CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION
Time Frame: Monday, 01st November 2021 to Sunday, 21st November 2021 (21 days)
Challenge submission will end on 21-11-2021, 23:59 UTC+1/CET (Germany) - until further notice.
Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please consult the following options:
The
Global Countdown on it's dedicated page or the countdown on the
home page. There will also be short reminders on Social Media.
Song Provider: Canardus Horribilis (presented by Pål Isdahl Solberg /
@Naturecord)
Song Name and Length: Längtan (feat. Saga Björling), 3:55 min
Song Information: varying BPM / Signature: varying (see TXTs)
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit
GENRE: Folk / Medieval
Preview of the Song (Demo Mix):
A word from the song provider:
Pål Isdahl Solberg wrote:This song was commissioned by Medeltidsveckan, a medieval festival in Visby, Gotland in Sweden, after the pandemic hit us all. It is a collaboration between the medieval/folk band Canardus Horribilis from Norway and the Swedish singer Saga Björling that have played the festival several times. The festival wanted to put some music to the feelings of missing the place and the festival.
Since it needed to be done fast, this song was written, recorded and mixed on a very tight schedule (less then a week). Some compromises had to be made to make it happen quickly, both in recording techniques and precision.
We have tried to keep the feel of the song natural, and allow the acoustic instruments to not be over-processed, while also trying to have a little modern feel to the mix. This was a challenge to balance, and the time restrictions on recording and mixing might have pushed us to go to familiar mixing solutions instead of taking the time to explore new ideas. It will be very interesting to see how others solve this challenge, and to get inspired by all of you!
We are open to new interpretations and ways to mix the song, but still keeping in mind the acoustic medieval instrumentation and inspiration.
For reference tracks it is a bit tricky as there is limited recorded albums in the sjangre, but it is possible to check out Ulvens Döttrar (Månmors Gëstabud), Valkyrien Allstars (Tåre Du Tarv Ikkje Falla), Garmarna (Herr Mannlig)
(more technical details in the Mix Pack bundled TXTs)
A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:
Mister Fox wrote:This month is really shaking things up. Instead of having access to our usual suspects in terms of instruments and sound spectrum, we're suddenly talking about instruments that are the forefathers of our modern day woodwind, stringed and percussion instruments. I highly recommend to listen to each individual instrument first, maybe compare it to it's contemporary counterparts, then you might have it easier while mixing.
Which also brings me to the topic of "having to make compromises". A lot of the material is already properly aligned, cut clean (strip silence), but there might still be the occasional small issue (clicks), some signals might be running just a tad too hot ever so often. Nothing that can't be fixed. Although personally, I'd focus on keeping the natural tone and groove alive, rather than be surgical.
Have fun mixing!
For additional references...
Corvus Corax (German medieval folk band, with the occasional dip towards metal)
Faun (German medieval folk band)
In Extremo (German medieval metal band, check out their early work, they build their instruments themselves)
Omnia (Dutch medieval folk band)
Heilung (Norwegian-Danish-German experimental folk band, they build their instruments themselves)
Żywiołak (Polish medieval folk band, also worked on "The Witcher 3" video game and recorded Polish folk songs for "World of Tanks")
On that behalf, I also recommend watching the "making of" video:
Creating The Sound - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Official Developer Diary
Please also consult the TXT files that are bundled in the source files package below. There you can find more information about the individual files and changes to the time signature.
Rule Summary / Add-On Rules:
- try to create a mix that complements this production (in your own style)
- the focus of this game is "mixing" - NO MASTERING. Edit/Mix in such a way, that barely any after-touches other than loudness adjustments and final limiting is needed in a possible follow-up mastering step.
- Clean / Alternative versions can be used if you need more flexibility over a certain sound (if present for this production)
- make the best out of the provided audio material (EQ, compression, transient tools, etc), no "drum sample triggering / replacement", neither any changes to the arrangement (copy/add/move/remove parts)!
- please only provide WAV files, files need to be accessible/downloadable from your preferred cloud storage space (no SoundCloud!)
- render the edited material in the same sampling rate and bitrate as originally provided (MC082 / November => 44/24)
- ADD-ON RULES - PRODUCTION RELATED:
- Filename Template: MC082__Canardus_Horribilis__Längtan_feat_Saga_Björling__ForumUsername.wav
- no (more) add-on rules specified
Please consult the official
Rules and Guidelines for a more detailed set of rules, including how to document your edits, maximum loudness values and delivery formats (see
Rule Book - Post #6).
Failing to adhere to the rules will result in disqualification. There will be no additional reminders given.
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Source Files:
Main Mix Package - full package (157,30 MB, LZMA compressed, zip - not a typo!)
IMPORTANT NOTE: download window might show a smaller file size, file unavailable after 21-NOV-2021
The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression.
File size extracted: 1304,27 MB, packed 157,30 MB (ZIP, LZMA, not a typo!)
In order to extract the files, we can recommend these programs:
Macintosh:
The Unarchiver -
get it here
Keka (open source) -
get it here
Windows:
7zip -
Installation /
Portable
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Please
take note of the official rules - they can be found at the following thread:
Mix Challenge - Official Rules and Guidelines
Please address any OT question in the official Gossip thread:
Mix Challenge - Gossip and Discussion
If you like what the Mix Challenge (community) has been doing in recent months:
Please consider supporting us
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SPONSORS (Prizes):
Prizes for Mix 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.
Acon Digital is kind enough give away a single plugin of winner's choice (exception: Verberate Immersive)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Acon Digital:
http://acondigital.com
Hornet Plugins is kind enough give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hornet Plugins:
http://www.hornetplugins.com
IK Multimedia is kind enough give away one license of T-RackS ONE to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia:
https://www.ikmultimedia.com
Metric Halo is kind enough to give away a single plugin of winner's choice
License will turn into NFR
More info about Metric Halo:
http://mhsecure.com/metric_halo/
NOS Audio is kind enough give away one license of NOS Roomer to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NOS Audio:
http://www.nosaudio.com/
NUGEN Audio is kind enough give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NUGEN Audio:
https://nugenaudio.com/
Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of
Ultraspace to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2:
https://tone2.com
THANKS FOR THE LICENSE DONATIONS!
And also a thank you to all former contributors as well.
If you want to sponsor content (please have a focus on mix plugins, bundles and the likes), please get in touch with the Mix Challenge staff.
Please spread the word of the challenge on social media.
For example with our dedicated
Twitter Account or
Facebook Page
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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!