CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION
Time Frame: Monday, 01st May 2017 to Sunday, 21st May 2017 (21 days)
Challenge submission will end on 21-05-2017, 11:59pm CEST/GMT+1 (Germany) - until further notice.
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Song Provider: el-bo (
Forum Profile)
Song Name and Length: Funk That !!, 2:54min
Song Information: 135 bpm / Signature: Everything but ‘bridge’ alternates between 7/4, and 6/4. Bridge is in 7/4, Key of Am (A min)
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit
GENRE: Jazz / Funk
Preview of the Song:
A word from the song provider:
el-bo (shortened version) wrote:This is really a start-from-scratch kind of deal, mainly because the initial mix was so basic, and doesn’t really offer up many clues.
I do want it to maintain some of that live studio recording vibe, as if recorded in one take by a well-rehearsed band. However, I wouldn’t want to stifle any creativity in regards to placement, effects etc.
If we assume that every player/instrument was Mic’d DI’d to separate tracks, then that would still allow for creativity in mixing. How far you can push that creative angle without losing the performance feel will be something for you to work out. Perhaps a good guiding principal would be for nothing to be included that the band could then not easily re-create during later stage performances.
With regard to tone/sound: I would like the cues to be taken from the sound of the bass guitar, from the original version, albeit perhaps toned down a little. I have included a drier, non-amped, version of this track to give some creative leeway in the mixing process, but I am still looking for a slightly edgier tone. Whether you take the original effected track or come up with suitable amp/eq replacements is up to you and your mix.
From there, aligning the sound of the drums with a more ‘aggressive’ bass is one of my main requests, as they are currently pretty weak in comparison. So, definitely a bit more grungy, and ‘urgent’ (Possibly the lamest adjective for drums, but don’t know how else to describe it). Just keep in mind not to go so far that the subtleties of the performance are lost.
Next request is with regard to space, and stereo field.
Many of the tracks have been provided as mono bounces, to allow for better placement within the stereo field. I’d love for the resulting mix to have an older ‘stereo’ vibe, where each player/instrument was very clearly situated in his/it’s own clearly defined defined space. However, I’d like to avoid it being too exaggerated - It still needs to feel cohesive, and also ‘contained’. An example would be to not have the various brass parts dotted all over the place, when they are clearly a section that would have been recorded together in a somewhat limited space.
Currently, this is a very dry mix. At various points, it can feel a bit sparse. And while I am looking for good use of reverb, it obviously needs to match the context i.e no huge stereo washes. One area that will need more attention is the piano solo. After editing out a lot of bad sustain pedaling (I am no trained pianist), the result feels a little stilted. Good use of reverb and automation, here, could help bring back some of the feeling/flow.
One important thing to note: I will be listening/judging all of these mixes on headphones. There are practical, and philosophical, reasons for this. Suffice to say, the more effort you can put into making your mix translate to headphones, the better experience I will likely have. I am not going to demand that you conduct the whole process using headphones, but it might be an interesting twist on the challenge should you decide to do so.
And one last thing: Despite making music for quite a long time, I don’t have the most developed ‘ear’ when it comes to the technicalities of mixing, nor do I likely have the right language to convey my appraisal and criticism of the process. As such, the only way for me to judge this is on the basis of how much I like the various submitted results.
A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:
Staff (Mister Fox) wrote:Jazz / Funk is a really tricky topic, as each person has a different opinion on how things have to sound or work together. The most important bits that stick out though, is the interaction with the musicians. One "breathes" from another, and it's a constant call / response between both musicians and instruments.
As this month's client already mentioned, the focus should be the Bass, which I also consider the driving instrument. The biggest interaction with the Bass is definitely the Piano and later the Organ, while the drum set adds to the slightly shuffled feel.
I can't give any real recommendation other than maybe hitting the usual places to read up/listen to Jazz/Funk bands, or bands that do live "one-takes" in studios. For the latter, I can definitely recommend video recordings by the BBC. For example the (IMO excellent) video series "Live from Abbey Road", or BBC Radio live streams for the Internet/TV (example: "The Fantasy Funk Band - Move On Up"). A dive into the documentary "The Story of Funk - One Nation under a Groove" might also be of interest.
Sound wise, I'd definitely go "70ies" with no unlimited frequency sweeps or panning positions (old consoles were stepped), tape machines, "grungy" effects (distorted Leslie for the Organ, Tube Amps for the bass, tube preamps for instrument sections), limited rooms (if not "real recorded" ones). The production shall sound like a "live recording of the whole band" after all. The drum set has definitely a 60ies/70ies "Bob Kit" feel, meaning: smaller, yet dampened kick, bigger snares, etc. Emphasizing on that sound might be an option, but EQ/compression can go a long way.
There are plenty of routes to go - it just depends on your creativity.
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 of the song structure, with the exception of the following add-on rules (currently, no add-on rules)
- summing bus processing is allowed, as long as the dynamic range (average signal strength to maximum signal strength) doesn't suffer - use 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 (210,69 MB, LZMA compressed)
The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression.
File size extracted: 696,05 MB, packed 210,69 MB (ZIP, LZMA)
In order to extract the files, we can recommend these programs:
Macintosh:
The Unarchiver -
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 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
Ghostwave Audio (Vincent Bastiat) is kind enough to donate
MixRight (a Reaktor Ensemble) to the winner (until further notice)
License won't turn into NFR, you need Native Instruments Reaktor 5.8+ for this
More info on Ghostwave Audio:
http://ghostwaveaudio.com/
Metric Halo will give away a single plugin of winner's choice.
License will turn into NFR
More info about Metric Halo:
http://mhsecure.com/metric_halo/
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/
Sound / Graphic Designer, and Mix Challenge staff
satYatunes is donating one commercial product of winner's choice (until further notice)
More info on satYatune's page:
http://www.satyatunes.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 Summer 2017)
License will not turn into NFR
More info on Two Notes:
http://www.two-notes.com/en/
THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS!
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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!
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