KVR Audio

rockingricky · Post by **rockingricky** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 11:58 am

Congratulations to the winners!

,
but it was no surprise, they all were 5-pointers of mine

Many thanks to Urs

and of course Brian

Greetings
Erich

Parduz · Post by **Parduz** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 12:44 pm

Yep. congrats to all.
My english is too bad to say something different from what have been already said, so thanks to the guys that runs this contest and to the ones that provide prizes.

I want to add that i concour that everyone wins: about me, I've found ppl that's pushing a synth in directions i couldnt have imagined without listening to that track and i've found tracks that, while i don't like the music genre at all, i have to take as "targets" when i want to mix and master.
Also, the whole commenting part on soundcloud is exiting and full of joy.... thanks to all the ppl that have dropped a comment on my track. I'll try to do the same more in the next OSC, this month was busy for me and still i'm a bit "shy" as i don't "know" you guys so much.
In the end, i have so much to learn from this contest, and that's why is a Win no matter my placement, for me.

rockingricky · Post by **rockingricky** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 12:50 pm

kmonkey wrote:I just reviewed top 3 on my monitors..

Ok that's it...i am officially too old to follow this new world and current taste for "being good"

Apart from synth capabilites, i am finding tracks totally useless with a small percent of real art inside. And they hurt my ears badly. There is definite work there but overall they seem to lack any real character or purpose. Number one is impressive in some moments and that dude know his thing but i am likely to old or to much emotionally connected to times when songs where created with some character and good sound inside of them. They wheren't "driven and mixed in limiter from start"

Nothing to worry about my friends just an old eagle crapping itself inside out...

I'll have to re adjust myself if i want to stay in current mood wit hthe rest of the (young) people

I know, what you mean and understand your attitude, but don't overrate this competition.
I don't want to change the (musical) world. I just want to accept the challenge of programming a new soft synth and compose a little track. There is no deeper meaning in it. You are right: Are these tracks "usefull" and "real art"? But to tell you the truth: After a few weekends, I feel emotionally connected with my little ugly baby

So, don't judge to hard on our musical ideas, fantasies, discoveries, experiments, whatever ...
Btw, I'm 57 years and hope young enough (in spirit) to be a part of this awesome community (I just arrived 2 months ago)...

Musical greetings
Erich

ontrackp · Post by **ontrackp** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:12 pm

This thread has taken an interesting turn with so many "old guys" discussing their experience making music with new synths. I'm 58 and have been using synths since pretty much the beginning of time, and still find the adjustment to all the "in the box" technology a little challenging (although much easier than the old ways). As for being in touch with current trends in music... that's a very difficult subject. I try to recognize talented sound design and production, but personally, the extremely repetitive non-melodic nature of so many tracks leaves me cold. I'm thinking of starting a new thread called "Old Guys Making New Music" as a place for some of the other old timers here to share experiences and new tracks. Keep an eye out for that, fellows.

And thanks again to Brian for keeping the OSC such a welcoming and productive community. Congrats to the winners -- there are great producers in this group and I learn a lot every time I participate.

Cheers.

- ontrackp

ThePresent · Post by **ThePresent** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:19 pm

Okay guys, I choose my prize.
I'll take the Balance Mastering.
And again, thanks to everyone involved.

z.prime, you are next

EDGEK8D · Post by **EDGEK8D** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:27 pm

wagtunes wrote:My taste in music must be so much different from everybody else here. My favorite piece was close to the bottom and my least favorite piece won.

Yeah, I'm really out of touch with today's sound. LOL

That's part of the contest I think. Your votes are your votes though, no harm done. Thanks for participating! My favorite was way down into the 40's and I would choose it again I believe. Also everyone votes different. I only gave one 5. If I didn't pick a winner, what's the point? Just the way I see it. If I gave away twenty 5's then I'm not really voting at all, am I? I was stingy with the points, especially with this many entries.

I too feel a bit out of touch with the results, but it was still a lot of fun. I listened to the music first and foremost. The songs that connected with me on a musical level, I then grouped and paid really close attention to their sound design and mixing. I recognize the skill level to create some of the tunes, and I really enjoyed some of the chilled out tunes this month. The contestants and voters are from all over the world, all ages, all levels.......this is just my second time participating, but I really enjoy it. I think the deadline makes me work well, and I really liked my tune this month. As I did last time, I think I will re-record it with a bunch of hardware.

Congrats to the winners!

kmonkey · Post by **kmonkey** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:29 pm

rockingricky wrote: So, don't judge to hard on our musical ideas, fantasies, discoveries, experiments, whatever ...
Btw, I'm 57 years and hope young enough (in spirit) to be a part of this awesome community (I just arrived 2 months ago)...
Musical greetings
Erich

I guess you are right and your attitude is much much better and more productive then mine.

Thanks i'll try something..

z.prime · Post by **z.prime** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:49 pm

And the beauty of this contest is that you can vote however you see fit. However, given the diversity of musical tastes I think it's unfair to vote strictly based on personal preference, but it is certainly within the rules. I think there are 3 main aspects that make a track great and I try use to score: composition/creativity, sound selection/design, mix/master. E.g. if there are 2 songs with equal compositions & sound design, I will score one higher with a better mix. After all, this is a challenge to make a song with one software synth. It's not a preset challenge. It's not a composition challenge. It's a song making challenge. But to each his (or her) own.

If only I could pick as a prize drivers that work for this audio interface I just bought! Darnit!! But I'll have to pass.

I think it was discussed in the past about prizes migrating down the line, but at present, I don't think it works that way (wording: "top 5 placings"). Will leave it to Brian to say otherwise.

z.prime · Post by **z.prime** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:11 pm

kmonkey wrote:I just reviewed top 3 on my monitors... i am finding tracks totally useless with a small percent of real art inside. And they hurt my ears badly... I'll have to re adjust myself if i want to stay in current mood wit hthe rest of the (young) people

I am curious: what monitors do you have?
I'm also puzzled to hear especially between the #1 and #2 entries that neither seemed to have any 'real art'. I would understand there could be a divide between them stylistically...
Do you have any examples of what is 'good' and 'artistic'?

bjporter · Post by **bjporter** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:55 pm

Yup, passing down the prize is the humble act of increasing the chance of 'top loot' for the next person.

K, prizes finished:
#1. Bazille (Jasinski)
#2. Diversion (Photonic)
#3. -
#4. Balance Mastering (ThePresent)
#5. -

bjporter · Post by **bjporter** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:55 pm

Yup, passing down the prize is the humble act of increasing the chance of 'top loot' for the next person.

K, prizes finished:
#1. Bazille (Jasinski) - Request sent
#2. Diversion (Photonic) - Request sent
#3. Pass
#4. Balance Mastering (ThePresent) - Finished
#5. Pass

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 4:26 pm

wagtunes wrote:
LuxLucid wrote:
wagtunes wrote:My taste in music must be so much different from everybody else here. My favorite piece was close to the bottom and my least favorite piece won.

Yeah, I'm really out of touch with today's sound. LOL
lol thats not a bad thing at all. Which was your fav?
The one I posted above that I couldn't find on the spreadsheet.

Yeah, that was my favorite, too. I usually vote for the composition and musical idea, sound design is nice but very much secondary to me, I am a sucker for a song. Most (not all) of the entries I don't get either (and I am "only" forty), but then I don't feel I need to. I actually don't like purely electronic or synth-based music that much. There, I said it

(I like synths as an instrument, though)

I guess that a contest named "one synth challenge" quite naturally attracts people with an interest in electronic music and a strong focus on sound design. A similar contest named "one guitar contest" would maybe feature a lot of guitar players noodling away and showing off their mad soloing skills

. And I wouldn't care much for that either... That is just me.

Nevertheless, congrats to the winners, although I couldn't warm to all of them, they were really astonishingly well executed, very professional on a level that I can only dream to reach one day...

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 4:36 pm

ontrackp wrote:?..I'm thinking of starting a new thread called "Old Guys Making New Music" as a place for some of the other old timers here to share experiences and new tracks. Keep an eye out for that, fellows.

Count me in, but I am not sure I am old enough seeing that a lot of you guys here are way past fifty

For me the real value of OSC are not the results or the voting but the necessity to work with limited means on a strict deadline (aka "get things done") and of course the nice community who provide such encouraging feedback.

ImNotDedYet · Post by **ImNotDedYet** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 5:10 pm

I'm a bit older, not as old as some, but at 43 and with my musical style, I tend to make a bit more repetitive stuff as well. The thing I'm learning is, you can do a good number of things to break up the repetition and monotony by automating parameters, etc. as well as just having certain elements playing off of other elements.

And while the results can be discouraging, I try not to look at the results or how people view my misc - in the OSC or outside of it. I'm going to make music I like - music that moves me, and if it moves others, that's great. I know my style isn't appreciated by everyone, but I don't really care because my musical style is what motivates me. Each time I enter OSC, I learn more and grow more as a producer, arranger and mixer - no matter where I finish. That happens when I don't enter OSC as well, but I'm also not forced to limit myself to certain VSTs or synths or design everything from scratch in those scenarios. Plus, the feedback I've gotten - primarily the constructive feedback has caused me to grow much more as a producer. Positive feedback is great, but it doesn't help me learn as much as constructive criticism where I can go back and listen honestly and say, yep, they're right - now I know what to listen for and perhaps how to change it. And there's no better way to get so much either positive or constructive feedback then entering the OSCs.

I just keep reminding myself to look at my personal growth results as opposed to those results as voted on by others, and if I can do that, the OSC has helped heaps and bounds in that area.

ontrackp · Post by **ontrackp** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 5:45 pm

ImNotDedYet wrote:I'm a bit older, not as old as some, but at 43 and with my musical style, I tend to make a bit more repetitive stuff as well. The thing I'm learning is, you can do a good number of things to break up the repetition and monotony by automating parameters, etc. as well as just having certain elements playing off of other elements.

And while the results can be discouraging, I try not to look at the results or how people view my misc - in the OSC or outside of it. I'm going to make music I like - music that moves me, and if it moves others, that's great. I know my style isn't appreciated by everyone, but I don't really care because my musical style is what motivates me. Each time I enter OSC, I learn more and grow more as a producer, arranger and mixer - no matter where I finish. That happens when I don't enter OSC as well, but I'm also not forced to limit myself to certain VSTs or synths or design everything from scratch in those scenarios. Plus, the feedback I've gotten - primarily the constructive feedback has caused me to grow much more as a producer. Positive feedback is great, but it doesn't help me learn as much as constructive criticism where I can go back and listen honestly and say, yep, they're right - now I know what to listen for and perhaps how to change it. And there's no better way to get so much either positive or constructive feedback then entering the OSCs.

I just keep reminding myself to look at my personal growth results as opposed to those results as voted on by others, and if I can do that, the OSC has helped heaps and bounds in that area.

+1, Well said!

One Synth Challenge #71: Hive by u-he (Jasinski wins! 2+ hours of epic music)