2024-MAR-01 Info: Check out Songwriting Competition 079 if you're into "Synthwave" music making.

SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Winners announced

Thematic Songwriting Competition - recurrence: monthly
tinnitus
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Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2022 04:40 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Submissions until 24-01-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#41

Post by tinnitus »

Song details:
LENGTH: 2:26
Wave file SAMPLE RATE: 48K / BIT RATE: 24
MP3 file: 320 kbit/s
Loudness (according to Youlean):
-14.0 LUFS integrated
-1.0 dBTP
DAW: Ableton Live


Tried to join in last minute. Listening to the samples was very inspiring. I didnt' really have a plan or direction ahead of time. Also been super busy with work and other project. I only had like one night and a little bit of time today after getting car issues taken care of (TOO BUSY!!). Hope I did everything right on formatting and stuff.

MP3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BegQho ... share_link
WAVE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16z3tsL ... share_link

Image

Samples used:
► Show Spoiler

VST FX & Tools:
► Show Spoiler
GMoneh
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 01:38 CEST

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Submissions until 24-01-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#42

Post by GMoneh »

Here's my entry for this month:

Grains of Sand
.

This was a very interesting exercise. Turns out that over the holidays I went a little crazy with granular synths, and this was the perfect opportunity to exercise those muscles. Unfortunately, I spent more time than I should have playing with the sound design, so the actual composition was a little rushed.

The details:

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Studio One v. 6

Instruments:

Drum kit: Used the sounds from the sample Arelem/Drum loop 90bpm, chopped it off for the individual one-hits, loaded onto ImpactXT (Studio One drum machine), applied diverse effects to each one.
Percussion: Combination of 01 Filler Material/Stomp (Smack in Kitchen Sink on a sponge) and aFutureInNoise/fist_smashed_into_plastic_tub, loaded into the sampler oscillator of Phase Plant, processed.
Bass: Generated WAV tones/sin_55Hz_-6dBFS_0.3s loaded into Phase Plant as a sample, and processed.
Flute-like texture: Loaded timbres from "Instrument Tuning Samples\C-Flute Natural C", "01 Filler Material (Mister Fox)\Finger Cymbals ..." and "Filler Material (Mister Fox)\Glockenspiel ..." into Dawsome Novum, and tweaked it to get a sound I could use.
Stabs: Timbres from "Arelem\Lazer Pluck C" and "AlexHyper-EZBanks\Ultrafold Stab A" loaded on Novum and processed.
Bass keys: "aFutureInNoise/voiceSemifalsetto" loaded on Native Instruments Form and processed.
Keys: Phaseplant Wavetable patch using a wave table created from the sample "CotMM/detunedHit"
Wah wah like lead: Arturia Pigments wavetable patch, using two wave tables created from the samples "aFutureInNoise\glass_rubbed_with_finger" and "colorado weeks\guitar_94bpm_gm"
Voices: Arturia Pigments sample patch using a portion of the sample "colorado weeks/adlibs-90bpm-bm"
Analog-like pad: Phase plant patch using the sampler oscillator with the sine samples Two oscillators based on the sine samples Generated WAV tones: sin_110Hz and sin_11780Hz
Granular pad intro: Sample "00 Internet Random and Viral/Spatula sound...." loaded into Audio Damage Quanta and processed granularly.

Effects:
Too many to enumerate, given that many of the effects used to process the samples are actuallly the ones inside the respective instruments used. Some other external effects used:
- FabFilter ProQ3, Saturn, Timeless
- Valhalla Plate
- ProcessAudio SpiceRack
- UVI Thorus, DualDelayX
- Native Instruments Raum, ReplicaXT, PassiveEQ
- Excite Audio Lifeline Console, Lifeline Expanse
- Output Thermal
- Izotope Neoverb
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Mister Fox
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SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - preparation phase

#43

Post by Mister Fox »

It is the 25th January 2023, 10:45 UTC+1/CET - this month's Songwriting Competition has official ended

Apologies for closing this one out so late.


STATISTICS:
  • If I didn't miscount, we have 13 submissions this month (4 entries more than last month, and also 4 more than January 2022)
  • We have 0 submissions after the deadline (as of 25-JAN-2023 10:45 UTC+1/CET)
  • We have 0 submissions that has been disqualified (production released outside of the game's timeframe)
  • We have 1 submission that has been withdrawn (but counts as entry within the deadline)
  • The "staff balancing vote" add-on rule does not apply
  • "Sole Winners Podium" rule (equal or less than eight participants results in a single winner) does not apply (3-position Winners Podium)


:arrow: How do we go from there?

Over the course of the next (hopefully) 24-48 hours (usually up to 6-12 hours maximum after the game has ended), I'll gather all links into one post and hot-link to that from the first post of the thread. Please, no more changes to your entries, but please do check your links that these entries are downloadable. We then perform with the final feedback and "public vote" system.


We have 13 participants. We are adapting the overhauled vote mechanic, as talked about in the following news blog:

Songwriting Competition - game mechanic changes: Voting Process (October 2022 Update)
(Info: I am aware that the Rule Book has not been properly updated yet. Time constraints, apologies for the inconvenience)


Summarized:
 ! Bonus Info
  • Participants can (and must) vote for their Top 5 entries.
  • You're furthermore asked to please reflect on your experience this month (2-3 paragraphs max), what you have learned, what you would like to do different in the future, etc. (personal growth)
  • You are also asked to give feedback to at least five (number: 5) entries that either stood out to you and you would like to provide some additional final thoughts, or where you could provide constructive feedback for possible improvements. To add to the learning experience of our community, it is recommended that these entries are outside of your personal "top entry" voting.
  • Have the chance to get an additional bonus point if you decide to invest the time to provide more constructive feedback than the requested minimum. It must be more than just "nice production, please keep up the good work" however. This is to boost more interaction and can balance out your overall points on the score sheet.
  • The "Voting Process" mechanic is mandatory for all participants, and the only criteria to drop out of the game by not partaking.
  • The overall "Bonus Point" mechanic still applies. Please update your posts with proper production documentation, most notably regarding whom you have collaborated with (as in: proper credits -- not doing so will result in a 2pt deduction on the score sheet at the end of the game). You got until the voting period has ended.
Please cast your vote (not the feedback) in collective form through the "spoiler text" bbcode (button on the WYSIWYG editor that features the orange triangle with an exclamation mark in it). Please use the forum username of the participant to make it easier during the score collection to address what vote belongs to whom.
.

 ⚠ Moderation Message from Mister Fox  
For transparency:

The staff (Mister Fox) will not give feedback to all entries and/or cast a vote this month.

Feedback from non-participants and/or collaborators is highly encouraged (voting not needed!). The same goes for entries after the deadline, or those that sadly do not count for the current running game (even if you've exceeded the deadline, why not post your entry regardless?). Musicians and Engineers are always after constructive criticism. This is what this forum is about.





Have some general feedback? Please provide that here:
Songwriting Competition - General Gossip Thread, or on Discord.



Please have an eye on this thread! :tu:
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SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#44

Post by Mister Fox »

Let us kick off the VOTING PROCESS, which will end on Wednesday, 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET latest


There is a GLOBAL COUNTDOWN to check for deadlines.
Just follow this link: Global Countdown (on homepage)



Here is the collection of productions from all participants (in hope that I didn't forget anyone). As usual, if you click on the small upwards-arrow right beside the quoted name, you can jump to the original post and read up on the documentation for this production.


.
cotmm68030 wrote:
Thu Jan 05, 2023 21:47 CET
"matrioshka brain neural desynchronization"

phpBB [media]


MP3: direct download (only "save link as" might work)
Arelem wrote:
Fri Jan 06, 2023 09:36 CET
"Gone"

alavault wrote:
Sat Jan 07, 2023 19:43 CET
"Rubber Banding"

MP3: Google Drive playback and download
JeroenZuiderwijk wrote:
Thu Jan 19, 2023 16:02 CET
"JungleJazzElectroFusionOnSpeed"

WAV: OneDrive playback and download (version from 23-JAN-2023)

Original post can be found here
Mellow Browne wrote:
Thu Jan 19, 2023 23:16 CET
"Fight Your Demons"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download (version from 22-JAN-2023)

Original Post can be found here, post with additional documentation is here
EsteveCorbera wrote:
Sat Jan 21, 2023 00:35 CET
"Magia Cosmica"

OrpheusXL wrote:
Sat Jan 21, 2023 03:12 CET
"Le Roi C’est Moi"

AlexHyper-EZBanks wrote:
Sat Jan 21, 2023 13:10 CET
"Abattoir"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download
becsei_gyorgy wrote:
Sat Jan 21, 2023 21:11 CET
"adlibs-90bpm-bm-one-sample-challenge"

VCA-089 wrote:
Tue Jan 24, 2023 17:47 CET
"Machine Heart"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download
FLAC: Google Drive playback and download
MP3: Google Drive playback and download

BONUS VIDEO:
► Show Spoiler
tinnitus wrote:
Tue Jan 24, 2023 23:25 CET
"Severe"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download
MP3: Google Drive playback and download
GMoneh wrote:
Tue Jan 24, 2023 23:54 CET
"Grains of Sand"

.



WITHDRAWN (not participating - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)

A Future in Noise wrote:
Sat Jan 07, 2023 19:22 CET
"Always Around"

.



BONUS ENTRIES (submitted after the deadline - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)

The Exponent wrote:
Thu Jan 26, 2023 13:49 CET
"LifeLoop"

.



:arrow: GAME MECHANIC SUMMARY:
► Show Spoiler


Good luck to all participants! :tu:




If you have an idea for a future Songwriting Competition, please post about this in the theme/genre request page or on Discord.


Post updated: 26-JAN-2023 23:00 UTC+1/CET
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The Exponent
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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#45

Post by The Exponent »

Hope you're all doing well. Some fantastic entries this round! :o

I started my song on the last day of the deadline so was unable to properly polish/submit it on time :bang:

Just so I can share what I made, submitting this as a bonus entry. Hope you enjoy it and best of luck to all! :tu:



Here's the list of samples I used (I've re-sampled many of the sounds from within the project later for the various glitches and whooshes):
---------------------------------------------------------
guitar-94bpm-gm (pad, glitches)
Drum loop 90bpm (kick, snare and hats, resampled and reprocessed)
Ultrafold Stab A (basses, lead)
electric_drill (riser)
voice_semi-falsetto_keyE (granular pad, glitchy pad)
Yois4Days 128bpm (glitches)
Glockenspiel High C mono up until 6k (arp/pluck)
Stomp (Smack in Kitchen Sink on a sponge) (intro hit)
thumbtacks_poured_into_pan (downlifter)
Swoosh Higher (transition)

---------------------------------------------------------
DAW: Tracktion Waveform 12 Pro
Synth: Pigments 2 (sampler engine, also granular mode) for all the pads, leads, plucks and basses
FX: DS Tantra, Glitchmachines Convex (for various resampled glitches and rhymthmic effects), Valhalla SuperMassive, Raum, GClip, Thrash 2 (for bass processing), OTT, TEqualizer, Compressor
Mastering Chain: TDR Kotelnikov, GClip, Loudmax
Metering: SPAN, YLM2

Cheers!
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Mister Fox
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SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#46

Post by Mister Fox »

This would have made an amazing 14th entry, @The Exponent. Pity that you couldn't make it in time. However, I just updated the global song collection post, and added your song to the "Bonus Entries".

To everyone that started as well, but didn't make it... please post your entry regardless. Share your creativity, interact, give and receive feedback. This is what the Songwriting Competition is about -- just make music! :phones:


To those that wanted to join this round, please fear not.
The "Community Scramble" game will return... in January 2024. :wink:
cotmm68030

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#47

Post by cotmm68030 »

I enjoyed both creating the sounds for the scramble as well as participating. I've always enjoyed using samples in unusual ways and looking for ways to enjoy noises that might not otherwise get a moment's notice. I recorded some samples of the whine of failing capacitors in a television above the restaurant booth we sat at for dinner tonight. I'm sure that'll find its way into a composition before too long. Likewise I enjoy justifiable excuses to mangle and distort noises. I appreciated the generous timeframe to participate in. My normal haunt is One Hour Compo, so while I didn't utilize much more than a single afternoon, knowing that if I was able to find the time among a busy schedule to expand my track was nice.

The level of production from everyone else's track was really impressive. I was glad to hear another track rooted in an ambient background, even if it ended up more squarely in the 'soundtrack' camp. I knew my submission would be a pretty far outlier stylistically. More often than not the things that I compose are never intended for an audience beyond myself and a handful of others. So then by contrast, the much more accessible compositions that everyone else produced were very enjoyable to hear, knowing the came from the same set of sounds and ending somewhere so far away from my own. Excellent work everyone!


Per track thoughts and impressions:
► Show Spoiler
tinnitus
Posts: 11
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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#48

Post by tinnitus »

First of all this is a lot of fun hearing everyone's work. It was very hard to decide on the voting. Everyone did something unique and brilliant in their own way.

Reviews/feedback
► Show Spoiler


Top 5 (very hard to decide!)
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by tinnitus on Sun Jan 29, 2023 15:23 CET, edited 1 time in total.
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Mister Fox
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SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#49

Post by Mister Fox »

Just a small request from every participant.

If you list your "Top 5" without a position (as in 01st - name, 02nd - name, etc), I assume that your listing is "top to bottom". As in: first position gets the highest points, last position the lowest.

It would be nice of you to make that a bit more clear for me. Don't worry about points, just your top 5 "podium".
Thank you.
EsteveCorbera
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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC065 January 2023 - Voting until 01-FEB-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#50

Post by EsteveCorbera »

I like this month's challenge because to the difficulty of having to create a composition is added the work of finding and manipulating the sound in a way that helps us express what we want to say.
It's amazing to hear the sound designs we can get out of selected samples. Most of your sounds are impossible to identify with the original samples. Very good job!!!
It should also be noted that we have worked more on the sound part than on the composition part of most of the songs.
I also want to welcome the new participants.

Thank you all!!

cotmm68030 - CotMM-matrioshka brain neural desynchronization
Very experimental sound exploration, but very worked. You manage to make incredible effects.
With a depth and feeling of space.
If we compare it to a less experimental composition, your theme lacks a melody, a structure, something the audience can latch on to. But I guess that's what you specifically wanted.
Your music would serve as the soundtrack for a distressing scene.

Arelem_Gone
Good song, more accessible than the previous partner's track.
Are you really a singer? Extraordinary change!!
For the rest of the subject, I don't have much to say. I find it very correct. Good job.

alavault_RubberBanding
Very good sound design, in a very original song.
I agree with some other colleague that the voice sounds a little out of place. Too dry for the extraordinary sound work of the other parts. The voice is in a too real world, the rest in a very cool alien world.

JeroenZuiderwijk_JungleJazzElectroFusionOnSpeed
You also have samples of good sound design. You have made a very powerful topic. With these repetitions that increase the sounds by stacking them and cutting the rhythm.
I don't know what to say as a criticism or improvement proposal. I find a good topic.

MellowBrowne_FightYourDemons
Great sound design and nice theme. A little more 'normal' than other entries of this one, which I don't say either negatively or positively.
Maybe I'm missing a more melodic part in the first part. But you create a great atmosphere that makes your track enjoyable to listen to.

OrpheusXL_Le Roi C'est Moi
I was immediately captivated by your topic. The sounds are really good, the repeating sequence, the sounds coming and going from the sides... nice sound design work.
As a criticism I would say that there is an excessive use of FX that distract attention from the subject. In the second part of the subject between a more interesting part that could be developed further, and extend the subject.

Slaughterhouse - Alex Hyper-EZ Banks
Brutal theme, industrial!!
Maybe you abuse the distortion at certain points, the sound becomes too crunchy.
You do have a lot of ideas in terms of sound design.

becseigyorgy_adlibs-90bpm-bm
You've got a pretty original subject. Far from your style of your previous compositions.
Like the other fellows, and even though you don't like it, you've got great sound design. original
The repetition of the voice creates the main part that keeps you attentive.
Just a criticism, but it's a matter of my taste, I find the laugh you put at minute 1:30 out of place. It distracted me. On the other hand, when you use it again later I find it more correct.

VCA-089_MachineHeart
For me it is the big topic of this month. Congratulations!!! I love it!!! You reached my heart.
Personally, I like this type of music.
Great intro, full of nuances. From minute 1:35 things change and you get me to stop doing what I was doing and just concentrate on the music. I love the final part, those reverberating chords, sounding in the background, far away. In the end, I didn't want the topic to end. I wanted more. My heart wants more.

tinnitus_Severe
Good sound design. Maybe it lacks a more melodic part. But the topic is fine with the time you spent on it. It would be interesting to hear how it would look if you had more time.

Gmoneh_GrainsOfSand
Good sound design and good composition. We've had some really good sound designs this month, but few tracks as well worked on at the compositional level as yours. Really good.
I have nothing to criticize.

aFutureInNoise_AlwaysAround_NP
Good intro but, obviously, it ends too soon.
The sounds are very familiar, I see you used the samples as wavetables in the Surge.
Too bad you couldn't develop more.

The Exponent_LifeLoop-001
Good job. Too bad we can't vote for him.
Good sound design and good composition.
I like it a lot, I don't have much to criticize, because I like it especially at the level of composition.


Thank you all

(translated with google)
► Show Spoiler
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