song...

[Armistice]

But the actual song... nice work!

You're coming along with your bass playing - I'm always astounded when I listen back to my recorded bass tracks against the drums, how often I think I'm sitting nicely in the groove and playing consistently only to find more or less randomly that I'm late or early in a noticeable way on this or that note, or there's some overtones from a lower string that I didn't mute creeping in or there's the odd note that's just softer than the others. Good bassing is not easy. I'm getting better but it takes years. You're perhaps a little tentative here and there but by and large it's pretty good. The good thing about bass tracks is they're pretty edit friendly - so if I've missed something and it's too late to retrack, it's often simple enough to cut and paste a more correct section in the spot where the issue is.

Agree with Bubby boy on the drums, they are a little shiny up top - probably just some EQ adjusting can fix that for you.


Everything else sounds pretty good to me. Well done.

[Tadpui]

Wow @Alison I really like this rendition. The vocal recording is really top notch, very well performed and captured. And I'm a sucker for the strings throughout. Well done!

[Lt. Bob]

Perhaps there's a need for a VSTi drum thread -

I'd be excited to see such a thread.

[Bubba]

I wasn't sure how to post this here and copy it into the Challenge thread so, I'm just now posting this here.
So, yeah, I'm STILL struggling with the stinking drums (EzDrummer) and the bass eq is off. Not sure I'll spend a whole lot more time on this but it was fun to try.

Anyway, I tried some new stuff with my vocals as well as with the drums but it apparently is too harsh (and, yeah, I tend to agree. Think I'll stick to my "tried and true" from now on). I just can't seem to get the drum sound right and it is driving me CRAZY ! Pointers are welcome, @Bubba, I've made a note of yours, thank you!
So, I will make note of any other mix critics, then chalk this up to a learning experience. . .

Come As You Are.mp3

Alison, I listened again and it sounds like you've already implemented the changes I recommended, unless I'm very much mistaken?

edit: Nope, I went back to your original posting and it sounds the same. I think I'm going crazy. Anyway, it's mostly the cymbals and high frequencies on the drums that need a bit of taming, as I said. Have you tried just turning the overhead mic channel(s) down on the kit?

[Alison]

Hey, thanks everyone for all the comments and suggestions. Since Hurricane Hilary is about to land in Ca. and we may be getting a shit ton of rain tomorrow I may have some time tomorrow to work on this again (as long as electricity stays on). . . @Bubba cymbals are definitely the bane of my existence! I went into midi mode and manually tried to tame them, section by section. I could hear them but couldn't find them all! I'll work on the Eq again. . .

Thank you, @Armistice, your advice is spot on as always. I would LOVE to see a thread on VSTi drums!! I'm practicing bass on a daily basis these days, hopefully, you'll hear improvement on future recordings! And, I did do some editing on the bassline (shh, don't tell anybody. ).

Aw, @Tadpui, thank you, you are always so encouraging. Actually, everybody is, I just get a little frustrated with drums. I do have to remind myself that I really haven't been doing this (home recording) for very long so, I really do appreciate all of the input here!

Hopefully, I'll have a new mix up tomorrow. Thanks everyone!

[TheTestingYak]

good choon luv