SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Winners announced

[Richard Watashi]

Hey,

i hope at least one person can enjoy my track at least a little. I chose kind of a darker note.

some info:::

DAW FL Studio

Plugins:
> stock piano
> Harmless (basss)
> Sakura (Viola)
> FPC HQ Jazz Kit
>>> pretty much all instruments

Noises:
> 999 whitenoise free pack from which i used two samples

Effects:
> Fruity Limiter
> Fruity Compressor
> Maximus
> Love Philter (at the quiet parts on the piano and the string)
> Convoler (reverb)
> Effector (distortion of kick and snare)
> Fredrick TDS (a saturation plugin)
> DemnsityKill (a saturation plugin)
> Waveshaper (distortion on the bass)
> Parametric EQ2
> PanOmatic (on the two noise-samples)
> Phaser (on the samples as well)
> Transpire (a transient processor)

Guess it's all. So, here i go:::::

[The Exponent]

Hi Everyone!

Here's my submission:


Song Info:
Desolation by The Exponent

DAW:
Reaper

Virtual Instruments:
VSCO 2 Community Edition (for orchestral/acoustic instruments like Viola, Violin, Piano, Organ and Double-bass), Synthmaster 2.9 (for almost every other sound)

Effects:
ReaComp, ReaEQ, MDA Pseudo-Stereo, TAL Reverb 4, OTT, TAL Dub Delay, TDR Nova, JS: Saturation, ReaPitch

Mastering Chain:
OTT, Ozone Imager 8, TDR Kotelnikov, TDR Nova, TDR Slick EQ, DC Filter, Unlimited, SPAN, Youlean Loudness Meter 2

Samples/Packs:
"Hello" and "Initiating Sequence" phrases from http://www.fromtexttospeech.com
1 sample for the impact layers taken from the free "Antidote Audio - Epic Drum Samples" pack. Other layers of impact made using Synthmaster.
This cool trap beat sample that I found accidentally and then it grew on me. The sample was perfect for the theme in my mind.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it Cheers!

!

Bonus Info

Narrative for the track (Please feel free to ignore this rather cheesy story-telling of mine ) ► Show Spoiler 0:00-1:12 - There's an impending threat of a global communication blackout which is marked by the kill switches being engaged one by one. The organization responsible, then initiates the final blackout sequence which triggers the blackout scene. The protagonists are trying to prevent that from happening, but seemingly they fail. 1:12-1:28 - One of the protagonists receives a call, when she receives it and speaks back, a kill switch terminates her call abruptly. The blackout is almost complete. 1:28-2:32 - Now there's that feeling of desolation in the masses following that blackout. But soon they find out that some sort of communication medium is still active. There's still some hope. Some groups of people slowly start garnering their forces, preparing to fight back. 2:32-3:32 - They fight back for their rights and there is an uprising/protest movement up until the end. But it ends on an uncertain note, with another kill switch being hit. I wanted to leave the conclusion ambiguous - it's unclear whether the masses are successful in getting back communication or whether they accept and start relying more on direct human communication.

[Clueless]

https://soundcloud.com/user-82592715/sw ... s-darkdays


As the end of internet freedom closes in, with governments releasing Manchurian candidates and Anarchists to run riot, creating mass unrest in order for the Neu Order Barons to take control of the World Wide Web. Suppressing freedom of speech, Voices are drowned out by the A.I created to wash away the few remnants of resistance who for their part are unable to hold onto the last safespace for humanity....

Samsara Kettle drum
Runk Leffant Engine, Piano
Matt Tytel Helm
Nofish Dubsiren
Abobe audition
Audacity


Airwindows Compresaturator, MV, Purest console & buss, Floor, Stereo Fx, Energy, Desk4, Busscolors, Transdesk, NC-17, ADClip7, Righteous, Studio Tan, Mtremelo, Crystal, high pass, Chorus, Njad
ReaEq
DcAssassin
Stereotool
Sonic Enhancer
Msed, Span
Vintager toy
Youlean loudness Meter 2

[UprightJoe]

Here is my entry:

WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s7mcb6alhy5lz ... d.wav?dl=0
MP3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7t94bfkf73k3i ... d.mp3?dl=0

The piano part at the beginning was the original inspiration for the piece. It's meant to represent information that is going into the void - being blocked, filtered, routed to /dev/null (pick your metaphor of choice). The dobro is meant to represent remote rural locations and invoke a feeling of isolation that one would experience in a communication blackout.

Most of what you hear is virtual instruments from NI:

Una Corda
SessionStrings Pro
Kontakt Factory Library
Action Strings
Action Strikes
Absynth 5

There is one stock Ableton sound:

Cosmos Soundscape

There are two real instruments which I played and recorded:

Dobro
Shaker

I wrote and performed everything using Ableton Live and a Novation Launchpad Pro (with the noted exceptions above). I usually export stems from Live and mix in Digital Performer or ProTools but I ran out of time (I'm getting ready to head out of town) so I had to mix directly in Ableton. The experience reaffirmed my dislike for the mixing workflow in Ableton - too many clicks to navigate around and see what plugins you have instantiated or get to their settings!

Edit: I forgot to mention effects

I didn't use many effect plugins on this one as the virtual instruments sound pretty great right out of the gate.

H-Delay for the piano
UAD Cambridge (HPF) and UAD Dreamverb on my reverb bus
UAD LA-2A, Fabfilter Q2, and Amplitube Rezo on the Dobro
Ozone 8 on the master bus

I think that's about it - I don't recall using any other effects.

[The Exponent]

>=8 entries! Wohooo!

[Mister Fox]

The homepage and the forum is back up...


A friendly reminder:
24 hours left to submit your production.

[Leonard Bowman]

I don't think I'll finish in time, I had an idea but got bogged down in implementing it.
That doesn't mean I absolutely won't finish it, just that i will likely wrap up after the deadline.
Best of luck to all who entered, I'm excited to hear what y'all pulled out of this exciting theme.

[toadhjo]

Here's my entry!

I'd like to thank The Exponent and TrojakEW for their feedback. Based on their critiques I reworked the opening and closing, greatly reduced the stereo width of my bass instruments (where necessary), and used EQ more aggressively so that my limiter didn't have to work so hard. I think the track sounds a lot better now.

Apocalypse Makes Perfect by toadhjo


MP3
WAV


DAW
Reaper

VST Instruments
Absynth 5
Amplified Cello Quartet (Spitfire LABS)
Massive
ReaSynth
Super Audio Cart (Impact Soundworks)
Xpand!2

Other Instruments
Casio Privia PX-760
Schecter C-1 Classic
Wannabe Newscaster (Species Unknown -- Possibly Homo Sapien)

FX
Apple 2-Pole Lowpass Filter (JSFX)
Digital Drum Compressor (JSFX)
Filterjam
Guitar Rig 5
IVGI2
iZotope Vinyl
Limiter No6
LoudMax
RBJ Hipass/Lowpass Filters (JSFX)
ReaComp
ReaEQ
ReaVerb
Regrader
Roth-AIR
Saturation (JSFX)
Voxengo SPAN
XenoVerb
Youlean Loudness Meter

Samples
Atomic Bomb
Birds
Cymbal Roll
EBS Announcement
Static

[Dr Dendrite]

Greetings,

My Entry for the SWC019

Title: Symphonic Protestant
Length: 5:12
Genre: Eptronic

:00 Begins like a warning
:48 Starts the "official" explanation, sounds good but somthings awry
2:38 Starts the protest, the backlash




Manifest
Software:
REAPER
Falcon, IRcamm Solo Instruments, Aparillo, Boarderlands Granular
Adaptiverb, Reverbical
Relayer, Replika XT, Octavox
NI Freak
Pro-Q, Pro-L, Multiplicity

Hardware:
0 coast
Neutron
Custom Tube preamp (Telefunken)

Enjoy the track!

[Richard Watashi]

(WOW, so many great entries. It will be hard to vote)