SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC070 June 2023 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Songwriting Competition 070 - June 2023



BEFORE WE GET STARTED:

• Please consult the official and very simple "Rules and Guidelines" (TL;DR version) for the Songwriting Competition regarding principles of the game, it's engaging game mechanics (allowed editing/re-submission of your entry until the deadline has been reached) and upload/submission guidelines.
• The general idea of this game is to "...just make music", to also challenge yourself by stepping a bit out of your comfort zone, and take a dip at realms you've never worked in before. Instrumentals are just as welcome as productions with vocals.
• The Genre and "Premise" of this months challenge can be found in in post #002
• Filename Template (NEW): SWC070__ArtistName__TrackName.wav or .mp3

Read more about this month's competition further down below. And if you got any question, please also reach out on Discord.



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SONGWRITING COMPETITION THREAD INDEX

Post #001 -- Introduction post and index for the various stages of the Songwriting Competition. Will be updated as we progress
Post #002 -- Submission Period: General Information, Source Material, Sponsors
Post #003 -- Cheat Sheet: A couple of examples / audio demos for this month's challenge (limited if genre is "free to select")
Post #028 -- Voting: Summarized entries and start of voting process
Post #043 -- Results: Results of the Songwriting Competition

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Thursday, 01st June 2023 to Saturday, 24th June 2023 (24 days)

Challenge submission will end on 24-JUN-2023, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (Germany) - until further notice.

Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please either consult the Global Countdown (dedicated page), or the countdown on the landing site. There will also be short reminders on Social Media and on Discord. Does the game time frame feel too long? Why not set a personal shorter one of 5-7 days absolute max to push yourself to focus on the essentials, then use the rest of the time to ask for feedback and possible refinements.



SONGWRITING THEME: "Arts and Crafts"
GENRE: free to select



Image Source: Pixabay (via Pexels), released under Creative Commons CC0



A few word about this month's theme:

When I'm in a bit of a slump and need to relax, I then to browse YouTube and always seem to end up with craft videos. Most notably: DIY woodworking, diorama crafting (including 3D printing) and guitar making videos.

While back in Bob Ross' times (painting showcase/tutorials), there was barely any background music, if music at all. These days with all kinds of DIY and crafts videos, you have background music of a wide variety. Ranging from the good old uplifting Glockenspiel/Ukulele/Clapping combo, to acoustic music, to instrumental pop/rock, but hip-hop/lo-fi music that is more on the chill side of things.


And this is where you come in:
Imagine you have been contracted to write a song for an arts and crafts time-lapse at a length of 2:30min to 3:30min. Something that "supports" what is being presented on screen.

Examples: doing artwork, doing gardening work/creating a flower arrangement, sewing a nice dress, building a diorama, woodworking, repairs, maybe even cooking, etc. Think of something you'd enjoy watching, and then create "production music" for it.
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Your task for this Songwriting Competition:
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This month, you can create a production in any music genre you feel like.

The task should be focusing on "showcasing a product (in the making)" during a time-lapse. Certain genres might not work, and vocals (with lyrics) might be distracting. Although the occasional background choir, or the good old "oh oh oh!"'s could do the trick. Overall, the production should be instrumental.


Have fun making music this month!

Songwriting Rule Summary / Add-On Rules:

► Show Spoiler

• create a production fitting to the given theme, genre and general premise
• you can use any tool that is at your disposal (samples, virtual instruments and/or real instruments), exceptions apply regarding vocal sample usage)
• IMPORTANT: if you use non-licensed material (as in: non royalty free material from sample CDs, etc), give full credit to the source material
• for newcomers: no finished productions that have already been released outside of the time frame of the current Songwriting Competition (Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc), no cover versions or remixes, no ripped acapella's -- please only showcase your own new and original content
• do not go higher than -14,0 LUFS ILk/-1,00 dBTP in terms of perceived loudness (mastering). Music doesn't have to be squashed to bits in order to be impactful
• name your files properly prior to uploading and make the production downloadable. If you opt to present your entry through SoundCloud, the forum can also convert your links into a Soundcloud player through the [soundcloud] BBCode from the text editor (orange square with a white cloud in it)
• ADD-ON RULES:
  • Filename Template: SWC070__ArtistName__TrackName.wav or .mp3
  • <no (additional) add-on rules specified>

For a full set of rules, please consult the Official Rules and Guidelines (most notably Rule Book - post #6). If you got any questions regarding the game mechanics or similar, please either utilize the SWC - Gossip and Discussion thread, or reach out through Discord.

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LICENSE SPONSORS (Bonus Prizes):

A huge thank you goes to our very generous License Sponsors for this month's game. Those being (in alphabetical order):

Cherry Audio, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins, IK Multimedia, JRR Sounds, kv331 audio, Luftrum, Musiclab, Rekkerd Sounds, satyatunes - Sound / Graphic Design, and Tone2.


A detailed list of offerings can be found in the following information block.

► Show Spoiler

Available Bonus Prizes for Songwriting Challenge participants:

Note: All licenses are NFR (Not-For-Resale), except where noted.
Changes to available prices on short notice may be possible and will be announced separately.


RECURRING LICENSE SPONSORSHIP:


Cherry Audio is kind enough to give away one license of Voltage Modular Ignite, plus either a license of "Year One Collection" or "Year Two Collection"
Licenses will turn into NFR
More info on Cherry Audio: https://cherryaudio.com



IK Multimedia is kind enough to give away one license of MODO BASS 2 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia: https://www.ikmultimedia.com



Musiclab is kind enough to donate any 1 guitar of your choice to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Musiclab: https://www.musiclab.com



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Saurus4 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



kv331 audio is kind enough to either give away a SynthMaster 1+2 Bundle, or a freely selectable set of 3 SynthMaster Expansions
Licenses will not turn into NFR, you need to have a kv311 audio user account in order to pick up Expansions
More info on kv331 audio: https://www.kv331audio.com



JRR Sounds is kind enough to give away any-1 sound sets or sample set of winner's choice (exception: Bundles)
More info on JRR Sounds: https://www.jrrshop.com/jrr-sounds



Luftrum is kind enough to give away either a license of Lunaris 2, a license of Bioscape, or any two sound sets of winner's choice
License will turn into NFR
More info on Luftrum: https://www.luftrum.com/



Rekkerd Sounds is kind enough to give away 1 sound set of winners choice (exception: Krezie EDM and Neurofunk Vol. 1)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Rekkerd Sounds: https://sounds.rekkerd.org/



Ghostwave Audio (Vincent Bastiat) is kind enough to donate any 2 sound sets to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Ghostwave Audio: https://ghostwaveaudio.com



Hollow Sun is kind to donate one license of "Music Laboratory Machines - The Suite I" to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hollow Sun: http://www.hollowsun.com



Hornet Plugins is kind enough to give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hornet Plugins: https://www.hornetplugins.com



Sound / Graphic Designer, and honorary Mix Challenge staff satYatunes is donating one commercial product of winner's choice (until further notice)
More info on satYatune's page: https://satyatunes.com/



THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS!
And also a thank you to all former contributors as well.

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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!

[Mister Fox]

AUDIO EXAMPLES:
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Articles and Info Pages:

A great starting point is the "Addendum"/Supplementary thread for the Songwriting Competition
Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Music Maps and BPM Charts

Since the genre this month is "free to select", there are no clear pointers




Music examples (selection for inspiration, 02 pages):

► Show Spoiler

Storyblocks - Stock Media Audio Section: Background Music For Diy Video
Epidemic Sound - Audio Stock Media for videos: Art and Crafts section

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Please also check in with the following threads in the the Gear Talk sub-forum, if you're on the look-out for new tools:
Places to fuel your GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) (the starting point if you're in need of audio tools -- from free to affordable).


if you're new to/need help with songwriting - please check out the following tools:

► Show Spoiler

ScalerPlugin Pty Ltd - Scaler 2 (collaboration w/Plugin Boutique, currently the most comprehensive chord/harmony tool out there)
Xfer Records - Cthulhu
W.A. Production - InstaChord and InstaScale
CodeFN42 - Chordz (Transition is also recommended, if you want more experimental/generative MIDI, free, Windows only)
trackbout - Ripchord (free/open-source MIDI chord generator, think Xfer Records Cthulhu, but simplified)
Fabrizio Poce / J74 - Progressive ("Max4Life" is needed, Ableton Live bound)

Please note, that a lot of DAW also have Harmony Theory and/or Chord Generation tools built in. Please consult the manual of your go-to software for more information.

More tools of the trade

► Show Spoiler

Need a good starter kit of free instruments?

Instruments:
AKAI - MPC Beats (limited to 1 instance, 8 MIDI + 2 Audio tracks, but can be used as VSTi in any other DAW)
Apisonic Labs - Speedrum (a "spiritual successor" to One Small Clue POISE, Lite version available)
Big Fish Audio - Momentum (a free and powerful WAV/AIFF loop mangler)
IK Multimedia - MODO DRUM CS (one drum kit)
Rayzoon - Jamstix (an amazing drummer brain)
IK Multimedia - MODO BASS 2 CS (one e-bass)
Spitfire Audio - LABS
Spitfire Audio - BBC Symphonic Orchestra Discover
Pianobook - started by Spitfire Audio's co-founder Christian Henson, offers many free/affordable sample sets in various formats
Decent Samples - project started by David Hilowitz as alternative to NI Kontakt (Full), offers many free/affordable sample sets
Orchestral Tools - SINEfactory
Vienna Symphonic Library - the "HELLO Free Instruments" series (offering an Orchestra, Piano, Small Percussion and more)
kv331 audio - Synthmaster Player (the free version comes with over 600 presets!)
Cherry Audio - Voltage Modular Nucleus ("entry level" to Modular Synthesis, usable as plugin or instrument)
DISTRHO - Cardinal (a proper open-source variant of VCV Rack, plugin variants available)
Surge Synth Team - Surge-XT (a free and open source hybrid synthesizer)
Matt Tytel - Vital (spectral warping wavetable synth, a free "basic" version is available)
VSTBuzz - Freebie Collection page, plenty of good material to find there (often Native Instrument Kontakt bound)
Sonic Charge - Cyclone (Yamaha TX16W/Typhoon sampler)
CWItech - TX16Wx Software Sampler (If you want a highly powerful Soundfont2 loader / sampler)

Please do remember, our kind License Provider Musiclab also offer 14 day trial versions of their virtual guitar range.

More recommendation for free/affordable tools can be found at the #audio-tech-deals section on our Discord server.

UPDATED: 31-MAY-2023 20:10 UTC+2, updated 00-JUN-2023 00:00 UTC+2

[Arelem]

Hello All,

Here is my track for this month's competition. I tend to get bored with 'background' tracks so I wanted to have the song changing every couple of bars, but I also wanted it to follow some kind of standard song structure rather than something more free-form. In this case, the song kind of goes for a verse-chorus-verse-chorus but with different elements add or taken away each time.



Details:

► Show Spoiler

DAW is Fl Studio

The chords/pads are vital and Flex layered.
The random chirpy sounds are a custom vital patch.
The bass is Sublab in parts and sytrus in others.
The bells are done with sytrus.
The stutter ambience in the back half is Ethereal Earth

Effects used have a fair bit of automation for distortion, reverb, and phaser.
Wider was used in a few places for a wider sound stage.
Reverbs used were Raum, Neoverb, and Convolver.

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 14 days left to submit your production.

So far, we have 1 entry -- but barely any game interaction.



If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 7 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song.

To those sitting on the fence - please don't feel scared off and think "the bar is set too high, I will never make it" - set yourself a shorter private deadline. Just make music, submit your entry, join the conversation. See where this goes.

By joining, you're already a winner. The rest is bonus.

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

Hi all,

I was thinking for some background music with an arts/crafts video that it should be a repeating theme with not too much variation and a very cheesy ambient synth sound ;-)

To de-cheese it a bit (you know...make i t less cheesy...) I created a powerfull beat to make it more interesting for me to listen to.

Making the beat was much fun using Renoise, just playing with different breaks and feel. The chords and melody are the result of jamming with the beat and feel where it needed to go.

This is a WIP version. Maybe I will add some stuff or work more on the mix. I feel the low end of the mix is a bit too heavy. Any thoughts on that would we welcome.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahp8xH6KRIfbggtGnbD ... l?e=VlSjGU

Cheers,

Jeroen

[KukoBass]

Hello everybody,

this is my entry for this month. The song is best heard on instant repeat as a loop.

(Edit: Final Version)


The WAV version is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vun3wG ... drive_link

DAW: Ableton Live 11

Bass: IK Multimedia Modo Bass 2, "Studio Upright"-preset
Ableton Color Limiter and Utility

Drums: IK Mulitimedia Modo Drums "Studio"-preset and "Panama"-Grooves
Ableton Compressor on "Gentle Squeeze"-preset

Guitars: Applied Acoustic Systems Strum 2 "LatinVibes"-pack and "Cortes"-presets
Ableton Color Limiter

Percussion: Ableton Drum Rack "Shaker & Macaras"-preset
Ableton EQ Eight

Strings:
Native Instruments Session Strings Pro 2 "Modern Cello"-preset x 2
Frozen Plain Phoenix Mirage "Old School Strings"-preset
Softube Saturation Knob

Trumpet: Native Instruments Session Horns Pro "Trumpet 1" and "Trumpet 2"-presets
Ableton Utility on both and Auto Pan on Trumpet 2

Master Bus:
Hornet Plugins ThirtyOne MK2-EQ
TBProAudio Isol8 to check for problematic frequencies
Audified MixChecker to check for problems on different listening devices
brainworx bx_masterdeck True Peak to make all below 120 Hz mono, to adjust the loudness and the stereo wideness
LUveler64 to limit the song to the target levels
SPL HawkEye to check for problems with the loudness and the stereo field
YouLean Loudness Meter 2 to check the loudness of the song
Hornet VHS to correct the used headphones while mixing (turned off for the final rendering of the song)

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 7 days left to submit your production.

So far, we have 3 entries -- with unfortunately barely any interaction.



If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 3 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song. Please also remember, vocals are not mandatory -- instrumentals are just as welcome.

And to those sitting on the fence - please don't feel scared off and think "the bar is set too high, I will never make it" - set yourself a shorter private deadline. Just make music, submit your entry, join the conversation. See where this goes.

By joining, you're already a winner. The rest is bonus.

[KukoBass]

To de-cheese it a bit (you know...make i t less cheesy...) I created a powerfull beat to make it more interesting for me to listen to.
...
This is a WIP version. Maybe I will add some stuff or work more on the mix. I feel the low end of the mix is a bit too heavy. Any thoughts on that would we welcome.

I don't know about the low end, but I was irritated by the distortion (or is it a bitcrush?) on the kick sound.
And I noticed that the song has almost no stereo effects except for the reverb on the keyboard chords.

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

To de-cheese it a bit (you know...make i t less cheesy...) I created a powerfull beat to make it more interesting for me to listen to.
...
This is a WIP version. Maybe I will add some stuff or work more on the mix. I feel the low end of the mix is a bit too heavy. Any thoughts on that would we welcome.

I don't know about the low end, but I was irritated by the distortion (or is it a bitcrush?) on the kick sound.
And I noticed that the song has almost no stereo effects except for the reverb on the keyboard chords.

Thanks for the feedback. The distorded kick was something of an experiment. In my final version maybe i replace it for someting else. About the stereo-effects....good suggestion, I see what I can do about it.