Mix Challenge

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2023 19:14 CET**

denny7794 wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 19, 2023 17:25 CET
Hello, everyone!
That's my submission.
Don't take it too seriously

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

That a good track I like the robotic vibe. I think it is original. Well done. If you would like a suggestion, I was listening to your track a second time and couldn't help thinking it could be a cool idea to keep the kick in the beginning of the song to a minimum (now it feels a little bit busy) It could help with the build up of the song.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2023 20:21 CET**

Mellow Browne wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:37 CET

Hey Jeroen,

this is a cool WIP, it has a bit from both worlds, Trap and Crunk. I'm really curious to hear the final version with the lyrics. This goes in a good direction from what I can hear.
Maybe you could sidechain your kick from the 808 bass to get more clarity in the low end? Oh, and don't forget to lower the volume of the stab hits and the vocal samples, they are pretty loud compared to the rest.

I hope I can finish my project within the next two days.

Thank you. It is always good motivation when other people hear potential. I'll do my best to upload some lyrics. Your comments about the sound are helpful. Looking forward to your entry.

Cheers!

Jeroen

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2023 23:40 CET**

JeroenZuiderwijk wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 19, 2023 10:44 CET
Hi all,
This is the music I wrote for SWC066. It is not finished yet...by far. I'm working on the vocals (I really want vocals to be part of it but I'm not a rap artist.....but I've already wrote the lyrics....a couple of versions already). I'm used to writing songs on guitar with intro, verse, chorus etc. So I decided to go for that approach to see if that would work for me. Here is a first (actualy 100th ;-) ) draft:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahp8xH6KRIfbgTUxADw ... 6?e=hr5mak (music starts at around 7 sec...sorry, forgot to cut the silence before the intro...I'll fix that later on.)

There's some pretty good stuff going on here, and definitely some unique ideas. I would try some different hit sounds in there though. The ones here are a bit hokey to me. Also, during the slower parts of the song, everything is very washed out. If you do add vocals, that could help provide clarity in the mix, but if you don't end up adding vocals, it might be good to get something in there that is a little more upfront in the mix.

Posted: **Mon Feb 20, 2023 18:55 CET**

Here is my entry for this month:

Edit 22.02.2023:
The final Version is this one (different EQ settings on the mallet sound):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gy9ksK ... share_link

I wanted to write a rap part, too, but I hadn't the time and/or energy to do so, so it is mostly instrumental.

If you listen carefully, you can find some of my samples for last month's community scramble as percussion and sound effects. As I could not finish a song for last month's challenge, I wanted to reuse the Ableton drum rack I built with them.

The Song was done in Ableton Live at 140 bpm. The main drums were programmed in Izotope BreakTweaker.

Here are the plugins I used:

Drums:
Ableton Live's Kit-808 Classic
An Ableton Drum Rack made of last month's samples (different excerpts from "Ruler", "OpenBottle" and "Scraping").
Izotope BreakTweaker, modified "SM-Trapped" preset
All grouped in a drum bus and compressed with the Ableton Live compressor to tame the peaks

Subbass:
KV33Audio SynthmasterOne, "BA About The Saw" preset
Edit: Added a LPF

Strings:
Native Instruments Emotive Strings, "Afterlife 1" preset for the arps. I noodled around on my midi keyboard, captured the midi, re-recorded it as an audio sample in Ableton and cut the samples into the small pieces I used in the song.

Mallet-like-sound:
Applied Acoustic Systems Chromaphone 3, "Magical Tubes" preset
Edit: Hornet ThirtyOne MK2 EQ to enhance the mid range of the mallet sound (200-500 hz) as per @Mellow Browne's suggestion.

Choir-pad:
KV33Audio SynthmasterOne, "AH Temple" preset

Whispering:
Recorded in Ableton Live through my Zoom H4nPro Handy Recorder
Modified through Sounddevice Trap Tune: Transposed two semitones up, second voice enabled, stereo voice on, transposed -12, reverb on
EQed with Ableton's EQ Eight, High-Pass around 100 Hz and Low-Pass around 4.5 kHz.
Hornet Tape plugin for a more analog vibe.

Master Bus:
Hornet ThirtyOne MK2 EQ
TBProAudio Isol8 for mix checking
Audified Mix Checker for mix checking
Brainworx bx_masterdeck True Peak for compression, making <121 Hz mono and widening stereo
LUveler64 for optimizing the loudness to target levels
Mastering The Mix Levels for checking for problems with the mix
Youlean Loudness Meter 2 Free for checking the loudness.

What did I learn from this month's challenge:
- how to build a drum rack in Ableton from samples (ok, that was last month, but I could not finish a song then)
- how "Trap" is defined
- how to use Izotope BreakTweaker
- mixing drums in 3 different instances (BreakTweaker, Ableton drum rack, custom-built Ableton sound effects rack) is difficult
- recording midi instruments as audio inside Ableton and cut and rearrange the samples
- playing around with the different effects in Trap Tune
- starting a rough mix with pink noise
- using Ableton Live's Utility for volume automation instead of the volume fader (Sonic Bloom Tip for mixing)

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2023 02:27 CET**

Hey All,

Here's my final submission:

Vocals - Myself rapping with khs Pitchshifter on
Drums - Combination of royalty free samples and synthesized stuff
808s - Pigments, Samples processed
Basses/Leads - Vital Pigments
FX - Vital, royalty free samples with processing
Orchestral Instruments: Spitfire LABS, BBSO Discover

---------------------------------------------------------

Other info:

DAW: Tracktion Waveform 12 Pro
Synth: Pigments, Vital, BBSO Discover, LABS
FX: SliceEQ, OrilRiver, Supermassive, Compressor, GClip, CocoaDelay, OTT, Loudmax, Panagement, khs Pitchshifter, MUtility
Mastering Chain: SliceEQ, GClip, Loudmax
Metering: SPAN, YLM2

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2023 23:38 CET**

Hi all, it´s the first time I contribute to this competition as i am usually more mixing oriented. I did a track with a friend who
did the verses. I did the hook. The track is called "Was" in German and is about a friend who got lost in alcohol. It means basically
"What did you do?" in the hook.

Instrumentation is spare to leave room for the ambience and dark vibe. A (royalty free) piano sample pitched, reversed layer,
bassline with pitch slides, vocals with ambience adlibs, a few doubles for a bigger hook and some devil voices ads

I´m not sure about the naming of the track as there are two artists involved.
If it´s not appropriate like I did please tell me and I will change it.

hope someone enjoys it.

Specs: WAV, 24Bit, 44100 Hz, -14,1 LUFS and - 1dBTP

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1exns6m ... sp=sharing

Posted: **Wed Feb 22, 2023 00:14 CET**

Hey guys, I just want to give you feedback from a mixing POV of what I can hear:

denny7794:
It has a lot of spicky and clicky sounds, so I would lower the hihat, tambourine and crashes. The robotic voice should therefore become more audible

kukobass:
I think the mallet sound needs a little bit more attention. I would check the attack and release settings on the compressor, I think especially the release settings could be a bit shorter, so the sound doesn’t get squashed too much. And I would also check the mid range of the mallet sound (200-500 hz just a few db, maybe 2-3), this will bring you more separation between the mallet sound and your sub bass.

The Exponent:
First thing I noticed is the delay in the hook, which is very pronounced in the sides because the dry track is already printed with delay.
I would also check the mono compatibility, it collapes and especially the strings are barely audible in mono.
I would recommend you to use something like voxengo correlometer to check any phase issues from the strings or the sample you used. Your production has the power, but it needs more punch.

Arelem:
I can see you edited your entry several times and I think you don’t have a mix problem, it’s an arrangement problem.
The only instrument I can hear in your rap part is that bell synth.
For example a low and deep brass hit every 4 bars with some reverb and your Lufs go up. You need at least one more instrument in the lower register like orch/brass hits, or you could layer the bell sound with another simply played an octave lower. Just a thought if you still have some energy left.

Ronson79:
I have the impression your sub bass is distorting just a little bit sound wise, I don't know, or the compression settings are not ideal. I can definitely hear it after the break in the 2nd verse when the beat comes back, the kick and the bass are fighting heavily for room. Have you tried to duck the sub every time the kick hits? Could help to make you some room in the lows.

I finished my song, I just want to see if I still like the mix tomorrow or if I need to do some little changes. Maybe some of you guys can give me then some feedback, maybe I missed something, so I still have a day or two to react.

Posted: **Wed Feb 22, 2023 21:53 CET**

So, here is my entry for this month. The name of the song is "Trap House", the lyrics are in German.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... share_link

I went for that modern trap sound from artists like Future or Drake. I really wanted to add some lyrics, I haven't recorded a rap song for years. Please don't take the lyrics serious, I just tried to write from an actual "gangsta" rap image/artist view and focused on rhyme techniques, flow pattern and a very theme or topic orientated "story" I can tell hustling in the trap house.
I had to make several beats to finally find a fitting one because I wrote the lyrics on another beat. The next thing was to get an interesting arrangement with some small variations in the beat, so I used some drops or automated filter fx with TAL-Filter for that and some added instruments for the hook part. I started the beat with the main bell arpeggio synth sound, the drums and the 808. I then recorded the vocals to see what the arrangement would need and built the rest around it. I wanted that "in-yo-face" rap sound with prominent vocals, I really like present and clear vocals in rap songs and I used Melda Mautopitch as autotune fx for a small section in the verse. I also wanted the kick and the sub to be clear and not boomy, so I first thought the mix would be too thin but I thinks ok for now. I had to remove some of the low mids on most of the tracks and side chained kick and bass to make both more audible on cell phones. I really wanted a good translation to as many playback devices as possible, and I´m satisfied on most systems I tried (some are better, some are worse).

I recorded the vocals with a Rode NT 2000, which I think is broken btw because it distorts really fast, so the recording is bad to my ears. I used the clean inputs on my UAD Apollo Twin MKII to record and only coloured the vocals later itb with Neve 1073 Preamp. I included some pictures for a more detailed overview. Feel free to ask if you want more information.

I´m open to any feedback.

Things I learned this month (so far):
- how to produce a short play arrangement in the trap genre
- better understanding of sonic concepts of clipping, limiting, compression and saturation
- how to listen to the low mids while mixing and how to hear the relationship between low and high frequencies
- how to rap in a much faster speed and flow than I usually freestyle
- my mic is broken

Lyrics (with translation)

► Show Spoiler

Posted: **Thu Feb 23, 2023 00:04 CET**

Challenge companions and Mister Fox, Good night!!

I present to you my theme for this month. I chose to make a Trap theme, or tried to.
Background: I have to tell you that I was not familiar with the Trap, so this was already my first challenge. I'm sorry to say it, because maybe there are people here who do like it, but I found Trap music to be very uninteresting. While researching to make the theme, what I've been hearing I found horrifying. Not the video clips, not the music, not the voices...

So I tried to make a Trap track but trying really hard.
Another novelty is that this track is the first where I sing. Fatal by the way. But it has been the way to keep experimenting. I wrote the lyrics*, with rhyme, and tried to sing (in Catalan, my native language). Of course, since the Trap vocals are a bit special, I also played the song with a stupid voice.
The voice you can hear is made up of two layers, the dry voice and a manipulated voice. I experimented with 'Auto-tune' type effects but I didn't like the way it turned out at all. Therefore, in the end this second layer only has a pitch change and a bit of manipulation with Reason's Neptune effect (equivalent to an 'Auto-tune'). I tried using the Plugin-alliance Brainworx bx_crispytuner, but I didn't like the result.

Lyrics of the song:

Catalan:
Verse 1:
Despertar-me al sonar l'alarma
Vestir-me sense perdre la calma
Anar a treballar com cada dia
Amb ganes de fer coses amb alegria

Verse 2:
Treballar la jornada sense parar
Fent les tasques sense descansar
Ja arriba l'hora de dinar
Descansar una mica abans de tornar

Verse 3:
Tornar a treballar i fer més hores
Amb més pressa, tot depèn del dia
Arriba el moment que més adores
Deixar el treball, quina alegria

English translation by google translate (No rhyme in English)

Topic: The daily routine

Verse 1:
Wake me up when the alarm goes off
Dressing up without losing my cool
Go to work like every day
Eager to do things with joy

Verse 2:
Work the day without stopping
Doing the tasks without resting
It's time for lunch
Get some rest before coming back

Verse 3:
Go back to work and work more hours
In a hurry, it all depends on the day
It's the moment you love the most
Leaving work, what a joy

The melody parts are 4 synthesizers playing the same notes at the same time but with different sounds, which I mix in an automated way and thus the effect is that the melody is constantly changing in sound.

* To experiment, I tried the famous ChatGPT which has now become fashionable. Part of the lyrics of the song was proposed by ChatGPT, but I later changed it so that there is a rhyme at the end.
I encourage you to ask ChatGPT how to make a Trap topic, and see what he says.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17sScm6 ... XgKS8rtzW0

Thank you colleagues.

(translated with google)

Equipment:
DAW:
Reason 12.5

Instruments:
Kong Drum Designer

Effects:
RV7000 MkII Advanced Reverb
Master Bus Compressor
Neptune Pitch Adjuster & Voice Synth

Players:
Scales & Chords

Utilities:
Combinator

Reason Rack Extension:
DNA Labs Software Helium
DNA Labs Software Glacius X Hybrid Wave Synthesizer
BASSGRID Mutation Collider
Reveal Sound ReSpire

Othet effects outside of Reason:
Arturia Dist TUBE-CULTURE
Plugin-alliance SPL De-Verb Plus
HoRNet Plugins HoRNet Total EQ
Eventide Quadravox
Cableguys ShaperBox3

Other tools:
iZotope Ozone 9
Plugin Alliance SPL HawEye

Samples:
Cymatics - Trap Starter Pack

Posted: **Fri Feb 24, 2023 00:27 CET**

Like most of my music project right now, this one focuses on Ark: Survival Evolved and many of the struggles faced in the game's world and lore. People unfamiliar with Ark probably won't understand half the meaning behind the lyrics, but I hope the production and energy will stand alone.

For this project I used:
FL Studio
Serum for basses and synths
FL's FLEX
3xOSC
various oneshot drum samples
2 creature audio samples from Ark: Survival Evolved
and my own writing and voice for all vocal performances.

This is my first time rapping, as hip hop is one of my least favorite genres, rap even moreso, so I had to learn a bit about lyrical flow and what the human mouth is capable of. This involved rewriting a lot of parts, rearranging lines and whatnot to make it physically rappable, and exploring different rap styles to find one that suited the project. I ended up going with a style heavily influenced by Eminem, if not solely based on it, and was happy that my mouth and vocal cords were able to do at least a good enough job for my inexperienced ears. I've gained an improved appreciation for rap through this experience, though I'm not sure I'll be doing any more any time soon.

Thanks to Mr. Fox for hosting the SWC, and thanks to those of you who drop feedback and listen. Hope you enjoy.

Lyrics:

► Show Spoiler

Download:
Download from Google Drive

Mix Challenge

SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Winners announced

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Submissions until 24-02-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET