Mix Challenge

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the results of Songwriting Competition 089

The winners podium consists of:

1. @J.Ruegg (34 pts)
2. @Vanilla Puff (25 pts)
3. @Mellow Browne (24 pts)

Apologies for the waiting time, this is not an automated process.

<4 participant rule is not in use (staff comments and votes, my vote would count as bonus)
We have 01 disqualification (due to lack of feedback / a final vote)
We have 02 entries outside of competition (but counts as submission within the deadline, yet couldn't be voted for)
We have 00 withdrawn entries (but counts as submission within the deadline, yet couldn't be voted for)
We have several users still in the game that tied

• The following ties on the chart happened due to various reasons
  • ThomC -- participation vote is 10pts -- the tie with EsteveCorbera resulted due to losing out on bonus points (resulting in 21pts)
  • EsteveCorbera -- participation vote is 9pts -- the participant has all bonus points otherwise (resulting in 21pts)
• no (more) users that tied

"Sole (License) Winner" rule does not apply - 3-position Winners Podium (>= 9 participants prior to the deadline)


STATISTICS SHEET:
Overview of Submissions (PDF - updated: 07-FEB-2025, full sheet)

!

Bonus Info

Short info: I am using Wavelab 10 for batch analysis, then I manually port the CSV export to a Microsoft Excel/Open Office Calc sheet with custom layout (this is not an automated process). As pointed out in this post from SWC047 / July 2021, Wavelab has different tolerances for dBTP max analysis compared to tools like iZotope RX, Youlean Loudness Meter, NUGEN Audio VisLM, etc. To find a common ground, I've implemented "allowed tolerances" (just like with the Mix Challenge). These are based upon allowed offsets mentioned in the technical papers for EBU R128 and ITU-R BS.1770-4. Since no measurement tool is the same, to be on the save side, please export at -14,1 LUFS ILk max, and -1,1 dBTP max. As usual, I did list/analyze alternative releases (MP3s and FLAC). If you've submitted your entry in multiple file formats, the statistic sheet will focus on the uncompressed material first (WAV), then FLAC, then MP3. The higher the quality, the less possible loss on bonus points for "Loudness Specs" due to offsets introduced by a used CODEC. In this case, FLAC and MP3 are merely for information purposes.

Here are the results as chart in image form:



Thank you so much for your participation.

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	INFORMATION: As of January 2023, I am adapting the same voting mechanic as most other International Songwriting Competitions utilize. Nearly all of these games use(d) a 01 to 05 points system (top 5 entries) in some shape or form. The main difference to our game: these ones don't offer bonus points or penalty points, neither are they tiered (depending on the participant amount). I hope to get that properly sorted out in form of an extensive Rule Book update in the foreseeable future (serious apologies for the waiting time - there are only so many hours in the day). Breaking up a tie: There was no unbreakable tie that needed to be addressed. The fall-back mechanics were used. An explanation on the bonus points and penalty points: Due to exceeding the loudness specs, the following users could not acquire all 4pts bonus -- @reaby exceeded the maximum signal strength of -1,00 dBTP and maximum loudness of -14 LUFS ILk, but also @J.Ruegg and @hincore for either exceeding the maximum signal strength of -1,00 dBTP or the maximum loudness of -14 LUFS ILk I sadly had to withdraw 1pts bonus from @Marius L, @reaby and @ThomC for not using the filename template properly. Please check your white spaces and double-underscores in the future. In case of SoundCloud, you can name your songs different compared to the filename. The entry by @DavidB was technically not possible to download - I couldn't check if the filename template was used. I sadly also had to withdraw 2pts bonus (from 5pts) from @JeroenZuiderwijk and @hincore for not providing more documentation to the production. Although, I am aware that @hincore's entry is technically bonus - but considering possible future participation, I treated this entry just like any other. Please note - you do not need to provide a list of every tool you used, just the instruments, giving credits for non royalty free material from sample CDs, and full credits of possible collaborators (e.g. a guest singer, or a guest musician). Please see post #002 again. I could sadly not award 2pts bonus for "feedback for everyone" to @Vanilla Puff - as the feedback given was "the bare minimum". I am amazed by the creativity based upon the given source material. However, it saddens me that neither @i-dont-like-mixing nor @reaby joined the remainder of the game again. I hope you all had fun and learned something new in the process. Please keep it up for future challenges throughout 2025. See you folks in the next game.

License selection:

We will now perform with the usual. Selecting of licenses is handled in public. In order of the winners podium (top spot to lowest), and only if you want to, please select one license/company out of the pool and mention it in this thread, then (important) please get in touch with me (via PM) with your full name, email address and your license selection.

As usual - you're not forced to pick up anything. You can pass and therefore offer more to select for the next person in line (if there is a spot existing / not available for "sole winner" mechanic). Just let all participants/winners/the staff know in a timely manner (within 5 days of this post). Once one company has been selected, it's out of the pool for the next person on the podium.

Since SWC089 has a 3-position Winner's Podium, we can also continue to test a possible new game mechanic that offers "low placed participants" a chance to pick up a bonus license - if somebody from the Winners Podium passes on a selection. You can read more about this in SWC083 - post #067. The follow-up post will have a summary to that concept.




I re-open the field for talking some more about each others' productions. If things drift a bit too off-topic, please use the General Gossip thread, or Discord.



See you in in the next challenge!



Songwriting Competition 090 (February 2025) is still in full swing. There are currently no entries and a bit more than 17 days left on the clock.

Please have a look.



EDIT: 07-FEB-2025 15:40 UTC+1/CET - initial post.

A continuation of the "Passing on Bonus Licenses" mechanic...

We've been testing this mechanic since SWC083. So far, this concept has been taken well. However, I think we can still fine-tune some things to make it more interesting and fair for everyone. One of the ideas was to "pass on to the 'runner ups' first". Great thinking, yet with a small participation amount this can also feel less fair to the lowest spots. And sometimes, a bonus license can be the right boost to elevate a production.

I would like to propose the following:

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	INFORMATION: Starting with SWC083 - and depending on how many bonus licenses have been picked - I am now putting "passed on" license selections back into the pool and make a possible selection available for "low positioned participants". Mechanic Idea: This mechanic will be available with a 3-position (or higher) Winners Podium. This mechanic will now be tiered Tier 01 (9 to 15 participants) - the Winners Podium has 3 positions. Each passed on license will be added into a drawing pool (remaining participants), and additional winners will be selected at random Tier 02 (16 participants or more) - the Winners Podium will change from 3 to 5 positions. Each passed on license will be offered to up-to two (number: 2) "runner-ups" (position 6 and 7). Should these participants also pass on selecting something, then this passed on license will be added into a drawing pool (remaining participants), and additional winners will be selected at random. The draw is carried out using a tool such as the "Wheel of Names". Each participant is placed 5 times on the wheel and the wheel is spun 5 times. The winner of the bonus license is determined on the last spin. In parallel to the the "Podium"'s decision which route to go, participants in lower positions can decide upfront if they want to "pass on" a license. If this has been made clear before a draw is being done, this particular participant will not be added to the "wheel". if a randomly drawn participant also does not want to pick up a license, the "passed on" license will not be put back into the drawing pool (the offer can only be passed on once). This is to prevent an endless "draw", as this is an additional courtesy. Fine-tuning to this particular idea can still happen with future games.

We're all here to learn, grow from the experience, and spread positivity...

We're running this experiment for one more month. As with my request from last month, I would love to get some additional feedback on this. If this mechanic is met with interest, it could become a regular implementation for the Songwriting Competition (incl. the Rule Book).

Thank you.

Woah, what a nice surprise!

Thank you everyone for the feedback and to Mr Fox for organizing this contest.

As for the prize I would like 2 soundsets from Luftrum:
Gemina I & Gemina II for Omnisphere.

Thank you again and see you hopefully in SWC090

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Many congratulations to the winners

Marius L wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 30, 2025 18:16 CET

Esteve Corbera - Sequencies Estirades
I like this unexpected use of samples with those rhythmic elements and the choiry pads. The fact that it tells a story is a plus for me. I enjoy the bassline and the playful melody. It’s interesting how many ideas can emerge from such a limited bunch of samples. Makes me also think to use the tools from Reason much more and not just those I use more regularly.

The truth is that I have a great time making music with Reason. It is very intuitive, easy to use, very visual and basically, as powerful as any other DAW.

Vanilla Puff wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 31, 2025 19:14 CET

EsteveCorbera - Sequencies Estirades
[..]
Minecraft music. Listen to it. Beethoven. What they have in common? I think it is what you're looking for. The sentence, idea and fulfillment of them.
Might sound like schizophrenia, I swear it isn't. I'd rather give you space to think in rather giving straight answer in this matter.
Hope that lightbulb clicks in mind.

What you say is very mysterious...

Thanks
Esteve

Congratulations to all the winners, well done guys!

Nice feedback everybody.

Mellow Browne wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 01, 2025 00:11 CET

...This confuses me and it doesn’t make sense from my musical point of view, or this is the thing where I’m scratching my head a bit because it sounds "off" to my ears. At the end after the short drop the bass is much better integrated into the musical context.

@Mellow Browne Good ears. It was a conscious decision to let listener know that something is not quite right yet, but in not too obvious way. And I had my doubts if its going to be too obvious, so social experiment as well . As I understand goal was achieved, not many have noticed.

I would gladly take Vintage Vital from satYatunes.

Vanilla Puff wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 13, 2025 14:04 CET

I would gladly take Vintage Vital from satYatunes.

I'll gladly get that sorted out for you. But I can't do that, if I do not get a PM with your credentials.

See post #051

Hi,

thank you everybody for the feedback.

As prize I would like to pick Musiclab RealGMS.