One Synth Challenge #137: HY-Poly by HY-Plugins ( Peter:H Wins!)

[Juergen]

I hope I understand this discussion correctly
Anyway, I'm here to be criticized and I think I'm capable of handling harsh criticism.
Or at least I hope that I am able to do so
Without real criticism, I think, you can't really improve.
That's why I'm here to be criticized, to improve and to have a lot of fun.
Of course, I'm also here to listen and to criticize the tracks of others.
However, I find it a bit difficult to criticize at the moment because my english is not the best and I don't want to be misunderstood.
I will have to improve my englich, too
It's a lot of fun for me to participate here and it's somehow exciting not to know at the beginning of the month if I'll be able to do anything.
A track that I like myself and that I hope others will like as well.
I'm not under the illusion that I'll make it into the top 5, but as we all know, hope dies last

Now I still have to vote and criticize a lot

[Taron]

Tehehehe, man. What gets me is for how long I felt nothing but thrilled to have another go at a better mix, better arrangement and so on for every single OSC round. And then I would settle back into just having the mix fine enough, but let myself fall into the music itself again, which is where I really wish to be. Every now and then I get another surge to carefully craft things into their place, but my real joy will always just be the music. That's why I embrace the inspiration of great mixes, but end up never caring to compare, you know.
Just how I never quite allowed myself to get into the whole loudness war nonsense. Right in the beginning of it I got curious and dug up an old Bjork album to check out the waveform of "Army of me"....pffff... this was such a gorgeous song back then and it had all the fullness I'd appreciate. But it was ridiculously quiet, looking at the numbers. Yet, the balance was fantastic, the song a world hit, I loved it... soooo... I stopped worrying altogether to push my tracks up with no end and instead just sort of hoped to satisfy the general volume enough, more for the sake of maximum sample information than the dB and certainly not to crush my dynamic range.
Ough, what a tangent. Sorry.

Yeah, you know, people are lured by secondary motives, hoping to gain importance by the impression of being important, not knowing that they've been important from the beginning and they only stumble onto the wrong desires for the wrong reasons. A musician, like any other devoted artist, can't help themselves and must make music, because it's almost like an extended part of their breathing. Success is utterly secondary, no matter how welcome and motivating it is, but it's just something that helps becoming sharper, clearer, more refined in their exhaling, so to say, haha.

But we're all plunged into a chaotic darkness in these recent ages and it seems like such a long way back up into the light. ...so many things we have to figure out again and so much of what we do will look so foolish the moment we've managed to take the next step up. But we're all on that incline and it's important, when we get to look behind us to remember that we've been there, too. And guidance gets scarce these days for sure.

[z.prime]

I get another surge

[Taron]

Zaktly!

[schiing]

Excellent goals, Juergen! One of the biggest OSC gains for me, is that it has kept my productivity up - and I think that's probably the fastest way to improvement: Keep churning 'em out! I've produced some good stuff and some duds, but downloading a new synth every month to mess around with - that always gets me somewhere.

A musician, like any other devoted artist, can't help themselves and must make music, because it's almost like an extended part of their breathing.

I don't know about my devotion or my artistry, but the "can't help themselves and must make music" bit is very true - often painfully so!

Re: mixing and stuff: I love the whole process - finding inspiration, writing, arranging, performing, mixing, mastering... But even though I get by on the keys and a few other instruments, my strength will never be as a performer - I'm more of a thinker/planner/tweaker than an intuitive player, so from my perspective I really enjoy how all these parts blend together nowadays.

Don't get me wrong, nothing will ever grab me more than a virtuoso performance - but I'll leave it to the specialists!

[Taron]

I wager that it's like this for most of us. ...I mean, if performing was our calling, we would be on stage. I did a few performances and ended up being rather surprised that people didn't throw blunt objects my way, but then I was very young and it might've been compassion ...but, yeah, I could never ever do that professionally. The very idea of playing the same tunes over and over again is a classic description of a nightmare to me.

[Tj Shredder]

...but, yeah, I could never ever do that professionally. The very idea of playing the same tunes over and over again is a classic description of a nightmare to me.

That is why I certainly prefer to improvise, just play, and if you accidentally play a tune its also fine...
I want to be surprised, even, or especially if I play myself...

[Taron]

Oh, so you are a performer then? That's interesting! Only reminds me that we know so little about each other...

PS: just checked out your website and under Music you have a few links to soundcloud that don't show up right on the page in FireFox (you see the html source code instead!) ( I suppose it should be iframes...)

[Tj Shredder]

Oh, I am so bad to keep my site actual. I guess its decade old embedded links and Soundcloud changed them in the mean time...
And yes, I am performing, but in a different area as usual musicians who can play tunes... More the free intuitive contemporary kind of weird music... But my taste is as broad as it can be... There are a few videos on YT...

[Taron]

Tell me about it... my website itself is almost derelict by now... good reminder. This is you on the computer?
Awww, man, that's so fun! ...I will later explore more. But it's so nice to see one of us there! Fantastic!

[] Peter:H []

Voted.
Many very good tracks! Because I'm running out of time with so many other things to do, I have not left comments on every track. Will take a listen soon an leave more comments.
Thanks to all who have left one of those many nice, encouraging and valuable feedback comments at my track!

[Tj Shredder]

This is you on the computer?
Awww, man, that's so fun! ...I will later explore more. But it's so nice to see one of us there! Fantastic!

Yes, thats me...

[H-man]

Interesting introspection on the comments aspect.

I don't think anyone wants "Ewww..." on their timeline after spending hours on their work, but at the same time simple pleasantries are not overly meaningful and, sometimes, not helpful.

I am pretty sure that I have recommended this before but here goes again. If you want to provide constructive criticism then make a simple, non-offensive comment and then reply to your own comment with more detail.

You get to say what you want without potentially influencing other's opinions in the timeline.

[z.prime]

Interesting introspection on the comments aspect.

I don't think anyone wants "Ewww..." on their timeline after spending hours on their work, but at the same time simple pleasantries are not overly meaningful and, sometimes, not helpful.

I am pretty sure that I have recommended this before but here goes again. If you want to provide constructive criticism then make a simple, non-offensive comment and then reply to your own comment with more detail.

You get to say what you want without potentially influencing other's opinions in the timeline.

You are person (I hope this hasn't offended you!).

Take ur advice and shove it!

Oh, wait, that wasn't really what you meant by that suggestion.

This is definitely a nice approach for more constructive feedback, however I would also ask for y'all to try to find something good about a track and call that out in an encouraging way. People here are trying their best (or maybe not) to make some lovely music, maybe win prizes and get better at it all. Encouragement goes a long way to work through the difficulties we face along the journey. I personally try to find at least one thing about a track that I enjoyed and call that out: if you have a comment from me, I do mean what is said .

OSC is great because we can learn, and we have a deadline to force tracks to be completed and like minded producers at times offer encouragement! I believe if people left absolutely no comments or only calling out how to fix things, OSC would not have grown to become the wonderful thing it is today. So love thy neighbor, spread the love, but not COVID!

[H-man]

Interesting introspection on the comments aspect.

I don't think anyone wants "Ewww..." on their timeline after spending hours on their work, but at the same time simple pleasantries are not overly meaningful and, sometimes, not helpful.

I am pretty sure that I have recommended this before but here goes again. If you want to provide constructive criticism then make a simple, non-offensive comment and then reply to your own comment with more detail.

You get to say what you want without potentially influencing other's opinions in the timeline.

You are person (I hope this hasn't offended you!).

Take ur advice and shove it!

Oh, wait, that wasn't really what you meant by that suggestion.

WTH .....make sense man!

If anyone is really interested in where their track either did things right or did not then Z' will give you an full and honest appraisal. Might need a big 'ol cup or 'Resiliance' before you read it but the insight is invaluable.