SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC070 June 2023 - Winners announced

[FallenAngel]

I think it should work now please let me know if it doesn't

[Mellow Browne]

Hey there,

this is my entry for this month:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gzS_1e ... sp=sharing

I wanted to create an energetic song with some distorted guitars in the "hook", a live recording feeling of my Roland TD 17 module and 3/4 or 6/8 drum groove. While creating this I was thinking about guitar making videos, woodworking and heavy machine repairing.

It was produced in Logic Pro X, the drum recording and mixing/mastering was made in UAD Luna.

Unfortunately, I'm very busy at the moment and I only had a few hours to create this. I had lots of fun, especially playing the drums, even though I'm still a beginner. I wish the take had 1 or 2 more fills as the groove is very simple.

Generators:

Scaler 2

Instruments:

Drums: Roland TD 17 (own custom kit)
Bass: IKM Modo Bass 2
Clavinet: Arturia Clavinet V
Piano: Arturia Piano V2
Power Chords + Distorted Guitars: Musiclab RealStrat
Both Lead Synths: Arturia CS-80 V3

Mixing:

Drums: UAD SSL E Channel > Standard Clip> Lexicon 224
Bass: UAD LA2 > Neutron Elements 3 > Standard Clip
Clavinet: Fix Doubler > Fix Phaser > UAD Fairchild 660 > Neutron Elements 3 > Proximity EQ+
Piano: Spread > UAD Fairchild 660 > Neutron Elements 3 > Fix Doubler
Power Chords: Spread > Neutron Elements 3 > EchoBoy
Distorted Guitars: IKM Tonex as amp > Neutron Elements 3 > Fix Doubler
Lead Synth 1: Neutron Elements 3 > Fix Doubler > EchoBoy Jr > Standard Clip
Lead Synth 2: Neutron Elements 3 > PanCake 2 > EchoBoy Jr

All instruments are routed to a bus send with Lexicon 224

Mastering:

TC Electronic Clarity M
Correlometer
UAD Ampex ATR 102
UAD SSL G Bus
PSP E27se
smartLimit

Edit: I forgot to mention that I also used the Luna Tape Extensions on all tracks for saturation (Drums > Studer 800 / rest > Oxide Tape) and the Ampex on the master.

[lxm.labxmusic]

Thank you. I've updated my post with a download link for the Final Entry .wav file.

[Mister Fox]

Songs are accessible now, thank you.

Still about 5 hours left, can we exceed 15 participants again?
Looking forward to all entries.

[FixInTheMix]

I decided to go for a Lofi/chill beat since is heavily predominant for these kinds of videos, at least is the first thing that comes to mind.

I managed to use some nice tricks like tape stop effects, DJ scratching, and some ambiance backgrounds to give the track more life.

Instruments:
For drums, I used a mix of free Lofi samples as well as a classic 707 Roland drum machine and a filtered and gated drum loop for the second part
Piano : LABS soft piano
Rhodes piano: DPiano-E drom DD software
Acoustic Guitars: recorded my nylon guitar for background chords, added tremolo and vibrato
Electric Guitars: recorded my telecaster and used a guitar JS plugin by Tukan, didn´t teak the sound at all, and then added tape saturation and some flutter.

In case anyone is curious about how I made the scratching sounds I used Ribs granular sampler, sampled the kick drum, and played with the mouse back and forth, got that tip from a youtube tutorial.

Here´s the final version:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18RX5CT ... drive_link

Good luck to all!

[canese]

Hi guys,

this is my entry for this month's competition: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gjgz14oxp1qym ... e.wav?dl=0

Track was made in Fl Studio and I used Arturia V instruments only but the bass is from Gx-80.

I'll add some more info later. Thank you!

[Mister Fox]

It is the 25th June 2023, 00:45 UTC+2/CEST - this month's Songwriting Competition has official ended


STATISTICS:

• If I didn't miscount, we have 11 submissions this month (4 entries less than last month, but 4 more than June 2022)
• We have 0 submissions after the deadline (as of 25-JUN-2023 00:45 UTC+2/CEST)
• We have 0 submissions that has been disqualified (production released outside of the game's timeframe)
• We have 0 submissions that has been withdrawn
• 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)

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 accessible and downloadable. We then perform with the final feedback and "public vote" system.


We have 11 official 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 (tiered mechanic). 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 (tiered mechanic) 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 additional bonus points 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. (get 1 point if you give constructive feedback to 2-3 more people, get 2 points if you give helpful feedback for everyone) 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.

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⚠	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!

[Mister Fox]

Let us kick off the VOTING PROCESS, which will end on Saturday, 01-JUL-2023 23:59 UTC+2/CEST 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.


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"Midnight Mirage"

"Balearic Background"



WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"Putting It All Together"

"Serenity"



WAV: Dropbox playback and download

"My Garage"

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

BONUS VIDEO:

► Show Spoiler

phpBB [media]

"Multiverse"

WAV: OneDrive playback and download

"Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat"

"String Disco"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"Do It Yourself"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"Warm Blanket"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"Seeding Me"

WAV: Dropbox playback and download

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


<no withdrawn entries>
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BONUS ENTRIES (submitted after the deadline - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)


<no bonus entries>
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GAME MECHANIC SUMMARY:

► Show Spoiler

Please consult this news blog post regarding an overhaul to the voting mechanic. To make it simple for me for counting the votes - please use the forum usernames in your listing. Thank you!

Please also consult the previous post that features a summary for this month's mechanic (see "Bonus Info" in the red colored box).
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This month's SWC participants giving feedback to each other is mandatory, it is the only criteria to drop out of the game by not partaking. If you have collaborated with somebody, then only the one doing the main entry needs to give feedback and vote. Bonus feedback is always welcome. However, please be open minded, objective and constructive.


INFORMATION: If you have submitted your entry in multiple file formats, the statistic sheet (posted alongside the results) will focus on the uncompressed material first (WAV), then FLAC, then MP3. The higher the quality (e.g. lossless format), the less possible loss on bonus points for "Loudness Specs" due to offsets introduced by a used CODEC.

Good luck to all participants!




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: 25-JUN-2023 01:35 UTC+2/CEST

[Mellow Browne]

Congratulation to all participants, really strong entries this month.

What I learned this month:
I´m more efficient for SWC when just starting right before deadline, not spending more than a few hours for everything
I think this month showed that I´m pretty much done with producing „lofi hip hop“ myself
I´m happy that I produced the instrumental in the first place and than came up instantly with the groove, so I just recorded 2 drum takes overall
I wish the TD 17 had multi outs, I didn´t had the time to record every single element

I had clear criterias for my top 5:

-No lofi hip hop (because I started this whole music journey as beat maker long time ago, I´m pretty tired of this genre)
-Not too much „happy/cheesy“ vibes
-No simple loop, please tell a story instead


Arelem:

Nice atmosphere, I like the vibe. Good sound choice.
I have to admit I was a bit surprised when I heard the beat on my main speakers. I couldn’t hear any bassline on the cell phone speakers so I thought „yeah, nice beat“. But the surprise on the main speakers was the bassline which I must say is out off key. Your bass notes are E A D, but your scale is G#, which was also detected in Scaler 2 (you would definitely benefit from this tool in your arsenal, I can´t live without it anymore).
The mix is well balanced, each element has its own space and the track is really enjoyable. The only real thing is that off-tune bass. I think I have something for you, will send it to you.
Overall good entry. This one would definitely be on my list (with a fixed bassline).


KukoBass:

I like the musical idea behind it, your entry has a nice and warm atmosphere and the song structure is clear, it is easy to follow. The song writing is good, the instrumentation is on point and the flow is great.
Overall it is a really good entry, there are just 2 things which I want to point out. Most instruments sound a bit cheap, especially that AAS strum guitar. I think swapping the sounds with some major company vsts would really lift this whole entry to a higher level. Another thing is the static mix and the masking from the bass. I´m missing a climax mix-wise, the whole entry is pretty even in dynamics.
I think this entry fits to a lot of themes, so this would be on my list.


Doc Jon:

Yeah, this is cheesy in the good old „YouTube“ way. Very good entry overall, but personally, I don´t like this funny/cheesy style of music. I still acknowledge your entry, I know many people would pick this as their music. Perfect instrumentation, really good sound choice. The vibe is extremly friendly overall, very playful. I think of videos with modeling clay or something.
The mix is well balanced and has a nice energy. Each element is easy to locate and nothing stands out. It is a catchy tune with an easy melodical structure.
Only thing I have to complain is the saxophone, it sounds a bit fake in context and I can hear some overlapping notes.
I´m not sure if I would pick this is as background music, but like I said, I KNOW this is really good.

lxm.labxmusic:

Hello,

Very nice first entry on this platform, congratulations. Cool lofi hiphop beat, reminds me of Freddy Joachim a bit. Everything fits pretty good together. Nice drums, tasteful bass, playful keys and enough room between the notes. This could be easily played on every lofi channel. This is really that basic beat you would expect. I like that it sounds sampled, great work here.
Here is my point, it sounds too perfect. I think hip hop is where you coming from. I don´t want to offend you here, don´t get me wrong. I just think you were not really leaving your „comfort zone“.
In the hip hop universe you will definetly finde me on the jazzy/soul side, so I think a Neo Soul remix would be perfect for me. I really would like to know if you can produce other genres than lofi hip hop.
If I would pick this a background music? I don´t think so because I´m really tired of lofi. But I still must give you props for your first entry. Very professional sound.

VCA-089:

Man, I just love this shit! Excellent vibe and atmosphere, nice theme and overall great sound choice. I really like the mix of different flavors, everything fits perfectly together. It is modern and retro at the same time. And the highlight for me is that B part, wow!
That special effect at the end is amazing, the beat disappears behind a wall or so, I really like that!
That YouTube version sounds like crap compared to the wav, what a huge difference. Still, I think the drums and the bass are bit too squashed, I can hear some slight distortion. Less compression would be nice, even though the roughness and distortion give it some type of character. I think it is just a little bit too strong.
This would be my first choice as background music! Well done.


JeroenZuiderwijk:

This is definitely on the wildside of the multiverse. This reminds me of some pacman or bomberman music.
I´m very sensitive to harmony and dissonance and what annoyed me was the bassline and your melodical structure and chord progression. After 02:07 you changed the bass notes/inverted D-E, so that the bass goes down instead of up, and all of a sudden everything fits together and the chord progression starts to make sense. At first, it sounded more like random music to me because I didn´t realise that you played the exact same bass notes just an octave above.
Overall sound choice is really good, the mix is balanced and clear. I totally understand the mood and the vibe, but I don´t think this fits as background music for a DIY video.

EsteveCorbera:

Interesting entry, very atmospheric and calm scenery. Reminds of „Europa Park" theme park music. Sound selection is good, mix is balanced and each element is easy to locate.
I´m sure, some would pick this as background music, but for me this is too static and steril emotionally. It stays in that „happy“ vibe all the time and the chord progression is very narrow, there is no big jump between two chords, just simple 2nd intervalls between your chords. This is „too simple“ to digest for my musical ear.


FallenAngel:

I don´t know why, but the name Axel Foley comes to my mind… Or was it Ciara „1-2 Step“? Kelis „Milkshake“?. In a way this reminds me of the early-mid 2000s hip hop era. The sound selection is good, everything fits together. The melody is very catchy and easy to remember.
I defintely can hear the effort and the work behind this, even though it seems more simple overall. You really tell a story with this entry, you have different parts and the energy keeps rising until the climax, and to finish a little cool down section. Great! There is a nice structure behind the production. The mix is also pretty much balanced, except those tom hits and the second synth lead you added to the main synth. The mix gets busy because of these and therefore it is a hard to locate each element. Maybe some panning and/or phase management could help as your mix almost completely collapses in mono.
Another thing I´m missing are chords, you literally played every instrument monophonic so that there is only one note per instrument at the same time. I really love rich, dense and strong harmonics such as min9 and maj add 13 chords. So, I´m not sure you did this on purpose.
If I would pick this as background music? No, it is a little bit too simple, but I still can hear the potential. Good work overall.


FixInTheMix:

Classic lofi beat, relaxed atmosphere and nice vibe overall. Like I said before, I can´t really enjoy lofi hip hop beats anymore because I made so many of them in the past. But I like beats with something special like you playing a nice solo with the funky guitar and the keys. Also the scratch fx is very good and sounds „legit“. You made „standard“ lofi hip hop a bit more unique, which I´m really missing in this genre these days. The mix is balanced, every element has its own place. This also sounds like it was sampled, great work with this.
The only thing I have to complain about is the very simple bassline, a little bit more funk and some short octaved staccato notes would fit better I think.
I wouldn´t pick this as music simply because I find lofi hip hop boring, but I still have to give you props for this entry. Very good work overall.


Canese:

Nice atmosphere and great vibe overall. I didn´t expect something like this, I thought this would end in lofi hip hop. Great sound choice, I really love the Arturia sound, this is why always use them as well, the V Collection is awesome.
I like the energy, it has something relaxing but there is still a lot of drive which pushes me forward. This reminds me of some fantasy saga, it sounds really heroic.
The mix is more on the weaker side, those string elements are very hard in the upper frequency range. The elements are fighting for space in the mix since you used lots of plucky bell sounds and strings + reverb (and delay if heard correctly). On top, there is some granular fx or tape hiss in the background. Overall, the elements are not so easy to locate, your mix has some difficulties when listening in mono. The sound is a bit harsh overall.
But I like your entry, this would be on my list.

► Show Spoiler

Voting:
1st VCA-089
2nd Arelem
3rd KukoBass
4th Canese
5th Doc Jon

I hope this helps!

Greetings

[Arelem]

Arelem:
But the surprise on the main speakers was the bassline which I must say is out off key. Your bass notes are E A D, but your scale is G#, which was also detected in Scaler 2

Technically, the chords are C# min while the bass is E maj, which would be each other's relative keys. I have Antares auto key and when I analyze the chords with it, it does start out saying G# but as the progression plays out it re-figures to the 'correct' C# min. Ultimately though, if it's sounding out of whack to you, I can't argue against that. It sounded ok to me I'm usually pretty sensitive to that sort of thing too, but sometimes if things are close but not quite there, I can miss it.