KVR Audio

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:27 am

Hello and welcome to the KVR Mix Challenge 29 - February 2017

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.

We're back! So let's kick off the first Mix Challenge of 2017!

A huge thank you and shout out to all people that reached out in recent weeks to provide new content for the Mix Challenge. It's not a lot, but enough to keep us going for another couple of months. Still, please help us fill up the Song Pool to ensure the continuation of this competition. More info further down below (as usual).

But on to the Challenge:
This month, we get the chance to work on another production by ThePresent that was originally created for the "One Synth Challenge #88" (it made 5th place out of 70 entries). It's a heavily 80s inspired Synth Rock track. The song is called "Rehearsing In Pasadena".

Please take note of the following

IMPORTANT: We're desperately looking for new source material for future Mix Challenges. Our pool has currently almost fairly dry. Please follow our official campaign. No new tracks mean no more challenges! Please reach out!
we have an official webpage - it can be found via http://www.mix-challenge.com
as of MC27, we are tightening the thumb screws on participant submissions - please take note of official Rule Set in the Rules and Guidelines thread. Submissions after the deadline can sadly not be taken into consideration after the timer (see webpage) has run out, even if one of the host posts hours later to close out the current running Challenge
our Twitter Account can be found via the handle @MixChallenge - throw us a Tweet and we add you to the participant lists

Also Important:

a new FAQ and "Rule Set" migration to the official Mix Challenge webpage is in the making, news about that will be announced separately
the Winners Podium is down to "3 winners" again

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 29: Winners announced

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:28 am

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Wednesday, 01st February 2017 to Tuesday, 21st February 2017 (21 days)

Challenge submission will end on 21-02-2017, 11:59pm CET/GMT+1 (Germany) - until further notice.
Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please visit the Mix Challenge webpage
We do post reminders via our Twitter account

Alternatively (especially for Mix Round 2), please use the following tool and and select "Berlin (Germany)" as location 1, and your location as location 2:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

Song Provider: ThePresent (KVR Profile)
Song Name and Length: Rehearsing In Pasadena, 2:42min
Song Information: 120 bpm / Signature: 4/4, Key of E major (E maj)
File Format: WAV, 48kHz, 24bit

GENRE: Synth Rock

Preview of the Song:
https://soundcloud.com/thepresentmusic/ ... pasadena-1

A word from the song provider:

ThePresent wrote:"Rehearsing In Pasadena" was written and produced for One Synth Challenge #88. My main goal was to design a realistic drum kit using the TAL Noizemaker Synth.

To do so, I used many layers for each piece of the kit. The snare consisted of 13 layers for example. In total, I used 95 instances of Noizemaker for this project. Of course, you mixers are not going to mix 95 tracks. I rendered everything to make complete tracks for each instrument so in the end I was left with one bass track, one "guitar" track, three synths and a 14-piece-drumkit.

As the title suggested, I imagined what a rehearsal of a famous California-based Rock band would have sounded like in the mid '80's when they scored their biggest hit singles and "jumped" on the charts, so to speak. (I also imagined they had a separate keyboard player, of course)

You as a mixer are not obliged to mix it in 80's rock style. I think the style will lend itself for this type of synth rock very well, but if you want to surprise me with a fresh approach, please do.

My own mix pushed the drums very much to the front because I wanted to make them shine for the sake of the synth competition, but feel free to give it your own spin.

Reading how much effort was put in the sound design of the drums you might guess my first no-go: absolutely no drum replacement of any kind

If you want to simulate a drum room, go ahead, be creative with reverb, delay, eq, compression or something else but no drum replacement tool. Please.

The guitar part has a synth-like character, of course because the sounds are generated by a synth. But then again, lots of guitar tracks in the 80's tended to sound somewhat synthetic because of the massive amount of effects used back then. (Anyone recall Yamaha's spx-90?
Well, there you have it)

So I figured I could get away with a little less than realistic guitar sound. If you have tricks to make it a little more natural, go ahead if you like.

Have fun! Make it rock, make it slam, make me believe I'm there at the rehearsal

A few words by the Mix Challenge staff:

Staff (Compyfox) wrote:Ah, the 80s... the age of synths and sometimes really cheesy sounds.

I think I can't add that much to the desire of this month's client other than "let yourself be inspired by..." music from the early 80ies Especially, Synth Pop and New Wave. Among them, but not limited to:

- Jan Hammer
- Tears for Fears
- Duran Duran
- Cyndi Lauper
- Giorgio Moroder
- etc

Or more modern productions with heavy 80s influences from:
- Daft Punk (Tron Legacy OST)
- Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (Stranger Things OST)
- Mitch Murder (wrote the Kung Fury OST, incl. Hasselhoff's "True Survivor")
- Powerglove (Far Cry: Blood Dragon OST)
- Lazerhawk
- Perburator
- Miami Nights 1984

To a certain extend even "80s music craze" via video games like:
- Five Nights at Freddies
- Tattletail
- Far Cry: Blood Dragon
- Party Hard

If you want to go that route - maybe add some "dirt" with frequency / bitrate limited equipment, yet keep things warm with saturation (tape and old mixing consoles come to mind).

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.

Special 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 in this production)
No rearrangement of the song structure, with the exception of the following add-on rules
ADD-ON RULE: absolutely no drum replacement, work with what you have (use: EQ, compression)
try to not(!) pre-master the track (please no overuse of mix bus treatment)

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Source Files:

Main Mix Package - Mirror on the Mix Challenge Homepage (376,97 MB, LZMA compressed)

The provided files were packed as ZIP with LZMA compression.
File size extracted: 866,92 MB, packed 376,97 MB (ZIP, LZMA)
In order to extract the files, we can recommend these programs:

Macintosh:
The Unarchiver - 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

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SPONSORS (Prizes):

Prizes for mix 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.de

Ghostwave Audio (KVR User Karten) is kind enough to donate MixRight (a Reaktor Ensemble) to the winner (until further notice)
License won't turn into NFR, you need Native Instruments Reaktor 5.8+ for this
More info on Ghostwave Audio: http://ghostwaveaudio.com/

Metric Halo will give away a single plugin of winner's choice.
License will turn into NFR
More info about Metric Halo: http://mhsecure.com/metric_halo/

Nyrv Systems offers AGENT incl. all currently available NyrvDevices and free update to at least v1.5 of winner's choice (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info about Nyrv Systems: http://www.nyrvsystems.com/

Sound and Graphic, KVR user and 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/

Tone2 is kind enough to donate either a bundle consisting of AkustiX Enhancer and WarmVerb, or a license of Ultraspace to the winner (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com

Two Notes Audio Engineering is kind enough to donate one license of Torpedo Wall of Sound III to the winner, loaded with 57 cabinets (equivalent to "Torpedo WoS II") (donation until Summer 2017)
License will not turn into NFR
More info on Two Notes: http://www.two-notes.com/en/

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 mix plugins, bundles and the likes), please get in touch with the Mix Challenge staff.

Did you know that there are even more contests / competitions / challenges here on KVR Audio?

One Synth Challenge (see stickies) - a demanding game where you have to use "one synth only", tweak it to your needs and write song with it (the OSC offered us a lot of songs in recent years!)
Music Cafe (KVR, see stickies) - A thematic monthly competition. Use recording, real instruments, synths and samples.

Please spread the word of the challenge on social media.
For example with our dedicated Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/MixChallenge

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Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!

mwaudioprod · Post by **mwaudioprod** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:54 am

mp3
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lzhuoen2ly4mb ... d.mp3?dl=0
flac
https://www.dropbox.com/s/krwmq6rwnu9hn ... .flac?dl=0

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:56 am

Now that... was quick... are you sure about your mix?

mwaudioprod · Post by **mwaudioprod** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:06 am

Compyfox wrote:Now that... was quick... are you sure about your mix?

Yes.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:25 am

Okay, as per the rule "submission is final" - you've broken the "ice-breaker" record.

davemcisaac · Post by **davemcisaac** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 11:35 pm

A question - If there are "Alternative Tracks" for two versions of wet guitar that we could use to replace "guitar dry" - then what about in the WAV folder where we have kb brass dry / kb brass (wet), kb pad dry / kb pad (wet) and kb strings dry / kb strings (wet)? Do we get to choose wet or dry tracks on all the options or only on guitar?

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:05 am

Oh... you're right... I seem to have mixed up the files. I should fix that ASAP. Thanks.

Of course you select either dry or wet tracks to suit your needs.

EDIT (2:20am GMT+1):
Just uploaded the overhauled Mix Pack to the same spot.

If you didn't download the package yet, no need to wrap your head around it. If you already did, the following files are the "wet versions"

Alternative Tracks
- guitar.wav
- guitar wet2.wav
- kb brass.wav
- kb pad.wav
- kb strings.wav

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:21 am

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

Ichad.c · Post by **Ichad.c** » Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:21 pm

No time for the challenge this month but just want to say that it is a cool song, really nails that 80s vibe! Good luck to all!

ThePresent · Post by **ThePresent** » Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:25 pm

Ichad.c wrote:No time for the challenge this month but just want to say that it a cool song, really nails that 80s vibe! Good luck to all!

Thanks!

photonic · Post by **photonic** » Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:16 am

Hello ThePresent,

Glad to see you here in the MC too. I missed this track in the OSC. It was a month were I did not take part and so I did not listen to all entries. I am happy to hear it here in the MC, because it is one of the rare good rock tracks from the OSC! Very good playing

A few notes about my mix:
I tuned down the kick a bit to get more punch in the low end.
I tried to split the guitar track into rhythm and lead guitar, depending what the guitar is actual playing. Then I duplicated the rhythm guitar and used two differnet amp sounds of Voxengo Boogex to make it stereo. One channel got a 15ms time shift.
The lead sound got another Boogex amp sound and an additional delay.

MP3: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/717 ... otonic.mp3

WAV: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/717 ... otonic.wav

ThePresent · Post by **ThePresent** » Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:44 pm

photonic wrote:Hello ThePresent,

Glad to see you here in the MC too. I missed this track in the OSC. It was a month were I did not take part and so I did not listen to all entries. I am happy to hear it here in the MC, because it is one of the rare good rock tracks from the OSC! Very good playing

Thanks!!
Btw you should have competed, we could have challenged each other

H-Man even quoted our mutual challenge and results in OSC #59 in the OSC#88 forum

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=464159&start=375#p6498207

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 6:30 am

A friendly reminder:
incl. today, 7 days left to submit your mix

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:50 pm

A friendly reminder:
incl. today, 72 hours left to submit your mix

Can we exceed 10 participants?!

MIX CHALLENGE - MC29 February 2017 - Winners announced