Patch Contest # 2 (Ended)

[mcnoone]

@hakey: Concerning a problem with the voting rules that were posted in the "voting" thread. Maybe you could try a "poll" type anonymous vote thing, and see how it goes. I'm sure more people would vote then. I don't think you would get too many random voters. It might be worth a try anyway.

Also, in the "voting" thread, you listed names of ones who entered patches, but did not vote. You should edit "delete" those names, as it might discourage them from entering again.
Just a reminder for anyone who entered, but needs to vote, would be enouph. Not to call them out by name, is better. Then next patch contest. You can point to that new rule of entering requires a vote thing.

[GMusic]

reward idea:

winner/grand prize: Patch included in factory bank, $5 off any sound bank/product at u-he.com



When people have even $5 anything, it makes them more inclined to use it and buy something they otherwise may have not even put a thought into.

i.e. if I had a $5 off any u-he product and I already own zebra, I may go look at Uhbik just because I want to spend that $5 somehow. urs gets $144 as opposed to $0 had I not had a coupon and not bothered to explore other u-he stuff

[Urs]

reward idea:

winner/grand prize: Patch included in factory bank, $5 off any sound bank/product at u-he.com



When people have even $5 anything, it makes them more inclined to use it and buy something they otherwise may have not even put a thought into.

i.e. if I had a $5 off any u-he product and I already own zebra, I may go look at Uhbik just because I want to spend that $5 somehow. urs gets $144 as opposed to $0 had I not had a coupon and not bothered to explore other u-he stuff

Hehe, you might not have noticed but the winner gets a full license of Berlin Modular whn it comes out. If the winner has already won a Berlin Modular or otherwise owns a license, it's the first runners up who hasn't got it yet

I do not like giving out coupons to be used towards something, I rather give out something complete. Coupons are too much of a marketing trick IMHO (we're sueing an airline currently because they offered a travel coupon rather than cash in compensation for a f**k up)

I'll talk to patch designers though, maybe we can have them sponsor a set or two next time.

Urs

[hakey]

Concerning a problem with the voting rules that were posted in the "voting" thread. Maybe you could try a "poll" type anonymous vote thing, and see how it goes. I'm sure more people would vote then. I don't think you would get too many random voters.

Is there a way that this could be done that would still allow voters to choose their top 3 patches?

Also, in the "voting" thread, you listed names of ones who entered patches, but did not vote. You should edit "delete" those names, as it might discourage them from entering again.

Okay, if you really think it'll make any difference, I'll go delete them.

[hakey]

And anyone have any views about the next contest theme? There's a list of suggestions in a post somewhere above this one. If I don't get any feedback, I'll just pick the one I like (which would probably be the playable/expressive instruments one) - woe betide anyone who complains after the event.

[hakey]

I'll talk to patch designers though, maybe we can have them sponsor a set or two next time.

As it happens, I was contacted by one patch designer offering just that - I said that as you/Wonshu would shortly be taking the contest over to your dedicated-patch-design-web-site-thingy, he might be better talking to you about it.

(I was very tempted to run it as a prize for the contest, but it would have really needed a not-so-simple task to do it justice, and I think this last task here should be another 'easy' one.)

[xh3rv]

Like I said - if anyone has any opinions, preferences or ideas, don't keep them to yourself.

My ideas are all flawed: too narrow, (step-sequence patches sans-arpeggiator, Zebralette percussion patches), too nebulous (urban sounds), too stifling (create a patch that plays a random MIDI file well, finish a half-completed patch maybe with some restrictions on modules used sorts of stuff). The contest themes have been good so far.

[hakey]

Okay - one last chance for anyone to have their say about the next contest theme.

Right now my own preference is for something like an 'expressive/playable instruments' theme.

My reasons being - 1. It should allow for a fair degree of interpretation, and so suite many tastes/genres etc 2. It's as easy or difficult as you want to make it, so hopefully people won't be put off from having a go. 3. A good deal of the patches submitted for the previous two comps, while interesting, haven't necessarily been all that useful (I'm as guilty as any on this score) and it would be nice for a change to have a load of patches designed with playability in mind.

I'm also thinking that, as the theme is 'playability' and keyboard controllers only have one XY pad at most, it might be best to limit the use of XY pads in this contest to just one.

Any comments, preferences, ideas etc?

[Howard]

Any comments, preferences, ideas etc?

Yes - Keyboard and wheels only, please. Most people's keyboards don't have XY pads, some don't even have aftertouch. So this competition would be about great use (and ranges) of the wheels, key follow and velocity. Should be enough for "expression"! Your thoughts, hakey?

[hakey]

Any comments, preferences, ideas etc?

Yes - Keyboard and wheels only, please. Most people's keyboards don't have XY pads, some don't even have aftertouch. So this competition would be about great use (and ranges) of the wheels, key follow and velocity. Should be enough for "expression"! Your thoughts, hakey?

Hmm...yes, ban the XY all together, why not!

I'd quite like to keep aftertouch though. It's fairly common on most boards these days and is a great way to add expression - it seems to go particularly well with adding vibrato type modulations (that said, I'm a guitar player, so perhaps the link between finger pressure and vibrato is semi-hardwired for me).

[mcnoone]

Hmm...yes, ban the XY all together, why not!

Sounds like a good theme. If banning the XY pads is only for this next contest, then that's fine.
If the theme is expressive instruments, then we need to know...what instruments?...or does the word instrument here mean anything goes?
Really people don't need keyboard control for xy pads. They can just be moved around with a mouse, and automated in a daw.

Is there a way that this could be done that would still allow voters to choose their top 3 patches?

No anonymous voting winners could just be the top 3 highest vote numbers.
Just an idea to make things easier.

You might need to update the rules to include mandatory voting for those submitting patches, and no voting for oneself.

[Howard]

aftertouch (is) fairly common on most boards these days

I didn't know that... I'm a bit behind the times! Yes, aftertouch is a great way to add expression.

[hakey]

Hmm...yes, ban the XY all together, why not!

Sounds like a good theme. If banning the XY pads is only for this next contest, then that's fine.

Well, it's likely that this will be the last contest that I will have any direct say in (it should move over to Urs' new patch-design site next month which Wonshu will be editing), so I can't make any promises, but I certainly wouldn't want it to be a permanent rule anyway (though I do think that there may be a tendency toward excessive XY pad use, again mea culpa - I'm all for thoughtful use of XY pads, but more XY does not always mean better in my book).

If the theme is expressive instruments, then we need to know...what instruments?...or does the word instrument here mean anything goes?

Okay, instruments does not necessarily mean real instruments, what I'm trying to get at is that the patches should be playable in the ordinary musical sense; they should abide by the convention of equal temperament. To put it simply it should be possible to play a tune with them. (The patches in the factory banks 'Basics', 'Leaders', 'Fillers', 'Pianoids', 'Orgones' would all fit the bill here, whereas 'Noises', 'Perckers' and 'Lupins' wouldn't.)

You might need to update the rules to include mandatory voting for those submitting patches, and no voting for oneself.

Yep, will do.

And I think we'll stick with the present voting system. I'd much rather vote for three patches myself - it gives a 'richer' result (otherwise the list of patches with votes would likely be smaller and skewed far more heavily toward the winner). Maybe Urs/Wonshu will change the voting system next time, but that will, of course, be up to them.

[hakey]

... one more idea - seeing as this is about playability, how about if we say that each patch should be accompanied by a short mp3 recording of the patch being played live? I know I was against the mp3 idea when it was discussed previously, but, well it's just for fun and it does fit nicely with this theme. It wouldn't need to be anything fancy - a few seconds, just enough to demonstrate the patch's playability and expressiveness. I'm certainly no keyboard player, but I'd be up for it.

I'm sure that we could probably find somewhere online to stream them for convenience.

What do people think?

[metajack]

It might be interesting to have a prerecorded midi file that everyone uses to create the MP3. I like the idea of a playable patch contest limited to the common controllers.