Mix Challenge

Hello and welcome to the Mix Challenge 41 - March 2018


This is the introduction post, where we directly link to the challenge corresponding files (source files, submission information, sponsors), start of the evaluation process and the first post for re-submissions for Mix Round 2.



This month we have the chance to work on an Acoustic Instrumental production by songwriter "dego" (Declan Gorman). You might be thinking at first, that this production will be easy to mix. However, don't be fooled by the scarce amount of tracks. This month, you're once more asked to channel your creativity - while staying within the limit to "stay true to the original".

Will you be among the lucky ones to go into Round 2, who found the right balance? Let's find out!



Please take note of the following

• IMPORTANT: It is now mandatory to provide WAV files (FLAC bar minimum on low internet bandwidth), files need to be accessible/downloadable, try to work within suitable work levels, document your edits (as simple or as detailed as you like)
  IMPORTANT: please use the following naming convention: MC000_-_ArtistName_-_TrackName_-_ContestanttName.wav/mp3 and MC000_-_ArtistName_-_TrackName_-_ContestanttName_R2.wav/mp3 for Mix Round 2. The order of the tags might change in upcoming challenges - though this is up for debate
• It is highly encouraged to give feedback to each other, to share tips and tricks. Ideally, this should happen after Mix Round 1 has ended, to not influence each other during the main competition round

Also please take note of the following

• We're desperately looking for new source material for future competitions (Mix Challenge, Mastering Challenge, Remix Challenge). Please follow our official campaign. No new tracks mean no more challenges! Please reach out!
• Social Media accounts can be found via the handles @MixChallenge (Twitter) and MixChallenge (Facebook). Please spread the word!
• if you like what the Mix Challenge (community) has been doing in recent months, please consider supporting us. For example with a voluntary monthly donation (this will mainly cover server and social media maintenance fees). Some interesting bonus perks await you through either route, and donors get a special rank on the forum.

This post will be updated with the corresponding links as we progress, and of course the suitable thread headlines. So please watch this spot:


Submission Period: General Information, Source Files, Sponsors
Mix Round 2: Global Feedback and Round 2 Participant Announcement
Results of the Mix Challenge 41: Winners announced

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Thursday, 01st March 2018 to Wednesday, 21st March 2018 (21 days)

Challenge submission will end on 21-03-2018, 11:59pm CET/GMT+1 (Germany) - until further notice.

Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please consult the following options:
The Global Countdown on it's dedicated page or the countdown on the home page. You can also consult the World Clock at the top of the forum or alternatively the following tool - in this case please select "Berlin (Germany)" as location 1, and your location as location 2: Time and Date - World Clock Meeting Planner. We do post reminders via our Twitter account and Facebook page.



Song Provider: dego (Declan Gorman)
Song Name and Length: As seen on TV, 3:56min
Song Information: 90 BPM / Signature: 4/4, G# (G-sharp major)
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit

GENRE: Acoustic Instrumental


Preview of the Song:




A word from the song provider:

dego wrote:This is one of those tracks that seemed to write itself. It evolved organically and started off with just the acoustic guitar and simple chord progression.

While I am pleased with my original mix I am eager to see what other people can do with it so put your own stamp on it. I would like a clean and balanced mix where all of the important elements shine and the only restriction is to stay true to the original.

Let your creativity shine with regard to the effects and enjoy the process.

A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:

Staff (Mister Fox) wrote:I can't add that much to the production, other than it's being a bit ambient heavy on top of the driving acoustic guitar and the drum kit.

Personally, I'd use a lot of modulation and maybe even glitch effects, to add a bit more "action" into the production - however, this might not be to the desire of the client. I still think that the one or another modulation effect might add to the song.

I do recommend to import the acoustic guitars in "dual mono", meaning:
split the left from the right channel. The Acoustic+ is "mono", and the ending chord doesn't blend well otherwise. This is the only advice I can give you other than "listen to the balance of the tracks".

This production is fairly simple, but definitely not simple to mix and keeping it interesting at the same time.

You have to be creative with the given limitations.

Please also consult the TXT files that are bundled in the source files package below. There you can find more information about the individual files and changes to the time signature.

Special Add-On Rules:

• try to create a mix that complements this production (in your own style)
• Clean / Alternative versions can be used if you need more flexibility over a certain sound (if present in this production)
• No rearrangement or pitch shifting of the song structure, with the exception of the following add-on rules
• PRODUCTION RELATED: no drum replacement / sample triggering
• summing bus processing is allowed, as long as the dynamic range (average signal strength to maximum signal strength) doesn't suffer - use of this method is artistically!
• try to not(!) pre-master the track (please no overuse of mix bus treatment, no loudness adjustments / limiting)

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Source Files:

Main Mix Package - Mirror on the Mix Challenge Homepage (147,83 MB, LZMA compressed, 7z v15)
Main Mix Package - Mirror on the Mix Challenge Homepage (167,24 MB, LZMA compressed, zip)


The provided files were packed as ZIP and 7z with LZMA compression (tool used: 7zip v15)
File size extracted: 1089,01 MB, packed 167,24 MB (ZIP, LZMA)
In order to extract the files, we can recommend these programs:

Macintosh:
The Unarchiver - get it here
Keka (open source) - get it here

Windows:
7zip - Installation / Portable


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Please take note of the official rules - they can be found at the following thread:
Mix Challenge - Official Rules and Guidelines

Please address any OT question in the official Gossip thread:
Mix Challenge - Gossip and Discussion

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SPONSORS (Prizes):

Prizes for Mix Challenge participants:

Note: All licenses are NFR (Not-For-Resale), except where noted.
Changes to available prices on short notice may be possible and will be announced separately.



Acon Digital is kind enough give away a single plugin of winner's choice.
License will turn into NFR
More info on Acon Digital: http://acondigital.com



Black Rooster Audio is kind enough to give away one bundle of all currently available plugins to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Black Rooster Audio: http://blackroosteraudio.com/



Hornet Plugins is kind enough give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hornet Plugins: http://www.hornetplugins.com



Metric Halo is kind enough to give away a single plugin of winner's choice.
License will turn into NFR
More info about Metric Halo: http://mhsecure.com/metric_halo/



MuTools is kind enough give away one license of MUX Modular 7 of winner's choice (until End of 2018)
License will turn into NFR
More info on MuTools: http://www.mutools.com/



Nyrv Systems offers AGENT incl. all currently available NyrvDevices and free update to at least v1.5 of winner's choice (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info about Nyrv Systems: http://www.nyrvsystems.com/



Tone2 is kind enough to donate either a bundle consisting of AkustiX Enhancer and WarmVerb, or a license of Ultraspace to the winner (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



Two Notes Audio Engineering is kind enough to donate one license of Torpedo Wall of Sound III to the winner, loaded with 57 cabinets (equivalent to "Torpedo WoS II") (donation until Spring of 2018)
License will not turn into NFR
More info on Two Notes: http://www.two-notes.com/en/



THANKS FOR THE LICENSE DONATIONS!
And also a thank you to all former contributors as well.

If you want to sponsor content (please have a focus on mix plugins, bundles and the likes), please get in touch with the Mix Challenge staff.

Please spread the word of the challenge on social media.
For example with our dedicated Twitter Account or Facebook Page

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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!

Hi Declan,

Nice track! Thank you for providing it to the MC.
I tried to keep close to your original mix. The biggest change I did was to try to give the instruments more the feeling of live played instruments. So I did a lot of volume automation to bring more expression to the sounds. Especially the Chello and Violine are treaded with volume automation and some additional vibrato to avoid a too static sound.

WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6joawhhykvgce ... c.wav?dl=1
MP3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jl0c7kwufdx27 ... c.mp3?dl=1

Reaper v5.51

All drum samples had a noise peak above 15kHz, which I removed with a 36dB low pass from Dead Duck Filter.

Drum-Bus: Presswerk with Drum-Compressor setting at low ratio
Kick: ReaEQ (important to remove the resonance at 153 Hz), ReaComp, ReaGate to reduce the noise tail and room from the kick
Snare 1 and 2 : ReaEQ, Transpire to remove attack
Hats, Ride, Crash and Chimes: ReaEQ
Bass: ReaEQ to inrease midrange up to 2kHz to make the sound more shine, Green Eugene for some satturation, ReaComp
Strummed: ReaEQ, Transpire to inrease attack, GreenEugene for satturation
Acoustic +: ReaEQ, ReaDelay for stereo slap delay, Acon Digital Multiply, MidSideMangler to increase side channels
Acoustic: ReaEQ, ReaDelay for stereo slap delay, GreenEugene for satturation, MidSideMangler to increase side channels
Violine: ReaEQ, MVibrato
Chello: ReaEQ, a second ReaEQ for automation for the deep A-note. This note has much less overtone and brightness than all other notes from the chello. So I compensated this with EQ-automation, MVibrato for expression
Choir: ReaEQ

Reverbs: Acon Digital Verberate, Uhbik-A

Mix-Bus: MQ57, Presswerk, Satin, Span

Cubase 9

Interesting challenge here. Couple other ideas I would like to do but this is my interpretation of the tracks.

MP3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QD8MF ... sp=sharing
WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14_XQN3 ... sp=sharing




[warning=Mister Fox]User Tbase2000 has been permanently banned from this community.

This particular MC41 entry is therefore being excluded from the evaluation process[/warning]

Hi dego,
thanks for the tracks, I wonder if you intentionally moved the acoustic guitars after the break? (by an eighth note I believe). I think you did so to create a different feel for the last part. Thats totally ok of course and the groove is still on the grid but personally it throws me off a bit cause it´s a little obvious (you can feel the "1" in the pattern is intended to be somewhere else. For lack of a better explanation).
Just been tempted to move them back but I guess that´s not an option is it?
Anyway, will be fun to mix that!

Interesting song, I dunno why but it kinda reminded me to the Conan soundtrack. So I "oldified" it with modulation, tape wow, gave it a lot of vibe and space.

I didn't want to change the arrangement, but I just added a transition effect in the beginning. There are some effects with the acoustic guitar stabs, some delays and swell-ins created with the same stabs in reverse, gated. They have distortion, to make them pop out aggressively.

I used proximity to place the guitars and to deal with the bass. XLN Retro Color to add vibe to the strings and choirs, and different verbs for the kick and practically each section of the band.

On the Mix bus, there are some things in parallel:

- A dbx 160 with the snare, kick and bass.
- An Aphex exciter for the snare
- A parallel compressor (FG-Red) mostly adding harmonics and character.

Then on the mix bus itself, lots of character and saturation, wow and flutter with the Retro Color and a little reverb.


I went for an epic, cinematic sound. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did

MP3:
https://mega.nz/#!0f4zlTDI!2ovSWcPeHRoN ... -CWngFR9a4


WAV:
https://mega.nz/#!wGRHSaLQ!avmSBES1o0Wu ... hjT8AsLar0

Hello! Such a great atmospheric track! Here is my attempt. Cheers

Wav - https://www.dropbox.com/s/291va0z0vywq2 ... 2.wav?dl=0
MP3 - https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbolyz04ydcip ... 2.mp3?dl=0

I am happy to announce the following sponsor for the Mix Challenge:



MuTools is kind enough give away one license of MUX Modular 7 of winner's choice (until End of 2018)
License will turn into NFR
More info on MuTools: http://www.mutools.com/


MuTools was formerly a "wild card" for various challenges - the company will now sponsor both the Mastering Challenge (for 2018) and the Mix Challenge. A huge thank you goes to MuTools for providing the licenses.

Heey guys how are you all holding up, im so happy that i found this mix-battle, so much fun really. I made this mix and master in about2 hours but im quite happy with the results, gave it a vintage tone which some love and some disgrace. I share my mix/master through wav/dropbox, have a listen hope it fits you and good luck!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2dr9z709km4v0 ... V.wav?dl=0

Mister Fox wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 13, 2018 04:09 CET

I am happy to announce the following sponsor for the Mix Challenge:



MuTools is kind enough give away one license of MUX Modular 7 of winner's choice (until End of 2018)
License will turn into NFR
More info on MuTools: http://www.mutools.com/


MuTools was formerly a "wild card" for various challenges - the company will now sponsor both the Mastering Challenge (for 2018) and the Mix Challenge. A huge thank you goes to MuTools for providing the licenses.

Soo cool i really like this, so nice of you guys and so exciting.