Screamager (Therapy? cover)

[jonny deep]

Hi everyone. Here's a cover I've been working on. It's taken me about 4 months to get to this point with it. Progress is slow round here.

screamager-04.mp3

[JD01]

Used to quite like Therapy? but I can't quite remember this one - parts of it sound familiar as it goes along but I just don't remember it quite well enough.

First listen on my shite headphones (office) this sounds pretty good to me from a mix point of view, mate. I'm working from home today though so I'll go downstairs later and have a listen on decent headphones and monitors.

I think the guitars sound good, but they're a bit dark/thick in places - but take that with a pinch of salt for now 'cos these headphones are pretty dark.

The only thing I noticed at first is that your drums and guitars seem a fairly long way apart reverb-wise but by the end of the song when you had the vocal, lead, rhythms and drums all together it was blending pretty well.

Are you going to re-track any parts of this? Or do you just want to finish this off with what you've got?

EDIT: Just gone back and listened to the original - yours is pretty close actually, thankfully you didn't copy the awful snare sound!

His guitar sound is brighter and more defined than yours.

[jonny deep]

Hey JD - thanks for the listen!

I'm not really planning to retrack, I'm close to putting this one to bed, I think. The guitars are all GuitarRig, so tweaking the sound is pretty easy. I'm aware of the performance issues and a little bit of digital magic could tighten things up a bit, if I took the time. I'm not a good enough player to get them dead on.

I recorded this entirely from memory, not having listened to the original for about 15 or 20 years. I deliberately avoided listening to it until I was nearly done. I was surprised at how different it was, actually (excepting the ending, which I made totally different) - slightly faulty memory there.

[jonny deep]

thankfully you didn't copy the awful snare sound!

Ha, yes. That whole album has the same snare sound.

[vomitHatSteve]

I don't really have time for a proper critique, but this is sounding pretty solid on a first glance.

[jonny deep]

I don't really have time for a proper critique, but this is sounding pretty solid on a first glance.

Hey VHS - thanks for the listen! No worries about the critique - I appreciate the comment.

[rayc]

Johnny Deep,
It sounds like Therapy. The mix is solid - the bass could use just a little more definition as it has a solid bottom and is there but once or twice seems to get lost.
Well done.

[Armistice]

Hi jonny

Sounds OK to me on my laptop speakers which arguably aren't the finest - so I can't get into much detail. Probably a timing issue or two here and there but it's big and noisy and you sort of get swept along with it pretty well. Nice work.

Not actually sure I've ever heard anything from you before!

[JD01]

Listening on reference cans now.
The only thing is I think there's a little bit too much verb on the drums. When all the parts are in the drums sound a bit distance, actually its just the snare. The kick is great.
I think the chorus vocal is a little bit quiet - its alright though.

When everything is in, it does become quiet washy at the bottom end. You could probably get away with quite a savage hi-pass on some of the extra guitars that you bring in.

[Bubba]

I've just finished listening now, Jonny. This has a full, punchy, meaty sound - it's good. I would echo the point that the guitars are a tiny bit dark, there is a little bottom-end woolliness that could be tightened up, but overall it's working for me. I actually know the song, too! I'll probably come back for a second listen and give you more of my thoughts.

[Greg_L]

I think it's pretty damn good. The guitars sound kind of simmy, so if you can work on them somehow that's be good, but I generally like it. I think the vocals get buried when things really take off. That's the only real mix critique that I have from like a technical standpoint. I actually like the small timing flubs. I noticed them but it makes it sound "real". Your minor timing hiccups are not so bad that it's a problem. Sliced and diced modern shit is not musical, it's robotic. Just clear out some space for your vocals and you'd have a fine mix.

[Greg_L]

On second listen, I think your "mastering" limiter is being a little harsh on this thing. Maybe back that off some, use a different one, or use more in series with less on each.

[jonny deep]

Thanks for the listens and comments, chaps! Been busy with family all weekend, hoping to give them a proper read and acting on them some time this week.

[JD01]

There's not much to do really mate, its a good mix straight off. I think its just trying to brighten it up a bit so that it doesn't get too dark and bury your vocal when everything is in!

[vomitHatSteve]

Ok. I have a bit of time now.

That's loud.

The instrumentation sounds really good. Those are some huge kick and guitar tones.

Vocals I'm a little iffier on. They're super-buried in the chorus except for a few sibilants and accents, which are popping way out.