Mix Challenge - Gossip and Discussion

[No_Use]

@ Halma

I'm no dropbox expert, but from what I know you'd need a "public" dropbox folder and put your files there for streaming. That's at least what I know from another forum.

https://www.dropbox.com/help/4224/

Stupid thing is, dropbox disabled public folders for newer free accounts (became a 'pro' feature at some point) from what I've read.

Hope this helps.

[Compyfox]

It both streams and downloads for me, Halma.
Just checked.


BTW:
Eric and I decided to go a different route for voting next time. You can still upload to wherever you feel like it (as long as it's downloadable). But to make things short: we snag a copy, then upload it to a GLOBAL SoundCloud folder for everyone to stream during voting process. No issues in terms of playback, unless SoundCloud craps on us. Then we'll find a way.

We also try to snag the file shortly after it's submission. This is to prevent(!) resubmissions.



Also thanks to all song providers so far. We will shortly decide on what track we want to work on next. But it's looking good to start the next challenge by 1st July!

Currently we got in the pool:
- an Instrumental Funky Synth-Pop
- another instrumental synth track
- a ska track

Chances are that we get access to a rock/metal track as well (still waiting for an answer)

So as of this moment: three tracks in the queue. The winner of MC01 might offer an own track as well. I think we're covered until MC04 at least - all of them will be multi-track challenges. More fun, more to learn. And we can still create a "mastering challenge" at a later state.

And if the other challenges/competitions on KVR play along, we might start with a SWC or OSC, then maybe have a "people's remix competition", then a "Mix Challenge" and finally a "Mastering Challenge".

So... by this very positive thinking: theoretical 4 months of fun in a row with one track! If each challenge/competition is handled within a month (currently both OSC and SWC are handled like: 1 month songwriting/1 month voting, the Mix Challenge will stick to a tight schedule of 1 month alltogether).

Personally I'd love to get a Trip-Hop, HipHop or even an Orchestra Pop Ballad for a future challenge. To some extend, I'd even love to work on a 30ies to 50ies type track (complete with full mix limitations!). So if you know a musician that covers that area, please get in touch with him/her, and if it's working out, we can add it to the queue.



Additional to that:
Rule updates in the making. Will be hopefully ironed out through the course of the weekend and will get a dedicated thread!




QUESTIONs TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND BYSTANDERS:
Q1) MC02's voting process: would you like to cast 3 votes, or only 1 vote? The idea with "3 votes" was to make things a bit more interesting. Especially if more than 5 people vote. As of this moment, I'm not too sure if this is working out well.


Q2) Did you learn something with this challenge? If so, feedback would be welcome. If not, please tell us how we could improve this.


Q3) Challenge Limitations - what type of limitations would you see or try out - if any? For example: "Mix with host internal plugins only?", "Mix with free FX only", "Mix in a certain style only"? Would that tickle your fancy? Would and/or could you learn something out of it?


Q4) There was a lot of criticism at the beginning of the Challenge with the comment "please no rock material". Care to elaborate why? I'm seeing a trend on KVR that is slowly drifting into "EDM here, EDM there". Granted, there is more to add FX wise with pure electronic music. But why is mixing a rock track uninteresting?




More within the next days...

[Halma]

Thx guys for checking. Sry for the false alarm.

Regards
Sebastian

[do_androids_dream]

Just to say - no damage done - apology fully accepted - hugs to everyone especially Compy!! Looks like most of us made a booboo!

Just voted - well done to everyone. Some good mixes and some good creative ideas going on

[do_androids_dream]

There was a lot of criticism at the beginning of the Challenge with the comment "please no rock material". Care to elaborate why? I'm seeing a trend on KVR that is slowly drifting into "EDM here, EDM there". Granted, there is more to add FX wise with pure electronic music. But why is mixing a rock track uninteresting?

I will put a vote in the other way. I love mixing tracks where you can hear instruments moving the air around it - always lovely to hear what compression does to room mics and overheads . I also think you possibly learn more when mixing completely unquantized performances on real drums, guitars, backing vocals etc. In my experience there tends to more options in the direction you can take a mix with indie/rock/(even metal) as well.

[Compyfox]

After listening through all tracks, and taking note of the current votes...
There is a trend in preferring "everything-drenched-in-reverb" rather than having an overall balanced mix (which was my goal - balanced yet catchy and punchy).


I do wonder why. In my training days, and from my personal experience, a track like this doesn't need as much reverb. Trance and Dance music, yes. But not in this case. Maybe I'm mistaken on this?

Definitely didn't copy from others though (didn't listen to more than 20s of the whole challenge entrants prior to sorting out for voting) - I am surprised how many ideas were similar.

Some of my EQ work is definitely drastic, but still fitting to the song.
But it still makes me wonder if I help back too much...




Oh and... thanks for the input on rock tracks, Android.

[Arglebargle]

After listening through all tracks, and taking note of the current votes...
There is a trend in preferring "everything-drenched-in-reverb" rather than having an overall balanced mix (which was my goal - balanced yet catchy and punchy).


I do wonder why. In my training days, and from my personal experience, a track like this doesn't need as much reverb. Trance and Dance music, yes. But not in this case. Maybe I'm mistaken on this?

Definitely didn't copy from others though (didn't listen to more than 20s of the whole challenge entrants prior to sorting out for voting) - I am surprised how many ideas were similar.

I noticed the same thing. For me a track like this feels like it should be on the dry side more than wet.

[camsr]

I think 3 votes is better than one. I actually liked 4 of the mixes but had to drop one. It was a tough call because some technical differences made me think which one I preffered more. I endup up voting for what I thought sounded the best, and this is probably wrong, since a big part of mixing is also preparing the track for mastering, and some mixes are extremely difficult to master well, even if they "sound good". Translation to other listening systems is a big part of mixing, not only to be delegated to the mastering process, as they would not "re-mix" without stems and quite a large fee.

[camsr]

After listening through all tracks, and taking note of the current votes...
There is a trend in preferring "everything-drenched-in-reverb" rather than having an overall balanced mix (which was my goal - balanced yet catchy and punchy).


I do wonder why. In my training days, and from my personal experience, a track like this doesn't need as much reverb. Trance and Dance music, yes. But not in this case. Maybe I'm mistaken on this?

Definitely didn't copy from others though (didn't listen to more than 20s of the whole challenge entrants prior to sorting out for voting) - I am surprised how many ideas were similar.

I noticed the same thing. For me a track like this feels like it should be on the dry side more than wet.

My mixing room is medium sized, and I don't have lots of absorbers in it. Dry almost always sounds better here, you can expect most all of my mixes to be on the dry side.

[Compyfox]

Is this why you voted for a a tracks that otherwise have issues in their mix (IMO!), and sometimes have too much reverb as well?

I think the definition of "mastering" is still, that sh*t needs to be loud, at it's limits. Not to mention that "mastering fixes everything". In the 10+ years I'm doing this, I can not agree on this. The better the mix to begin with, the easier it is to fix and put to an average signal level that is enjoyable throughout the whole CD.



Regarding voting:
It think the next voting will not be with "multiple choice" through the KVR system, but like the OSC and SWC with actually written down votes. That means, next time voters are asked to write down their three favorites. Currently it's "open" but "hidden voting" (unless you keep track of who is voting what). Next time it will be fully open. I think this is easier than understanding the "multiple selection" capability of KVR's voting process.ing is possible until then.

[do_androids_dream]

Regarding voting:
It think the next voting will not be with "multiple choice" through the KVR system, but like the OSC and SWC with actually written down votes. That means, next time voters are asked to write down their three favorites. Currently it's "open" but "hidden voting" (unless you keep track of who is voting what). Next time it will be fully open. I think this is easier than understanding the "multiple selection" capability of KVR's voting process.

It might be nice to encourage a little justification too - why did you vote for what you voted for?

[do_androids_dream]

My mixing room is medium sized, and I don't have lots of absorbers in it. Dry almost always sounds better here, you can expect most all of my mixes to be on the dry side.

I'm not sure of the relationship with mixing room size and whether a mix sounds good with reverb or not - certainly never heard reference to it anywhere else. If your room really is having this kind of (very significant!!) effect on your mixing then I would suggest you really need to sort out your mixing space. Get some foam up at first reflection points as a bare minimum and some decent sized bass traps in some corners if funds allow. I made my own at around £25 each.

[Compyfox]

It might be nice to encourage a little justification too - why did you vote for what you voted for?

It's not mandatory for the voting - but this can be handled through the Gossip thread.

Reason behind it (or my idea) was not to influence others within the same thread. If something is not directly in front of you, you'll respond differently. ymmv of course.





EDIT:
I just edited the first post of the Voting thread and indicated, who of the mix participants have voted already. Keep in mind, if you don't vote and write in the thread that you did, you will loose your chance of winning something.

We still have until Monday midnight - full three and a half days. Everything is possible until then.

[do_androids_dream]

It's not mandatory for the voting - but this can be handled through the Gossip thread.

Reason behind it (or my idea) was not to influence others within the same thread. If something is not directly in front of you, you'll respond differently. ymmv of course.

I agree.. It's a difficult one isn't it! Especially as - subjective/taste vs 'correct'...

[camsr]

My mixing room is medium sized, and I don't have lots of absorbers in it. Dry almost always sounds better here, you can expect most all of my mixes to be on the dry side.

I'm not sure of the relationship with mixing room size and whether a mix sounds good with reverb or not - certainly never heard reference to it anywhere else. If your room really is having this kind of (very significant!!) effect on your mixing then I would suggest you really need to sort out your mixing space. Get some foam up at first reflection points as a bare minimum and some decent sized bass traps in some corners if funds allow. I made my own at around £25 each.

It's sorted, really. I have a very diffuse room and low modal decay times, but it's not even the definition of a pro studio I also nearfield monitor, that's the key.

The "Small/Medium/Large Room" spectrum has to do with the Schroeder Frequency calculated for the room's volume. A medium room has that frequency between about 20-200hz, I think.