Mix Challenge

Hello and welcome to the Mix Challenge 65 - May 2020


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 a 1970s/1980s rock production by Cameron Crowson. The song is called "Take Your Time", and marks his first venture into his own songwriting.

Please read about the details and special requirements for handling this mix further down below.




Please take note of the following

• Please consult the official "Rules and Guidelines" for the Mix Challenge regarding principles of the game, recommendations and upload/submission guidelines (Updated - 30-MAR-2020)
• IMPORTANT: as of MC061, please only provide WAV files, files need to be accessible/downloadable, try to work within suitable work levels (the focus of this game is "mixing", not mixing and finalizing), document your edits (ideally also with screenshots), name the files properly to distinguish your edit from all others.
• please use the following naming convention (Contestant Name = Forum Username):
  • MC000_ArtistName_TrackName_ContestantName.wav
  • MC000_ArtistName_TrackName_ContestantName_R2.wav for those that go into Mix Round 2
  • Example: MC065__Cameron_Crowson__Take_Your_Time__forum_username.wav
• please only upload to cloud storage spaces (DropBox, GoogleDrive, etc), not SoundCloud.
• 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

• Our Song Pool has dried up! We're looking for new source material for future competitions. Please follow our official campaign. Your only investment is time in turn for a free mix by our very talented participants. No new tracks mean no more challenges! Please reach out!

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: Winners announced

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Friday, 01st May 2020 to Thursday, 21st May 2020 (21 days)

Challenge submission will end on 21-05-2020, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (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: Cameron Crowson
Song Name and Length: Take Your Time, 4:09 min
Song Information: 112 BPM / Signature: 4/4
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit

GENRE: (1970s/1980s) Rock


Preview of the Song:



A word from the song provider:

Cameron Crowson wrote:How this production came to be:
I was sitting at the piano and these chords just worked! Life has been crazy so I had to record when and where I could with budget permitting. Many times I had to take a portable setup to wherever the musicians were! The lyrics are a message to a friend of mine that was going through a pretty bad breakup at the time.


This is meant to be a very classic sounding song. I'm looking for a dynamic yet tight mix that sound great right alongside the hits of the 70's and 80's while still competing with modern mixes.

Reference Songs: "Rosanna" Toto

The vocals need to be tuned naturally, I don't want to "hear" the tuning or the mix. I like doubled vocals a lot and provided the tracks for it so don't be afraid lay it on thick so they don't poke out too much.

I left the guitars LR in mono because the level fluctuates due to the dynamic performance. Rhodes is there to fill up background space in verse. You can put heavy time based effects on it if needed. Some instruments may need timing correction. Sax has a slapback on it in the original session. May sound cool. Will defer to your opinion.

Ending is meant to be faded out during the last "oohs". The song kind of jumbles to a stop.



(more technical details in the Mix Pack bundled TXTs)

A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:

Staff (Mister Fox) wrote:I can't really add much to the provided "words". If you want to go a 1970's mix route, please keep a certain limitation of the available equipment from that time in mind. On the other hand, the early 1980s also had a certain distinct sound, like the infamous "gated reverb", the suddenly hyper-polished high frequency spectrum (due to certain sound processors), etc.

It is up to your gut-instinct which route you go.

As further references, I can recommend to take a listen to George Michael (Wham), The Outfield, Fleetwood Mac (the albums: Rumors, 1977 and in stark contrast, Tango in the Night, 1987), but also The Police.

Listening to "hits" from mid 1970s to mid 1980s also helps you understand the drastic differences in sound, and therefore help you find your own groove.

Have fun!

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.

Rule Summary / 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 for this production)
• make the best out of the provided audio material (EQ, compression, transient tools, etc), no "drum sample triggering / replacement"!
• summing bus processing is allowed, as long as the dynamic range (average signal strength to maximum signal strength) doesn't suffer - artistic use only!
• the focus of this game is "mixing" - NO MASTERING
• provide the edited material in the same sampling rate and bitrate as originally provided
• ADD-ON RULES - PRODUCTION RELATED: create a suitable track fade-out

Please consult the official Rules and Guidelines for a more detailed set of rules. Failing to adhere to the rules will result in instant disqualification


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Source Files:

Main Mix Package - Mirror on the Mix Challenge Homepage (455,91 MB, LZMA compressed, zip)
IMPORTANT NOTE: file unavailable after 21-MAY-2020


The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression.
File size extracted: 1098,87 MB, packed 455,91 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

If you like what the Mix Challenge (community) has been doing in recent months:
Please consider supporting us

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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



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



IK Multimedia is kind enough give away one license of T-RackS ONE to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia: https://www.ikmultimedia.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/



NOS Audio is kind enough give away one license of NOS Roomer to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NOS Audio: http://www.nosaudio.com/



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Ultraspace to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



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!

Hello everyone,

A very interesting new competition.

Everything is clearly explained (set by the signature and the tempo which are used for absolutely nothing in the mixing)
except to specify the date of recording and mixing of this title.

This song really "sounds" like being from the 70s / 80s. Reply ?

Cheers

Franz

p.s.: the website "cameroncrowson.com" is quite intriguing with a fixed image on which to click is useless .......

Listen to the provided references in the "words".

The original mix is fairly barebone, so there is a lot of room for putting the mix into the desired "timeframe".
And regarding the edits on timing and pitching, check in with the FAQ of the Rules and Guidelines (specifically point 10 and 11)

Hello!

Reference Track : America - Ventura Highway

DAW : Reaper

Tipe of Mix : ITB

Description:

To give an analog character i used NCAR by Analog Obsession to simulate a summing circuit and to give color to the mix.
The most difficult operation was tuning the voice trasparently.
I used much slap delay and short reverb.
I pushed de signal to NCAR to give a little distortion and make the sound more grit.
I didn’t use much compression and I didn’t use parallel compression.

I hope you like it and I remain at your disposal for any clarification.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w0t0_ ... wJfWNhPbyF

Hey Everyone so basically, you have to pass the most time editing the song for forward do the mix for the challenge!?

Editing is one thing! Mixing another one as Master another one...
The songs for contests should be provided already with vocals tuned and instruments in time , here i can feel literally the typical situation, (we solve in the mix later) sorry im out if i have to spend 2 hours just for tuning the singer... and put in time the instruments...
here were i live we have a quote thats says "God doesn´t no how to mix and i don´t do miricals" Please record the best , edit the max and mix the rest
Just my opinion...
i did meant to hurt anyones feelings and i think and i hope i didn´t say anything offensive,it is just what it is...

all good look for the ones who s gonna be mixing the song...

And we have the first entry within the first 24 hours already...

I will only mention this once:
Please do keep in mind that your submission is final, no edits allowed until Mix Round 2.

jorge_guitar_music wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 19:21 CEST

Hey Everyone so basically, you have to pass the most time editing the song for forward do the mix for the challenge!?

You maybe didn't read the "words" properly then, or the FAQ of the Rules and Guidelines (most specifically Point 10 and 11).

jorge_guitar_music wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 19:21 CEST

Editing is one thing! Mixing another one as Master another one...
The songs for contests should be provided already with vocals tuned and instruments in time , here i can feel literally the typical situation, (we solve in the mix later) sorry im out if i have to spend 2 hours just for tuning the singer... and put in time the instruments...
here were i live we have a quote thats says "God doesn´t no how to mix and i don´t do miricals" Please record the best , edit the max and mix the rest
Just my opinion...
i did meant to hurt anyones feelings and i think and i hope i didn´t say anything offensive,it is just what it is...

all good look for the ones who s gonna be mixing the song...

If you think this is "too much" and you'd rather access "perfect mixes" just to get them done in less than 2 hours, then this saddens me to read this.

Editing and slight nudging is part of a mixing process these days. If it's "micro-adjustments" and not full on "quantization" (which the client didn't ask for - and this will never be the case for future Mix Challenges - this is why I do Integrity Checks), then it is not a nuisance but part of the challenge. Which is also part of experiencing what your gut tells you.

This is what the game is all about - to make the best out of the material you've been given, to look beyond the boarders, step out of your shadows and just... work, maybe learn something new in the process (like how to improve your workflow). If this is not how you do this usually, and you can afford it to send back "non perfect mixes", then definitely more power to you. The reality is, that you won't ever get perfect mixes to edit in the real world. And I can already guarantee you that future mixing challenges will never be perfect (it's not the first time we had tracks like this).

Else, the "Mix Challenge" wouldn't be a challenge anymore.

I apologize for my speed, I listened my work and for me it’s fine.
The author of the song said he want a transparent voice tuning, it wasn't so long.
To synch the tracks just take the first kick shot and the game Is made.
In this lockdown period I have a lot of free time and 8 hours seems to me a more than acceptable time for a mix.

Here is my mix (first here - but far from my first mix):

Entry: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eoxvfl18db0r5 ... h.wav?dl=0
(entry may not play in Dropbox as it is 24 Bit - the file below will)

Obviously this track has some of the hallmarks of Soft Rock acts like LRB & America and Country Pop acts like Ronnie Milsap. Right up my alley.

I really like the overall approach and the core sense that the track is based around Story and traditional musicality. The multiple take vocal thing is always a joy to me. The Guitar & Sax solos are worth price of admission alone. The song is not a single but would sit nicely on an album of similar material.

The Mix is meant to fit onto the feel of the period mentioned. Mixes were glossy bright, and really clear whilst retaining a muscularity built of "punch" (it had to work on vinyl and play on AM) rather than oodles of bass & stereo which are more of the "modern" era.

As usual for me, I started with vocals as they are the story. As noted below only two takes limited the ability to deliver the requested vocal sound. I did cheat a bit with a dual Pitch Shifter. I kept it subtle as the moment you can really hear the effect, it changes the time/genre element of the mix. Vocals started with my usual Selig Leveller to bring vocals up and even.

EQ is almost exclusively the SSL style unit in the Reason Mixer. The Echo Delay unit gets a bit of a workout (as usual). Reverb is one Bus Send using the Plate algo in the stock RV-7000 into one of those ADHD Comps for that nice glossy sound.

The Piano was probably the only sound that I felt the desire to "degrade" in any way. It seemed so "polite" and lacking in character that I leaned on it relatively heavily with a resonator and other processes to make it seem more intimate upright than classy grand.

Most tracks are summed to Busses and processed there more than individually. I have quite extensively used the ADHD Leveling Tool which is a Compressor I just picked up. It suits this vintage very well. I have several layers of light compressing so they compound. The aim always being that sense of punch and groove that softer compression is so good for.

No Processing is done on the Master other than to deliver a -6-3dB peak with a level adjust.

Possible Master: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i7kfy6ucb31st ... h.wav?dl=0
This possible master is not a formal part of the entry but I have noted that acts don't always understand how their track may sound at full levels so I tend to provide a Rough Master as well. This can be used to show any Mastering Engineer what I was thinking for the final outcome.

Concerns:

As noted by the artist, there are some irregularities in the source material. Some things like noises I removed with no appreciable damage done. Performance issues though I was not keen on altering. For two reasons:
1. I tried an AutoTune and even a Melodyne style approach to tuning but in both cases, I felt that they lost the special gloss that you get from natural vocals ganged.
2. Feeling I was doing more damage than good, it seemed better to leave it alone. I am a Balance/Mix Engineer, not an Editing Specialist so my skills here are good for what a mixer should do but not an editor. I know this was discussed above but many small-mid Mix Engineers know that Editing is a different skill and focus on what they are best at. If this doesn't disqualify me and the act likes my work & wants to send out to a skilled Editor then I will slot the "perfected:" tracks in and everyone is happy.

Changing things electronically runs counter to the more important part of the brief which is to deliver the feel of a 70/80's recording. A huge part of those records is that the performers were delivering at a very personal & real level which electronic manipulation damages. The song was God so if they couldn't cut it right, they found the person who could with no sense of shame. Being human was what made those records amazing. Which brings me to...

I love the massed vocal hoped for but this was not provided for in the raw material. To get that sound, it was not uncommon for up to 16 vocal parts all piled up! 3 or 5 were where you started. With two vocal takes, it meant I had to improvise some. Sadly electronic methods cannot deliver what those endless vocal takes did. Too much electronic doubling deliver Beyonce and not LRB.

It has been a nice experience doing this. Thanks for the opportunity.

Hi
It was very challenging for me. I dont know if I have exactly the autor's recomandations but I tried to make my best to serve this song.
there's a dog on backvoices....

I decided to correct only few notes to match with tempo on piano and kick only. I remembered when i tried to according 70' 80' music with metronome click there were large tempo shift.
My mix -->here<--

Daw SO 4
Bundle NATIVE SSL
SO Compressor (chained) with Delay(+Eq) on LeadVox Chorus
DPR 402 Compressor + Wave Puigtec EQ on drums bus
Wave CLA 2A + Wave Puigtec EQ on bass bus
Wave CLA 2A on Rythm Grt Bus and Solo Gtr
PA Dangerous BAX mix + Native SSL Compressor + Wave CLA 2A (limiter mode) on master
Mix with custom in-ears