VSTi Song Contests on DSF?

[freakah]

This is getting really complicated haha, and I vote for antress cos they sound sickkk and I don't have the other pack

[alphacat]

Yeah, we don't wanna get too burdened down wif roolz n' regguhlayshuns, no doubt.

Again, the point here is to level the playing field so everyone's [more or less] working with the same basic raw materials. Hopefully the sampler thing will be the last major technicality we have to think about though.

While I agree that the Antress plugs sound fat (there's one that I consider my secret weapon for a lot of stuff, in fact) - there's too many of them* (more than twice as many,) some of them are highly nuanced (read: difficult to master,) there's a lot of redundundundancy (many flavors of compressor for example,) and some of them are pretty useless for our purposes (Mono-izer?! trick, please!)

The learning curve is less steep on the Kjaerhus plugs IMHO and they cover all the basics one could ever need without going overboard - after all, how many noobs are gonna know how to use the Antress Deep Purple, which is something of a multi-fx unit?

The Kjaerhus plugs are definitely easier and more straightforward, but still sound really good. Oh, and don't worry if you don't have 'em - we will provide them, of course. It's only like a 3MB install too.

*

[futures_untold]

Sorry for the late reply, I've had alternative things to worry about...

Some of the best freeware has already been mentioned, although I'm happy to propose extra plugins for consideration.

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If pushing the envelope of freeware plugins is the goal, perhaps keeping things simple would retain the focus on the plugins and composition skills of the producer?

I believe the whole song should be done with only three plugins maximum, 1 synth & 2 effects.

For example, to really test your skills at plugin programming and composition, try making a song with only the following three plugins:

CetoneSynth2 (synth)
KarmaFX Reverb (reverb & delay)
GVST GComp (compression & limiting)

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The more flexibility that we have to use what we want, the harder it becomes to judge the talent of the producer at pushing the buttons and arranging interesting tunes!

Perhaps even basic techniques such as reversing bounced samples should be dissallowed. Such techniques distract from trying to showcase the raw abilities of the software and composer.

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If you believe using only three freeware plugins is limiting, here is another plugin line up to contemplate... The line up is so powerful that one could produce an entire album!

Maik Menz Trancedrive (synth)
Luxonix LFX-1310 (multi-effect)
dBlue Glitch (multi-effect trancegate)

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Actually, a really talented programmer/composer can make an entire album from just one synth. Fuzzpilz Oatmeal and Jeremy Evers Atlantis are both flexible enough to step up to such a challenge.

With this in mind, I would say that some rounds of the competition should be limited to just one VSTi.

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In summary, my stance on the competition rules are as follows.

1> Freeware only
2> Maximum of three plugins per round (selected by winner of previous round)
2> No bouncing / resampling
3> No editing or post processing
4> No features of our DAWs to be used, such as built in plugins, timestretching or pitch shifting.
5> No samples or vocals
6> No pussy compressors for dynamics control!

imo...

Patrick

[futures_untold]

Just as a side note, the free music studio pack I compiled is also more than capable of procing a wide range of albums...!

Check it out at http://www.dubstepforum.com/free-portab ... 73393.html if you haven't already.

It contains some of the best freeware available imo.

Patrick

[sackley]

Usually I record a whole bunch and pick out what I want, so I shouldn't have any issue sitting down every couple of weeks and recording myself playing for a good 20 minutes or so and then just picking out different sections for each week.

As for the recording style: I wouldn't do anything that I would think is too far out of the box during recording that would make the break unusable for a wide audience. I really enjoy experimenting and seeing what happens, but I obviously won't upload anything that I'm not proud to put my name on.

Also, I usually justify the whole ghetto walkman thing by enjoying the coloration it gives the breaks. I have it set up so that the noise floor is acceptably low (for my personal use and standards), but if you're a purist you'll definitely think it does mess up transfer.

And I will get a recording up asap. I think I'll start a soundcloud account now and put up my worst quality 4 channel mixer -> 80's tape deck -> Cassette -> Walkman -> LINE IN (haha) drum break I have, just to set the bar low.

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As far as the rest of what's been said: I'm down with the limit on the number of plugs that can be applied to a synth on one track, but I don't know about the whole song....Like alpha said though, too many rules are really going to stifle this idea.

Lets shoot for Monday. I should be able to get a good recording by then.

[3za]

1> Freeware only
2> Maximum of three plugins per round (selected by winner of previous round)
2> No bouncing / resampling
3> No editing or post processing
4> No features of our DAWs to be used, such as built in plugins, timestretching or pitch shifting.
5> No samples or vocals
6> No pussy compressors for dynamics control!

thats deep!

but thinking about it, them rules do sound better then the one's we got now. more of a challenge and, we can start now. we kept adding more and more to the rules, (i was going to ask if we could have a pitch correction vst there is no way im singing with out one) we were moving more and more away from the point of this comp.

also i think Sackley, you should still recored some breaks, but for a sample pack to share.

[frank grimes jr.]

Resampling is a must for me as my CPU is pathetic.

[th@-pu$$y]

This would be near impossible.....but, would be cool if a vst was chosen then The patch used for the contest was made telephone game style. One person chooses for osc 1, pass it on then the next person is in charge of #2..pass it on Then the next person does the next step......and so on till the patch is built, then anyone involved on the sound design uses the patch in a tune........may the best tune win. I know, i know........just an entertaining idea.

[freakah]

1> Freeware only
2> Maximum of three plugins per round (selected by winner of previous round)
2> No bouncing / resampling
3> No editing or post processing
4> No features of our DAWs to be used, such as built in plugins, timestretching or pitch shifting.
5> No samples or vocals
6> No pussy compressors for dynamics control!

This ^ Sounds good!

[futures_untold]

Resampling is a must for me as my CPU is pathetic.

Does the DAW have a 'freeze' button?

The problem with resampling is that people can start doing edits that aren't possible from the output of a synth alone.

Maybe people with slow computers could resample in so far as getting the tones needed but with edits, timestretching, pitchshifting etc?

[surefya]

Yeah, we don't wanna get too burdened down wif roolz n' regguhlayshuns, no doubt.

Again, the point here is to level the playing field so everyone's [more or less] working with the same basic raw materials. Hopefully the sampler thing will be the last major technicality we have to think about though.

to much roooolz

i'm for making a pack that we can download with everything included (execpt daw).
I want to be able to click a link and get busy, like we do in the sample comp.

And can't we just include a simple sample player to use the drum breaks, just include one that is very basic.

[frank grimes jr.]

Resampling is a must for me as my CPU is pathetic.

Does the DAW have a 'freeze' button?

I use reaper, so I render all my midi lanes to .wav

The problem with resampling is that people can start doing edits that aren't possible from the output of a synth alone.

This is true, however without the DAW we likely couldn't do much with the VSTI anyhow.
I get what you're saying, it's just too purist for me.

Maybe people with slow computers could resample in so far as getting the tones needed but with edits, timestretching, pitchshifting etc?

Scout's Honor.

[nowaysj]

Think we're getting too purist here. I don't know if anyone has ever tried to make a track with just one synth and nothing else, but shit takes ages and is not that much fun.

The idea of one synth, one break, one drum machine sample set, and the kjaerhus basic set of plugins sounds like a nice restricted workspace, but with enough fertility and accessibility so as to have actual participants when it comes time to submit tracks.

[Recessive Trait]

^seconded. Alphacat made the contest, i like his rules and plugs decisions, let's get rolling.

do we want to make a point or is the point making good music?

[silkpantsman]

1> Freeware only
2> Maximum of three plugins per round (selected by winner of previous round)
2> No bouncing / resampling
3> No editing or post processing
4> No features of our DAWs to be used, such as built in plugins, timestretching or pitch shifting.
5> No samples or vocals
6> No pussy compressors for dynamics control!

This ^ Sounds good!

second that i wanna do these comps to try and learn how get the most out of an individual plugin at 1st was against no daw plugins but if thats the route then using less plugins seems more logical as your showcasing the ability of that plugin not setting up chains of plugs with similar settings as you use in your daw and it ll just make the listening more transparent and easier to decide the weeeiner. Thats said i wont give a fuck once things are rolling tbh watever the rules

[alphacat]

I'm gonna meditate on this and reply shortly...

[sackley]

After thinking about it...

The point of this contest is to see who can make the most bangin/deep/etc.etc tune possible with only freeware.

Why so many rules in the first place? I understand leveling the playing field by having a set developer's line for FX, but as far as resampling, number of FX on one track, etc.... Why limit it?

Is the point of this to see who can make a great song from freeware, or to see how far to push the freeware synths/fx.

If it's to push the plugins then it should just be a patching competition, which to me, isn't as exciting.

___

Also,
Soundcloud

This is the worst quality possible (most likely). Kick mic'd, snare/hats mic'd, 2 room mics, into a mackie mixer, out to cassete, into Line In port from a GE walkman, and recorded in Reaper.

Just Eq'd with ReaEQ, compressed on the track with Blockfish, then multiband compression on the master channel (not that it matters...) with GMulti, then Limited with MDA Limiter.

Let me know if you all still want to use my breaks, or if someone who actually has good plugins for mastering can clean up my .wavs.

[surefya]

Can we start this today???

Almost weekend and i'm up for dropping ten instances of some synth and trying to make a nice tune out of it.

Let's just start and see where it goes, we can always refine teh rules.

Just one synth, one plug pack, and a drum source. Drop in sackleys break if he has time to record it (and we can always add it later on if he doesn't have time today). Use whatever sampler you like.

It's for fun remember, run it and see what comes out of it

[sackley]

I can record today, so i'll have something or other up by this afternoon (don't know when that will be exactly for you guys in the UK, probably about 9 pm your time since i'm on the east coast US).

Should I bother?

[frank grimes jr.]

Yes you should!