One-Synth-Challenge 38: Olga - Voting and Results

[V'ger]

Time to vote for your top 5 tracks. All tracks are here.

RULES:
- Give 5 points to the track you think is best, 4 for second, then 3, 2 and 1.
- Voting is open to anyone.
- Last day for voting is 15th April (KVR time).
- If you have entered in the competition, you must vote to be eligible for prizes.
- No voting for yourself.
- Voters must have had 20 prior forum posts before start of the voting period, or participated in this month's contest.
- In the case of equal scores after voting, entries will be separated by how many 5 pts they got, then 4 pts and so on.
Votes can be changed before deadline, but must be made as a new post and clearly show it's a change of vote in order that it gets noticed.

HOW TO VOTE:
You should allocate your votes, in a single post, in this thread ... something like this:

Artist zxy - Track zxy: 5
Artist xqy - Track xqy: 4
Artist zyx - Track zyx: 3
Artist zqx - Track zqx: 2
Artist qzx - Track qzx: 1

NOTE:
Reviews, however brief, are always welcome. Even if you can only find the time to add a short comment, then please do! ...it keeps the thread alive and encourages others to listen/vote.

[z.prime]

I have a feeling I know how this is going to end up, but rightfully so. I wonder if this will be the only unanimous OSC ever; is there a skunk rule?

Anyway, I'll kick off the votes:

5pt: Jasinski - Motes and Beams

This is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of my favorite electronic tunes of all time. I love everything about it. I listened to it repeatedly just trying to find a deficiency but couldn't. There are great sounds, a great vibe, great energy, and great extras throughout. I only hope you have mercy on us in future OSCs, Aaron. You really have some musical gifts (and other artistic gifts, it seems) that many of us would likely kill for. Thanks for this.

4pt: Yeager - Unicorn Soup

The last part of this tune did it for me. I may have liked some different stuff leading up to it - maybe a focus on the last part throughout, but the rest was definitely still good. I have no idea how you've managed to come up with unique quality tunes for every OSC, but I'm glad you do.

3pt: bzur - Tundra

As always, another very quality tune from one of the greatest OSC musicians. This song didn't move me as much as some of your previous... I can't really say why, maybe the intro/outro, and the melody was not quite it for me this month. Regardless, thanks for another great listen; you too have a particular style that is hard to be matched.

2pt: evo2slo - Mail Order Bride

Great 'guitar' riffs... I really thought I was listening to a rock song the whole time; a really good listen. If there was one thing that may have moved this up - the mixing seemed a bit muddy to my ear but still made a great tune.

1pt: Photonic - Pulsar

Typical Photonic leads! This teetered between 2nd place for me. A hard decision, I wish I had more points to give you for this track - the sounds and progressions are just great, like all of your tunes.

A lot of other submissions caught my ear, too. But I had to pick 5. If anyone wants constructive criticism, feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the tunes and good luck all!

[photonic]

Hi all,

What I like much about OSC is that we can hear so many different sounds out of one plugin. Every one has a different approach to the synth. Hard to belive that all comes from one VSTi.

Here come my votes:

5 points: Jasinski - Motes and Beams
WOW, what a breathtaking part with that mix of mashine gun and siren sound. This track is showing the rough side of the lady. Very impulsive track, superb mastering.

4 points: Bzur - Tundra
Again a very melodic track with beautifull chords. I like the atmospharic sounds twinkeling around in the back. All in all a bit melancholic, but this fits the titel quite well.

3 points: PWM - The dance of Olga
Not only the song is a great idea. The acosutic simulation of the accordion and the dulcimer is amazing! I don't have a glue how you did this.

2 points: evo2slo - Mail Order Bride
Nice guitar feeling. A song for a ride. The mix was indeat a bit dull.

1 point: Yeager - Unicorn soup
For me the song is too long. The interesting parts are coming after the first third. In the last third there are some JMJ sounds I like much.

cheers,
Photonic

[gorgorgathgorgorgor]

Taking a few minutes to listen before the puppet show starts. I'll vote sometime after Easter is OVER.

[Pulse Width Modulation]

Another fun week of jamming to OSC in my car back and forth to work! What a challenging synth! But so many great entries! Here's my votes!

5 POINTS: Jasinsky - Motes and Beams - WOW! What a thrill ride! You know how to generate excitement! The way you created drama with the portamento synths and choppy square waves blew me away. You get high marks in in all my criteria: Synthesis, originality, composition, arrangement, and recording quality! GREAT JOB!

4 POINTS: Photonic - Pulsar - Another high mark of success! The composition was excellent, moving through several different moods from classic space music to a little rockin' out! Your arrangement is colorful and rich, showing off a prime proficiency with Olga.

3 POINTS: Bzur - Tundra - Another captivating song filled with emotion and mystery! I love the twin square leads on the chorus. Great arranging with solid Olga sounds.

2 POINTS: BJPorter - Unfinished Escapade - You gave us an imaginary landscape of ambient tones that were anything but cold. A piece filled with wonder and human emotion. I don't know what your composition process was, and it may have even been an improvisation, but I absolutely love the composition and the unique world of your tones. (Not to mention that the bassline reminded me of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love")

1 POINT: Z.Prime - Largo - It's an irresistable smooth groove that many people would have filled with old stand-by synth patches, but instead you made your patches, especially the lead, unique with character and just a touch of quirkiness.

AND HONORABLE MENTONS TO...
Evo2Slo - Mail Order Bride Rockin' Song! How did you make that 80's sounding short Orchestra Hit?

Ruedirena - OlgaSchafftDas This song made me smile when I first heard it! Switched-On Jimmy Buffet!

Tattiemannie -Olga rythm High powered song with a good arrangement.

[evo2slo]

Evo2Slo - Mail Order Bride Rockin' Song! How did you make that 80's sounding short Orchestra Hit?[/color]

Thanks PWM! Was really not expecting the nice comments and votes I've gotten this month. Had another track in the works to replace mine with but didn't finish in time, hopefully will get back to it at some point... but it probably would have gotten no votes... So who knows.
That short hit was originally a long string type sound I played on my keyboard (not sure how I exactly arrived at it as I was avoiding the translation button and tweaking all the knobs by ear (maybe not the best idea - but fun!)) In my futile efforts to de-mud and clarify my mix I shortened the midi note lengths of my strings to quick little 64ths and layered them with the snare (secretly hoping it would help disguise my ugly snare sound), ended up with that gated 80s type hit - and the rest is OSC history!

[Pulse Width Modulation]

That short hit was originally a long string type sound I played on my keyboard (not sure how I exactly arrived at it as I was avoiding the translation button and tweaking all the knobs by ear (maybe not the best idea - but fun!)) In my futile efforts to de-mud and clarify my mix I shortened the midi note lengths of my strings to quick little 64ths and layered them with the snare (secretly hoping it would help disguise my ugly snare sound), ended up with that gated 80s type hit - and the rest is OSC history!

I got a kick out of it. It gave the track that late 80's fusion of rock guitar and techno pop, like Roxette or Escape Club! (Sorry, that's what we danced to in high school!) There was just something about Olga that could give you the wildest tones. for me, I cranked up the distortion knob with the filter on bandpass and got these surprising acoustic tones, like the accordian and the dulcimer on my entry, but I also came up with a cool flute patch and a bowed bass.

[jasinski]

Wow! thanks z.prime, photonic, Pulse Width Modulation. High praise indeed. I'll be submitting my picks shortly.

[z.prime]

High praise indeed.

Well deserved.

[JJBiener]

I have to congratulate myself on my prescience. I figured when I spent a little time trying to use Olga that I would not have a chance in Hades of coming up with something competitive. Now that I have listened to the entries for this month's contest, all I can say is, I was soooo right. The people who entered this month took a recalcitrant synth and make incredible music come from it. I am truly impressed.

Now to the points.

bzur - Tundra 5 pts

This is reminiscent of a lot of the stuff I was listening to in the early 90's. I particularly like how you balance the various sounds and build the tune over time. Very well done.

Photonic - Pulsar 4pts

I think it was the composition more than anything that drew me to this. That isn't to say the sound design is anything less than stellar, because it is certainly is. I think the name is particularly apt. Very good stuff here.

BJPorter - Unfinished Escapade 3 pts

The first minute or so works so well in its minimalism. Then at around 1:08 it just expands into whole new vistas of sound. Excellent.

z.prime - Largo 2 pts

The sound design on this is excellent. I worked with Olga a bit at the beginning of the month and had no idea these kinds of sounds could be coaxed from her reluctant lips.

Yeager - Unicorn Soup 1 pt

I like how this just jumps in grabs the listener from the very first notes. Then it drags the listener through whether he is willing or not.

[z.prime]

... and had no idea these kinds of sounds could be coaxed from her reluctant lips.

Thanks! It did take some work - and a sneaky trick noted in the comments to get a reasonable kick drum. I have to say I am not the biggest fan of Olga, but it does have a very unique character in a land where so many soft synths have many of the same characteristics and end up sounding just about the same. Deviating from 'that Olga sound' was something not particularly easy to do. I, for one, will probably not be returning to her arms.

[V'ger]

The people who entered this month took a recalcitrant synth and make incredible music come from it. I am truly impressed.

+1 Challenge well met.

[Bjulin]

pulse with modulation - dance of olga: 5 pts.

this is simply cool and very well done... everything sounds as real as it could be.
the music made me happy... funny ideas... cool track!

jasinski - motes and beams: 4 pts.

man, this is just crazy... how the heck, did you do those fat stereo sounds with THIS snyth?!
must be a lot of eqing, panning etc.... i guess!? Very cool track, mate!!!

bjporter - unfinished escapada: 3 pts.

wow... I like that dreamy sounds... everyone can catch me with this stile of sounds and athmo!!

z.prime - largo: 2 pts.

nice, shiny track... AND VERY VERY GOOD PERCUSSIONS! That kick is just so deep and at the same time very clear!
that can be said for all the sounds you produced with olga... very polished sounds!

photonic - pulsar: 1 pt.

as i said fo bjporters track... i simply like those dreamy sounds and athmo
very nice mood... thanks!



I hope, that I can put something together this month with plex!
Happy composing!

Bjulin

[IrionDaRonin]

I just need an answer from Jasinski to make my final votes.

To Jasinski: How you did the stutter/stopdown/glitchy stuff?

Have a good day, artists

[jasinski]

I just need an answer from Jasinski to make my final votes.

To Jasinski: How you did the stutter/stopdown/glitchy stuff?

Have a good day, artists

Level (volume) automation

And some tracks, just midi notes