MIX CHALLENGE - MC096 February 2024 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Mix Challenge 096 - February 2024

!

Bonus Info

For the first mixing game of the year, you have the chance to work on a "Tech Trance" production by "Mach II", which is one of the used monikers by returning Song Provider @Jorgeelalto (who kindly provided us these multi-tracks). The song is called "Memorization". This might feel like a straight forward mix, but don't be fooled. Plenty of ways to go about this. There are many layers and fine details present. However, you do have room for creativity with adding to the provided sounds (your mixing tool sets) and effect usage (modulation and time based effects). 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.

BEFORE WE 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)
• The focus of this game is "mixing". Try to create a mix in your own style that complements this production and can stand on it's own, no matter the playback medium. Edit/Mix in such a way, that barely any after-touches other than proper fade in/out and finalizing for distribution (incl. loudness adjustments e.g. for release on Streaming, Vinyl, Tape, CD) is needed for a possible follow-up mastering step.
• The "Mix Pack" and additional information for this months production can be found in in post #002
• Please consult the bundled TXTs for more info -- a sub-300 words TL;DR Rule Set is also part of the "Mix Pack"

Filename Template: MC096__Mark_II__Memorization__ForumUsername.wav

Failing to adhere to the rules will result in disqualification. There will be no additional reminders given.
If you got any question, please also reach out on Discord



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MIX(ING) CHALLENGE 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, License Sponsors
Post #083 -- Mix Round 1 Statistics/Data Sheet: Overview of Submissions - is your entry within given parameters?
Post #097 -- Mix Round 2: Global Feedback and Round 2 Participant Announcement
Post #000 -- Mix Round 3: <optional>/<not happening this game>
Post #121 -- Results: Winner announcement

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Thursday, 01st February 2024 to Wednesday, 21st February 2023 (21 days)

Challenge submission will end on 21-FEB-2023, 23:59 UTC+1/CET (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.



Song Provider: Mark II (represented by @Jorgeelalto )
Song Name and Length: Memorization, 5:09 min
Song Information: 132 BPM / Signature: 4/4
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit

GENRE: Tech Trance


Preview of the Song (Demo Mix):



INFORMATION: The version that @Jorgeelalto provided for MC096 is a custom / shorter arrangement compared to the official release version above. You can hear this particular demo mix via the following link. The demo mix is also bundled with the Multi-Track Mix Pack.

phpBB [media]

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SOURCE FILES:

Main Mix Package - full package (440,64 MB, LZMA compressed, zip)
IMPORTANT NOTE: download window might show a smaller file size, file unavailable after 21-FEB-2024


The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression (specs from 2015).
File size extracted: 2452,97 MB, packed 440,64 MB (ZIP, LZMA)


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

► Show Spoiler

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

Windows:
7zip - Installation / Portable

If you got problems extracting the files, please make sure that your apps are up-to-date!

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A word from the song provider:

This is a tune I made in a rush as material for an electronic music masterclass from last year (2021). As always, the best tunes are always the ones I make in a rush.

I tried to get close to Techno (rumble kick, no claps at beats 2 and 4) but then Trance (sequencers) and EDM (lead chops) elements started appearing, so I'm not sure about the genre -- I'm guessing a healthy mix of light Techno and Trance.


I want you to play with the stereo image, taking advantage of the amount of layers that there are for every element, especially drums and sequencers/basses.


There are some details about the tracks that are worth mentioning:

• Listen to the original mix to get an idea of the overall sound.
• The ride cymbal track is provided clean but I would like you to create a distorted sound with it. What I'm doing in the original mix is some distortion and then low frequency ring modulation to simulate it being distorted with a low frequency signal.
• I provided the Mixed Hats track with a sub-mix of the other three Hi-Hat tracks as a reference. You can either use the sub-mix or do your own with the individual tracks.
• The Kick already has a repeating, 1/16th bass element baked in. The original sample is like that (from a sample pack) and it's part of the track, so please keep it and play with it!
• You can recreate the Kick Tail track by sending the Kick punch sound to another track, then adding reverb, low pass filtering and ducking to taste. This is part of the bass content of the track so keep that in mind.

Rule Summary:

More technical details are in the Mix Pack bundled TXTs. In there you can find the lyrics of the song (incl. a translation to English), more information about the individual files, possible changes to the time signature, and maybe even additional tips and tricks relevant to this production (by the Mix Challenge staff). Additionally a TL;DR Rule Set and, depending on the song provider's approval, an available "Off-site redistribution agreement" for a possible portfolio presentation.

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). Please pay attention to detail. Failing to adhere to the rules will result in disqualification. There will be no additional reminders given.


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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):
Acon Digital, Audified, Hornet Plugins, IK Multimedia, Kilohearts, Metric Halo, NUGEN Audio and Tone2


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

► Show Spoiler

Available Bonus Prizes for Mix Challenge participants:

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



Acon Digital is kind enough to give away either one plugin bundle, or any individual stereo plug-in of winner's choice. (exception: Application Bundles, Immersive plugins)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Acon Digital: https://acondigital.com



Audified is kind enough to give away one license of MixChecker Pro to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Audified: https://audified.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



Kilohearts is kind enough to give away a "Sound Design Playground" Bundle, consisting of one license each of Snap Heap and Multipass, which supercharges all freely available Kilohearts Essentials.
License will turn into NFR
More info on Kilohearts: https://www.kilohearts.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/



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.

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

[Mister Fox]

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	IMPORTANT: There will be no deadline extensions this month. You got 21 days to mix and submit your entry. Neither will there be allowed resubmissions / filename edits. Your submission is final -- please pay attention to detail regarding the well established rules (also consult the bundled TL;DR Rules.txt). Please check your entries prior to uploading for the correct maximum allowed LUFS/dBTP values and used filename template (see post #001 and/or the Mix Pack bundled TL;DR Rules.txt -- just copy/paste/edit -- keep the double underscores in mind!). And please also check for file accessibility after uploading (e.g. log out of your file space account, check with a different browser, etc). Filename Template: MC096__Mark_II__Memorization__ForumUsername.wav You put a lot of time and effort into your mix. Please do not put your entry at risk.

[1ktone]

What…..no guitars? Nice track. Looking forward to playing with this.

[juhu]

My unfiltered initial reaction: the Official Release version sounds pretty close to perfect already, thus setting the bar rather high - therefore, as a hobbyist mixer, I know for sure that I personally lack the experience required to reach anywhere close to that level. That being said, this would be a good opportunity to at least try to improve my mixing skills relative to my own current level, even if I know I won't reach the bar set above - maybe I'll at least improve over my own current shadow? On the fence about participating... Anyone else feeling this way for this reason, or am I the only coward?

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

My unfiltered initial reaction: the Official Release version sounds pretty close to perfect already, thus setting the bar rather high - therefore, as a hobbyist mixer, I know for sure that I personally lack the experience required to reach anywhere close to that level. That being said, this would be a good opportunity to at least try to improve my mixing skills relative to my own current level, even if I know I won't reach the bar set above - maybe I'll at least improve over my own current shadow? On the fence about participating... Anyone else feeling this way for this reason, or am I the only coward?

I guess that is what most of us are here for...to challenge ourselves and improve our skills. And having fun while doing it This track sounds great! Looking forward to mix this one. Many thanks to Jorgeelalto and again mr. Fox!
Cheers, Jeroen

[kombainera]

Hi there EDM is not my thing for sure but why not challenge is a challenge - my goal was to make balance mix and to clear everything that stays on the way of the kick my mix is mono to ~100khz ;stock eq on every track with hi passing mostly and clearing low mids here and there; saturation on most of the tracks on some tape on some drive but little ;some fader riding in the middle part for more impact after ;most sints are sidechained to the kick; on the master tape again , eq- low end boost 1-2 db and very very high too, some compression too and izotope for messing with stereo field and impact.

Thanks all- my mix :https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YlmVvk ... sp=sharing

[Jorgeelalto]

My unfiltered initial reaction: the Official Release version sounds pretty close to perfect already, thus setting the bar rather high - therefore, as a hobbyist mixer, I know for sure that I personally lack the experience required to reach anywhere close to that level. That being said, this would be a good opportunity to at least try to improve my mixing skills relative to my own current level, even if I know I won't reach the bar set above - maybe I'll at least improve over my own current shadow? On the fence about participating... Anyone else feeling this way for this reason, or am I the only coward?

Definitely try then! I recommend not listening to the original mix anymore and comparing with other tunes. These are the ones I wrote in the words.txt as references:




That way you can have a frame of reference but you don't necessarily try to get close to the demo. Cheers

[Dodgingrain]

My unfiltered initial reaction: the Official Release version sounds pretty close to perfect already, thus setting the bar rather high - therefore, as a hobbyist mixer, I know for sure that I personally lack the experience required to reach anywhere close to that level. That being said, this would be a good opportunity to at least try to improve my mixing skills relative to my own current level, even if I know I won't reach the bar set above - maybe I'll at least improve over my own current shadow? On the fence about participating... Anyone else feeling this way for this reason, or am I the only coward?

I guess that is what most of us are here for...to challenge ourselves and improve our skills. And having fun while doing it This track sounds great! Looking forward to mix this one. Many thanks to Jorgeelalto and again mr. Fox!
Cheers, Jeroen

Yah, go for it. After listening to the released version I think there is some room there to go in a different direction play with the ambience and drive a little more drama and emotion into some of the transitions.

[1ktone]

My unfiltered initial reaction: the Official Release version sounds pretty close to perfect already, thus setting the bar rather high - therefore, as a hobbyist mixer, I know for sure that I personally lack the experience required to reach anywhere close to that level. That being said, this would be a good opportunity to at least try to improve my mixing skills relative to my own current level, even if I know I won't reach the bar set above - maybe I'll at least improve over my own current shadow? On the fence about participating... Anyone else feeling this way for this reason, or am I the only coward?

I guess that is what most of us are here for...to challenge ourselves and improve our skills. And having fun while doing it This track sounds great! Looking forward to mix this one. Many thanks to Jorgeelalto and again mr. Fox!
Cheers, Jeroen

Yah, go for it. After listening to the released version I think there is some room there to go in a different direction play with the ambience and drive a little more drama and emotion into some of the transitions.

Yes, I agree. This piece has quite some room for exploration within it. I am expecting to hear some really big mixes with this one.