KVR Audio

satYatunes · Post by **satYatunes** » Fri May 10, 2013 7:53 pm

Here is another idea. How about picking a random winner from all entries every month and award the last prize to that contestant.
For example, if 5 prizes are to be distributed based on total number of entries. Distribute 4 to the first 4 contestants and pick a random winner for 5th from the remaining contestants (i.e. minus the first 4 contestants).

bjporter · Post by **bjporter** » Fri May 10, 2013 9:36 pm

SuperNoise wrote:One more point of view for pending discussion.

...

Best regars,
SNoise

Beautifully said!

idfpower · Post by **idfpower** » Fri May 10, 2013 10:34 pm

satYatunes wrote:There are certain effects not allowed cause it can change the sound drastically into something else. Correct but at the same time, I have heard some excellent sounds in many OSC tracks which did not entirely come out of the synth only especially when the synth didn't have any onboard effects. I am 100% sure a lot of effects were used afterwards to produce those sounds. Some even explained how they achieved it by using so and so effect. So does it not fall under "sound changed drastically" category? I mean the synth produced a blip and you made it into a snare.

I'd like to hear an explanation for this as well, because right now the rules are a bit confusing: on one hand you are not allowed to tweak the stock presets too much, but on the other hand you are only restricted from using additional commercial 3rd party presets/banks, which means that you are in fact allowed to create new sounds/presets (or use free banks) - and making a new sound from an existing one falls in this category: you have a preset tweaked beyond recognition, but in the same time it's a new sound/preset, and that is allowed...

Anyway, this argument can go on and on...ppl are entitled to their opinions and you can't please everyone: some want more freedom and lax rules, others prefer a strict control over the contest entries and so on. Valid points on both sides...we agree to disagree

photonic · Post by **photonic** » Sat May 11, 2013 7:33 am

idfpower wrote:I'd like to hear an explanation for this as well, because right now the rules are a bit confusing: on one hand you are not allowed to tweak the stock presets too much, ...

I read the rules carefully again. But I cannot see this rule! It would also make no sense in my opinion. We would never see/hear the potential of a synth if we are not allowed to make our own sounds, pushing the synth to its limit!

For me the hole discussion leads to two different groups. One group tends to a pure preset and demo contest, without or only with very reduced FX-usage. The second group is for making good music with just one synth as a sound source. This is what we have now, this is showing what is possible with the existing limitations. This made OSC an success till now!

I think we will never make both groups satisfied in one challenge.
Why not making a second challange parallel in KVR for a pure preset contest? I can imagine that some of us, including me, would have fun to participate in both challanges from time to time.

el-bo (formerly ebow) · Sat May 11, 2013 8:04 am

ok, here's my take

1) i see absolutely no issue with users making their own presets, no matter how wild and crazy...this fits in with showing the abilities of the synth..if it comes from the synth, and not crazy post-processing i think it should be allowed

2) any daw can be used unless you want to get into some crazy, 400-page, inevitably-to-be-locked thread about which daw sounds better

3) any effect that is built into the synths interface to be allowed, and can be used to make extreme effects...effects may seem to be a bolt-on but if they are part of the synths architecture than they are part of what makes that synth's sound

4) no daw effects to be used unless we somehow all end up having to use a reaper trial license for the challenge

5) a limited selection of very basic, free, cross-platform effects to be choose from.....these would be a delay (e.g tal dub III), a reverb (e.g ambience), a compressor (e.g roughrider) and a limiter (e.g w1), although i'd even lije it to be no-limiter-allowed so that dynamics can be preserved and good gain-staging learnt

with regard to the above effects list, i believe it should be a dynamic thing that would change, month to month, depending on the synth used, deferring always to the synths internal fx first

so, in the case of diva, all delay and reverb duties would be handled by the synth, and for that specific challenge ambience and tal dub would be disallowed

effects like chorus, phaser, flanger etc only to be used if they are part of the synths architecture (and therefore it's 'sound'...no external versions to be used even if the synth doesn't have them

6) i agree about soundloud (was a typo, though seems somewhat correct given the dr on many sc members pages

) comments exerting influence, and so maybe those who wish to comment should save their comments till after all votes are counted..maybe this could count for reviews and mid-competition praise also (to be held till after votes are counted)

i know rules may seem to some to squash the fun out of things, but when people are giving away licenses (some folk even offering from personal stash, cash prizes etc) i think things need to be made very clear

also, firm rules fit in with the idea of challenge...every month you drop all your normal ways of working and work 'to order' within time and workflow constraints..honestly it's definitely something worth trying

SuperNoise · Post by **SuperNoise** » Sat May 11, 2013 7:36 pm

photonic wrote:
idfpower wrote: For me the hole discussion leads to two different groups. One group tends to a pure preset and demo contest, without or only with very reduced FX-usage. The second group is for making good music with just one synth as a sound source. This is what we have now, this is showing what is possible with the existing limitations. This made OSC an success till now!

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Well pointed.
The point is, we don't know where OSC will go when the 'pure synth' option is selected.
But we know well, the second option works fine so far!

Best regards,
SNoise

idfpower · Post by **idfpower** » Sat May 11, 2013 10:16 pm

photonic wrote:I read the rules carefully again. But I cannot see this rule!

"Any effect that transform the sounds to make them unrecognizable as being from the synth is not allowed".

photonic · Post by **photonic** » Sun May 12, 2013 12:04 pm

idfpower wrote:
photonic wrote:I read the rules carefully again. But I cannot see this rule!
"Any effect that transform the sounds to make them unrecognizable as being from the synth is not allowed".

From the synth - not from the factory preset!
So you can tweak and creat sounds with this synth as much as you want.
What your quote means are external FXs like a phaser or chorus. They could change the sound beyond recognition.

idfpower · Post by **idfpower** » Sun May 12, 2013 6:03 pm

photonic wrote:From the synth - not from the factory preset!
So you can tweak and creat sounds with this synth as much as you want.
What your quote means are external FXs like a phaser or chorus. They could change the sound beyond recognition.

Err...actually that's a different (distinct) rule: "Any type of modulation effect like chorus, phaser, flanger etc is not allowed". Plus "Effects that pitch the sound are not allowed" - these talk specifically about effects.

That's why the previous rule IMO refers to the synth's presets, not to effects.

V'ger · Post by **V'ger** » Sun May 12, 2013 10:45 pm

It's as Photonic says meant to mean plugin effects but I can see how this could be cause for confusion so will change the rule now to make it more clear. I hope this hasn't forced people to use unchanged presets only..

Very good points by several about song comments at Soundcloud setting off groupthink and influencing the voting just as much or even more than public voting does, so secret voting will not really eliminate this phenomena, but basically I now agree with the points that comments both in the submissions and voting stage are very inspiring, and cutting them all out to get a slightly fairer voting might be counter productive when the best songs seems to win now anyway.. I have actually changed my vote from yes to secret vote to no after realizing this..

JoeCat wrote:It's fun to work with limited resources, but if you cannot create a decent sounding track there's little joy.

Sums it up well.

Mike777 · Post by **Mike777** » Mon May 13, 2013 4:39 am

I for one like to read all the comments people post to all the song entries, and I like that you can post a comment at any time. As satYatunes pointed out, the comments over in Cafe contest are really quit good, as some post extensive reviews. It's helpful and fun to read.

Secret voting would be 100% fair but I think most people really do vote based on song quality, regardless of comments and listens. The number of comments/listens does not effect my voting.

Again, I spend most time making drum sounds rather then making music and I would have no problem if a specific free drum synth was allowed.

JJBiener · Post by **JJBiener** » Mon May 13, 2013 4:45 am

I haven't participated that often, but when I do, I don't read any comments or pay attention to the number of plays. On the other hand, I have found the comments made on my entries to be extremely valuable. Just my two cents.

idfpower · Post by **idfpower** » Mon May 13, 2013 9:30 am

V'ger wrote:It's as Photonic says meant to mean plugin effects but I can see how this could be cause for confusion so will change the rule now to make it more clear. I hope this hasn't forced people to use unchanged presets only..

Too late

But I'm not a preset tweaker anyway so...

IrionDaRonin · Post by **IrionDaRonin** » Tue May 14, 2013 8:16 am

http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2013/05 ... oupon-code

Get CM Studio for free.

http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website ... sts/323782

·Make an account at Zinio and download the free program to read magazines. (This could be a bit tricky in Chrome)
·Redeem your code in the link above (free 50$ to expend in commercial magazines*), remember to use the SAME e-mail as above.
·Select your favourites magazines for free and wait a couple of days, you will have 18 unique magazines to expend before August, or 6 mini-subscriptions.
·You will have the electronic Zinio version of these magazines and you can read them in the free program you downloaded from Zinio.
·Go to the Computer Music Vault (online) and download all the CM Studio plugins for free.

*For example: Computer Music, Computer Music Special and Future Music.

Have a nice day

bjporter · Post by **bjporter** » Tue May 14, 2013 6:04 pm

IrionDaRonin wrote:http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2013/05 ... oupon-code

Get CM Studio for free.

http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website ... sts/323782

·Make an account at Zinio and download the free program to read magazines. (This could be a bit tricky in Chrome)
·Redeem your code in the link above (free 50$ to expend in commercial magazines*), remember to use the SAME e-mail as above.
·Select your favourites magazines for free and wait a couple of days, you will have 18 unique magazines to expend before August, or 6 mini-subscriptions.
·You will have the electronic Zinio version of these magazines and you can read them in the free program you downloaded from Zinio.
·Go to the Computer Music Vault (online) and download all the CM Studio plugins for free.

*For example: Computer Music, Computer Music Special and Future Music.

Have a nice day

One-Synth-Challenge: General discussion thread