November Contest: Gossip

[D.H. Miltz]

Got it.

[key88]

You can use my November entry if you want. This will force me to take a better listen to everyone else's entry. What happens if I use an entry I did not give points to?

[D.H. Miltz]

You can use my November entry if you want. This will force me to take a better listen to everyone else's entry. What happens if I use an entry I did not give points to?

Added. As for what happens . . . I'm not sure . . . somebody muttering "'sgoodnuff fernanthem bunotfer pointsay . . . sonsawhosits. . ." is a possibility, I guess.

[D.H. Miltz]

Any thoughts on dropping the 192kbps/quality level 6 limit?

Anybody else? (Only mp3s and oggs would be allowed, as now; the change would allow but not require higher quality settings.) There's a little bit of discussion on page 7 of this thread.

Zombie Queen, are you still in the keep 192 column if it is only mp3s and ogg vorbis files under consideration?

[Zombie Queen]

Yes, I was mentioning flacs figuratively. I vote for keeping the limits.

[mellotronaut]

bzur: Sauron, Swordfish Hobbits and Bones
Shangsean: ballet of tortoises in kilts.
Rudolf und Renate: don't wanna miss the train and run like Lola.
Laguna Rising: beats the bottle out of it.
Beanpole: Onions in Perfumeseance.
jovexli: boats the puppets from a strong.
forw: investment banging.
rp314: Varese's ready and the damage gone.
Sp0rk: investment banging with umbrella.
farlukar: extraordinary ordinary.
gigue07: rondo à la lavadora.
JJBiener: the slow rise of Monsanto.
GMoneh: jungajungagroovadabambamymama.
key88: cosy dishwash.

[GMoneh]

Any thoughts on dropping the 192kbps/quality level 6 limit?

I would have no problem with that, but if we're thinking in allowing bigger files, I'd be even in more favor of relaxing the 3 minutes limit .

[GMoneh]

What happens if I use an entry I did not give points to?

To me, they are two independent (if not outright conflicting) evaluation criteria.

The way I'll be ranking for voting purposes is according on how much each track stands on its own. If it feels like it's missing a melody/harmony component, it might not score the highest in my book.

For next month's contest on the other hand, I guess you'd want the opposite: a track that leaves room for you to add your own composition on top of it.

So I would in fact expect that the highest scorers this month would not be the best choices for next month's exercise...

[evo2slo]

Might be helpful to include time signature and bpm (or a note if there isn't one) along with the list of scrapyard tracks. Here's what I found in the gossip and submission threads so far (sorry if I missed any):

Zombie Queen - Pirates of the Polar Highways
time signature: 9/16
bpm: 90

RuediRena - Deadly Drummer Boy
time signature: 4/4
bpm: 136

angelremington - Drums Allowed
time signature: __
bpm: 138

evo2slo - Adventures of Gourdman
time signature: 7/8
bpm: 218

Laguna Rising - The Wicked Helix
time signature: __
bpm: 130

[evo2slo]

Any thoughts on dropping the 192kbps/quality level 6 limit?

If we were to vote I would vote to drop the limit and allow the quality of the mp3 to be whatever the submitter chooses.

[mellotronaut]

i'd keep the time limit to avoid all the repetitive and boring stuff, the internet is flooded by, but i'd allow higher mp3 rate up to 320kbps.

[kryptonaut]

Any thoughts on dropping the 192kbps/quality level 6 limit?

I vote for keeping the MP3/OGG requirement but losing the bps limit, or at least upping it to 256kbps. Most months there are a few entries that inadvertently break the 192 rule anyway, so it would seem reasonable to put everyone on a level playing field.

As for duration, I'd say 3 mins is probably long enough. 4 mins x 30 tracks = two hours just to audition them all once, which I think would make reviews (which are really valuable and a big incentive for entering the contest) that much thinner on the ground.

[robogone]

Might be helpful to include time signature and bpm (or a note if there isn't one) along with the list of scrapyard tracks. Here's what I found in the gossip and submission threads so far (sorry if I missed any):

Zombie Queen - Pirates of the Polar Highways
time signature: 9/16
bpm: 90

RuediRena - Deadly Drummer Boy
time signature: 4/4
bpm: 136

angelremington - Drums Allowed
time signature: __
bpm: 138

evo2slo - Adventures of Gourdman
time signature: 7/8
bpm: 218

Laguna Rising - The Wicked Helix
time signature: __
bpm: 130

And to add mine (hopefully I'm remembering right):
Time signature 4/4
BPM: 120

[GMoneh]

As for duration, I'd say 3 mins is probably long enough.

And I happen to agree, 3 minutes is a good average time for a song. My problem is with the hard and fast rule (how is it worded? "If it shows up as 3:01, it's getting the boot"). That means that effectively you have to start finishing the track at 2:40, even if there's more to be said. Or fade out the remaining, or increase the bpm, or some other similar gimmick just to stay within the boundary.
I don't think that expanding the limit would automatically make all entries 4 minutes long, it'd just give more leeway so the integrity of the songs doesn't have to be compromised in those cases where it just needs a bit more.

i'd keep the time limit to avoid all the repetitive and boring stuff, the internet is flooded by, but i'd allow higher mp3 rate up to 320kbps.

But that also precludes the interesting and awesome stuff that gets arbitrarily cut short. For repetitive and boring, even 3 minutes is too long.

[mellotronaut]

But that also precludes the interesting and awesome stuff that gets arbitrarily cut short. For repetitive and boring, even 3 minutes is too long.

we had a 2 min limit once.