This month... was a very interesting ride in terms of porting over the results. There was no "clear and definite winner" right from the start, things stayed interesting to the very end. I am also very happy to see that people used proper file naming, gave in-depth information for the productions, etc.
Regarding the debate as to "what is Funk Metal/Avantgarde Metal"... well... some really hit the spot nicely with switching between genres. Some just went "experimental". One important thing this taught me for future games, is to be more than crystal clear as to what I would actually like to see (also see summary below). This is why Invest so much time in finding audio examples to get inspired by. Although I must admit, that I did set the bar fairly high with the examples by "Incubus" and "Five Finger Death Punch".
Even at 33 Songwriting Competitions in, we're all still learning. and that is a good thing.
Anyway... I'd love to chime in with some feedback as well. Mostly technical in nature for some productions. I just can't help it - if I hear a sample package that I know/use myself, I just want to reach out and help you improve. That is what the Mix Challenge community is all about.
A Future In Noise - Dr Andrew:
On first listening, I was highly reminded of Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) while listening to the vocals. A very similar tone, which fit the lyrics quite well. Although they are a bit off-beat in places. Technically, the production has a bit too much reverb for my taste. If you would get back to the production, I'd definitely dial it back a notch, maybe introduce some "pre-delay" for the reverb (to create some different space), cut it off the snare drum even (gated). The bass definitely has too much "room sound". But I get the overall concept - the soundscape is pushed back, to somewhat simulate "emptiness" and let this whole song feel more like "a background noise".
What I really like, is the switch from Pop Rock to "Funk" around 1:29min. I would have slightly changed the overall sound of the instruments here. Some less reverb here and there, maybe a different EQ or drive for the bass, then switch back to the more pop oriented mix.
Overall - you understood the concept. Please keep at it.
becsei_gyorgy
This is definitely a very interesting production that initially stood out to me as "this is it!" - but since i was listening in alphabetical order - I didn't hear the rest of the productions yet. "Impact Soundworks" guitars in your production notes - interesting choice.
What throws me a bit off here, are the guitar mixes. Three-Body Tech's "Heavier7Strings" could maybe see a slightly different EQ. Like... a Lowpass Filter down to 12kHz to remove the overall harshness, but then also use a bell EQ around 3,3kHz to let it "cut" more through the mix. If I get that right that that the VSTi has the "amp sound" built in. The bass is somewhat similar - it gets lost on small speakers - so maybe (in the future) make a copy of the track, bandpass the copy, boost the upper mids a bit, distort a bit more than you would usually do, then mix along to the bass during more heavy/busier parts. Standalone, it was fine.
Sadly, the weakest part here is the drum-kit. While Addictive Drums 2 definitely isn't bad - it tends to sound... "plastic" in places, and has way too much reverb (something that always annoyed me with this sample set). And speaking of reverb... the Trumpets should feel more haunting in my opinion... especially the first one around the 1min mark. Check the 5kHz or 8kHz frequency range. Don't be afraid to go a bit overboard here (you want to bring out the "aggressiveness"), maybe even add a tad of distortion, but definitely pull back the reverb to get them more in front. At least this is what I would do.
Other than that... while it's not as harsh in terms of "switching" between genres, you found a nice blend to get the overall story of madness and aggression across. Sounding "Epic" is definitely your style. Looking forward to your future productions.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
Our runner up this month. Going "synthesizer" is definitely something different. And digging a bit through your other material, that is just your style of songwriting. Absolutely no problem with that - in fact - it's a welcome change of pace.
While "synth guitars" are definitely something different - I would have still opted for either a real one (if you are skilled in that area) or use samples. To me - this is sadly the weakest link in the production. Seeing however that you create every sound from scratch for all of your productions, that is an impressive feat - and that should not be downplayed.
The arrangement is interesting, and shows the feeling of distress and "descend into madness". It definitely is experimental and gives the impression of a soundtrack for sure, one that isn't boring and forgettable even. But it is sadly not the "switching back and forth" of genres I kind of expected (see source material). Regardless of all that - you're in the very good middle field (results) - and I would love to hear more from you in future challenges.
Doc Jon
Right off the bat, a very highly polished production. I really like the vintage vibe here - and "Steinberg Virtual Guitarist 2" - now that is a name I haven't read in a while (does it still work for you bridged?! The new UJAM versions are just not the same IMHO). I think I also know
which guitars were "RealStrat" (the chords at around 1:43min and solo guitar around 2:00min). One hint from a fellow Musiclab user. If this is still Engine 4 (not the most recent one / RealStrat Elite), definitely turn on the Humanize mode and plug a LPF right behind the guitar VSTi before hitting the first pedal/amp. This takes off the edge quite a bit.
The B3 Organ is quite subtle. I think it doubles the "Chucka" funk guitar chords in places - so that could be a bit more prominent (else - you hear the Organ in the last third of the song). Can't say much negative about Superior Drummer 3 - that Drum Kit is just a very versatile beast. Although I would have maybe reduced the "stadium" feel just a tad from both the snare and kick. Then again, it works well with the rest of the production.
Is thing "Funk Metal"? That is up for debate. It is definitely Hard Rock, and I'm loving the production. A pity that you ran out of time. I would have loved to hear the finished version. In fact, please release it some time down the road. I want to hear where this goes.
gruskada
Okay...
that production definitely belongs to the higher positions on the score sheet. Even though it is not my favorite. But it shows an interesting blend of "chaos" with choosing hip hop type vocals, funk elements heavily inspired by "Primus" (the bass intro), plus having weird guitar bends and dive bombs.
I'm not a fan of the constantly dropping out drums though. I would have loved to hear a more steady beat in places. The speed-ups and speed-downs also throw you off a bit. Sometimes even the kick drum from NI Battery (which feels out of place sound wise compared to the snare and toms). The vocals add even more to a chaotic drift (in this case, sadly not in a good way), since the rhymes are not "on time".
But overall - it definitely fits the bill. Not what one would expect (a bog standard groovy production), instead you are treated with some interesting sound design. Also - you've looked over the rim of your teacup, stepped on territory you usually never set foot on. It's a win-win situation for you (and after the vote results, also quite literally).
Olli H
First impression: "60s Muzak meets Country Rock". And it pretty much stays this way, with the occasional throwing out of the "expected" to fall back to a Waltz. One should definitely listen to the vocals (they are heavily processed - but fit this "country rock" style really well). I was heavily reminded of "The Protomen - Act II: The Hounds" in places (great album to listen to, btw!). I did not expect that.
I actually feel sad that your production made the last place this month. You provided some really interesting ideas (also - curious approach to convert your guitar > MIDI), and you did switch more through genres than some other entries. But I guess people felt the production was being "too clean" and not "metal/chaotic enough". Oh well.
Great production overall - I can't say much else.
TrojakEW & JILLIAM
It's been a while since we've had a collaboration between participants. "Crawl" definitely feels more like an "Electro-Pop" production than "Funk Metal". It is still an interesting approach to mix the more ambient soundscape (based upon the original) with (perceived) electronic beats. Yes, I've also listened to the original, which is definitely more haunting and goes more towards Trip Hop / Electronic.
Your collaboration does switch back to a synth orchestra in the middle of the song, only to then bring the drums back in full swing and add a guitar on top (which... could see a bit more dynamic regarding "velocity/attack" - it feels a bit artificial otherwise due the too similar attack - also... a slight LPF before hitting the guitar amp might be worth a shot to take off the edge). But aside from the slightly glitching background beat, on initial impression it feels more like a soundtrack than covering this month's premise.
Still an interesting experiment. And I think you two really(!) complemented each other. Maybe Jilliam was just looking for a collaboration partner to elevate his ideas.
Technically, the rules allow a "collaboration entry" - but Jilliam needs to be the main contestant (please check in with the
Rules and Guidelines). I'm intrigued now - I want to hear more.
And I mean it! Get a collaboration partner, Jilliam. I think this will do you good.
A SUMMARY:
Overall - quite interesting productions overall. They were all great to listen to. However, the majority was sadly not fitting the premise.
What did I take away from SWC033?
I think I should definitely invest more time in declaring which route things should go. Either keep it simple or be so detailed that there is just no room for errors. Same goes for finding audio examples (which is a really time consuming process - and the lines are blurry!)
In case of SWC034 - the focus is to create a Big Beat production (ideally 2000s era), and I gave plenty of examples for that. Big Beat is a "Breakbeat" genre, so things can drift a bit off as well. But I have confidence that the results are a bit closer to the premise. Maybe in the future, a game that is mixing electronic with orchestra might actually work better than with SWC033 in saying "Funk Metal is a blend of A and B". I guess we have to wait and see.
What else did I learn?
That there is apparently a German sample company which released orchestra sample packages based upon Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", but it's quite expensive (kudos to those that can afford it!). It is from the same company that released "Berlin Brass" actually -- Orchestral Tools.
I should take a look at their (Orchestra Tools) "Layers" sample set.
Plus... There have been some really great orchestra sample set released for free recently (Spitfire Audio, Vienna Symphonic Library, etc). We
really are living in great times where we have easy access to affordable and/or even free tools even.
Anyway - thank you for participating.
Looking forward to your future entries.
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