Mix Challenge

Hello and welcome to the Songwriting Competition 46 - June 2021


This is the introduction post, where we directly link to the challenge corresponding files (theme, submission information, sponsors) and start of the voting process. There will be no Round 2.

Read more about this month's competition further down below.




Please take note of the following

• Please consult the official "Rules and Guidelines" for the Songwriting Competition regarding principles of the game, it's engaging game mechanics (allowed editing/resubmission of your entry until the deadline has been reached) and upload/submission guidelines.
• IMPORTANT: please use the following naming convention for your productions (artist name = forum username):
  • SWC000_ArtistName_TrackName.wav and/or .mp3
• IMPORTANT: if you only submit your production through Soundcloud, name your files properly prior to uploading and make the production downloadable. The forum can also convert your links into a Soundcloud player through the [soundcloud] BBCode from the text editor (orange square with a white cloud in it)

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 and Sponsors
Cheat Sheet: A couple of examples / audio demos for this month's challenge (usually not available if genre is "Free to Select")
Voting: Summarized entries and start of voting process
Results of the Songwriting Competition: Results of the Songwriting Competition

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Tuesday, 01st June 2021 to Thursday, 24th June 2021 (24 days)

Challenge submission will end on 24-06-2021, 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.



SONGWRITING THEME: Busk that Jam Session
GENRE: Free to select (Jam Session)



Image Source: Pexels, photo by Antonio Friedeman, released under Creative Commons CC0


A few word about this month's theme:

Staff (Mister Fox) wrote: Can you believe that? It is already June, the start of a new meteorological season. For the Northern hemisphere it will be Summer, for the Southern hemisphere it will be Winter. Yet another shift in weather and temperature - on top of our still ongoing crazy world situation. But when did this ever hold us off from making music?

So why not grab your instrument, sit on the balcony and jam away? Why not fire up that new gadget your just got and experiment a little bit? What about that Barbershop Quartet/Quintet that your family is good at? Or what about calling your friends through Zoom and have a nice musical hang out?

I think you get the bigger picture - this month is all about "jam sessions". And if the pandemic situation allows it, maybe even together with friends and fellows.
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Your task for this Songwriting Competition:
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This month, the rules are once more simple. You can create a production in any music genre you feel like. Doesn't matter if it's Classic, Electronic, Jazz, Rock, Singer-Songwriter, solo instrumentation and vocals (acoustic), Barbershop music, your choir group with your own custom music. The sky is basically the limit. It doesn't even have to be beat perfect.

I just want you to step out of your shadow, create something, and have a great time while doing so.


What I'd like to see/hear this month:
It really doesn't matter which route you would like to go this month. Do a solo performance with minimalist instrumentation (e.g. singing and guitar/piano/etc). Rig up your hardware synths and effect modules (Eurorack, MPC, hardware sequencer, Looper Pedal, etc) and show us what you can do. Got a new piece of gear and want to mark out the possibilities - please do and let us be part of it. You like to get people at the park involved in jam sessions, or regularly hang out with friends in your living room or basement to make music - let us have a listen. You're good with an AKAI MPC or Novation Launchpad, and can "spit some mad rhymes" out of thin air - represent yourself.

Just create something!

Interact, ask for feedback on where to improve (technically), go back to the drawing board redo (if you want), experiment. This is what the Songwriting Competition is about.



I'm looking forward to many entries. Maybe we can finally exceed 20 this month.
Please have fun!

Songwriting Rule Summary / Add-On Rules:

• create a production fitting to the given theme, genre and general premise
• you can use any tool that is at your disposal (samples, virtual instruments and/or real instruments)
• IMPORTANT: if you use non-licensed material (as in: non royalty free material from sample CDs, etc), give full credit to the source material
• do not go higher than -14LUFS ILk/-1dBTP in terms of perceived loudness (mastering). Music doesn't have to be squashed to bits in order to be impactful
• for newcomers: no productions that have already been released outside of the time frame of the current Songwriting Competition (Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc), no cover versions or remixes, no ripped acapella's -- please only showcase your own content
• ADD-ON RULES:
  • <no add-on rules specified>

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

Please address any OT question in the official Gossip thread:
Songwriting Competition - 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 Songwriting 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.


RECURRING LICENSE SPONSORSHIP:


Cherry Audio is kind enough give away one license of Voltage Modular Ignite, plus either a license of "Year One Collection" or "Year Two Collection"
License will turn into NFR
More info on Cherry Audio: https://cherryaudio.com



IK Multimedia is kind enough give away one license of MODO BASS to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia: https://www.ikmultimedia.com



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Saurus2 to the winner (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



kv331 audio is kind enough give away a bundle of either SynthMaster 1+2 Bundle, or a freely selectable set of 3 SynthMaster Expansions
License will not turn into NFR, you need to have a kv311 audio user account in order to pick up Expansions
More info on kv331 audio: https://www.kv331audio.com



JRR Sounds is kind enough give away any-1 sound sets or sample set of winner's choice (exception: Bundles)
More info on JRR Sounds: https://www.jrrshop.com/jrr-sounds



Luftrum is kind enough give away either a license of Lunaris, a license of Bioscape, or any two sound sets of winner's choice (exception: Bundles and Nano Electronics)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Luftrum: http://www.luftrum.com



Rekkerd Sounds is kind enough give away 1 sound set of winners choice (exception: Krezie EDM and Neurofunk Vol. 1)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Rekkerd Sounds: http://sounds.rekkerd.org/



Ghostwave Audio (Vincent Bastiat) is kind enough to donate any 2 sound sets to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Ghostwave Audio: http://ghostwaveaudio.com



Hollow Sun is kind to donate one license of "Music Laboratory Machines - The Suite I" to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hollow Sun: http://www.hollowsun.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



Sound / Graphic Designer, and honorary 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/





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

If you want to sponsor content (please have a focus on instruments, samples and sound sets), 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!

AUDIO EXAMPLES:
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Articles and Info Pages:

A great starting point is the "Addendum"/Supplementary thread for the Songwriting Competition
Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Music Maps and BPM Charts

Additional Articles on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam_session (the origins of the meaning of "Jam Session", you can still do whatever genre you feel like)




Music examples (selection, Youtube):

This months, there is no true "example content" due to the fact that the genre is declared as "Free to select". However, if you want some inspiration for "Jam Sessions", you can take a look at the following.

Helmsdrums - Improvised Jam Session (2013)
Amazing jam session - Three random guys sing together (2014)
Cory Henry & Nick Semrad - Full Jam session at NAMM 2016 (2016)
impromptu jam session INFIDELIX ft EllandM - on beat of Phantogram "When I'm Small" (2016, a cover version technically, but at that time the raps and singing were made on the spot)
Irish flight delayed so trad session started between DaoiríFarrell, Geoff Kinsella and Robbie Walsh (2017, they are performing a variant of "Steve Earle - Galway Girl")
Richard Smith, Michael Fix, Stuie French, Tommy Emmanuel -- jamming to "Trambone" by Chet Atkins (2018, part 2 of 6 of this recording)
Jam Session! Henny Hendrexz, Michael Lemmo & Conrad Lee at Norman's Rare Guitars (2018)
SjoerdHammond/No King - Bring That Blues Jam Session (2018)
Koka Cruise - Jam Session (2018)
Vitor & Steph - Neo Soul Jam Session (2019, cover version of "Kay Brown - Music Force")
Reinhardt Buhr - Boss RC-505 Loop Station - Multi-Instrumental Live Looping (2019)
Spinscott - "Darkness" (Live Jungle!) (2020)
The Petersens - Scientist (2020)
Starla Injury - Summerback (2020, the host of the ThaSauce Compoverse)
Colin Benders Eurorack Jam Sessions - The one with all the dreamy arps (2020)
Marc Rebillet - Get Up (Full Version) (2021, uses the BOSS RC-505 Loop Station)
Joris Voorn and Michiel Borstlap Live Detroit Techno Jazz Session (2021)
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Please also check in with the following threads in the the Gear Talk sub-forum, if you're on the look-out for new tools:
Places to fuel your GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) (the starting point if you're in need of audio tools -- from free to affordable)

Also recommended to check out the following tools, if you're new to/need help with songwriting:
Plugin Boutique - Scaler 2 (highly recommended tool!)
CodeFN42 - Chordz (Transition is also recommended, if you want more experimental/generative MIDI, Free, Windows only)
W.A. Production - InstaChord and InstaScale
Fabrizio Poce / J74 - Progressive (Progressive Standalone might not be available anymore, else the "Max4Life" version)

In need of some guitars?
Musiclab - RealGuitar series (30-day demos available)



UPDATED: 31-MAY-2021 23:25 UTC+2 (sourcing content: a couple of hours), updated 00-JUN-2021 00:00 UTC+2

It sounds like recording in one take, regardless of medium, is the only hard requirement. is that right? Let's say I queue up 5 loops, and jam over the loops while triggering them on and off, is that ok?

Yes and no.

The basic premise here is to "just make music". Meaning - have no overarching concept. Just fire up your equipment/grab your instruments, and start working on whatever comes to mind. This is for example most evident with the live electronic sessions that might start out as blips and beeps, and/or a basic beat, then evolves into something more from there.

So if you say "I have 4-5 loops and have ideas how to build upon that", then please do. You're basically "Jammin' along", improvise, create something new.

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 14 days left to submit your production


If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 7 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song.

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 7 days left to submit your production


If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 3 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song.

It's been a while since I have had time, but I think I can do this. Also posting here to motivate others. I have an idea on a cool way to do this. Most all of my songs have been written and arranged through the help of recording. When I am inspired enough and able to make a decent sounding recording of a VERY recent idea, it usually leads to a minute or two of a song demo, that will come from 10-20 min and sometimes 5+ takes. I am too tired to go into detail, but I like the idea of sharing the process of this and I hve an idea about how to do this Oh god.. I'm actually about to fall asleep.. Take this as word jam for now.. Just gonnna hit post. Hope I remember in the morning. Cheers

Remember folks, "Jam Session" is just the umbrella term here. The basic idea here is that you just sit down, play around with your available equipment, and make music. This month has no fixed genre.

As of the moment of this post, a bit more than 3 days left for submissions.

Have fun, everyone!

I wanted my jam to be a guitar lead. So I laid down a few simple Casio grooves and then built upon that. I decided not to get too technical with the guitar. I just wanted to get some groovy takes until I found a nice line. The chorus is the only thing that I “wrote”. The rest is just some slappy, dancey free-flowing fireworks. Sloppy or sleek, I left it all there on the table. There’s also an expressive live acoustic take and a fairly simple bass that holds down the bottom.

One fun thing about this track is the new software that I won in the last competition. SynthMaster One is in full effect. I dialed in my tone and performed a simple line to follow the chord structure and then I recorded the track while I tweaked the filters and envelopes. It’s all one live take that flirts it’s way in and out of the song structure. It really helps with the lift in the chorus and I’m way into the dynamic shifts in the bridge as well.

The guitar is a vintage Strat, the amp is a little Fender Champion 600 that I’ve modified with a gain stage and a 3 band eq, miked up. In post I punched it up a bit with a little bit more gain and an eq that dips the mids a small amount. But there’s a nice bite from the tubes that I think really helps it sing.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f631vi5u71lfb ... 2.wav?dl=0

Recorded in Pro Tools Ultimate

Instruments:
Yamaha PortaSound PSS - 470
Fender Strat
Ibenez Bass
MiniLab -> SynthMaster One
Xpand!2
Tamborine
Sampled Kick n Snare from my library

Waves Gold Plugs
Scheps Omni Channel
BF-76
RensncAX
PgTcEQ1AP
GTRSTomp2
PSA-1
RBass

ModDelay 3
LX480Essnt

SSL Comp
Q10
KramerTape
ARTGMstr
Maxim

This song is for Brett Hanthorn, father, brother, son and friend. <3