MIX CHALLENGE - MC100 October 2024 - Mix Round 1 in evaluation
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2024 15:20 CET
Well... it looks like I still need to overhaul the Rule Books and the explanation for the Statistics / Statistics Sheet, as these questions and concerns keep coming up every time a Mix(ing) Challenge has ended. 
Your entry was submitted with the following filename
I really do not care if you you write John_Rowley or JohnRowley. As long as you use the forum username, and there are no white-spaces. It is imperative that the rest of the filename is as provided with the template. As mentioned multiple times throughout the last couple of years, I am using scripts for creating Statistic Sheets. If the filename is off, this results in wrong parsing of data, which results in me having to triple check things and manually adjust, resulting in more work. Worst case scenario, errors even.
Let me repost the important part again:
The exception being "tagged OUT" (as marked with a red box and big bold "OUT" written in it). If your entry does not have this listed, then the "Wild Card" mechanic can be used. But only if the Song Provider selects your entry for Mix Round 2.
So please wait for the Mix Round 2 announcement.
The TL;DR is... this is how digital signals work. The lower the maximum signal strength, the less of the maximum bitrate of a file is being used. This is not an error, this is not a disqualification criteria. This is merely an information and how Wavelab (CD Mastering and File Analysis tool) lists the actual bitrate, despite the file being 44kHz 24bit WAV.
Your entry has a "Peak-to-Loudness" ratio of 15,4 // the loudness range is 5,9 LU... which is highly dynamic. If you want, you can still push the loudness up to -17 LUFS ILk without reaching -1,00 dBTP maximum signal strength. And if you mixed properly, the material can still sound punchy and impactful, yet loud, despite it being lower than -16 LUFS ILk. Or "loudness being too low" (as general term).
Mastering, or rather "Finalizing for Distribution Medium ABC" as a possible follow-up step, should really only be for adjusting loudness for different release mediums, and setting a proper fade in/fade out.
This is what the Mix Challenge is trying to teach you. That you can(!!!) create outstanding mixes even at "such low loudness" - as has been proven for decades with releases between 1960s and late 1990s (where the loudness war really kicked into high gear and there was no longer any sense of "decent dynamic range"). The main concept of the Mix Challenge is to focus on "mixing only", creating a product that can stand on it's own and translate to any playback medium.
Bonus: you also learn to work with reference levels / "Ideal work levels" for both software tools and hardware (to those that use a hybrid setup).
However, in fairness to the work that our Song Provider is doing, and with the chance that you can still move up to Mix Round 2 despite your slight mistake, withdrawing "mid game" is not recommended.
If you still consider this experience to not be what you hoped for, then please reach out after Mix Round 2, and I can get your user account / credentials sorted out.
Thank you for reading and for familiarizing yourself with the rule book once again.
I am sorry, but I kindly ask you to read again what has been written:John Rowley wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2024 15:22 CETAh I see that my filename invalid due to there being 2 underscores in the naming. Not very obvious in the rules.
- in post #001, Paragraph "Before we get started", most notably: "The Multi-Track Mix Pack also features a "TL;DR Rules.txt" file with the game specific filename template and distribution specs."
- in post #002, the Rule Summary section, most notably the sentence "Additionally a TL;DR Rule Set with the game specific filename template and distribution specs." and the section "Important Stats to check prior to uploading"
- In post #003, the third bullet point once more explicitly stating "Please pay attention to details such as sampling rate, bit rate, maximum signal strength, file name template and documentation. Check this before you upload your entry.", repeating what has been written in post #002 with the Rule Summary section
- in the Mix Pack bundled "TL;DR Rules.txt", bullet point 09, explicitly stating "Pay attention to detail regarding the file naming. Use the provided template (see below) - simply copy / paste and then adjust the ForumUsername. Don't leave white spaces."
- the TL;DR Rules section of the extensive Rules and Guidelines, paragraph 09, once more stating "Pay attention to detail regarding the file naming. Use the provided template (see corresponding thread and Mix Pack bundled "TL;DR Rules.txt") - simply copy / paste and then adjust the ForumUsername."
- and the Rules for participants of the Mix Challenge in long form, Upload and Submission Guidelines, bullet point 10, stating "All entries must be properly named and tagged prior to uploading. Please use the following naming convention: ... (see follow-up text)"
Your entry was submitted with the following filename
Code: Select all
Submission filename:
MC100_SilverStoned_MrRockNRoll_JohnRowley.wav
Filename template:
MC100__SilverStoned__MrRockNRoll__ForumUsername.wav
Filename should have been:
MC100__SilverStoned__MrRockNRoll__JohnRowley.wav
I've also explained this in minute detail in post #188 (closing out Mix Round 1, listing the statistics) and post #203 (the follow-up post to the statistics). Additionally, both posts explicitly mention the Rule Book Addendum Thread called Statistic Sheet and Wild Card Mechanic, which explains the difference between "tagged disqualified" and "tagged OUT" even more, on top of explaining what can happen for you as participant for a possible selection for Mix Round 2.John Rowley wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2024 15:22 CETSo I assume I am disqualified from the contest now and cannot amend it now for inclusion?
Let me repost the important part again:The exception being "tagged OUT" (as marked with a red box and big bold "OUT" written in it). If your entry does not have this listed, then the "Wild Card" mechanic can be used. But only if the Song Provider selects your entry for Mix Round 2.
So please wait for the Mix Round 2 announcement.
That is also explained on the Statistic Sheet, final page, with the color code "legend", on top of the Addendum thread for the Statistic Sheet and Wild Card Mechanic, post #002, section "What does the Statistic Sheet tell you?", sub section "dBTP (L / R)".John Rowley wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2024 15:22 CETIts weird that it shows 23 bit rate yet Cakewalk was set to 24 as per rule set and I turned down the Lufs as it seemed to loud.
The TL;DR is... this is how digital signals work. The lower the maximum signal strength, the less of the maximum bitrate of a file is being used. This is not an error, this is not a disqualification criteria. This is merely an information and how Wavelab (CD Mastering and File Analysis tool) lists the actual bitrate, despite the file being 44kHz 24bit WAV.
You can submit an entry within the range of -24 LUFS ILk and -16 LUFS ILk. As long as it is within this "range", it is within given rules / parameters of the game.John Rowley wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2024 15:22 CETEven though I enjoyed doing this track, I was not keen on the loudness settings being too low and its easy to not read the correct file format as usually its one underscore not two.
Your entry has a "Peak-to-Loudness" ratio of 15,4 // the loudness range is 5,9 LU... which is highly dynamic. If you want, you can still push the loudness up to -17 LUFS ILk without reaching -1,00 dBTP maximum signal strength. And if you mixed properly, the material can still sound punchy and impactful, yet loud, despite it being lower than -16 LUFS ILk. Or "loudness being too low" (as general term).
Mastering, or rather "Finalizing for Distribution Medium ABC" as a possible follow-up step, should really only be for adjusting loudness for different release mediums, and setting a proper fade in/fade out.
This is what the Mix Challenge is trying to teach you. That you can(!!!) create outstanding mixes even at "such low loudness" - as has been proven for decades with releases between 1960s and late 1990s (where the loudness war really kicked into high gear and there was no longer any sense of "decent dynamic range"). The main concept of the Mix Challenge is to focus on "mixing only", creating a product that can stand on it's own and translate to any playback medium.
Bonus: you also learn to work with reference levels / "Ideal work levels" for both software tools and hardware (to those that use a hybrid setup).
This is completely up your own discretion what you will do for future games.John Rowley wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2024 15:22 CETBeing the first challenge I have ever entered, i feel now not so confident in submitting anything else.
However, in fairness to the work that our Song Provider is doing, and with the chance that you can still move up to Mix Round 2 despite your slight mistake, withdrawing "mid game" is not recommended.
If you still consider this experience to not be what you hoped for, then please reach out after Mix Round 2, and I can get your user account / credentials sorted out.
Thank you for reading and for familiarizing yourself with the rule book once again.
