Silent Hill - Not Tomorrow

[JamEZmusic]

Hi everyone,

I am attempting to cover "Silent Hill - Not Tomorrow"
Which can be found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10z1Y5GW-GQ I am using this version of the song to work from.

I would "really" like to work on this song until completion, but with heavy critique from anybody here who feels like chipping in on their opinion, I would really like to experience working through a song but with other people telling me that it sucks, or sounds great! The harsher the critique the better, as long as it doesn't turn nasty. I really would like to record and mix something I can be proud of, instead of just listening to it and hating everything about it like all of my previous mixes.

If somebody tells me to use compression here, EQ that... flange that or whatever (anything) I will change it up and work with it as best I can and then post my efforts along with some extra parts of my own until I finish the song.

Now I have my first few guitar parts recorded here, I am actually kind of worried about sharing it with everyone here, because I am so unhappy with how the mix is turning out so far and I have "no" knowledge of how to fix a lot of the problems that I am already getting so early into the arrangement.

So far I have the first 1:30 minutes of the song arranged, I will be looping the same thing again but using all electric guitars with new rhythm and drums, and whatever else I happen to think up at the time.
https://soundcloud.com/jamezmusic-1/silent-hill-not-tomorrow-stage1
Ok so I am already aware that this is far from perfect right now!

-I am unhappy with the Lead acoustic guitar tone, but this is the absolute best I can do!

-The pick of the guitar is making an unpleasant attack! and it gives me a headache listening to it, how can I tame that?

-The intro Arps and throughout, have a really unpleasant twang, that just dominates everything, I have tried everything to tame that from EQ to multiband compressing to low passing and I have not had any luck, while I manage to tame the unpleasant sound, I have messed around with the sound of the guitar too much that it just ends up a much worse sound.

-60seconds onwards, the Arpeggios and Lead guitar are severely fighting with each other so it seems! I have no idea what the hell is going on here, If I turn off all the effects it sounds fine. I have actually recorded 2 arpeggio guitars hard panned left and right, and the lead is a single take panned center. How would I clear this up?

-Of course, if anything else sounds bad to you, please let me know! I want to put 100% effort and ability into this until I get it to sound nice and pleasing to anybody who may listen to it.

I really hope I am not coming across as really selfish here. I am wasting days going around in circles with this mix, and I would like to get this sounding good before proceeding and arranging the next half of the song. Just to note the lead Guitar WILL be re-recorded with more interesting and better playing. As soon as I can get the sounds to sit well.

I really appreciate anybody helping out.

Thank you,

James.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

The rhythm guitar had too much body on it (or too much reverb). Or both, whatever.
It sounded really bloated.
I liked the sharp sound. You can try to compress the attack, kill some frequencies around 1-2k or use a softer pick/mellower strings/mic the guitar differently.

As for the instruments fighting for space: they're all midrange instruments. Kill some mid range on the rhythms.

There is a high noise floor on the lead recording. I don't find it disturbing in this recording since it's gives it a bit of an eerie feel but you might want to look into that.

 

[ido1957]

The trick is to eq instruments do they don't fight each other for space. It takes a few tries to get it right though.
The lead guitar sounds like it's compressed a little hard and some notes are popping out a little loud - I find that on my mixes too.
I didn't listen to the link to youtube as I didn't want to be comparing - I like the overall arrangement and the playing is great. The strings are very complimentary and the lead sounds properly dominant.

 

[JamEZmusic]

I am so happy I got two "really" amazing responses! I am going to follow your suggestions and really work at it!

I noticed that I was getting some noise in the recordings, next time I re-record the lead with better playing and more personal touch, I am going to breath much softer and do a couple of passes of really light noise reduction (as much as I can get away with, without affecting original tone) and put a noise gate on it perhaps. lol I didn't do any of this on that recording, I only just really thought about it! :facepalm

I am really interested in that you can hear where I went wrong, I actually thought compressors tame the loud notes so they don't pop out. You are right, there is a lot of compression going on, damn... I hope one day I can hear when something is compressed!


Thank you so much. I am so much more motivated to crack on with this now.

~ Schwarzenyaeger -Rhythm Guitar had chorus, I will dial it way back, also I am definitely going for a softer pick next time around and be more aware that my mic is so hypersensitive to unpleasantness.

~ ido1957 -That's great that you didn't listen to the original version of the song before you commented, you may not have been so lenient with me! I have spent probably too long on this track, so although I said I was happy for harsh critique, I am also really glad that you didn't because as much as I like my confidence being knocked so I can strive to improve. I didn't really want to feel like I had wasted my time with what I had so far.

EQing is something I have been battling with a lot with this track, you have both now given me more of an objective view so I can kind of try it all out again but with a lot less guessing, you have no idea how happy you have made me, potentially saved me days of going around in complete circles!

Ok, I will try to keep everything up as best I can, and post up another version as soon as possible!


Once again, thank you so much.


James.

Edit: I am listening to the recording again on my headphones, and I actually can't hear a noise floor at all on the Lead guitar track! I know that I have a high noise floor for some reason on that track because I have hit problems with compression because of it but I just want to say, damn! You have got a keen ear, I am actually really impressed that you still caught onto that even though I was aware of it and thought I hid it well... Really intrigued that I can't hear it, time to look into that. Perhaps I need to chuck these damn headphones, ... or get a hearing test.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

There definitely is a "sssssshhhhhhhhhhhh" that enters and leaves with the lead guitar. 100% certain.