MIX CHALLENGE - MC087 August 2022 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Mix Challenge 087 - August 2022


This is the introduction post, where we directly link to the challenge corresponding files (source files, submission information, sponsors), start of the evaluation process and the first posts for re-submissions for Mix Round 2 and (possible) Mix Round 3.

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Bonus Info

This month, you have the chance to work on a "World Music / Pop Music" production hybrid by the UK based band "Cable Street Collective", respresented by recurring Song Provider Adrian "Ady" Parzentny (@Los_ady). The song is called "Power Is Out (Hit The Road Mix)" and is actually a remix/alternative version of the song of the same name. As with previous offerings by Ady, you will have the chance to work with instruments that you might not usually interact with otherwise. Additional challenges arise with "printed" tracks, and/or tracks that were recorded in non-ideal environments. But hey, this wouldn't be a "mixing challenge" otherwise, right? There is a lot to discover this month. Including an extensive "making of", and you can even get access to an in-depth mixing tutorial for the provided multi-tracks (please check the bundled TXTs for more info and a special discount code, exclusive to Mix Challenge participants). Did we pique your interest? Then please take special note of the attached TXT files in the Mix Pack, and please read about the details and special requirements for handling this mix further down below.

IMPORTANT: Before you get started, please consult the official "Rules and Guidelines" for the Mix Challenge regarding principles of the game, upload/submission guidelines, the concept of documenting your edits, and maximum allowed loudness values (see Rule Book - post #6). Interaction is highly encouraged, including asking questions for the song provider. Giving and receiving constructive feedback to your entry, and sharing tips and tricks should ideally happen after Mix Round 1 has ended, to not influence each other during the main competition round.




This post will be updated with the corresponding links as we progress, and of course the suitable thread headlines. So please watch this spot:


Submission Period: General Information, Source Files, Sponsors
Mix Round 1 Statistics/Data Sheet: Overview of Submissions - is your entry within given parameters?
Mix Round 2: Global Feedback and Round 2 Participant Announcement
Mix Round 3: Global Feedback and Round 3 Participant Announcement
Results of the Mix Challenge: Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Monday, 01st August 2022 to Sunday, 21st August 2022 (21 days)

Challenge submission will end on 21-08-2022, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (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 and on Discord.



Song Provider: Cable Street Collective
Song Name and Length: Power Is Out (Hit The Road Mix), 5:00 min
Song Information: 98 BPM / Signature: 4/4
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit

GENRE: World Music / Pop


Preview of the Song (Demo Mix):

phpBB [media]

INFORMATION: This version might sound different from the provided multi-tracks.



A word from the song provider:

Dear friends,

I'm happy to be back and share this very special Mix Challenge with you this month, together with the UK Band "Cable Street Collective" and our cross continental collaboration with Moroccan Artists Ayoub Barrar, Salah Fafah and Lala Tamar.

When starting as a producer, I reached out like crazy to bands via Bandcamp, Instagram and Facebook to discover more artists and build a relationship, which lead me to them.

During my 2 years in Morocco in the hardest lockdown months, we had a wonderful zoom chat with the Band members and talked about collaborating with Moroccan musicians which I recorded, so they sent me a Demo of their latest single "Power Is Out"

I started to mix the song after traveling 4000km and recording in the Moroccan Desert, the Coast and the mountains, and invite you to see the whole process in this short documentary available on the Produce Like A Pro Youtube Channel.

phpBB [media]

The Band liked the mix so much that they didn't even consider re-recording, therefore you have a tricky task to make this home recording sound like a commercial record. That's why we call it Mix Challenge.

Believe me, after mixing this unusual song, you will definitely learn something new and that's the goal here - to learn and have fun, doing what we love. That's what we're here for, right?


First of all I would recommend you to check out the original mix which is attached in the multi tracks and really take a minute or two to think about priorities in the mix. Is it the vocals and rhythm section? Which parts of the huge rhythm section really drive the song? Maybe it's the guitars that carry the groove...? You decide!

All the best and thank you for joining, really appreciate your time
on doing this.

Ady
Hit The Road Music Studio



REFERENCES:
More for the vibe, uplifting, party, forward, sunshine - sound wise references, unfortunately, I can't find anything similar to this song, but here we go:

Amadou and Mariam for the sunshine vibe
https://youtu.be/7O4lGQsf8Tw

Mafikizo for the beat
https://youtu.be/yhk52GlkhVA


A World Music Mix with Beats I always get back to is "Balkan Beat Box".
Overall sound I like for reference, is "I Trusted You"
https://youtu.be/IUwM5d3qvUY




(more technical details in the Mix Pack bundled TXTs)

A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:

A once more very surprising blend of oriental instruments, and pop music, with the additional twist of limited / printed sound sources.

I can't offer that many hints or tricks this month. The original mix is more "pop" oriented, though maybe you got a different idea. One way or the other, your focus should definitely be on finding suitable positions in the frequency spectrum for each instrument.

This will not be a simple task, but there is a lot to learn here. So please keep your ears tuned, and let your creativity flow. There are so many options possible to add your own sonic fingerprint to this production.

Good luck, and have fun.

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)! (unless otherwise stated)
• please only provide WAV files, files need to be accessible/downloadable from your preferred cloud storage space (no SoundCloud, WeTransfer or similar!)
• render the edited material in the same sampling rate and bitrate as originally provided (MC087 / August => 44/24)
• ADD-ON RULES - PRODUCTION RELATED:
  • Filename Template: MC087__Cable_Street_Collective__Power_Is_Out_HTRS_Mix__<username>.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 (585,84 MB, LZMA compressed, zip)
IMPORTANT NOTE: download window might show a smaller file size, file unavailable after 21-AUG-2022


The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression (specs from 2015).
File size extracted: 1304,24 MB, packed 585,84 MB (ZIP, LZMA)


In order to extract the files, we can recommend these programs / apps:

Macintosh:
The Unarchiver - get it here
Keka (open source) - get it here / please take note of the file extraction guide

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

Got an interesting production and want to become a Song Provider?
Check in with the Song Pool campaign and reach out

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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 to give away a single plugin of winner's choice (exception: Verberate Immersive)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Acon Digital: https://acondigital.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/



IK Multimedia is kind enough to give away one license of T-RackS Tape Machine Collection 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: https://mhsecure.com/metric_halo/



NOS Audio is kind enough to give away one license of NOS Roomer to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NOS Audio: https://www.nosaudio.com/



NUGEN Audio 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 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!

[alavault]

Hello !
Mix : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o0q9Hm ... sp=sharing

• Guitars : lots of 8k overall. Lots of volume automation. 1/8D and parallel comp + widener
• Bass : LP filter + automation of a parallel SansAmp + flanger + parallel comp (shared with the percussions)
• Vocals : 1176-style comp into pultec + Limiter. Added 1/4 note throw on certain words. Plate + parallel comp
• Brass and winds : edited the post chorus hooks for tightness. Into same parallel comp as the guitars/
• Percussions : 60 +8k overall. The loop has a a parallel distortion automated throughout the song.

[mahzinho]

Hi!!!
Mix: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hZAbU0 ... sp=sharing

I applied to some individual elements like cymbals LR the Alesis 3630 unit comp for giving a flavor while taming some levels and the same for the beat element, vox (main), bass, trumpet and one of the cajon. With different settings and did not for all for merge processed by Alesis + clean in one initial part; so I levelled tracks not so loud with trimmer for having good headroom to work; grouped elements and applied eq sweeping ranges that for me was not so crucial, so attenated or cutted also for leaving space for other elements. About panning I did a lot between 6~45, but also did elements with 65 for example or 76 to 79 (about left/right sides).

Reverb for vox I applied 3 shapes with STA-Delay by Audified followed (in a bus) by a stock compressor for a nice transition between parts of the performance with reverb applied. After that I analyzed and was applying an extra faders balance and finally applied Alesis 3630 again for having the organic sound of the waveform being processed analog for the overall mix, not with pre-master in intention, but wished to finish my mix with Alesis leading an overall sound to everything in peak mode. So here my entry.

I have only a question: I decided to deliver 32b because of being digital and also used analog gear, thought perhaps could exist a benefit with 32b float, will be accepted?

[Jonssin Musiikki]

Hi,

The Mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o-DwZA ... sp=sharing


Drums and Perc:
Cymbals HighPassed
Cajon EQ boosting lows and high shelf at 3.3 Decapitator for some saturation
Loop:
EQ Boosting high and lows slight cut 150hz, some saturation and fast compressor
KARBAKA aggressive 1176 compressor and high pass + ´kramer tape for saturation

Bass paraller distortion 76 -> eq slight boost at 680 and spring reverb

Guitars light eq and slight la-3a comp (about 1-2 db gr)
GTR_mic1 & Gtr_mic2 decapitator for some extra distortion
Solos to doubler and tap delay
Send to reverb

HORNS:
saxs only compression and saturation
trumpets eq and slow compression followed by semi-fast compressor (solo trumpet also has Little Radiator to add some heat).
RIBAB some saturation and high passing couple dips and 700-1k hz area ->slow compression
Send all except ribab to reverb

Fiona vocal
some fader riding for automation
dynamic eq for cuts, three stages of compression in series (each doing 1-1.5db gr), boosting some high
send to paraller compressor and delays and reverb.

LALA vocals
some multiple delays nothing else

on master bus eq for boosting highs and lows and ssl comp for glue (just tapping the needle).

[_StillBorn]

Hey,

Here are some of the interesting things I did (buut please ask if you're curious about something not mentioned):

Lala_Tamar Vox+BG Vox:

• In the intro (00:50) I've automated an EQ into a narrow band creating a flute kind of sound on the vocals. Kind of suited the track and eased into the verse nicely.

• In the break (03:24) I've automated the reverb, opening up into the break/build-up (and also going from mono -> stereo).

• No pitch correction used.

Fiona Vox:

• I know it's pretty damn dry (I had that plate reverb on the ready ) - but it sits so nicely in the mix all dry, while still cutting through the busy mix.

• Added a little color, emphasizing a little distortion in the midtones. Tons of (tasteful) compression.

• No pitch correction used.

Drum loop:

• Automated the volume a bit creatively here to make the track "breathe" a little better.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wo2fuh ... sp=sharing

Let me know if I messed something up rulewise.

[MFTWC]

I started with the usual cleaning of the low frequencies, then I took the beat track and mixed it with the bass track, eq cut at 164.81 hz on the bass.

I then mixed the vocals, I used a room and a spring reverb, then I added some compression to even out the volume.

I used the different mic recordings of the guitars to make them stereo, on the single files I used the old pan to one side and delay to the other effect.

The sax and trumpet got panned to 100 % left and right, then I used a room reverb as send to simulate a space.

On the ribab I had to pitch correct some phrases that was out of tune.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dQccm_ ... sp=sharing

[White Punk OD]

Hello Ady, so glad to see you return here with another wonderful crossover song.
These musicians know what they do! Great singers!

As we have different ethnic tone scales here, the string instrument deliberately plays certain notes of the scale a bit higher (most north-africans), and the western brass instruments by default have european classic tune.

Thus I would like to make a humble suggestion:

Pitch correction should be always documented, which tracks, and if there was manual mode used.
Also, it would be very important to know, whether the pitch correction tool can stay with the default A=440, or if the band used something else, or perhaps everything was free running, and the musician found their own scale base in a collective without a pitch fork or electronic tool.

For the production debate, which are the best affordable tools for pitch analysis on a whole set of tracks?

[UHLS]

Hello people, hello los_ady,
thanks for the opportunity to mix this interesting song.
The biggest challenge for me was Calabash playing together with Cajon.
As a reference I first had a band called "Tinariwen" in mind, but unfortunately Calabash is recorded too dynamically, and with distortions in some places, so I had to forget the reference quickly.
At some point i reached the limits of my abilities, and so i concentrated on the whole sound instead of just single instruments.
I made the Desert loop mono in verses, stereo in choruses, and tried to emphasise the Fiona overall.
This time for all signals I used Slate VMR, and from effects Plug&Mix, Eventide H910, Verbsuite, Repeater, and for Lala voices one metallic sounding reverb from Reaktor 6 (Elektrique Banana.ens), because it sounds trashy.
Best regards,
UHLS
My Mix:
https://workupload.com/file/BUfe3Y3DKEx

[andreybenassi]

Very cool to see Ady here, an excellent professional and a great person!

An excellent song to mix, with instruments I actually don't know, all souding good... But very difficult to mix for me, it will be a challenge!