One-Synth-Challenge: General discussion thread

[wagtunes]

Well, i'm in OSC from #71 and i always had used EQ to transform white noises in snares and hihats by band-passing low freq and enhancing mid / hi freqs. (uhm, no, i did a single track without added effects.... well, not important). Should i been banned?

I agree that the rule is stated for ppl using common sense, and can't stand in a debate with rule lawyers, but c'mon. It's eq'ing! Can't we just have fun? Have we to open a poll for each OSC to vote which tracks are to be banned from the contest?
If someone find a track violating the (foggy?) rules just PM BJPorter and i'm sure he will handle the case in a way that will please the great majority of us all.

My point is, and I guess I should have made this clear, is I think the rule itself is stupid.

I got your point, and mine is that the rule is perfectly right. It needs to be arbitrated by us (the contestant) or by a "referee". To me it make perfect sense, as it is a (good, imho) compromise between the desire to EQ a single instrument or a whole tune to get something pleasant to hear and vote, and the desire to let the synth sound being "the star" without being altered by something else.
So i'm happy to use a parametric EQ and fine with not using any resonant filter or modulating effects (despite the fact that i feel like making footing without a shoe).

If we're going to use anything to alter the sound of a synth (because that's what we're doing regardless of what FX we use and how much or little we use them) why bother having the rule at all? It still puts everybody on a level playing field if we limit FX to what can be downloaded free or what comes with your DAW.

Want to put distortion on your synth to get a screaming lead guitar? Go for it? Who cares if everybody else is allowed to do the same thing? Not everybody's track is going to want to have a screaming lead guitar. But is it really any different from creating a formant vowel on a synth that can't produce one any other way?

Because the rule can be abused and because there are so many gray areas with it, it's a rule that is pointless to have, unlike the no resampling, splicing, etc of the synth because that literally turns it into another synth or something else.

In short, if FX are going to be allowed to be used, then ALL FX should be allowed to be used, from distortions to phasers to whatever.

Otherwise, we have entrants walking on egg shells wondering "Is this going to be okay or will I be flagged for it?" because there are so many gray areas.

Gray areas cause nothing but problems which is why we're having this discussion in the first place. The problem will not go away until the gray areas go away.

I dunno, as I said i'm here from 4 or 5 months and i havent got any problem after perhaps a couple of question. I don't think i'm an alien. Jeez, i even have to read the things 3 times 'cause i lack formal english school.
To make an example:
Have you ever played skirmish tabletop miniature games? There's some ruleset made for friendly games, and ruleset made for international challenges. I'm perfectly fine with both of them, as long someone don't tries to enforce rule lawyering in a friendly game, or friendly "rules" (or better: "let it be that way" behaviour) in an official competition.
OSC is clearly a friendly competition, more geared toward showing of some skills, get feedback and learn from the others than becoming famous and winning the price. So to me the rule is'nt stupid at all: it works most of the time, and if sometime one feels that a rule was breaked there's a referee. I can't ask (i won't ask) for anything more than this.

I'm not interested in rules lawyering or banning anyone either. It's not what I mean. And EQ was specifically what I said should be allowed

Sorry i have'nt been clear. I was not answering you directly, just talking out loud about the mood that i don't understand

And it is just because this IS a friendly competition that I feel nit picking about what FX are okay and what FX are not is silly. Again, if we all have access to the same FX, what does it matter?

Essentially, I feel the most important rules are the ones that put everybody on the same level so that the only advantages are gained through actual learned skill and not technology such as synth programming, musical composition, mixing and mastering.

What actual tools you use should not be factored into that equation if we truly want to make this competition about skill.

[fluffy_little_something]

I have a couple of suggestions:
- tracks must be at least 2 minutes, but not longer than 4 minutes
- people can use any effects they want, but
- at the end of each track there must be a couple of seconds of silence and after that any two continuous minutes of the original track must be repeated, but without using any synth-external or DAW effects/processing, except the master volume in order to bring about the same overall volume; but no remixing etc.; this way everyone could hear how much someone's track depended on effects and how effectively the synth itself was used
- OSC only every other month; this way dubious synth choices like this time could more easily be avoided

[wagtunes]

I have a couple of suggestions:
- tracks must be at least 2 minutes, but not longer than 4 minutes
- people can use any effects they want, but
- at the end of each track there must be a couple of seconds of silence and after that any two continuous minutes of the original track must be repeated, but without using any synth-external or DAW effects/processing, except the master volume in order to bring about the same overall volume; but no remixing etc.; this way everyone could hear how much someone's track depended on effects and how effectively the synth itself was used
- OSC only every other month; this way dubious synth choices like this time could more easily be avoided

Do you realize what a logistical nightmare this would be? In order to include 2 minutes of unprocessed tracks you'd either have to create a second project with no FX or put in automation to remove the FX on the last 2 minutes plus copy and paste whatever section onto the end of the main track.

No thanks. This competition is difficult enough as it is.

[fluffy_little_something]

Ah come on, in modern DAW's that would take 5 minutes max
And it would not complicate things as worrying about effects would be a thing of the past. Just use whatever you want...

[wagtunes]

Ah come on, in modern DAW's that would take 5 minutes max
And it would not complicate things as worrying about effects would be a thing of the past. Just use whatever you want...

Well, I for one am against it and hope it's never instituted. We have enough rules as it is.

[psmacmur]

Ah come on, in modern DAW's that would take 5 minutes max
And it would not complicate things as worrying about effects would be a thing of the past. Just use whatever you want...

Well, I for one am against it and hope it's never instituted. We have enough rules as it is.

+1 to that! The point of OSC (for me at least) is to practice modern electronic music production and share my results with some fellow synthusiasts. To have fun with synths and make some nice tracks. And the results of OSC should be something I'd want to share with my general soundcloud audience, not just OSC voters. So, I'd certainly be out if such a rule came in. Also if no FX were allowed at all.

That said, Fluffy's FX whitelist idea sounds promising. We'd need a whole nomination, discussion, and vote process for that, with annual revisits, but it might solve the fx controversy.

[bjporter]

I have a couple of suggestions:
- tracks must be at least 2 minutes, but not longer than 4 minutes
- people can use any effects they want, but
- at the end of each track there must be a couple of seconds of silence and after that any two continuous minutes of the original track must be repeated, but without using any synth-external or DAW effects/processing, except the master volume in order to bring about the same overall volume; but no remixing etc.; this way everyone could hear how much someone's track depended on effects and how effectively the synth itself was used
- OSC only every other month; this way dubious synth choices like this time could more easily be avoided

1.
2-4 minutes is too short for me, and limits freedom

2.
There is a WIDE variety of effects people can use already

3.
This would likely yield in more arguments. The effects rules have worked well for most of us for several years. Tracks are already very different from originals too. Reverb / delay, eq use can drastically change the track, etc

4.
Just because you think a synth is dubious, another may think it's a fantastic challenge. Not a great idea me thinks

[fluffy_little_something]

Well, I don't really care about OSC anyway the way it is now. How much mediocre instrumental music can anyone take...

[wagtunes]

Well, I don't really care about OSC anyway the way it is now. How much mediocre instrumental music can anyone take...

Good going. Way to insult an entire community in 21 words.

My hat is off to you sir.

[fluffy_little_something]

I am not insulting anyone. I am just realistic. When I listen to those entries, most of them are mediocre, some even irritating to me because I hate the sound of computer music. In fact I dislike it so much that I am tinking of giving it all up myself. Maybe volunteering would be a much better way to spend all those hours

[wagtunes]

I am not insulting anyone. I am just realistic. When I listen to those entries, most of them are mediocre, some even irritating to me because I hate the sound of computer music. In fact I dislike it so much that I am tinking of giving it all up myself. Maybe volunteering would be a much better way to spend all those hours

What exactly is "computer" music?

[fluffy_little_something]

DAW and synth-based music, as opposed to real music played by real musicians on real instruments...
Often I don't even feel like opening my DAW anymore, it is ruining my interest in making music...

[bjporter]

I am not insulting anyone. I am just realistic. When I listen to those entries, most of them are mediocre, some even irritating to me because I hate the sound of computer music. In fact I dislike it so much that I am tinking of giving it all up myself. Maybe volunteering would be a much better way to spend all those hours

Seriously, this is way stepping over the line. I'm calling you a troll now. The entries are fantastic, and represent a wide range of tastes, and styles.

[fluffy_little_something]

I am not insulting anyone. I am just realistic. When I listen to those entries, most of them are mediocre, some even irritating to me because I hate the sound of computer music. In fact I dislike it so much that I am tinking of giving it all up myself. Maybe volunteering would be a much better way to spend all those hours

Seriously, this is way stepping over the line. I'm calling you a troll now. The entries are fantastic, and represent a wide range of tastes, and styles.

Who do you think you are? The forum taste nazi telling everyone what is good music?! Fantastic even Really, if that is what fantastic music is, I might as well take my life...

When I think most entries are crap, then that is what I think and it is as valid an opinion as your opposing one. Maybe you are just too young to notice because you probably grew up listening to crap...

Do what you want, I guess I will leave this retarded board with its for the most part tasteless members, have wasted too much precious time here already...

[wagtunes]

I am not insulting anyone. I am just realistic. When I listen to those entries, most of them are mediocre, some even irritating to me because I hate the sound of computer music. In fact I dislike it so much that I am tinking of giving it all up myself. Maybe volunteering would be a much better way to spend all those hours

Seriously, this is way stepping over the line. I'm calling you a troll now. The entries are fantastic, and represent a wide range of tastes, and styles.

Who do you think you are? The forum taste nazi telling everyone what is good music?! Fantastic even Really, if that is what fantastic music is, I might as well take my life...

When I think most entries are crap, then that is what I think and it is as valid an opinion as your opposing one. Maybe you are just too young to notice because you probably grew up listening to crap...

Do what you want, I guess I will leave this retarded board with its for the most part tasteless members, have wasted too much precious time here already...

Let me tell you something.

I'm 57 years old. Grew up listening to Mozart, Chopin and The Beatles. I've forgotten more musical artists in those 57 years than you can probably remember. My music collection could stop a heard of bison in their tracks.

And I listen to some of the stuff submitted by this forum and I'm in awe of the talent.

So please, don't let the door hit you on the way out.