KVR :: Music Cafe » April Contest: Gossip [View Original Topic]
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D.H. Miltz - Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:38 am

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Go!

edit: Okay, go again, but sticky this time.

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slartibartfast - Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:39 am

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I wanna complain

This month's theme isn't anywhere near controversial enough. Most months we would have had a page of "whassitallabout" discussion by now.

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Laguna Rising - Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:44 am

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evo2slo - Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:48 am

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Well, I'm still confused whether we should be measuring the 30 seconds with a cesium or rubidium clock. There's a significant difference in milliseconds. Or are voters expecting a hydrogen based measurement system?
Also, time moves slightly slower for those of us at lower altitudes than high altitudes - theory of relativity and all that. Should those of us close to sea level compensate for that?
The theme this month seems very open to interpretation... would be nice if we could arrive at some sort of consensus.

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farlukar - Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:22 am

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To account or this, I propose a minor change in the rules:

2 - A STRICT MAXIMUM of 30.002 SECONDS in length. If it shows up as 0:30.003 in my player, it's getting the boot.

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Mister Natural - Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:19 am

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how 'bout instead . . . let's hava discussion of how in the F#*k do you write a 30second piece of music ???

still (seriously) trying to get my feeble head around intro, middle, out-ro of a 16bar piece

you're killing me here, guys

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evo2slo - Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:11 am

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When in doubt, just ask Frank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O34yPdYbsg

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bzur - Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:15 am

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Oh, that's easy: you play randomly until you find some f#*@*§g reasonable melody, add some f#*@*§g bassline, and some f#*@*§g percs. Then you cut a 30 secs snippet, and... voilà!

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evo2slo - Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:25 am

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Mister Natural - Sun Apr 01, 2012 10:28 am

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FRANK !! LOL - thanks evo !
I think I hear that tune as A A B A with a coda of : dum, tee, dum

bzur - really f*#@%ing appreciate your wisdom - didn't realize it is that easy :=)

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offthewall - Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:26 pm

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Well .... don't know if you noticed a post, in last months gossip, from Folderol giving a link to an old tune of his?
Same story ... back in October 2007 we had a 30 second contest over at Kara-moon forum on a 'car' theme.
This was my entry (and it amazes me how much I have learned since then )
ScaryRide
If my memory serves me right we had about 20 entries ... so it ain't that difficult

Good luck


James

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rp314 - Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:09 pm

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If only the time limit was 18 seconds longer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkrfVZGmLL8&feature=related

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farlukar - Sun Apr 01, 2012 10:42 pm

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[youtube]Obligatory short ditty example[/youtube]
[edit]
What was I thinking? I don't have the rights to publish this publicly.

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pljones - Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:07 am

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You can write a shorter one, remember - just not longer! Don't feel pressured...

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inboxzero - Mon Apr 02, 2012 5:33 am

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Damn, I was going to rip that idea totally off. I wrote a song years ago along the same lines called "Seal clubbing"

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robojam - Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:12 am

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Throw that idea in the trash and just concentrate on making something short and sweet with no rules in mind.

I already have something lyrically and rhythmically in mind and I have not had a single thought about intros, outros, verse, chorus or number of bars.

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folderol - Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:43 am

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{snigger}

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peppy197 - Mon Apr 09, 2012 3:34 am

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Of the nine submissions uploaded to date, I can only download five since some are not mp3 files, and one is an org file (only) which I cannot play

allen

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DrApostropheX - Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:46 am

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I feel your pain... I listen to these on my car's MP3 player, which doesn't play OGG files. Often times, if there's an OGG-only file, it gets skipped without me even knowing it.

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GMoneh - Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:10 am

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And I third that. I was able to listen to RuediRena's entry, but had to get out of the way to do it (my media player doesn't play oggs either so I had to use SoundForge to open the file and listen to it). Under those circumstances, it may not have as much play as other entries that I place on a playlist and listen to several times during the duration of the contest.

I know the rules do allow for the submission to be in ogg format, and I'm aware of the advantages of this format over mp3, but for better or worse, ogg is not a very widely supported format, specially on portable players, which a lot of people use. .aac (mp4) would actually be a better compression format to submit in on that regard, although the rules do not currently allow that...

I guess I could convert the ogg to a mp3 myself and integrate it into my playlist, but that would be going from a lossy format to another lossy format, further degrading the sound. It'd be better for the composer to produce both formats from the master itself.

On the other hand, peppy197, I didn't have any problems with any of the other submissions... which other gave you trouble?


G.

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inboxzero - Tue Apr 10, 2012 2:23 am

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Struggling with this months entry.

even bumping it up to 140bpm, which gives me 18 bars (16 of music, 2 to fade out) isn't helping....

Might scrap the idea and try again tonight.....

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inboxzero - Tue Apr 10, 2012 2:32 am

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Theortically I like Ogg files, but since I can't listen to them in the car nor Ipod, without converting them to another format, I agree it is a bit of an minor inconvienence, so those tunes will probably only get a single listen, when I do the voting on my PC at the end of the month.

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D.H. Miltz - Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:38 am

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I'm curious about that too. They all work fine here.

On the ogg thing: I can think of two potential fixes (though it's a rare enough problem that maybe it doesn't need much fixing). One: mandatory mp3, supplemental ogg allowed and/or encouraged. Two: a note added to the rules indicating that submitting an mp3 is strongly encouraged even if an ogg is being submitted. Of the two, I favor the latter. Just thinking out loud, feel free to shoot down either or both.

On the difficulty with the theme: I might have a rough idea, finally, but good lord 30 seconds is a short amount of time to work with.

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inboxzero - Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:14 am

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[quote="D.H. Miltz"]

I agree with that. The thing is to make things easy for the voters even if it a pain for the creator....

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robojam - Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:52 am

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Guys, it's not hard to find a player that accepts every format - VLC media player is a good cross platform player. There's also a lot of good free format conversion software around too, so it's not hard to download and convert any format.

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pljones - Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:33 am

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I guess the issue isn't so much cross-platform to those you can install software on. It's where the "platform" is closed: like a TV set or a car radio/MP3 player. You don't get to install VLC on those too easily.

My heart is behind Ogg/FLAC/Vorbis. But I use MP3 is silent violation of the patents. So I'll go with D.H. Miltz's suggestion.

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folderol - Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:04 pm

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Very much my position too. At the same time, I point out to people (wherever I can without being too obvious) the advantages of OGG, and if they really have to use mp3, at least use something like LAME with VBR.

P.S.
If you use LAME you are not in breach of the mp3 license anyway.

Lame
Aint
Mp3
Encoding

P.P.S.
My iRiver H320 got a new battery recently. It's still going strong, I haven't got anywhere near filling the hard drive, it plays most common formats.

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GMoneh - Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:25 pm

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As others said, the limitation is with hardware devices on which you have no control on the formats they play. ogg is not supported in almost any portable media device.

As for format conversion, yes, it's easy enough to convert from one format to another. However, as I pointed out, going from one lossy format to another is taking steps towards degrading the sound of the track. Therefore, it's in the composer/producer best interest to provide the compressed format versions themselves as originated directly from the master, to make sure they have the best quality possible for the format.



I would lean with option two as well. If someone wants to submit ogg, go ahead, but know that your submission may not be listened to by some people whose listening environments do not support the format.


G.

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Emerald Tablet - Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:12 am

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All files play on my computer.
Good to know some folk dont like ogg
I wanted to change to ogg to in may

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slartibartfast - Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:09 am

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I am surprised you didn't try an Easter ogg.



....sorry

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folderol - Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:53 am

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That's it. Go and stand in the corner by the window.
And no ogg-ling the girls on the hockey pitch.

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Mister Natural - Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:44 pm

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thanks Robo - that actually helped me a lot. I needed to hear that

I sort of thought about Haiku poetry - short & sweet as an inspiration here

hope you people like the piece

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DrApostropheX - Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:36 pm

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ouroboros - Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:57 pm

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fun stuff this month, I may try to get off my duff and enter.
Laguna Rising - I enjoyed your entry until I noticed the picture of the 110. Then the convulsions started and I understood...

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robojam - Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:37 pm

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Glad it helped - not sure if I'll get enough time to even do mine, but hopefully.

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pljones - Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:05 am

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C'mon, how long can it take to write and produce a 30 second piece...

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Laguna Rising - Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:07 am

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Emerald Tablet - Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:12 am

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you need to decompile and deassemble
and decode the encrypted mp3.
Believe me, theres an ogg.

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robojam - Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:51 am

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Ohh, at least 31 seconds...

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ouroboros - Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:19 pm

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Mr.Ray
4Front Rhodes
these are free and nice - see where they take you.

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slartibartfast - Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:26 am

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beanpole - the link to your submission doesn't appear to be working.

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GMoneh - Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:12 am

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It's not marked as downloadable in Soundcloud. You just need to mark it as "Downloads enabled" in the track settings.

EDIT: ("you" meaning beanpole, not slartibartfast )

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slartibartfast - Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:19 am

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It wouldn't play at all for me - even when I try to play it direct from the Soundcloud page. It seems to hang indefinitely...

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slartibartfast - Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:23 am

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Actually - scratch that last comment - it did eventually play. Probably just Soundcloud having a temporary hissy fit.

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ouroboros - Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:14 am

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whoah - cross post, sorry.
meant for another thread.

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beanpole - Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:37 am

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Had trouble with it all afternoon. Think it may have been a problem with Soundcloud - hopefully. Seems to be working fine just now but I will keep an eye on it and try an alternative if it keeps failing to play

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folderol - Fri Apr 13, 2012 11:36 am

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Won't download or play here

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D.H. Miltz - Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:02 pm

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Looking at the actual SoundCloud page for your entry, beanpole, it doesn't look like downloading is enabled yet (when it is, a button that says "Download" shows up by "Share" and "Save to Favorites").

This might help.

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beanpole - Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:31 pm

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Downloading now enabled so it should work now

Thanks to DH and Kryptonaut for the tips

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folderol - Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:58 am

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Works fine now - team KVR to the rescue

Haven't listened (to any) yet, I'm still trying to come up with an idea myself

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peppy197 - Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:16 am

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SoundCloud has become completely UNRELIABLE

They probably want us to PAY

That is what I think my blue-ray software did.
Said it need an update, which was a trap to make my software obsolete, then I haD TO PAY

It was CyberLink Power DVD

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peppy197 - Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:19 am

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There should be direct links to the four horsemen that ware willing to supply ftp links for our sublissions.

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Mister Natural - Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:33 am

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I'm concerned that my free SC account only allows 100 downloads per track. Right now, my submission this month is at 28 and it's the 14th of the month. Last month, my track recorded a full 100 DLs . . .

???

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peppy197 - Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:39 am

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I've never gotten much more than 40 DLs from a contest. 99 max
so since its dedicated to the contest, just dont tag it in soundcloud
AT LEAST yours us working>? Mine AINT

al

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robojam - Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:47 am

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Up and running. Will try to find time tomorrow to listen to all the others as I haven't had time yet.

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folderol - Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:31 pm

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I never knew that

At the risk of sound like a broken record...

The Internet Archive is ideal for this sort of thing. There are no limits, a huge range of supported formats (plus automatic conversions) and certainly no silly restriction on the number of plays.

Just look at the number of downloads on this little baby

http://archive.org/details/WillJGodfrey-LairOfTheDragonKing

Yes, it's mine and I'm insanely proud of it

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slartibartfast - Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:32 pm

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If anyone is looking for a place to put their track, I am more than happy to host it - just send me a pm and I will arrange to have it uploaded.

- slarti

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Emerald Tablet - Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:25 pm

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Need space for yours?
I can host it too mail it, I'll upload it.
Remmie

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Daniel Pompougnac - Sun Apr 15, 2012 2:38 am

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"This month you are asked to submit an entry that expresses something musically meaningful and complete (to you and, perhaps, voters) in thirty seconds or less."

Ok. If your submission is something musically meaningfull to you, I can't say "I like" or "I don't like".
I can't.
I must have a lot of respect for your musical mind.
However, I can write a word for every submission.
When I listen your piece, I think to...
Without read the title of the piece.
I know it's futile, but it's a way to listen and discover all the pieces.

Part 1
RuediRena : end of a world
spirulence : roads
Emerald Tablet : dark ocean
nikp2000 : bye bye
Knockman : broken cars
pljones : ice
evo2solo : sweat
DrApostropheX : black and red
shrikant : lost
forw : where are you ?
Mister Natural : doors and doors

To be continued.

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shrikant - Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:10 am

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Thanks.

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shrikant - Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:12 am

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Edited double posting (internet problem)
Sorry.

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slartibartfast - Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:56 am

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Some reviews.

I will post these five at a time, as KVR seems to be a bit slow and flaky at the moment

RuediRena - Silence
Hmmmm..... At least this was a little more original than an abbreviated version of John Cage's 4'33" (which was tried in the June 2005 KVR contest), however the same arguments that surround Cage's piece also apply to this piece.

spirulence - Thirty Second Blues
Wonderful stuff. Simple drums and bass pattern overlaid with some great blues harmonica, excellently played and with a real groove to it. The subtle, but excellent organ tops it off nicely. Wonderfully mixed and produced. The only minor quibble is that I wish the drums had a more definitive ending - but this is being incredibly nit-picking.

Emerald Tablet - It Was Clear
A really sweet little vignette. Nicely layered instruments with a chillout feel. In the second half, I couldn't help feeling that the lead wind instruments (oboe?) was buried a little deep in the mix, and if it were played live, rather than being sampled, would have brought an even more emotional feel to this track. Pity we don't all have a handy oboe player available when we need one!

nikp2000 - april's fool
Similar chillout feel to Emerald Tablet's. It all comes together nicely, although the overall volume is a lot lower than some of the other tracks this month. Sweet, but without a hook that makes it stand-out memorable. Would be great supporting music for a film (a Western?).

knockman- teenage level 4
An interesting contrast in styles - some 80's synth sounds at the start - vocals that sound rather like they are attempting to be punk - guitars that are way too melodic and clean to be punk. One of the more "complete" entries this month, and a very enjoyable listen.

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slartibartfast - Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:24 am

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pljones - sigh
An extended version of this could easily have been a great submission for last month's hypnotic theme. This style of music isn't ideally suited to a 30 second time limit - but I really like what you have given us, and would love to hear the 5 minute version that I can totally immerse myself in. Like nikp2000's entry, the overall volume level is comparatively lower than others.

evo2slo - Live Well
In complete contrast to pljones' entry, this is mixed too hot for my taste, with some serious pumping and crushing going on in the mix. A pity because otherwise this is one of the most memorable tracks this month, with a great guitar hook, lyrics that suit the short format well, and excellent playing.

DrApostropheX - Lost Cat
Interesting premise for a song, but you pull it off. Another very "complete" entry. The video goes really nicely with the track, and makes it extra memorable. Well mixed and produced - I particularly like the "Lost Cat" vocals in the Left channel in the second half of the track. Lots to like about this one.

shrikant - Sunny Rains on the Plains
Not quite sure what to make of this one. It rather sounds as though there are too many ideas (and very varied) instruments trying to cram into a 30 second track, and it is not quite coherent as a result. I am struggling to identify the connection between the music and the track title also. It is definitely original, but not really connecting with me, I am afraid.

Daniel Pompougnac - Les papas
A lovely evocative track, with some highly effective piano playing. Very French! The accordion samples you used for the instrument seemed a bit "fixed" in terms of attack and decay, and as a result some of the possible emotion is lost, where a bit more sustain and legato would have been beneficial - particularly later in the track with the faster note runs. Overall, simply lovely, though - among the best tracks so far.

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shrikant - Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:13 pm

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Thanks for listening and the review.

Shrikant

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pljones - Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:29 pm

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Thanks for the review. Agree on the theme - I doubt I could have stretched it coherently, though! Overall level... well... I don't remember the details but I always master to -3dB peak rather than 0dB, so that's probably a lot of the difference. I guess with this piece, it really didn't need the headroom as it's so much smoother than many things I've done.

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slartibartfast - Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:00 am

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That will be the reason it sounds quieter than others, then. Why master to -3dB peak? I have heard of mixing to -3dB or -6dB peak (pre-master) to supposedly give the mastering engineer some headroom to weave his magic (although there seems to be some debate regarding why even that is necessary in this digital age), but I have never heard of a completed master being limited to -3dB peak as a matter of course. Is there a reason you do this?

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slartibartfast - Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:12 am

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Some more personal opinions, for what they are worth.

forw - Captain Crashy's Sky Taxi
Loving this - in particular the chord sequence about half way through. Smooth and cool. Great selection of sounds that work really well together.


Mister Natural - Aging in the Mirror
Nice swirling soundscape that progresses through a variety of chords. Perhaps the lack of a definite melody or clear structure makes it seem a little less than fully "complete", but this is a very pleasant track to listen to.

Laguna Rising - Urban Traffic Driven
This track nicely captures the frenetic and slightly chaotic feel of urban traffic. The lead guitar is excellent, and the counterpoint synth in the opposite channel complements and contrasts nicely. The ending seems a little contrived, but this one is definitely growing on me.

beanpole - Every Night
Bob Dylan meets the Proclaimers? Nicely constructed track, with verse AND chorus - no mean feat in 30 seconds. The percussion in this seems a little tinny and could use a bit more body - particularly the snare. The mix also seems to be missing some meat in the lower-mid frequencies. Overall a very enjoyable contribution.

robojam - The Fallen
First impressions were that the piano was a little mechanical and wooden, but I think it is actually more that it is being played to a strict beat, where a more flowing, rubato approach would benefit a clearly emotion-driven piece such as this. The background synth sounds complement the mood perfectly, and the ending is to die for (excuse the pun).

peppy197 - Long Johns
Good to see some real guitars being played here Discomforting dissonance creates a mood of tension, and you are never quite sure where the track is heading. Nice variation in dynamics throughout. The ending comes a little suddenly, but works.

GMoneh - Footsteps on the Hallway
Catchy tune, and certainly a "complete" piece of work. Perhaps the drums (in particular hi-hats or ride cymbal) could have been brought forward a bit in the mix to accentuate the swing and get the toes tapping even more, and the timing on the bass seemed to go slightly awry (behind the beat) right towards the end of the track.

farlukar - Dumil
Great bass playing. This is crying out to be the theme music if Seinfeld ever makes a comeback with a new TV series. The distorted tone right at the end seemed rather superfluous, given the excellent feel to the track up to that point. Strange to say it, in a 30 second track, but I think it would have sounded a bit more complete if you had ended it early (at 0:22)!

Patrick9 - Crash and Burn
Wonderful sound on this track, with the chorused rhythm guitars, bass and melodic guitar all working together to give a solid and very professional tone. The double-tracked vocal didn't quite work for me, as the tracking wasn't quite tight enough - and I think your voice is well and truly good enough not to need this type of trickery in any case. But overall a very good piece of work, and truly a "complete" track.

SJMmusic - The Decision
Orchestral pieces tend not to do too well in these contests, which is something of a pity. Especially as this is a lovely sounding crescendo which would not at all be out of place at a key point in a movie. If there is a weakness, it is the violin, which is panned too far left (as it is clearly a key sound at that point in the piece) and sounds a bit thin in comparison with the robustness of the cellos, basses and brass. Not a particularly original piece in concept, but very well executed.

D.H. Miltz - Gobbets
Some really curious and interesting sounds in this (sounding rather like something reversed). The subtle variations in pitch create an interesting atmosphere, and the analogue sounding strings in the background fit perfectly. This one could also have been a potential entry into last month's hypnotic contest, with its repetitive guitar string pick. Really interesting listening.

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Laguna Rising - Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:22 am

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Thanks so much for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the simple lead lines

Cheers

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robojam - Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:03 am

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Thanks - I actually played along to a click track, so that's probably why it sounds that way. I'm not actually that good of a pianist, so I tend to think the timing sounds bad when I play without a click, but you're probably right that it wasn't needed.

Glad you like the final sound. It probably took me 5 minutes to get the piano part recorded, 10 minutes to find the background synth sound and about an hour to find that final sound...

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pljones - Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:42 am

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I listen to my tracks on:
- on-board sound card / Sony 12" LCD speakers (crap quality)
- on-board sound card / Technics RP-F350 headphones (you can really hear how bad the onboard sound is...)
- Echo AudioFire4 / ViewSonic VG2427wm LCD speakers (not great)
- Echo AudioFire4 / Technics RP-F350 headphones (best quality I've got available)
On the last of these, using the max dB level (without clipping, of course) has no noticeable effect. However, as the listening quality goes down (i.e. earlier in the list), I find the lower level causes fewer problems with things like drums (snare and cymbals in particular) and distortion on guitars, even in the mix. This may well be because I'm rubbish at mixing, of course! (No EQ, rare use of per-part compression, etc...)

Based on the track notes, I was also less aggressive with the overall compression than I sometimes am -- but I can't remember exactly so I can't quantify it. I think didn't want to lose too much of the character of the few components that were there... So that also contributes to the lower overall volume.

As it's been asked for, I've produced the extended remastered version of the track in both MP3 and OGG format. Standard rates for these sought-after re-issues are expected...

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GMoneh - Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:45 pm

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The bass is fine, it's the damn drummer who got ahead of the beat (he was a little drunk by then )

Kidding aside, thanks for the feedback. Good suggestion about the ride. I plan to work on this one a bit more (got more ideas than I could fit in 30 seconds), so I'll certainly take that into account.


G.

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D.H. Miltz - Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:52 am

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Thanks, slartibartfast. There is some reversed guitar. And a badly trimmed repeating wav of another guitar part could give that impression too (I'd planned to fix it initially, but then I decided I liked the noises the bad trimming made).

A question for you and for Emerald Tablet: is the offer to host submissions a standing one, so that I should add you to the list posted in each month's submission thread? No problem if not, but if so let me know.

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slartibartfast - Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:26 am

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Happy to be added to the permanent list. If, for any reason, I won't be able to respond in a timely manner (I travel a fair bit for work reasons), then I will let you know, and you can remove me for that month.

I notice that there are a few people on the list who don't seem to frequent this contest any more (kovacs, watto - and given the manner in which scoops departed the contest, I am not sure how happy he would be to host any more), so it may be worth checking that they are still OK to host also.

Also, is it worth mentioning Soundcloud as an option in the submission instructions, with a link to the instructions on how to make the link downloadable (as well as mentioning the 100 download limitation)?

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folderol - Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:59 pm

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Well, I really can't see me being able to do anything this month (day ending before the work does) but I'll see if I can at least find time to listen through the submissions.

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inboxzero - Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:09 pm

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Still struggling with my entry, been through a plethora of synths but can't find a sound that works with the rest of it, (plus my keyboard skills probably won't match in my head).

So whilst searching for the elusive sound, I have added a 2nd drum kit (like last month's entry) a bass part and two more pads. Not sure there will be any (Sonic) room left for the lead instrument, when I find it.

Plus repeated listening to 30 seconds looped is driving me mad!

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kryptonaut - Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:35 pm

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Ok, mine's up. I found it much harder than I had anticipated, to get something sounding vaguely complete in such a short time. This was about the third or fourth attempt.

I'm very much enjoying listening to all the entries so far, with the advantage that I can get to hear all of them a couple of times each on the drive to work

I hope to post some mini-reviews soon.

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D.H. Miltz - Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:11 pm

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Thanks, I've added you to the list on my generic submissions document.

Good points about checking with the others on the list and about SoundCloud. Added a note (and a link to kryptonaut's tutorial) about SC to my generic submissions document, and will PM those on the hosts list some time tonight.

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kryptonaut - Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:57 pm

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Ok, for what it's worth here are some of my thoughts on this month's entries so far...

beanpole - Every Night
Nicely played track, and a well contructed lyric that makes a virtue of the 30-second format.

danielpompougnac - lespapas
I really liked the sounds of the piano and accordion with a tasteful amount of reverb. I felt it lost its nice simplicity a little bit in the second half, but that little touch near the end that sounds like strings (but might be a low accordion note), that's very nice.

DHMiltz - Gobbets
Love that mellotron and those reversed sounds! The whole piece works nicely, and the title seems very appropriate for the mental image the music creates.

DrAX - Lost Cat
Nice song, tells an interesting story in a succinct manner. I enjoyed the lead synth sound at the end, and the vocoded(?) 'lost cat' in the background.

EmeraldTablet - itwasclear
A very clear mix, well chosen sounds, and interesting things happening at different levels that appear when you listen carefully.

evo2slo - Live Well
Powerful sound, full-on, and a very appopriate song for the short format. In the past I've felt some of your vocals were a bit buried, but here I think it's just right. Yes, I like this one.

Farlukar - Dumil
Nice sounds, especially near the end when the fuzzed guitar appears. Some complex rhythms - I found it a bit difficult to 'lock onto', I think I needed some more obvious cue when the start of a bar happened. In the second half I must admit I was a bit lost rhythmically, I think the key change made the on-beat even more ambiguous. I think a longer version would be easier to get into - but maybe disorientation was your intention?

forw - CaptainCrashysSkyTaxi
Quirky lyric! Enjoyed the tune, and I like the horn-like sound that appears in the second half.

GMoneh - FootstepsOnTheHallway
Well balanced, with a nice feeling of having been played live. Could be a theme tune for a TV series!

knockman - teenage level 4
Good stuff! A blend of punk/mod sounds, well put together. Enjoyed listening to this one!

LagunaRising - UrbanTrafficDriven
Yes, this sounds like its title! Well played, with your trademark sound stamped all over it. I felt the end was a bit abrupt - maybe that's a reflection of urban traffic too?

MisterNatural - Aging in the mirror
I've never quite understood what 'tone poem' really means, and I confess I never really 'got' haiku either. But I like the breathy sounds you've used here, makes for a nice abstract atmosphere. The panning is a little odd with headphones, better on speakers I felt.

nikp2000 - aprils fool
Quite quiet, but I guess that's what the volume knob's for! A rather wistful feel to this one. I like that deep bass sound, is it slightly tremoloed, or phased?

Patrick9 - Crash
It's nice the way something that's just 30 seconds long can still sound so complete. I think this song perfectly fits the format.

Peppy197 - LongJohns
I found some of the sounds here a bit disturbing - not a bad thing! The ending seemed a bit hurried, as though maybe you had more to do but ran up against the time limit?

pljones - sigh
A nice melodic soundscape, and I'm glad you left yourself enough space at the end for the long reverb to tail away nicely.

robojam - The Fallen
Sorrowful piano, with subtle noise in the background which rises to the fore to bring the piece to an end. Nice idea, well executed.

RuediRena - Silence
Ok, I'm intrigued as to how you generated the speech, but I have to admit that having listened to the silent portion a few times, this become the only track this month that I felt I could skip when I was listening to them in the car. Maybe if the computer silence had contained a hint of computery noises, like human silence contains human noises?

shrikant - Sunny Rains on the Plains
I think there's too much happening in this one, I would have prefered to hear fewer ideas developed a bit more, rather than lots of ideas. Having said that, they mostly fit together ok, it's just that there's too many of them!

SJMMusic - The Decision
Great sense of rising tension in this piece, well executed. I think the solo violin sound might have been better as a fuller string section or something - the violin sounds sad rather than tense to me, but that's a minor thing and on the whole I think this is great!

slartibartfast - Awaken
Yes, very good! Can't help tapping my foot to this one. The middle section reminded me of something I can't put my finger on, but whatever it was, it was good!

Spirulence - Thirty Second Blues
Very professional sound, with the organ rounding things off nicely. The ending felt a tiny bit 'unresolved' to me? The harmonica is great!

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forw - Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:13 pm

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wow, thanks alot, slartibartfast! really appreciate it. thanks for taking time to comment.



thanks for your comment, kryptonaut! "quirky" meaning i used the wrong english words?
oops.. what would have been the correct english words?

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knockman - Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:28 pm

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Thanks for the reviews folks!


In a JG Ballard kind of way? I hope so.


I'm disappointed you find it too melodic to be punk - I'd been listening to the Damned and the Misfits. 'Attempting' is the apt word for the vocals - I used the Tony Rivers technique as employed on his version of 'Pretty Vacant' for Top of the Pops, Volume 60. See here, first paragraph: http://www.craftweb.org/web/tony/totp3.html


Cheers kryptonaut

By the way, in case anyone needs to know, I'm not a teenager. If I divide my age by 4 I'd be almost 12 so not even a level 4 one. Still, my downstairs neighbour did once ask, "How many children do you have now?".

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slartibartfast - Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:38 pm

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On reflection, my comment was due to my attempt to shoehorn your entry into some narrow stereotypical preconception regarding what is, or is not "punk". The fact that it doesn't fit that preconception shouldn't bother you too much - I enjoy listening to the track.

Given how long you and I have been involved in these contests - if you were a teenager now, then you must have been a child prodigy when you first started!

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Laguna Rising - Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:56 am

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Thanks so much for the kind words.
tbh I tried different kind of 'Finale' and each one was too bad or too long.
well, this one is the least worst ending I had...

Cheers

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kryptonaut - Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:15 am

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[quote="forw"]

No, by "quirky" I meant "original and humorous" - there's no problem at all with your use of English!

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robojam - Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:30 am

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Thanks to those of you who reviewed mine - will post my own as soon as I can. Busy as hell right now, but will get round to it soon.

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kryptonaut - Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:45 am

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Just edited my 'review' to add DHMiltz - apologies for leaving you out the first time, Dan!

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pljones - Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:55 am

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30 seconds can be forever...

Thanks

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D.H. Miltz - Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:26 pm

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Thanks, kryptonaut.

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shrikant - Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:33 pm

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Thanks for the review

Shrikant

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Mister Natural - Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:42 am

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What's on the other side of each door ?

thanks for the lovely thought

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Mister Natural - Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:48 am

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thank you - Robojam helped me enormously with the submission this month. Earlier in this thread, I spoke about how difficult a time I was having at creating "structure" for a 30sec piece. He said to flush that thought & just make something pleasant.

So that's what I went for in 5/4 time

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Mister Natural - Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:57 am

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[quote="kryptonaut]
MisterNatural - Aging in the mirror
I've never quite understood what 'tone poem' really means, and I confess I never really 'got' haiku either. But I like the breathy sounds you've used here, makes for a nice abstract atmosphere. The panning is a little odd with headphones, better on speakers I felt[/quote]

thank you

for me; the words "tone poem" & "haiku" were impiration for something short & sweet to be interpreted completely by the listener

I used a new mastering strip within Ableton that exagerated the stereo & I think I went a little too far "wide" on the plug. Didn't master in with headphone(or even demo with cans) before posting. Just wanted to get it out there & out of my system. As someone above mentioned, repeated listening of a 30sec piece can drive one crazy.

:=)

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Cheeso - Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:16 am

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Sorry everyone. I've corrected my entry. Thanks, DH Miltz!

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Daniel Pompougnac - Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:30 pm

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"This month you are asked to submit an entry that expresses something musically meaningful and complete (to you and, perhaps, voters) in thirty seconds or less."

Ok. If your submission is something musically meaningfull to you, I can't say "I like" or "I don't like".
I can't.
I must have a lot of respect for your musical mind.
However, I can write a word for every submission.
When I listen your piece, I think to...
Without read the title of the piece.
I know it's futile, but it's a way to listen and discover all the pieces.

Submissions : page 1 of 2
RuediRena : End of a world
spirulence : Roads
Emerald Tablet : Dark ocean
nikp2000 : Bye bye
Knockman : Broken cars
pljones : Ice
evo2solo : Sweat
DrApostropheX : Black and red
shrikant : Lost
forw : Where are you ?
Mister Natural : Doors and doors
slartibartfast : Mirrors
Laguna Rising : Last TV Serie

Submissions : page 2 of 2
beanpole : London street
robojam : peace
peppy197 : In the concert hall
GMoneh : Walking black hat
farlukar : N'roll
Patrick9: Stardust
SJMmusic : I know I'm dying
D.H. Miltz : The forced marriage
kryptonaut : Please, help me !
lowcloud : I love you
Cheeso : the duration of your piece is only 3s. Bad link or it's a choice ?
1-2-Many : Colored balls
inboxzero : Slow fall
offthewall : The dragon read a book
SLD Music : All these stars


- - - - - - To be continued.

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farlukar - Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:49 pm

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Once upon a time time, there was a music journalist whose review of the new Yes album was just “No.”
I suppose this is a homage to that review

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Cheeso - Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:34 pm

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Just trying to get to the point, already.

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Mister Natural - Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:34 pm

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here are my notes on the submssions thus far :
Ruedi - 0
Emerald - pretty piece - * *
Nkp2000 - where ?
Krackman - like the guitar bit - * *
pljones - ambient no-where - sorry
evo2slo - rockin out - *
Apostophe - cute piece - *
shrikant - sounds both rainy and sunny at the same time - * *
Daniel - bitter sweet - * * *
slartibart - I'm awake now ! - * *
Laguna - wierd time . . . - *
Beanpole - 0
robojam - sadness - * * *
peppy197 - 0
Gmoneh - feels a bit "stilted", can tell you why . . . - *
farlukar - great mix here - * * *
patrick9 - 0
SJM - big climax = drama - *
Dan - please tell me where my tonic is ?" = nice - * *
Kryto - great theme (as usual) - * * *
lowcloud - tasty piano work - * *
Cheeso - 0
1-2 - a little pity party (no offense :=) - *
inbox0 - trouble with the time here - 0
off the wall - 0
SLD - nice Emerson - *

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slartibartfast - Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:44 pm

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Glad you enjoyed this and thanks for taking the time to make comments. I was kinda hoping you might have been banging your head more than tapping your foot - but more than happy either way

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slartibartfast - Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:50 pm

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Another batch of comments on the recently submitted tracks. As usual, this is just one person's opinion....

kryptonaut - The Sound of Spandex
So that is what Spandex sounds like This is great stuff - a great fun and funky track - and somehow manages to feel like it is more than 30 seconds long. Great little touches in there, and a great mix.

lowcloud- Low Clouds
I guess if you come from Canberra you will be used to low clouds at this time of year - will your next entry be called "Frigid Mornings" This has a gorgeous piano pad, and you display a nice gentle touch on the keyboard. Very emotive and very good.

Cheeso - Yes
Certainly gets to the point, but perhaps a little too short to display your musical talents and allow us to make a judgement regarding the merits, or otherwise, of this track.

1-2-Many - Your Biggest Fan
Great lyrics, well sung. Simple but effective instrumentation. Not much more to say about this one. Well done.

inboxzero - Get To The Point, Already
A wall of sound that is certainly not shy in coming forward. The crushed drums add a unique touch which adds a crunchy flavour. Would have been interesting to hear this with some vocals over the top. This would be great as part of a longer song/track.

offthewall - 30something
Glad to hear that you managed to find 30 minutes to contribute this. A few more minutes and some tweaking might have tightened up some of the slight timing issues - but hopefully not so much that it doesn't kill the human touch to this track. All the guitar parts appear to be mixed with equal volume, and at some points they appear to be competing with each other as a result - but the track is an interesting concept, and well done given the limited time you had available.

SLD Music - Excelsior
Lovely vocal, and an interesting choice of lyrics. The choice of Phrygian mode and instrumentation together with the lyrics give this a slightly religious feel - and I wonder how this would sound if it were given the full religious treatment - pipe organ, choir etc etc - but you have clearly put your individual stamp on this. Good stuff.

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slartibartfast - Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:52 pm

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Thanks, Daniel. Interesting choice of word. Now I am trying to figure out how your mind works.....

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slartibartfast - Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:54 pm

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It worked ! Thanks for the comment.

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